Intruders-Alert

BlacktopTravelr wrote:I need a new headlight bulb and was wondering if any of you had put an LED bulb in your 800 headlight bucket? If you have what kind did you use? I'm hoping to get two (three if I am lucky) more years riding before my knees give out and I have to start using the motorhome full time.

Swcoinguy wrote:

BlacktopTravelr wrote:I need a new headlight bulb and was wondering if any of you had put an LED bulb in your 800 headlight bucket? If you have what kind did you use? I'm hoping to get two (three if I am lucky) more years riding before my knees give out and I have to start using the motorhome full time.

You can look all you want but if you don't understand what the "specs" mean and how they apply to making things visible at night you'll probably buy something that you won't be happy with. I take that back-when compared to the H4 halogen your using now almost any LED bulb will be brighter and anything in the 6000/7000 kelvin range will appear much whiter(that's a good thing) but then someday you'll be around other bikes and see what a good LED bulb does and that's when it will hit you-I shouldn't have bought that cheap bulb!
I did a lot of research on LED bulbs and found that many of them are just a drop in the bucket when compared to the quality versions. I would only recommend 3. They aren't cheap but they are the best available(as far as I know). First is the Cyclops brand bulbs(I use these and I'm absolutely happy with them. The 3600 lumen H4 is good but the upgraded version(3800 lumen) has some nice features- I'd say go to the Cyclops site and do some reading before you buy anything at all. After you check out their site remember the things that they offer on their bulbs(LED quality, placement, and the low beam cut off hood to mention a couple key things). The new 7000 lumen(yes 7000, it's like the sun in your head light bucket)has all of the important things and it's roughly 7 times brighter than a halogen(most halogens are rated at 750 to 1100/1200 lumens). One of the nice things about LEDs is that all that light comes at very little power consumption.
Those 3 bulbs(all from Cyclops)are the only thing that I would use and put my life on the line with. I've seen LEDs that are rated at nearly the same lumens but the true lux(look that word up if your not familiar with it)was poor and therefore worthless when compared to the Cyclops. Ive seen bulbs from EBay take a crap in 3 months too(I would not want to be riding at night and my headlight stop working). Vibration from a motorcycle is intense at times and a lot of the cheaper bulbs don't last as long as they should.
Whatever you buy make sure it has a fan-these bulbs do build up a lot of heat and will adversely effect the bulb(trust me I know from experience). You can try a cheaper bulb but I'd recommend you buy two and carry the extra as a spare.
I might sound a little overbearing but lighting is one area that I've done a lot of research and tried several things and you truly get what you pay for.
Just to give you an idea of how bright the 7000 lumen bulb is, it's so bright that even during the day on low beam it's ridiculous to be riding in front of. If it's adjusted properly it won't blind oncoming traffic even at night but at 30 feet in front of the bike it's overly bright and very noticeable(to other drivers-and that's always good)at high noon. Guys I ride with say that even during the day it's way to bright to stare at in their mirrors. When I first uograded to the 7000 I put it in and with all the lights on in my garage it still lit the whole area up brighter when I pointed the bulb at the ceiling. With my eyes closed I can't look directly at the headlight, it's so bright your eye lids are worthless.
Long story but I feel it's 110% true and accurate. I have an opinion about(and a good amount of experience with)signals and spotlights too so when you want to make an upgrade in those areas give a shout and I'll tell ya what I used and why.