ElectricMotorcycleForum.com
Makes And Models => Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ => Topic started by: xmjsilverx on April 28, 2015, 07:46:15 AM
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Got my LED headlight and running light in and I really like it. I haven't ridden it at night yet but it looks great in the garage. It's pretty darn bright and they look great too. I did have to modify the locking ring a little bit. I would recommend it for $30.
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x40/xmjsilverx/Car/20150424_223618_zpsxkupk7ea.jpg)
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x40/xmjsilverx/Car/20150422_161452_zpsinztqkd3.jpg)
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x40/xmjsilverx/Car/20150422_121509_zpsh3lxs9dp.jpg)
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x40/xmjsilverx/Car/20150422_121503_zpsknmeuhlm.jpg)
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Is this just a bulb replacement or did you have to modify wiring?
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Cool, is yours fanless? Here's mine (with links to ebay): http://bit.ly/1HMqEmd (http://bit.ly/1HMqEmd)
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BikerJared, The LED is just plug and play. Here is a link.
http://www.amazon.com/Power-Xenon-White-Motorcycle-Headlight/dp/B00PQDUOSO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430221468&sr=8-1&keywords=h4+motorcycle+led (http://www.amazon.com/Power-Xenon-White-Motorcycle-Headlight/dp/B00PQDUOSO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430221468&sr=8-1&keywords=h4+motorcycle+led)
ptruchon, Yes it is fanless. That looks good, I like the work you are doing and the blog. Are you getting anywhere with the charger under the tank?
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Thanks for the link(s). Did you replace both lights with LEDs or just the main headlight?
ptruchon -- Awesome write up. I'll be going through that a few times a bit later. At a glance, you've done some really interesting work. It looks very clean as well.
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I replaced the running light as well.
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Looks good!
Please let us know what the beam pattern is like when you have a chance to drive it in the dark (i.e., not just at night in the city, but actual dark, where the beam pattern is visible and important)
Does it do as good a job of lighting your way on poorly lit roads as the stock halogen bulb?
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ptruchon, Are you getting anywhere with the charger under the tank?
Not so much... Just posted more details here: http://electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=4227.msg30746#msg30746 (http://electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=4227.msg30746#msg30746)
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Ptruchon, have you tried to lay it flat across the top of frame and contractor box (black box to left in image) just to see how much bigger it is over a "stock" tank?
I have plans on doing something like this soon but with my RSP stack to see if I can modify the tank a little to fit them inside better ;)
Given the tank is only $99 from the dealer it is a no brainer for me to order another one (which I already did) and modify the one I have now to see if it would work.
I have yet to do the cardboard box trick yet but I did do this once https://flic.kr/p/paDbYD
First step though will be to get my vetter front cowl on so I can get more range.
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What is the part number for the running light too.
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Hey Burton,
Good idea. I'll take another picture next time I remove the tank... I didn't realize that the tank was that affordable. I might buy a new one to experiment with then (and maybe change the colour to white if that's possible...)
Hello SoundMusic,
Here's a link to the ebay page for the running light I bought. The trick was to make sure that they are the same colour temperature as the main headlight bulb.
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/T10-W5W-168-194-7-5W-High-Power-Car-Signal-Tail-Turn-COB-LED-Light-Lamp-Bulb-12V-/371296328299?hash=item5672fc5a6b (http://www.ebay.ca/itm/T10-W5W-168-194-7-5W-High-Power-Car-Signal-Tail-Turn-COB-LED-Light-Lamp-Bulb-12V-/371296328299?hash=item5672fc5a6b)
This particular listing has ended, but scroll down to see the information about the bulb.
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@SoundMusic. It is suppose to use a w3w bulb but I went with a w5w. Here is a link to what I bought.
http://www.amazon.com/Generation-Replacement-Dashboard-Brightness-10/dp/B00JRE38EA/ref=sr_1_5?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1431267713&sr=1-5&keywords=w5w+led (http://www.amazon.com/Generation-Replacement-Dashboard-Brightness-10/dp/B00JRE38EA/ref=sr_1_5?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1431267713&sr=1-5&keywords=w5w+led)
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I got a chance to ride it at night and I thought the light was better than the stock bulb but by how much I am not sure. It still wasn't super bright but overall I am happy with it. I did notice that I had to adjust the height up with this light.
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How much does it get dimmer as it heats up? This is one thing I don't care about with LED lights in my home.
Trikester
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I haven't noticed that with this LED or any of the ones in my house.
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It's a characteristic of LED's. The dimming is gradual, as the diode junction heats, so maybe you just haven't noticed that after a while there isn't quite as much light as when first turned on. Someone else on this forum a year or so ago mentioned that about the LED headlight he had put on his Zero.
The HID headlamps get brighter as they heat.
trikester
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Could it be that the ones you are using just didn't have sufficient heat dissipating capabilities?
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It's pretty tough to cool the diode junction. Of course that is what the cooling does, but it can't prevent the junction from rising quite a bit above ambient.
Of course, the better the cooling the less loss in light output and also the longer the life of the LED. I would certainly choose the headlight that had the best cooling, as long as its initial light output was sufficient.
trikester
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Looks good!
Please let us know what the beam pattern is like when you have a chance to drive it in the dark (i.e., not just at night in the city, but actual dark, where the beam pattern is visible and important)
Does it do as good a job of lighting your way on poorly lit roads as the stock halogen bulb?
This is quite a problem with after market LED lights. The reflector is designed around the lighting pint of a standard halogen but if a LED source is off by a few mm it can make the beam quite different and not so funny for other road users.
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After reading this thread I decided to order some LED bulbs for my SR. I live in Upstate NY where there are plenty of pitch black backroads at nighttime, loaded with deer, among other things. The factory halogen bulb had decent coverage but wasn't bright enough for my liking. Actually, let me clarify that a bit. If both the low and high beams were on at the same time, there was plenty of light. Unfortunately the stock setup would turn off the low beam when you turned on the high beam UNLESS you were using the flash-to-pass switch. Every time I needed the highs I would just hold that button down to get the amount of light I wanted. The new LED headlight leaves the low beam on when you use the high beam which, to me, is worth the upgrade by itself.
It was mentioned that the locking ring needed to be modified to make the new headlight fit, which is true, but what wasn't mentioned is how. The lock ring has 2 locating tabs on the side that faces the bulb. They contact the screws used on the adapter on the new bulb and must be trimmed off prior to installation.
As for output, pictures do not do these bulbs justice. They are incredibly white and just as bright. According to the listing each bulb is good for 3000 lumens (I purchased a pair instead of just one bulb). The picture of the closeup is closer to the actual color you see when looking at them. The area where the low beams land looks like it's daytime and it is focused near the front tire. I was concerned that the parabolic reflector might throw light into oncoming traffic but I don't believe that is the case. With the highs on you can see much it is almost an obscene amount of light coming from that headlight.
Last but not least, the LED bulbs fit the look of the electric motorcycle better than the halogens did, in my opinion. I also changed the front running light and the plate light to LED bulbs. The only factory bulbs I have are the turn signals which I plan on leaving as is.
(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06/10/8e8c1be8376b148fb85af57ea7c61f59.jpg)
Original bulbs
(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06/10/daf35142399b0e54923b56d361ee299e.jpg)
New bulbs
(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06/10/840f4ff2cd6fe2943dc2ea2eef8d71a8.jpg)
Closeup
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
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Awesome, glad you like it. Can you get some pictures at night on a dark road or parking lot?
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I'm going out on a nighttime ride in a few hours, I'll see what I can do. Not sure how well the pictures will come out using the camera on my phone.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
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Anyone installed these in an FX? Im wondering if the spherical projector lens would need to be removed?
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I feel like the projector lens would make better use of the light than the reflector housings.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
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Alright, here are the pictures showing the output of the LED headlamp. I maintain that the pictures don't show you the entire story. The pictures are as follows:
1. Well lit city street - Headlamp off
2. Well lit city street - Low beam only
3. Well lit city street - Low & High beams together
4. Pitch black backroad - Low beam only
5. Pitch black backroad - Low & High beams
Camera was held just above windshield, I was sitting on the bike holding it level and the bike was not moved in between subsequent shots. Personally, I think the city street shots actually show more, mainly since there are things for the light to reflect off of in those pictures.
(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06/10/0c6a182995a0fcfd8d307b7bbdddd69d.jpg)
(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06/10/94011f12f6461cdab8d30ac57c761a2c.jpg)
(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06/10/70ba4706a431c27b9c13dae8fff8b102.jpg)
(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06/10/097dec782c93389f6ea2e79e346d2e7e.jpg)
(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06/10/193a126c6d3b88db2704e79462c3ddbf.jpg)
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
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I think those shots look great. It's hard to tell from the pics but it almost looks like they need to be aimed up. I had to do that after I installed my led. But the beam pattern and brightness look good to me.
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Tater,
Which LED did you install for the main headlight?
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Here's the link to the ones I purchased.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/161535220405?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_sacat%3D0%26_nkw%3D161535220405%26_rdc%3D1 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/161535220405?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_sacat%3D0%26_nkw%3D161535220405%26_rdc%3D1)
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It looks like the same one in my link except this is for a pair instead of a single.
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No problem with CANBUS? A few led lights seem to cause problems with noise
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Still satisfied with LED conversion?
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Yes, I rarely ever ride at night but I did a few nights ago and I was thinking how great this LED was. I would recommend it but I do believe it needs to be aimed up once the LED is in. That's what I did with mine and I think it is way better than the halogen.
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Thanks, did the install. As I leave for work before dawn every morning, will get plenty of experience. Preemptively raised level while I had it apart.
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Are the lights the same for the fx 2013 as the ds ? bulb wise
also has anyone converted there 2013 fx to use leds or HIDS? if so id really like that information just acquired my fx and while the halogen are ok they def seems wasteful power wise as there always on and i dont want to have to put an override on to lessen the power use for offroad and whatnot if i can just switch to something more efficient power wise
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I would suggest downloading the manual for your bike from zero, it will tell you what bulbs it runs. If it's an H4 then you can use any of the links to the bulbs we have provided. The only thing to worry about is your enclosure. I believe the fx uses a projector lens and this led has a large heatsink on the back plus a small chip inline with the connector. If you can get a good picture of the back of your headlamp assy while installed I may be able to tell you if it's enough room.
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Yeah its definitely an H4 ill take a look at your previous links then ideally want plug and play without modding it.
loving the fx its pretty gnarly all around bike just limited range but i have been riding super agressive
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It is plug in play as long as you have enough room for the heatsink and connector.
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I did have to modify the locking ring a little bit. I would recommend it for $30.
I just installed this one and it does work great. I will add the detail about the locking ring that is on another thread:
The locking ring has two tabs that face the lamp and this LED model fixture has screw mountings that collide with the tabs. You have to file off maybe 3mm of the tabs where they collide to get the assembly to lock in correctly.
Also, the rubber boot that covers the lamp has to be extended to cover the heat sink or forced inward. I went with extending it.
Finally, think about how you want to route the extra wiring. Behind my headlight is now a jumble of wires. A zip tie or two helps.
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An old Honda of mine had a very limited charging capability. I swapped out the head light and it made a big difference in keeping the battery charged (at low engine speed, it didn't generate enough juice otherwise).
No thought to increased range on a zero? Anyone with a parts list to change them all to LED? (The head light would be the only one with a chance to affect range.. The others would be just for cool factor)
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No thought to increased range on a zero?
The range argument crops up with 12V accessories, but a little math shows the scale:
At an average 100Wh consumed per mile, the motor consumes far more electricity than the entire 12V circuit possibly could. 12V times the 15A fuse limit yields 300W (that's much more than the builtin headlamp at 60W).
If you ride the bike for 100 miles, for maybe 2 hours assuming 50mph which is pretty efficient, you'll use 10kWh out of your battery on the motor, and maybe 600Wh = (300W * 2h, or 0.6kWh) or 6% wasted through the 12V circuit.
But that's a theoretic maximum for the circuit. On average, you're consuming (with a stock 12V load) 20% of that which is maybe 100Wh per 100 mile trip or 1% range difference (one mile).
LED replacement will reduce that by half (assuming high beams are not on the whole time). The only way to get close to the maximum is to add and turn to a maximum all of Zero's heated accessories, like grips, seat, etc, and add more lighting or a speaker system.
So, why get LEDs? It does seem to heat up the inside of the headlamp enclosure less, which seems to make a difference to me on foggy nights. This particular product in the Zero makes an arguably better light pattern. And it probably will never fail.
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I've installed one of these :
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81R8m9mvuQL._SL500_.jpg)
http://www.amazon.com/OPT7-Headlight-Bulbs-Clear-Arc-Beam/dp/B00VNBDWPK/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1446883182&sr=1-1&keywords=opt7 (http://www.amazon.com/OPT7-Headlight-Bulbs-Clear-Arc-Beam/dp/B00VNBDWPK/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1446883182&sr=1-1&keywords=opt7)
Main goal was to get more brightness out of the headlight for safer riding at night and / or rain. It does seem much brighter, though the pattern on the road is a bit weird, kind of like the reflector itself ;)
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That one looks like it has a fan, is the noise noticeable?
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That one looks like it has a fan, is the noise noticeable?
I can't speak to that specific model but I have an LED headlight and the noise from the fan is only noticeable if the bike is stopped, there isn't much ambient noise, I don't have a helmet on and I listen closely. However, since the bike is electric and has no vibration at all when stopped I can sometimes feel the whir of the fan in the handle bars. Its not even close to the buzz that ICE bikes can get in the handle bars.
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That one looks like it has a fan, is the noise noticeable?
Yes, this one has a fan. I can't really hear it on the street even at a stop (helmet, plus noise from other vehicles). Otherwise it's barely noticeable.
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The locking ring has two tabs that face the lamp and this LED model fixture has screw mountings that collide with the tabs. You have to file off maybe 3mm of the tabs where they collide to get the assembly to lock in correctly.
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Also, the rubber boot that covers the lamp has to be extended to cover the heat sink or forced inward. I went with extending it.
I also ordered the Astra Depot High Power 30W Xenon White H4 9003 HB2 XM-L2 CREE LED Hi/Lo to replace the H4. The low beam seemed a bit too low without adjusting, but I like the combination with the high beam, so I think I'll leave it. I like it.
Brian
1) I decided to only saw off and file down one of the tabs on the nylon lock ring. That did enough to avoid the annoying screws on the removable H4 base plate.
2) I don't think you want that boot to cover the heat-sink. With a bit of hustling I got the boot to slide over the larger diameter heat-tube, and fit between base-plate and heat-sink.
Others,
It was too much fumbling to get it sorted out with the headlight in place.
Decided to remove it for more work space, and put back once assembled. Highly recommended.
You need a 3mm and 4mm hex bit to remove the headlight assembly. Why were they not all 4mm? Oh well.
I replaced the running light with LED also. It needed an intense tug to get the rubber out of the hole.
I got a bag full (50?) general purpose LED's for $10 for that.
Tail/number plate needed more dis-assembly than I expected. Just 4 deep Philips screws. no big deal.
Headlight beam Adjustment screws seems awkward to get at.
Nothing is made for easy maintenance is it now?
Hein
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The locking ring has two tabs that face the lamp and this LED model fixture has screw mountings that collide with the tabs. You have to file off maybe 3mm of the tabs where they collide to get the assembly to lock in correctly.
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Also, the rubber boot that covers the lamp has to be extended to cover the heat sink or forced inward. I went with extending it.
I also ordered the Astra Depot High Power 30W Xenon White H4 9003 HB2 XM-L2 CREE LED Hi/Lo to replace the H4. The low beam seemed a bit too low without adjusting, but I like the combination with the high beam, so I think I'll leave it. I like it.
Brian
1) I decided to only saw off and file down one of the tabs on the nylon lock ring. That did enough to avoid the annoying screws on the removable H4 base plate.
I can see how that would work. Did you rotate the LED slightly to accommodate that? It makes me wonder whether your light pattern was affected, if so. The LEDs seemed designed for that replacement and might perform worse if even slightly off.
2) I don't think you want that boot to cover the heat-sink. With a bit of hustling I got the boot to slide over the larger diameter heat-tube, and fit between base-plate and heat-sink.
Maybe you're right. I'll check the boot now that it's been running for a while. I've checked for heat from the assembly and it's always felt cool now (one of my goals), but I haven't checked the heatsink.
It was too much fumbling to get it sorted out with the headlight in place.
Decided to remove it for more work space, and put back once assembled. Highly recommended.
You need a 3mm and 4mm hex bit to remove the headlight assembly. Why were they not all 4mm? Oh well.
Agreed about all of this. It was a hassle I didn't know how to characterize.
I'll add one thing: the plug was really frustratingly hard to push together. I mean hideously difficult, like the blades were actually thicker than the originals, and it didn't help that the plastic around it wasn't solid enough to push on. My plug right now still sits with 1mm gap just because I can't seem to push it in any further.
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The low beam seemed a bit too low without adjusting, but I like the combination with the high beam, so I think I'll leave it.
I had the opposite issue with those Opt7 bulbs from Amazon. They seem to project much higher than conventional bulbs in
two of my bikes (Zero & Yamaha) and my Toyota SUV. Had to adjust the reflectors to point lower.
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What is the part number for the running light too.
You can use any W3W or W5W bulb. The difference is just 5 watt or 3 watt. Of course, if you are converting to LED it will actually only be like 1 watt.
I used this one.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AIJY2ZM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s02 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AIJY2ZM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s02)
The color is great and it looks a little better than some of the others I have seen where you can see the little cube with an LED on each side.
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It was too much fumbling to get it sorted out with the headlight in place.
Decided to remove it for more work space, and put back once assembled. Highly recommended.
+1....definitely remove the whole assembly.
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You can use any W3W or W5W bulb. The difference is just 5 watt or 3 watt. Of course, if you are converting to LED it will actually only be like 1 watt.
I used this one.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AIJY2ZM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s02 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AIJY2ZM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s02)
The color is great and it looks a little better than some of the others I have seen where you can see the little cube with an LED on each side.
I bought these for the running light replacement :
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CXGC8RC?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CXGC8RC?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00)
Works pretty good in that capacity. Also used two of them to replace number plate bulbs. Not as good there - since there is no efficient reflector, front and some of the side diodes are
not projecting onto the number plate.
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I've installed one of these :
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81R8m9mvuQL._SL500_.jpg)
http://www.amazon.com/OPT7-Headlight-Bulbs-Clear-Arc-Beam/dp/B00VNBDWPK/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1446883182&sr=1-1&keywords=opt7 (http://www.amazon.com/OPT7-Headlight-Bulbs-Clear-Arc-Beam/dp/B00VNBDWPK/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1446883182&sr=1-1&keywords=opt7)
Main goal was to get more brightness out of the headlight for safer riding at night and / or rain. It does seem much brighter, though the pattern on the road is a bit weird, kind of like the reflector itself ;)
When I click the link it takes me to a 60watt version that comes with two bulbs (for cars). They sell a single bulb H4 version that works with our bikes in two different sizes and I'm assuming you got one of those. Did you get the 40watt or the 80watt? The SPEEDMETAL LED conversion kit I got from cycle gear burnt out and I'm looking for something with better quality.
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I've installed one of these :
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81R8m9mvuQL._SL500_.jpg)
http://www.amazon.com/OPT7-Headlight-Bulbs-Clear-Arc-Beam/dp/B00VNBDWPK/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1446883182&sr=1-1&keywords=opt7 (http://www.amazon.com/OPT7-Headlight-Bulbs-Clear-Arc-Beam/dp/B00VNBDWPK/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1446883182&sr=1-1&keywords=opt7)
Main goal was to get more brightness out of the headlight for safer riding at night and / or rain. It does seem much brighter, though the pattern on the road is a bit weird, kind of like the reflector itself ;)
When I click the link it takes me to a 60watt version that comes with two bulbs (for cars). They sell a single bulb H4 version that works with our bikes in two different sizes and I'm assuming you got one of those. Did you get the 40watt or the 80watt? The SPEEDMETAL LED conversion kit I got from cycle gear burnt out and I'm looking for something with better quality.
That listing has multiple bulb models. When you click the link, the default product showing is H11, which they list as 60 Watts. So just pick H4, which is the correct bulb type. Even there they list H4 as 80 Watts, but it's actually 40 Watts and they also have that in details (40 watts per bulb). Now that listing is indeed for two bulbs, which is what I bought - for two bikes. That way it's a few dollars cheaper per bulb :) But you can also buy singles from them here :
http://www.amazon.com/OPT7-Motorcycle-Headlight-Arc-Beam%2599-Clear/dp/B00WVJR0D8/ref=lp_9381516011_1_12?srs=9381516011&ie=UTF8&qid=1448295492&sr=8-12 (http://www.amazon.com/OPT7-Motorcycle-Headlight-Arc-Beam%2599-Clear/dp/B00WVJR0D8/ref=lp_9381516011_1_12?srs=9381516011&ie=UTF8&qid=1448295492&sr=8-12)
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The 40W per bulb is probably the rating with both high and low beams on at the same time. Low beam alone is probably half that...
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I've installed one of these :
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81R8m9mvuQL._SL500_.jpg)
http://www.amazon.com/OPT7-Headlight-Bulbs-Clear-Arc-Beam/dp/B00VNBDWPK/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1446883182&sr=1-1&keywords=opt7 (http://www.amazon.com/OPT7-Headlight-Bulbs-Clear-Arc-Beam/dp/B00VNBDWPK/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1446883182&sr=1-1&keywords=opt7)
Main goal was to get more brightness out of the headlight for safer riding at night and / or rain. It does seem much brighter, though the pattern on the road is a bit weird, kind of like the reflector itself ;)
I when out on the limb and installed this tonight and I'm disappointed in the results.
As warned in this thread, the beam pattern is horrible. Lots of glare.
The headlight with the stock bulb has a very crisp rectangular beam pattern. The top of the rectangular is a sharp cut off that does not send light up into the eyes of drivers. Any light going above the line is glare to other drivers.
The headlight with the OPT7 has a blotchy patter that is actually quite narrow top to bottom and it has a lot of glare, I could aim it down to eliminate the glare, but I would be left with dark spots. I took a picture with my phone, but it tid not come out well.
The other bad part is install. I dont know how they call the OPT 7 a H4 bulb, because many things are different from the stock bulb. Getting the plastic ring that fastens the bulb to the reflector requires cutting the plastic ring and taking apart the metal ring on the bulb. The plastic ring does not fit poperly and the metal ring is missing some small tabs that orient the bulb. I'm going to ride it tomorrow and see what it is like.
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The first picture is the Opt7 low beam shined at a wall in my garage 6 feet away.
My 2015 SR is supported more or less straight up and down, so it's not leaning.
The top line of orange tape is as the same height as the headlight from the ground. When aiming headlights, the light hot spots should not extend higher than this line or you shine other rode users in the eyes, which is called glare. As you can see, a significant amount of light is going higher than it should be. When you are riding at night what you see is trees, overpasses and the 2nd story of a building light up. People on the sidewalk are shielding there eyes probably wondering why you have your high beam on. Yes, you could aim the headlight down, but you would get those two dark spots just right and left of center that and still a lot of light would be going above the cut off line.
It is very bright and white with a extra hot spot in the middle. The bottom of the main hot spot is marked too.
(http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g163/killroy1999/_IGP0887_zps14ztgzl9.jpg)
This second photo is taken at the same camera setting with the stock bulb with the low beam ( 1/16 F2.0 ISO 100 55 mm)
Its more yellow and dimmer, but its beam pattern is what it should be. Vary little light going above the cut off. I left the orange tape form the Opt7 to compare. The pattern is wider and puts more light right in front of the light for low speed stuff. It has a hot spot in the center.
(http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g163/killroy1999/_IGP0916_zpsm8e3ypi3.jpg)
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Thanks for posting the photos, Killroy.
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Just fyi, my beam pattern looks nothing like that but I also did not use the bulb you used. I listed the bulb I used on the first or second page. I have a definite cut-off on the top of the pattern and the is how I knew how to adjust the height of the beam.
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The first picture is the Opt7 low beam shined at a wall in my garage 6 feet away.
My 2015 SR is supported more or less straight up and down, so it's not leaning.
The top line of orange tape is as the same height as the headlight from the ground. When aiming headlights, the light hot spots should not extend higher than this line or you shine other rode users in the eyes, which is called glare. As you can see, a significant amount of light is going higher than it should be. When you are riding at night what you see is trees, overpasses and the 2nd story of a building light up. People on the sidewalk are shielding there eyes probably wondering why you have your high beam on. Yes, you could aim the headlight down, but you would get those two dark spots just right and left of center that and still a lot of light would be going above the cut off line.
It is very bright and white with a extra hot spot in the middle. The bottom of the main hot spot is marked too.
I tried to repeat the test you described and I get different results. I have the Opt7 and I did not adjust the angle of my headlight when I installed it...its at the same angle as it was with the stock headlight.
Do you have the LEDs facing left and right or up and down? I had an LED from Cycle Gear made by SpeedMetal that needed the LEDs to face up and down. For low beam only the LED on the bottom turned on and the LED on the top is added on with the high beam. With the Opt7 the LEDs need to be facing left and right. The forward LEDs on both sides will turn on with the low beam and the aft LEDs are added on with the high beam. See first picture. I had a really hard time getting it aligned properly when I installed it but eventually I got it perfectly aligned with the LEDs pointing left and right and the center line perpendicular to the ground.
(http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w410/TheMrwilsn/IMG_2255_zpstkisqv6s.jpg) (http://s1074.photobucket.com/user/TheMrwilsn/media/IMG_2255_zpstkisqv6s.jpg.html)
I marked my garage door 3ft from the floor, which is what I measured the approximate height of the headlight to be (did you get the same measurement?). I put the front of my front tire at exactly 6 feet from the garage door. See results in second picture.
(http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w410/TheMrwilsn/IMG_2251_zps94grpl96.jpg) (http://s1074.photobucket.com/user/TheMrwilsn/media/IMG_2251_zps94grpl96.jpg.html)
Now I repeated the test from a full 12 feet away. See results in picture three.
(http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w410/TheMrwilsn/IMG_2250_zpsroeqldrp.jpg) (http://s1074.photobucket.com/user/TheMrwilsn/media/IMG_2250_zpsroeqldrp.jpg.html)
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Your results look the same to me as killroys. The LED I used I had the leds aimed up. I did not get the wavy top line of the light pattern like you both did.
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Your results look the same to me as killroys. The LED I used I had the leds aimed up. I did not get the wavy top line of the light pattern like you both did.
Really? The shape of the pattern is somewhat similar...looks like a batman symbol to me. When I look at Killroy's pics I see the head and wings of the bat above the orange/yellow tape clear across the picture. In my pics the head of the bat is well below the black line in the middle with the bat wings on the side just barely going over and the bottom of the pattern is almost touching the bottom of the garage door. In Killroys pictures it looks like the bottom of the beam pattern is well above the bottom of the door (maybe its just because the pics are kinda blurry? I can't see an actual bottom of the door).
I am interested to see what your beam pattern looks like...can you post pics? I saw pics of the installed headlight and someone else posted pics of the beam hitting the road but not shinning on a wall or door.
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My camera doesn't take the best night pics so a lot of the ambient light is lost but I think in real life it looks exactly like the beam pattern of killroys pic of the stock headlamp. It raises slightly in the center just as his stock beam pattern does. It does not shine above the horizon line so it will not glare in the faces of other drivers. I have no complaints with my LED.
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x40/xmjsilverx/DSC_0373_zpselpwk8sr.jpg) (http://s181.photobucket.com/user/xmjsilverx/media/DSC_0373_zpselpwk8sr.jpg.html)
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I like it! That beam pattern is definitely much closer to the stock beam pattern. If I have any issues with the Opt7 I might have to take a look at that LED. But what I would really love is some laser headlights!
BMW shows motorcycle helmet head-up display and laser light concepts (http://www.gizmag.com/bmw-motorrad-hud-laser-light-2016-ces/41188/)
Double the range without blinding oncoming drivers...sign me up!!
I will try to take a picture on the street sometime soon to see how the beam hits the road....for my own curiosity more than anything.
Opt7 actually markets the beam pattern of their LED as a benefit. Seen from the top in their marketing photos (for whatever that's worth) the head of the bat is supposed to focus more light further down the road. (picture taken from Amazon listing)
(http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w410/TheMrwilsn/Opt7%20beam%20pattern%20marketing_zpswiq6zivi.jpg) (http://s1074.photobucket.com/user/TheMrwilsn/media/Opt7%20beam%20pattern%20marketing_zpswiq6zivi.jpg.html)
I'm not sure it's any better than the LED you have but I can tell you its a LOT better than the SpeedMetal I wasted money on from Cycle Gear. The SpeedMetal started acting flakey after the first rain post install and burnt out completely (in the middle of the night of course >:( ) just a couple months later.
The Opt7 was harder to get aligned and it was a LOT harder to get the rubber boot properly between the plastic ring and the fan but the electronics module is MUCH smaller and made it easier to get the wires all tidy and tucked away. Plus Opt7 claims the light will work completely submerged and since I ride in the rain frequently I am hoping that claim is true. You can see here the difference in module size between the SpeedMetal and Opt7.
(http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w410/TheMrwilsn/Opt7%20vs%20SpeedMetal_zpsafyzmfpz.jpg) (http://s1074.photobucket.com/user/TheMrwilsn/media/Opt7%20vs%20SpeedMetal_zpsafyzmfpz.jpg.html)
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BikerJared, The LED is just plug and play. Here is a link.
http://www.amazon.com/Power-Xenon-White-Motorcycle-Headlight/dp/B00PQDUOSO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430221468&sr=8-1&keywords=h4+motorcycle+led (http://www.amazon.com/Power-Xenon-White-Motorcycle-Headlight/dp/B00PQDUOSO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430221468&sr=8-1&keywords=h4+motorcycle+led)
ptruchon, Yes it is fanless. That looks good, I like the work you are doing and the blog. Are you getting anywhere with the charger under the tank?
Looking closer at the LED you bought I can see that the reason you get the cleaner pattern is likely due to the little metal divider between the forward and aft LED combined with the orientation of the LED's pointing up and down as opposed to left and right as with the Opt7. It's also kinda cool that the LED you got doesn't have a fan although its not like I can hear the fan on mine unless I am parked in the garage (i.e. no street noise). But I like the idea of not having the moving part...so long as it doesn't overheat in the long run.
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xmjsilverx have you had any trouble with RF from the LED affecting your can bus?
I am in Australia and I could not purchase that same LED as you have on amazon/ebay here (they have ones with a fan and 60w but I was worried about RF with the extra power). But I noticed its available from the US but the company does not ship to Australia.
But here the postal system offers a US address to post to then they on post it to Australia. Only problem is the freight was more than the item itself (i.e. I had to pay 2 lots of freight, one to the depot and then onto Australia).
For those electrical engineers out there, I have a question for you. Is it the LED bulb or the driver box that emits RF? If its the driver box, can you wrap it in aluminium (or something) to reduce RF output?
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Probably the driver. You could try wrap it but I doubt it would work, the only real solution is to acquire a driver that doesn't emit RF.
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No, I have not had any RF issues with my LED.
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It would me nice to see some more wall beam patterns of some of the other LEDs, especially ones that have up and down orientation.
Its a shame that they Opt7 was not designed like a standard H4 halogen (up down orientation instead of right left). If they did orient it right, then its possible that the optics would not be that bad.
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I installed the OPT7 led bulb this weekend. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WVJR0D8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WVJR0D8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
I saw beam patterns similar to those shown previously. I did not adjust the beam angle because the hot spot appeared to be pretty close to the same place as the stock bulb. My impression is that the entire scene is brighter, including immediately in front of the bike. The whiter color makes the daytime running light bulb above the headlight look orange in comparison.
I installed the bulb without the boot that protects the OEM bulb, as recommended by OPT7. We'll see how that goes. I didn't have any major issues with clocking the bulb or installing the locking ring. The bulb indexed itself correctly. I used gloves to rotate and remove the metal ring to install the locking ring because I had visions of bloody fingers. It took a few minutes to get the locking ring to rotate and lock. Back at the bike, I attached the electronics box on the inside of the fairing that's between the side of the headlight and the instrument cluster using velcro. That's keeping the wires out of the way of the led bulb cooling fins.
The bulb makes a slight whirling sound that's only noticeable when you're at the front of the bike. It runs cool, which is what I hoped when I bought it. I can now put my bike cover on as soon as I get to work without worrying about melting the cover or the headlight lens.
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I installed the OPT7 LED Headlight on my 2013 S after seeing it on this forum. I was concerned when the instructions told me to leave off the rubber gasket off the back of the head light housing. but just got caught in my first thunderstorm after the install and it work out just fine. I like having the fan running the the light to remind me the bike is is on. One time one of my co-works came over to talk to me while I was getting off my Bike and I ended walking into the office leaving the keys in the bike and in the on position.
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Anyone tried xenon? Of course I love led, but The quality I see in the products now on the market isn't high enough for me. And fans an a headlight? No, sorry.
Searching for alternatives I came across this solution:
https://www.retrofitlab.com/en/motor/yamaha-mt03-mh1.html (https://www.retrofitlab.com/en/motor/yamaha-mt03-mh1.html)
Seems a good quality upgrade with a decent projector lens mounted in the current Yamaha mt03 headlight unit. I'm willing to try this one out!
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Thought I'd add my 2c to this thread with another option for LED bulbs...one of the first upgrades I did when I bought my last bike was swapping out the two stock halogen bulbs for two of these. It was a night and day difference, so I also made it the my first upgrade on the DSR I just bought.
http://stores.advmonster.com/h4-r3-led-headlight/ (http://stores.advmonster.com/h4-r3-led-headlight/)
It took me longer than I expected to install, even after I figured out that the whole headlight housing can just be taken out, but I finally got it done. Like others have mentioned, the plastic lock ring has 2 tabs that need to be modified (in my case, filed off completely) and there is now a jumbled mass of wires and mesh heat sink behind my housing which I will try to clean up soon with zip ties.
I haven't tested the beam pattern yet, but these bulbs worked flawlessly on my old Tiger so I expect the same on the Zero. Now I just need to go back in there and swap out the running light.
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Anyone tried xenon? Of course I love led, but The quality I see in the products now on the market isn't high enough for me. And fans an a headlight? No, sorry.
Searching for alternatives I came across this solution:
https://www.retrofitlab.com/en/motor/yamaha-mt03-mh1.html (https://www.retrofitlab.com/en/motor/yamaha-mt03-mh1.html)
Seems a good quality upgrade with a decent projector lens mounted in the current Yamaha mt03 headlight unit. I'm willing to try this one out!
Agreed that the quality so far has been fairly basic.
That MT03 fitment looks great! Even if the install is involved and it's not cheap. If someone tries this, please report on it. We should add it to the wiki for sure.
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Thought I'd add my 2c to this thread with another option for LED bulbs...one of the first upgrades I did when I bought my last bike was swapping out the two stock halogen bulbs for two of these. It was a night and day difference, so I also made it the my first upgrade on the DSR I just bought.
http://stores.advmonster.com/h4-r3-led-headlight/ (http://stores.advmonster.com/h4-r3-led-headlight/)
It took me longer than I expected to install, even after I figured out that the whole headlight housing can just be taken out, but I finally got it done. Like others have mentioned, the plastic lock ring has 2 tabs that need to be modified (in my case, filed off completely) and there is now a jumbled mass of wires and mesh heat sink behind my housing which I will try to clean up soon with zip ties.
I haven't tested the beam pattern yet, but these bulbs worked flawlessly on my old Tiger so I expect the same on the Zero. Now I just need to go back in there and swap out the running light.
Not bad! I'm using the previous listed option with a braid, and the wiring arrangement has been a hassle, even had wires exposed after it got caught against a steering stop. :/ I repaired it of course but had to carefully arrange the now busy group of wiring to keep it all safely together.