Headlamp replacement bulb-LED? Halogen?
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 374
Likes: 0
From: SE WI
Technically impossible. Those ratings ARE teh power drain, so either you do have an additional drain, or your new bulbs were falsely labeled. Or they used 55w xenon gas and claim it's as bright as a 90w halogen
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 17,548
Likes: 7,172
From: Oxford, Nc
Well they're way brighter and whiter than the yellowish stock halogens I pulled out. And the volt meter behaves the same coming off idle, and there is no apparent heat increase...
Maybe I'm pulling more power and don't notice it. Regardless, it's a huge, inexpensive improvement on my bike.
Thanks for the exchange.
Cruiser
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 187
Likes: 1
From: Eastern Oregon
I agree that the HD LED headlamp is very, very bright - pretty important in this country where you share the road with all manner of livestock, deer and elk.
Not that it would stop me from buying it again - which I guess I sorta did - but mine developed a condensation problem immediately after installation. So did the HD LED passing lamps, and my left LED front turn signal smoked itself after about 100 miles. Not an installation problem, they were installed by a highly competent, experienced mechanic - my son. There apparently is a new part # for the headlamp - not a "recall", just a new number when they give you a new light.
My dealer (Salem Harley Davidson in Salem, Oregon) is taking great care of me, so that's not a problem - but it's still a giant PITA. Of course they have their hands full taking care of me, since my 2011 Heritage has been in the shop for the last 2+ weeks waiting for parts - it was making a hell of a noise - at about 800 miles, was at the Hells Canyon rally in Baker, so there were about 1150 miles on it when I finally got it to the shop - it had a bent crankshaft, which took out a front piston plus a few other things. The only good thing is it didn't come apart while I was on it. I don't want to ride anything but a Harley (had a 2009 FLHTC before the Heritage and a 2007 Deluxe before that) - but this has been a real disappointing deal so far. Sorry - didn't mean to hijack your thread - I'll post this in the Softail forum if anybody wants to reply to the engine problem.
Not that it would stop me from buying it again - which I guess I sorta did - but mine developed a condensation problem immediately after installation. So did the HD LED passing lamps, and my left LED front turn signal smoked itself after about 100 miles. Not an installation problem, they were installed by a highly competent, experienced mechanic - my son. There apparently is a new part # for the headlamp - not a "recall", just a new number when they give you a new light.
My dealer (Salem Harley Davidson in Salem, Oregon) is taking great care of me, so that's not a problem - but it's still a giant PITA. Of course they have their hands full taking care of me, since my 2011 Heritage has been in the shop for the last 2+ weeks waiting for parts - it was making a hell of a noise - at about 800 miles, was at the Hells Canyon rally in Baker, so there were about 1150 miles on it when I finally got it to the shop - it had a bent crankshaft, which took out a front piston plus a few other things. The only good thing is it didn't come apart while I was on it. I don't want to ride anything but a Harley (had a 2009 FLHTC before the Heritage and a 2007 Deluxe before that) - but this has been a real disappointing deal so far. Sorry - didn't mean to hijack your thread - I'll post this in the Softail forum if anybody wants to reply to the engine problem.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 17,548
Likes: 7,172
From: Oxford, Nc
From the vendor's website, apparently output wattage is not the same as power usage:
The brightness of any bulb is measured in several ways. We don’t like any of them because they are not honest some manufatctures use Lumens some use candlepower and and all those numbers can be fudged to show any result you want because there is no testing standard. Degrees of Kelvin or just “K” tells you the color temperature of the light (nothing to do with operating temperature). If you stare directly into the sun you will see that it produces an extremely white light. Sun light is 4850°K, Most vehicles are equipped with standard halogen bulbs with a Kelvin around 3200°K. Nokya Arctic White bulbs bulbs produce about 5000°K and Arctic Purple bulbs are about 7000°K. They also have big output of light increases achieved two ways. First, these bulbs use a more tightly wound spiral filament made of finer wire in a precise mixture of halogen and xenon gasses that is under much higher pressure than a normal halogen bulb. Second, the presence of xenon gas under high pressure provides an increased rate of halogen regeneration resulting in a very intense light.
Depending on the design, a 55-watt version of this type of bulb can produce the equivalent output to an 85-watt or higher standard halogen bulb but without the amperage draw and heat of the standard 85-watt bulb.
Last edited by Stiggy; Jul 1, 2011 at 06:58 AM.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,179
Likes: 1
From: Southern California
I just put the HD LED on my Softail. I took a ride the first night to an unincorporated area around a lake here, no street lights. I was blown away at the amount of light the HD LED puts out! Not only side to side, but the throw outwards was unreal! And a very bright white light. Most cars nowadays have daytime running lights. Before the HD LED was installed I always ran the Xenon blue bulb for the white light it gives out. I didn't want to look like every headlight on the road, yellow. I have this theory: If they see me, maybe, just maybe they won't hit me. I'm now LED Headlight and Tail/Stop light. I've already noticed cages pulling out from shopping centers look at me approaching and they STOP after seeing this bright azz white light.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 5,173
Likes: 177
From: East Coast
My real question is this:
If the bulb fails in an LED headlight, a new BULB is available, correct?
Consider the way an LED bulb can easily replace a tail light or signal light in the stock housing. Is this possible with headlights, and if not, why not?
If the bulb fails in an LED headlight, a new BULB is available, correct?
Consider the way an LED bulb can easily replace a tail light or signal light in the stock housing. Is this possible with headlights, and if not, why not?
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bulb, bulbs, cheaper, davidson, eprformance, halogen, harley, headlamp, headlight, headlights, led, repacment, replace, replacement, version
