Installed a new LED headlight bulb,Results!

[Hitndahedfred]

Note: Had to pull the Led bulb out, checked my Votage after a 1/2 hr ride and was showing 16 Volts !!
Installed the old bulb and back to 14.5. Not sure why that is but not interested in trying to get it to work correctly and
possibly bake my battery and who knows what else.The light was great at night though and kinda bummed
it didn't work out.Anyone want a new bulb cheap?

=============================================================
Since I am NOT running a battery or a cap I would love to give it a try.
PM me and I will even pay to have it shipped.
Will then report back here if it works fine or not on my setup.
Been thinking about trying one for a while.

 

[retiredgentleman]

WER..........................Voltage regulators from the early 1970's were designed to control 60 to 70 amp alternators. They could do that whether the head light/tail light was on or off. Those vehicles had larger batteries compared to our bikes. Also the rotor in a 65 amp alternator draws more current than the rotor in a 16 amp alternator. Its not surprising that XS650D is seeing 16 volts when using an LED head and tail light.

My VR-115 controls voltage at about 14.2 volts when my head light is ON. With the head light OFF, rpm at 4000, my voltage goes up to 14.9 volts. I use an LED tail light. I always drive with the head light ON, so my voltage stays around 14.2 volts.
The Chrysler regulator that XS650D has, does not control as well as my VR-115. But even my VR-115 struggles to keep the voltage down when the head light is OFF.

Conclusion:
Automotive regulators can work on our bikes, but only if there is enough load i.e. use an incandescent head light.
Automotive regulators can control automotive alternators. lights ON or OFF, because they were designed to do that.
If you are determined to use an LED head light, then install an additional load that replaces the missing 3 to 4 amps.That could be running lights or any thing else you choose.
The PMA lads...................don't even think about an LED headlight..................you need to consume lots of amps.

 

[XSLeo]

On a PMA with all the trouble people are having with reg/rect's failing due to heat, and running regular headlights, the less draw of a low cost LED will increase the heat.
There are much more expensive LED bulbs out there that draw a lot more amps. I have seen some that as a pair draws 588 watts. Lets see One bulb would be 1/2 that,so 294 watts. As I recall to get amps you divide the watts by volts. So 294/14.5 = 20.27 amps. That's a bit much but you get the idea.
I think if you found an LED bulb that draws say 40/65 watts would replace the Stock size bulb but be much brighter, might cost a bit more but a lot of light.
Leo

 

[MacMcMacmac]

Pma. Use a series regulator, not a shunt.

Shindengen SH775. End of problems.

 

[retiredgentleman]

Pma. Use a series regulator, not a shunt.

Shindengen SH775. End of problems.

This thread is about LED head lights. Are you inferring that your PMA bike, or any PMA bike, can use an LED head light, when you say,
"Shindengen SH775. End of problems" ?

 

[5twins]

He forgot to mention end of $120 to $200 as well, lol.

 

[MacMcMacmac]

This thread is about LED head lights. Are you inferring that your PMA bike, or any PMA bike, can use an LED head light, when you say,
"Shindengen SH775. End of problems" ?

What I'm saying is, if you want to use a PMA, use a series regulator (SH775, CE601, CompuFire 3 phase), then it does not matter what your load is and you can LED to your heart's content. Most PMA problems are caused by the crappy shunt regulator, and not the PMA itself. This includes MOSFET or any other type of shunt regulator, since they all work the same: keep the stator at max output at all times and dump the excess as heat. Old Suzuki GS, Aprilia and VFR owners can tell you how well that works. PMA stators will cook themselves quite happily regardless of load when the regulator gives up the ghost.

The thread became about power regulation and electrical loads, which is why I responded.

I do not use a PMA on my XS; my Bandit has one from the factory.

Edit: No, the Bandit has an excited field, I was confusing it with my old GS 1100.

 

[Paul Sutton]

I recently tried two LED replacements for the 1157 filament bulbs:

The one on the left is a red unit and was very poor in brightness and had little difference between tail and brake mode. The one on the right is very bright and described as "Motorcycle Car COB LED Brake Tail Light Fog Lamp Bulbs Super Bright Pink" on Ebay and cost £1.64 each including postage. Although it is bright it shows very little difference between Tail and Brake mode. This can be improved by putting approximately 50 Ohms resistance in the tail light circuit and then the brightness performance is very similar to a 1157 bulb. I do not really want to cut into the harness to add resistors....
.....Is this poor brightness differentiation between tail and brake mode quite general with LEDs??

I also tried the following £5.84 H4 LED:

Although it claims to have both Hi and Low beam it seems this is purely the result of a resistor in the low setting. No actual dip of the beam took place. The beam was also very poor in shape. Perhaps I was unlucky??? This LED unit will now become a spotlight for working in my garage at home.

 

[XS650D]

Guys I made an errors HAVE the VR-115 Reg not the Chrysler unit and with my Led rear tail light bulb
I run around 14.3 Volts and can somtimes peak at certain lower rpms (under 3000) to 14.4 and occasionally 14.5
but with the LED headlight bulb (tried it twice) goes up to 16 Volts!!. Cam thinking about running the front indicators
all the time (driving lights) with the LED Headlight bulb.Do u think that would work. Im not grey at electrical but may
give I a go with some guidance from u guys.Anyone interested in this experiment chime in....

 

[XS650D]

Wish I could type properly,i suck, gotta continently reread my shit!

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Just a wild thought. The LED modules probably have an internal voltage converter, that may be introducing electrical noise to the system, that may be disrupting the regulator. You'd have to hang a scope on the thing to see this...

 

[retiredgentleman]

Guys I made an errors HAVE the VR-115 Reg not the Chrysler unit and with my Led rear tail light bulb
I run around 14.3 Volts and can somtimes peak at certain lower rpms (under 3000) to 14.4 and occasionally 14.5
but with the LED headlight bulb (tried it twice) goes up to 16 Volts!!. Cam thinking about running the front indicators
all the time (driving lights) with the LED Headlight bulb.Do u think that would work. Im not grey at electrical but may
give I a go with some guidance from u guys.Anyone interested in this experiment chime in....

Yes adding more load will sure be helpful. Each #1156 bulb draws 1.9 amps, so a pair would be 3.8 amps.

 

[XS650D]

ok thx RG

 

[jabcb]

What I'm saying is, if you want to use a PMA, use a series regulator (SH775, CE601, CompuFire 3 phase), then it does not matter what your load is and you can LED to your heart's content. Most PMA problems are caused by the crappy shunt regulator, and not the PMA itself. This includes MOSFET or any other type of shunt regulator, since they all work the same: keep the stator at max output at all times and dump the excess as heat. Old Suzuki GS, Aprilia and VFR owners can tell you how well that works. PMA stators will cook themselves quite happily regardless of load when the regulator gives up the ghost.

The thread became about power regulation and electrical loads, which is why I responded.

I do not use a PMA on my XS; my Bandit has one from the factory.

Its a well known problem with the Suzuki GS bikes, which have a permanent-magnet alternator & a shunt R/R.
A series R/R like the SH775 allows the alternator voltage to vary so that it only generates the needed current.
The old-tech shunt R/R run the alternator at maximum current output at all times.
The shunt R/R causes the stator to run much hotter & eventually fail.

A permanent-magnet alternator with a series R/R is the most efficient alternator design, so its now widely used because manufacturers are working hard to improve mpg.

 

[retiredgentleman]

ok thx RG

It would be much more simple to just add a bulb, and keep it totally separate from your signal lights. Perhaps you should try a simple test. Buy a socket for a #1156 bulb and wire it up on your lights circuit. Insert a 1156 bulb, and see how your voltage is. Just adding 1.9 amps, may very well allow the regulator to control voltage down around 14 to 14.4. If not you could then add a second #1156. If one #1156 bulb works, then maybe you could find a place to hide it on your bike.

 

[mrtwowheel]

No, I'm not buying any of this at all. My GL1200 has a Geo alternator, excited alternator, Hitachi design, no different than the XS650, just all encased in one unit instead of three. The regulator cuts off the charging at 14.2 volts. When I hook up the trailer the regulator still cuts off the charging at 14.2 volts, with LED or incandescent bulbs on the trailer.

Scott

 

[retiredgentleman]

No, I'm not buying any of this at all. My GL1200 has a Geo alternator, excited alternator, Hitachi design, no different than the XS650, just all encased in one unit instead of three. The regulator cuts off the charging at 14.2 volts. When I hook up the trailer the regulator still cuts off the charging at 14.2 volts, with LED or incandescent bulbs on the trailer.

Scott

Yes Scott, that's not hard to believe. If your alternator's output is matched to your bikes consumption, then adding a small additional load with the trailer, still keeps the electrical system reasonably balanced. It means your regulator is within its control range.
Can you tell us the output watts of the alternator, and how much wattage does your bike consume normally.

 

[retiredgentleman]

Its a well known problem with the Suzuki GS bikes, which have a permanent-magnet alternator & a shunt R/R.
A series R/R like the SH775 allows the alternator voltage to vary so that it only generates the needed current.
The old-tech shunt R/R run the alternator at maximum current output at all times.
The shunt R/R causes the stator to run much hotter & eventually fail.

A permanent-magnet alternator with a series R/R is the most efficient alternator design, so its now widely used because manufacturers are working hard to improve mpg.

A PMA with any type regulator is not the most efficient alternator design. The most efficient alternator design is the stock type system used on the XS650, and on millions of cars and trucks over many decades. A PMA is wasteful of energy, because it generates full current (proportional to rpm) all the time. The excess current creates problems. The excited rotor design of the XS650 can vary the output of the alternator to match the amount of current used in the load, so the system is always balanced. There is no excess current.

PMAs are just a cheap way to make an alternator, and make more profit for manufacturers. It is much cheaper to manufacture a rotor that just has a few magnets attached to it, as compared to the cost of making a rotor with copper windings. The excited rotor type of alternator is a Lexus as compared to a PMA being a ford or chev.

 

[mrtwowheel]

Yes Scott, that's not hard to believe. If your alternator's output is matched to your bikes consumption, then adding a small additional load with the trailer, still keeps the electrical system reasonably balanced. It means your regulator is within its control range.
Can you tell us the output watts of the alternator, and how much wattage does your bike consume normally.

Matched to my bikes consumption? No, the alternator is capable of much more than my bike consumes. Same as the charging system on all of my bikes. I don't have to add lights for my regulators to work. That makes no sense.

Scott

 

[dps650rider]

A PMA with any type regulator is not the most efficient alternator design. The most efficient alternator design is the stock type system used on the XS650, and on millions of cars and trucks over many decades. A PMA is wasteful of energy, because it generates full current (proportional to rpm) all the time. The excess current creates problems. The excited rotor design of the XS650 can vary the output of the alternator to match the amount of current used in the load, so the system is always balanced. There is no excess current.

A PMA running open circuit does not produce excess current! If the output is open circuit there is no current.

If a series regulator switches to open circuit cyclically how is power wasted?

Modern switching regulators used in electronics achieve very high efficiencies doing exactly this.