LED Headlight
LED Headlight
I've read on here that people been changing their old headlight with led's. Do they change the whole headlight or is there a led bulb that you just replace. Also, if so is that all you have to do is take old bulb out and put led bul in? I know if you change the front and rear turn signals you have to put a load equilizer in so the turn signals would work correctly. Seeing that I just got it, Trying to do a little upgrade to my 91 Electra Glide Ultra Classic.
Road Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 786
Likes: 9
From: Oceanside, California
I only did my bulbs, I really only ride during the day since I need to be around nights for the wife, see my post here.
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/evo-c...-my-led-s.html
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/evo-c...-my-led-s.html
Just did mine.
The headlight is a piece of cake. Just pull the old bulb, pop in the new one, done.
The running lights are a bit of a fiddle. On our old bikes, the leads to the running lights are screwed to the stock running lights. The new lights will have a connector attached to them
You have two options. You can cut the connector off the new bulbs and hard wire them to the bike (that's what I did on mine), or you can buy an adaptor to wire into the bike and plug the bulbs in.
I'm told the adaptor/connector option works, but when I looked at it, everything needs to end up stuffed inside of those little cans, and it seems like it would be a very tight fit.
However you do the wiring, the result is really great. These things are way brighter than stock.
The headlight is a piece of cake. Just pull the old bulb, pop in the new one, done.
The running lights are a bit of a fiddle. On our old bikes, the leads to the running lights are screwed to the stock running lights. The new lights will have a connector attached to them
You have two options. You can cut the connector off the new bulbs and hard wire them to the bike (that's what I did on mine), or you can buy an adaptor to wire into the bike and plug the bulbs in.
I'm told the adaptor/connector option works, but when I looked at it, everything needs to end up stuffed inside of those little cans, and it seems like it would be a very tight fit.
However you do the wiring, the result is really great. These things are way brighter than stock.
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
I have a set of three Trucklites for mine, although I haven't installed them yet.
I have read on other threads that replacement LED bulbs don't work too well and can show you why. These two bulbs are the same type, H3 that fit the dresser oval fog lamps and my Buell headlamps - except the LED won't fit either of them, as it's too big! So that bars them from use in two sets of my lights. The l/h one is LED, the r/h one is a conventional halogen.
As you can see the halogen filament coincides with the location of the bottom two rows of LEDs. The other LEDs will be further away from the sweet spot, in a reflector that is designed for the halogen bulb. That IMHO is why an LED bulb doesn't and indeed cannot provide a decent beam pattern, when in a conventional reflector.
I have read on other threads that replacement LED bulbs don't work too well and can show you why. These two bulbs are the same type, H3 that fit the dresser oval fog lamps and my Buell headlamps - except the LED won't fit either of them, as it's too big! So that bars them from use in two sets of my lights. The l/h one is LED, the r/h one is a conventional halogen.
As you can see the halogen filament coincides with the location of the bottom two rows of LEDs. The other LEDs will be further away from the sweet spot, in a reflector that is designed for the halogen bulb. That IMHO is why an LED bulb doesn't and indeed cannot provide a decent beam pattern, when in a conventional reflector.
Last edited by grbrown; Jan 8, 2016 at 09:29 AM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 9,332
Likes: 3,873
From: Upstate New York
I have a set of three Trucklites for mine, although I haven't installed them yet.
I have read on other threads that replacement LED bulbs don't work too well and can show you why. These two bulbs are the same type, H3 that fit the dresser oval fog lamps and my Buell headlamps - except the LED won't fit either of them, as it's too big! So that bars them from use in two sets of my lights. The l/h one is LED, the r/h one is a conventional halogen.
As you can see the halogen filament coincides with the location of the bottom two rows of LEDs. The other LEDs will be further away from the sweet spot, in a reflector that is designed for the halogen bulb. That IMHO is why an LED bulb doesn't and indeed cannot provide a decent beam pattern, when in a conventional reflector.
I have read on other threads that replacement LED bulbs don't work too well and can show you why. These two bulbs are the same type, H3 that fit the dresser oval fog lamps and my Buell headlamps - except the LED won't fit either of them, as it's too big! So that bars them from use in two sets of my lights. The l/h one is LED, the r/h one is a conventional halogen.
As you can see the halogen filament coincides with the location of the bottom two rows of LEDs. The other LEDs will be further away from the sweet spot, in a reflector that is designed for the halogen bulb. That IMHO is why an LED bulb doesn't and indeed cannot provide a decent beam pattern, when in a conventional reflector.
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
Since I posted that I've taken another look at replacement H3 LED bulbs and you're right. There are a few that look a little more halogen-sized, but not yet close enough to make it worth buying. They are as cheap as chips, but if they won't fit.....
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Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2009
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FWIW, this is the link to the Truck-lite set I bought from Amazon:
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
FWIW, this is the link to the Truck-lite set I bought from Amazon: Amazon.com: Truck-lite 7" & 4-1/2" Led Headlight Drive Light Set Harley-Davidson Touring: Automotive
