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Headlight Bubs, lets talk!

4K views 27 replies 11 participants last post by  Wire-Wheels 
#1 ·
So I've been using a bright yellow bulb for several years now and the more touring I do on this TBS the more people comment that it isn't bright enough. The stock bulb I found to be a bit dim as well.

So that begs the question, what do you all recommend for a brighter bulb in the TBS without blowing fuses?

Now that its 2015 lighting has seemed to progress with LED's and such.

Tell me what works!
 
#7 ·
I'm running a bright white hella h4, superbrightleds has an led replacement bulb that looks like it could work, I'd love to hear feedback on them before pulling the trigger. The inexpensive led h4 kits produce a lot of light but the throw is not as good.
The truck-lite LEDs are incredible! Very bright, very visible to other drivers, great field of view, and great distance for pitch black night riding. That would be my choice if I could wing it.
 
#10 ·
Yes I have just put one in my thrux. I have not taken it out in the dark yet as it is still too cold at night here. The "lights off in the garage before and after test" looks promising though, the new bulb throws lots more light. I still need to get it out on the road before I can fully evaluate it.
 
#11 ·
Looks like LED options are getting better. As usual with these things, the US market is way ahead with retrofit stuff.

At 3800 lumens that LED option is putting out about twice that of a standard H4 bulb, but will it's heatsink (and control/connection module) fit the TB/TBS shell? (It might just maybe?)

The 80/100W halogen H4 would be ok for wiring and fuses etc. on a single headlight (ie not for most cars with two of them). It's the extra heat in the headlight shell I'd be more concerned about, but sounds like Tom has done it without any problem.

With only half the power draw of a stock bulb, the LED scores nicely on heat/energy, as we'd expect. From the occasional glance around at LED headlight or Aux lamps, a 20Watt draw (in the one stoanee linked) seems to be what's needed to give the greater light output people are wanting with these.
 
#13 ·
I installed two of the LED bulbs in my Tiger, but had to ditch the rubber bulb covers, as they have a fan attached to the back of the bulb.
They work well, but I cannot imagine stuffing one inside of the Legend headlight cover, as getting all of the wiring harness tucked backed in place each time I have had it apart has been a real task.
For increased conspicuity, I also added some LED aux lights to my Tiger, and they are outstanding. Part of my purpose was to get my amperage use down so that I can run a heated jacket and gloves, which I just received.
I had ordered some bulbs from Europe that were higher output, Philips I think, and they worked well in the Legend.

 
#15 · (Edited)
I'm running last years 3600 Lumin 3 LED H4 bulb from Cyclops Adventure Sports that I installed in Nov/Dec.

http://www.cyclopsadventuresports.c...light-bulb-for-DirtbikesDual-Sports_p_97.html

I love it. It's way brighter than the halogen and it consumes much less power which would have prevented my OEM ignition switch from dying (too much power through one circuit). Also, my tacho works much better now. it worked up to 7k before now it mostly hangs with it until ~9k but it might occasionally settle at 7.5k and just hang out there while i bump into the rev limiter.

/electrical discussion

i really don't agree with you irlmike (*GASP* :eek:), remember the US version don't have headlamp switches (ie, we can't turn the headlamp off). the 80W H4 pulls 20 watts more (which is as much as the LED pulls MAX) that's gonna be the headlight, running lights, gauges and idiot lights, ignition, starter, and coils all running through the contact switch at the bottom of the ignition switch. TOASTY! imo, one should never run a "brighter" headlight if it pulls more than 55-60W on any british bike.

/

back to my experience: i get noticed a lot more often. you can tell the difference in the perception from other vehicles. i can see better at night and been seen better. the high beam actually does something that can be noticed during the day (makes bottom half of headlamp illuminate).

the OEM lamp glass is lensed so it has built in cut-offs. all you need to do is be sure to tilt it below rear view mirrors while in areas with traffic. there isn't so much spill-over as to blind other drivers, but it definitely gets you more noticed. i had to remove the rubber seal at the back of the headlamp shroud, but nothing else required beyond that to make it fit. (it was a snug fit though)

cyclops adventure sports has since come out with a 4 LED 3800 (4400 max) Lumin H4. it is a warmer temp than my 3600, so it should provide even better illumination. this is the bulb stoanee has in his thrux (watch that tilt angle!)

http://www.cyclopsadventuresports.com/3800-Lumen-H4-LED-Headlight-bulb-_p_83.html?AffId=4

in my experience C.A.S. makes excellent, durable products that are of top quality manufacture. 12 month warranty too. no issues with mine so far. their products always come with adequate cooling designs for all fitments (sealed or open), both of the H4 replacements i mention have active cooling through built-in fans, as well as heatsinks to draw heat away from the diodes.

i also upgraded my 2-stage brake lights to LEDs. 1157 CAN bus 26 LED bulbs (we don't need it, but it helps regulate the power) in RED. you need to get the color matched to the housing with LEDs.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/mor...ed-bulb-dual-intensity-26-smd-led-tower/1166/

definitely more noticeable, especially if i flash my brakes. i have left my turn signals alone. i like the stock flashers, i have no issues with them being noticed, and i've only read about issues with LED mods.

i have replaced the gauge backlights with bright white LEDs, the bottom of the speedo has a little wedge 3LED white bulb on the bottom, to make it look mostly altogether. i haven't swapped out the idiot lights, mostly because i'm trying to save money for suspension upgrades. I also am not crazy about the prospect of accidently putting a bulb in backwards (LED bulbs are polarity sensitive) and not having an indication when the system triggers it.

that's my $0.02
 
#16 ·
Thanks for the details on this. So that was also my question, does it all fit into the already cramped headlight bucket?

I'm interested in the new bulb as it would also have less power draw as well. The yellow bulb makes the glass lense very hot!

I upgraded to a LED cateye style brake light several years ago. One of the best upgrades I did and it is much brighter. I also remained with incandescent lighting for the signals.
 
#17 ·
cloud, that's a very good point about power thru' the ignition switch... I'd forgotten about that, well spotted! The wiring would be ok and 'officially' the Ignition Switch as well, but in practice & over time, it's best to reduce load on the switch. If you did the relay mod, or fitted a relay to run the headlight (which with a bit of ingenuity could be dropped out when the starter is running), then that would be ok.
 
#18 · (Edited)
irlmike: so the Irish know about electronic relays? that's good because the wankers in Hinckley seem to have never heard of the concept. ;)

i will add that in your defense, triumph made a few different ignition switches that fit into the plug they used on the HC3s and some of them are of MUCH higher quality and far better designed than some of the other more economical options triumph chose to curse us with, but still no relays... the new-to-me one i have from a 2001 Legend is much better than the plastic junk OEM one i had previously.
 
#19 ·
I installed the Cyclops bulb this weekend. Wow its much brighter than my yellow bulb!

Regarding the stock rubber cover for the rear of the bulb, it doesn't look like it will fit so I left it out.

I'm curious, has anyone had any issues with rain/water getting in the head light bucket? I don't seem to have a rubber grommet in the rear of the bucket to protect from water.
 
#20 ·
i had to delete the rubber cover as well when i installed 3/4 of a year ago. no, i haven't had any issues with fogging in the headlamp or water getting into it. i've let it get rained on and ridden in the rain a few times since, all conditions. no issues. the bulb itself is waterproof, so no worries there.

the inner reflective glass portion is still as sealed up as ever, since the bulbs screw into it. any water/dirt that might get past is only gonna end up inside on the wiring harness, which probably won't do much harm. imo, the opening is pretty tucked away and out of the way of spray.
 
#21 ·
The earlier headlight shell fitted to Thunderbirds is much deeper than the later shell maybe useful if you are having problems stuffing all the wireing back in, the later thunderbirds headlight is always a bit of a challenge to get it all back in.
One problem with the brighter bulbs is that they have a much shorter life. I buy the car alternative as you get a pair for almost the same price as 1 bike build and keep the spare wrapped up in bubble wrap under the seat.
 
#22 ·
Just converted my '02 America to LED last week. Seems pretty bright, but I haven't had it out at night yet. Package says it uses 30watts instead of the 60watts the old H-4 did but puts out 2 1/2 times the lumuins. Would not mind doing this to my Legend too. Too many bikes, not enough money.
 
#23 · (Edited)
jag: an issue with using those car halogen H4's is that the "brighter" ones use more power which is more taxing on an already troublesome electrical system, mostly due to triumph routing full power to the headlight (US model = no headlight switch) and engine through the ignition switch. (duh, what's a relay?)

i think my original ignition switch burned out because i had used one of those bulbs. they also have a tendency to drain the battery quickly because you have to start the bike with the headlight on. it is specifically mentioned in the MOM that you should have your headlight off when starting the bike. oops!

LED tech is getting better every day. 20/30 watts vs 50/60 watts. 1.5 amps vs 5 amps. >3500 lumens vs <1500 lumens. service life effectively forever vs 2-3 years maybe.
 
#24 ·
I agree, you have to be careful what you plug in that headlamp socket. I did a lot of electrical work in my working life. Curcuits are not only limited by thier fuse size. They are limited by wire and switch amp rating too. For an example, a 16 gauge wire is only rated at 10 amps. I have used LEDs on a couple of my bikes also to get a more efficient electrical system that starts easier and provides more power to the ignition. This is especially useful if yoou install extras like more lighting.
 
#27 ·
TT2: i didn't need to install anything other than the LED headlight. all the hardware that needs to plug into the bike's H4 socket is integral. it's not so much a conversion as it is an evolution of the H4 lightbulbs.

Wire-Wheels: as a civil engineer, it's encouraging to me to hear from an electrician that my crude, limited understanding of your field isn't totally incorrect. thanks! at this rate, i'll have it all figured out in about 30 years! ;)
 
#28 ·
Wire-Wheels: as a civil engineer, it's encouraging to me to hear from an electrician that my crude, limited understanding of your field isn't totally incorrect. thanks! at this rate, i'll have it all figured out in about 30 years! ;)[/QUOTE]

I don't know if 30 years will do it friend. I spent 30 years as a Stationary Engineer. Went to school constantly to keep up and felt like I had just touched the surface. I think the more you learn, the more you realize how much more is out there to learn. It never stops. ...Enjoy
 
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