Led headlight bulb?
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Tourer
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 404
Likes: 10
From: Richmond Ky
Led headlight bulb?
For you guys that use just the headlight bulb is it worth it? I have been thinking about getting the Fuelmoto led bulb and was just wondering if its worth the $70 for it? I would rather have the truck light but can't spend that much on it right now.
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 463
Likes: 202
From: Long Island,NY
Don't know about the Fuel Moto led, I went with this one: http://www.cyclopsadventuresports.co...lb-_p_83.html# Much better than stock bulb.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 100,455
Likes: 19,810
From: Centennial, CO
It's certainly better than the stock bulb. The light I get from mine is not as focused as the stock bulb, but there is a lot more of it. The bright isn't any brighter than low beam, but there is more light.
I've used the Osram Nightbreaker bulb as well and while not as much light as the LED, the light is focused.
I've used the Osram Nightbreaker bulb as well and while not as much light as the LED, the light is focused.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 4,445
Likes: 2,823
From: Oklahoma
The ones I tried were useless. The headlight was very bright but the light pattern was not a brighter version of the halogen bulb pattern. The halogen bulb beam was sort of a flat rectangle with a decent cutoff across the top edge giving good light on the road but not in other drivers' eyes. The LED bulb resulted in a "wide spot light" or a "narrow flood light' round pattern with very soft edges. Having the beam high enough to be useful put the bright portion in other drivers' eyes, lowering the beam to avoid blinding others resulted in a brilliant hot spot no more than 20 to 30 feet in front of the bike. It was so bright it blocked vision to a greater distance.
The chips in the 881 LEDs must have been mounted in the wrong location, there is no beam of light at all from the passing lights. They radiated about like a bare bulb, just general light but no beam/hot spot. If all of the LED H4s and 881s are like the ones I tried, don't waste your money.
The seller seems to be a great guy, he was given high reviews on this site. I have not yet Emailed him the results of my experiment and hesitate to name him or the bulb brand until we work things out. He made no claims about the beam shape generated with his bulbs so I have little to fall back on. They are bright but useless, I have gone back to the halogens for the time being.
The chips in the 881 LEDs must have been mounted in the wrong location, there is no beam of light at all from the passing lights. They radiated about like a bare bulb, just general light but no beam/hot spot. If all of the LED H4s and 881s are like the ones I tried, don't waste your money.
The seller seems to be a great guy, he was given high reviews on this site. I have not yet Emailed him the results of my experiment and hesitate to name him or the bulb brand until we work things out. He made no claims about the beam shape generated with his bulbs so I have little to fall back on. They are bright but useless, I have gone back to the halogens for the time being.
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,897
From: Bedford UK
A problem with LED replacement bulbs at present is that they are much larger than stock halogens, so the light they generate doesn't coincide with the focal point of the reflector, which is why the beam isn't focussed. Until they are the same size and have the same focal point they are not worth buying IMHO. I have Trucklites for my main lights and would like LEDs for my oval fogs, but haven't yet found any that will fit inside.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 14,744
Likes: 402
From: Phoenix '53, '88, '09 Big Twins
As GR says above- common that the leds will provide gobs of light- but it is unfocused, so hot spots and shadows, glare and inconsistent color temperature ( color of the light cast) ore likely to blind oncoming traffic due to the light being unfocused.
I tried FM leds for my dual halogen headlight and after trying some adjustments pulled them.
Mike
I tried FM leds for my dual halogen headlight and after trying some adjustments pulled them.
Mike
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Road Captain
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 570
Likes: 135
From: DFW, TX
My experience - I converted my softail (small housing) to a PIAA, still not bright enough so I went to an HD Daymaker. Recently purchased 2012 Street Glide (larger light housing), did not think it was bright enough so I replaced the stock bulb with the PIAA previously used in the softail and aimed it a little bit higher. BIG difference between PIAA and stock, more light thrown in the correct pattern. I think I will keep the PIAA in the SG ilo purchasing another daymaker. The larger housing definetley gets more light out there. As grbrown states above, the led's do not have the same/proper focal point.
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