My grocery/HWI Hardware store had 1/4", female spade, 90*, un-insulated, flag terminals, I don't know why, never seen them anywhere else. I needed two for my starter relay and two for a low fuel light sender.
Scott
Scott
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LED headlight conversions, ideas; good and bad
- Thread starter gggGary
- Start date
Yeah - and I just cannot resist a new tool - especially for $4-5 including shipping.
....so, I ordered two of them.
Dammit.
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I did some further testing and will post results. Short version; even the "better" $3 LED is not as bright as the stock sealed beam. The Bro-view H4 S5 LED is the best bulb I have tested so far. But that bulb is not easy to get into the stock shell. Watch this space for more info.
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Lou Reed said everybody should jave two radios in case one breaks.
bwthor
XS650 Enthusiast
Anyone have any experience with these Daymaker lights? - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KJPPSY8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I picked this one up and have it installed in the stock bucket. Seems plenty bright, just not sure about the quality of some of these cheap parts...
I picked this one up and have it installed in the stock bucket. Seems plenty bright, just not sure about the quality of some of these cheap parts...
Looks good but, I have couple of questions:
How does it fit in the stock bucket?
does it use the stock connector?
how is it on the road?
How does it fit in the stock bucket?
does it use the stock connector?
how is it on the road?
bwthor
XS650 Enthusiast
Fits in the stock bucket, just like changing out the stock headlight. No modifications necessary. The dimensions are 7" x 3" deep. Not sure how that compares to stock.
Yes, the little pigtail has the stock pins at the end | _ | It also came with an adapter to convert from the three pin to another format with an oval shaped plug.
I haven't ridden too much at night with it or even with the stock light. I'll try get some pics or even a video this evening.
I took the van with a 12 volt connector and wired in ammmeter, set up the camera on a tripod and took pics;
I hand held and aimed each headlight for "best view" highbeams to pick up the trees at end of parking lot, low beams to create a cut off line that wouldn't blind oncoming drivers.
There 's a bit of an issue, the camera auto-adjusts the exposure.
with notes about bulbs.
Bulb / amps Low / amps High with notes about bulbs;
The van's halogen headlights, watts not checked but 55/60 would be a good guess, these are good lights I've driven a LOT of nighttime miles behind them.
stock sealed beam / 3.1 / 4.0 manual calls them 40/60 watt.
H4 55/60 halogen / 4.5 / 4.9
noticeable improvement over the stock bulbs, but higher draw on charging system. I've run a few thousand miles behind this on the restomod.
Stanley sealed beam / 3.1 / 4.0
looks like a 40 / 60 sealed beam nothing wrong with this. Not sure where it came from.
"better" LED / .5 / .2
Note the low power use, this can probably stand as a proxy for brightness among the LEDs, pretty sure LED power / lumen conversion is going to be similar no matter who makes/sells it. This has only ONE emitter the dim apparently "chokes" voltage down a bit. So the aim is the same high or low just a bit less light, the heat fins on this bulb shield the light so it uses only the top half of the reflector, not ideal with the low brightness. would be OK for occasional urban night rides at lower speeds? $3
Worse LED / .2 / .1
$3 I found nothing to recommend about this bulb maybe as a city bulb with very low power consumption. or for "spot lights" A briggs and stratton lighting coil would run a couple of these no problem. Really mroe of a DRL than a headlight.
BroView S5 LED / 1.4 / 1.3
My personal favorite I've ridden behind these a lot bulb has 2 separate emmiters so have great aiming in high and low nice cut off. About the only downside is the high trades a bit of width for greater throw. BUT they are getting hard to find, usually sold in pairs. They are bulky you will have to change the shell to get this in. $55 a pair.
NAPA Halogen 55/100 4.9 / 7.8
Bright on high but with a huge power draw to match not sure stock electrics would handle this for long. About $10
All but the sealed beams were put in one of these shells for the pics.
Probably more to come but whoosh, that took a while!
I hand held and aimed each headlight for "best view" highbeams to pick up the trees at end of parking lot, low beams to create a cut off line that wouldn't blind oncoming drivers.
There 's a bit of an issue, the camera auto-adjusts the exposure.
with notes about bulbs.
Bulb / amps Low / amps High with notes about bulbs;
The van's halogen headlights, watts not checked but 55/60 would be a good guess, these are good lights I've driven a LOT of nighttime miles behind them.
stock sealed beam / 3.1 / 4.0 manual calls them 40/60 watt.
H4 55/60 halogen / 4.5 / 4.9
noticeable improvement over the stock bulbs, but higher draw on charging system. I've run a few thousand miles behind this on the restomod.
Stanley sealed beam / 3.1 / 4.0
looks like a 40 / 60 sealed beam nothing wrong with this. Not sure where it came from.
"better" LED / .5 / .2
Note the low power use, this can probably stand as a proxy for brightness among the LEDs, pretty sure LED power / lumen conversion is going to be similar no matter who makes/sells it. This has only ONE emitter the dim apparently "chokes" voltage down a bit. So the aim is the same high or low just a bit less light, the heat fins on this bulb shield the light so it uses only the top half of the reflector, not ideal with the low brightness. would be OK for occasional urban night rides at lower speeds? $3
Worse LED / .2 / .1
$3 I found nothing to recommend about this bulb maybe as a city bulb with very low power consumption. or for "spot lights" A briggs and stratton lighting coil would run a couple of these no problem. Really mroe of a DRL than a headlight.
BroView S5 LED / 1.4 / 1.3
My personal favorite I've ridden behind these a lot bulb has 2 separate emmiters so have great aiming in high and low nice cut off. About the only downside is the high trades a bit of width for greater throw. BUT they are getting hard to find, usually sold in pairs. They are bulky you will have to change the shell to get this in. $55 a pair.
NAPA Halogen 55/100 4.9 / 7.8
Bright on high but with a huge power draw to match not sure stock electrics would handle this for long. About $10
All but the sealed beams were put in one of these shells for the pics.
Probably more to come but whoosh, that took a while!
Attachments
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Excellent research there Gary! LED headlights are interesting, but I just don't see any advantage for my bike.
My present headlight was bought at Walmart and was very inexpensive. Its a Halogen H6024 sealed beam 40watt/60watt.
It gives very good lighting and draws around 3.4 amps in low beam. However, I never drive the bike during darkness.
My charging system is very happy with the 3.4 amp draw.....................my on board voltmeter always reads 14.2 volts.
I do use an LED tail/brake light, and like it a lot.
That Daymaker LED is $85 CAD from Amazon.ca, which is super expensive IMHO.
My present headlight was bought at Walmart and was very inexpensive. Its a Halogen H6024 sealed beam 40watt/60watt.
It gives very good lighting and draws around 3.4 amps in low beam. However, I never drive the bike during darkness.
My charging system is very happy with the 3.4 amp draw.....................my on board voltmeter always reads 14.2 volts.
I do use an LED tail/brake light, and like it a lot.
That Daymaker LED is $85 CAD from Amazon.ca, which is super expensive IMHO.
Gary, sorry we missed you at Townsend. Once more re. BroView, cut the 3-prong plug off the box and replace with bullet connectors (for the small gauge wire, the 3.5 mm. Honda type connectors work best). Unplug the OE 3-prong socket for the headlight bulb connections, and hook up direct outside the shell, mounting the box outside as well. Cut a slot in the shell, line it with split vinyl tubing, and lead the wire from LED to box and the heat sink mesh out through the slot. That will free up all the space you need and let the heat sink cool more effectively.
Re. the RLU: right, it's useless and doesn't even make a good paperweight; best to lose it.
Re. the RLU: right, it's useless and doesn't even make a good paperweight; best to lose it.
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I think I'd like riding behind a daymaker at night but the look on the bike? not so much. Kinda nice that the other LED bulbs are invisible when the bike is parked.
Grizzled; I knew you had put in a Broview but saw your complete "how I did it" post for the first time just now.
Grizzled; I knew you had put in a Broview but saw your complete "how I did it" post for the first time just now.
bwthor
XS650 Enthusiast
To each his own on the looks, the looks are what drew me to it. I'm "modernizing" my 1980 a bit with different bars, seat, blinkers and such. De-chroming it a bit and will decide on a color eventually. If I were building an original, I'd definitely be looking that the LED bulbs to keep the factory look.
Anyhow, as promised, here are nighttime pics of the light.
Wow - looks pretty good. How did feel about it BWThor?
I wonder if it could be covered with that stuff they use for signs over bus windows. It's opaque from one side and clear from the other.
My criteria would include sufficient spray to the sides, to watch road shoulders and emerging varmints, and illumination down to right in front of the wheel, to watch for rocks, cactus, and cattle patties...
Agreed - no that light looks like it has all of that (to my eyes anyway....)
bwthor
XS650 Enthusiast
I've pretty much had a motorcycle of some form since I was 5 (39 years ago), but all were off road so I don't have much to compare to with regards to riding on the road at night.
With that said, I'm quite happy with the light. I feel it covers plenty of area to the sides, and on high provides plenty of forward distance to see the critters and such. The big lens on the bottom is the only one that is off when on Low, and when on High, they are all on, so there is no loss of side view.
I do need to enlist my brother to take it for a ride so I can see what the headlight looks like to oncoming traffic. From what I can tell so far, I don't believe it will be an issue.
With that said, I'm quite happy with the light. I feel it covers plenty of area to the sides, and on high provides plenty of forward distance to see the critters and such. The big lens on the bottom is the only one that is off when on Low, and when on High, they are all on, so there is no loss of side view.
I do need to enlist my brother to take it for a ride so I can see what the headlight looks like to oncoming traffic. From what I can tell so far, I don't believe it will be an issue.
If it is the stock light for all those HD, Honda etc. models then I'd guess (hope) it has been tested and is OK.
bwthor
XS650 Enthusiast
Chinese engineering at its finest I'm sure, and that is why I brought up this light in this thread and wondering about it's durability. I'm pleased with the performance, just hoping it lasts.
The Harley branded Daymaker light, which looks very similar is about $525, this one was $60.
A larger bucket alternative could be the XS750-850 Special one. And '79 and later ones use a factory H4 light. The chrome ring is the same as the 650 so that tells me the headlight is the same size .....
