Date: 28-03-24  Time: 10:07 am

Author Topic: Halogen headlight switch to LED  (Read 2067 times)

F4celess

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Halogen headlight switch to LED
« on: 12 November 2019, 09:59:40 am »
Hello all,

There appears to be a significant movement switching the conventional Halogen headlight bulb for an LED alternative.
Anyone here experimented with this, or can confirm how this flies with the friendly MOT tester.  :thumbup  :thumbdown

Wouldn't the headlight reflector maintain the correct beam direction, even if the light emitted from the LED "bulb" is significantly brighter?

However based solely on the aim (no pun intended) of being noticed by other road users, brighter is better!?
Will also confirm the majority I saw who did this swap were based in the States, MT07 / MT09's (youtube).

F4celess

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Re: Halogen headlight switch to LED
« Reply #1 on: 12 November 2019, 10:03:59 am »
Will also add LED emits a pure light, superior to those cheap Chinese HID kits, that would blind all oncoming vehicles with the garish blue/white light, popular with the 2fast2furious (boy racer) fraternity.  :D :2guns

Bracechenko v2

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Re: Halogen headlight switch to LED
« Reply #2 on: 12 November 2019, 12:52:33 pm »
I've made the switch on my Gen 2 FZ1 pretty recently. My experience was that the swap out was super simple, it was all plug and play. The LED beam was way too high though and dazzling oncoming traffic so i've had to adjust the reflectors to deal with that but now the beam is pretty good and not dazzling. The beam pattern for the full beams is a little odd though but doesn't cause too much of an issue as it's not often needed.


As I understand it, the law states that LED lights can't be retro-fitted to vehicles that weren't originally designed for LED lighting but I suspect that my MOT tester won't really notice. However, if he does pick it up then it's simply a case of swapping back to the halogen bulbs and off we go. In fact, the swap is so quick ( minutes) that I may as well pre-empt and swap back before I test it.


The reason why the beam pattern differs is that a halogen bulb is omni-directional and casts light in all directions and the reflector is designed to reflect accordingly. The LED bulbs usually cast light in either 2 or 3 directions which can cause beam pattern irregularities.


As I said though, on my Gen 2 FZ1 it works fine, the light is very bright and has improved the vision at night massively along with the fact that it's refreshed the look of the bike and rolled back a few years.

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Re: Halogen headlight switch to LED
« Reply #3 on: 12 November 2019, 02:52:53 pm »
On the FZS600, a quick cheap upgrade is to do the headlight mod on the right hand (high beam) lamp so that low beam works too.
To improve that further, fit an LED H4 on that side too. Of you are worried about MOT time, fit a fuse inline with the new wire you fit as part of the mod mentioned above and just pull the fuse at MOT time.
MOT testers do not care if the high beam is LED, HID or some other type of glowstick as long as it comes on and the idiot light works.
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Re: Halogen headlight switch to LED
« Reply #4 on: 12 November 2019, 03:40:50 pm »
swapped mine much better , and pass mot no problems

F4celess

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Re: Halogen headlight switch to LED
« Reply #5 on: 13 November 2019, 11:53:11 am »
Great advice BBROWN1664, an excellent option for those with the standard Fazer / front fairing.
I did find that extra wire in situ routed from under the tank - perhaps the previous owner was a member here and completed this Mod.

My Fazer no longer has the front fairing, plus is running an USD Fork conversion, with single (larger) headlight.
Hence only have one H4 bulb to play with. Think I'll do something like Bracechenko v2  8) as there is no comparison in light output between the Halogen vs LED. Clarity too. Plus LED bulbs (for automobile use) have come a long way. :thumbup

pilninggas

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Re: Halogen headlight switch to LED
« Reply #6 on: 13 November 2019, 06:07:37 pm »
Nighteye brand LED headlight bulbs are excellent. The led is in the same position as the equivalent bulb, so the pattern is the same. They are also long lasting and the heatsink doesnt have a fan, so they fit most bulb spaces without problem. highly recommended and much less sketchy than no-brand chinesium led headlamp 'bulbs'.

darrsi

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Re: Halogen headlight switch to LED
« Reply #7 on: 13 November 2019, 08:57:22 pm »
Nighteye brand LED headlight bulbs are excellent. The led is in the same position as the equivalent bulb, so the pattern is the same. They are also long lasting and the heatsink doesnt have a fan, so they fit most bulb spaces without problem. highly recommended and much less sketchy than no-brand chinesium led headlamp 'bulbs'.


Ok for H4 fitting but not the H1 side on the 600.
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Skippernick

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Re: Halogen headlight switch to LED
« Reply #8 on: 13 November 2019, 09:45:30 pm »
Nighteye brand LED headlight bulbs are excellent. The led is in the same position as the equivalent bulb, so the pattern is the same. They are also long lasting and the heatsink doesnt have a fan, so they fit most bulb spaces without problem. highly recommended and much less sketchy than no-brand chinesium led headlamp 'bulbs'.


Are these a straight swap into a FZS600?
I have night breakers which are great in high beam but not great on dipped. I don't really have the time to do any conversions.
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darrsi

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Re: Halogen headlight switch to LED
« Reply #9 on: 14 November 2019, 06:34:13 am »
Nighteye brand LED headlight bulbs are excellent. The led is in the same position as the equivalent bulb, so the pattern is the same. They are also long lasting and the heatsink doesnt have a fan, so they fit most bulb spaces without problem. highly recommended and much less sketchy than no-brand chinesium led headlamp 'bulbs'.


Are these a straight swap into a FZS600?
I have night breakers which are great in high beam but not great on dipped. I don't really have the time to do any conversions.


You have two H4's, so "should" be okay.
I looked into them a couple of years ago, but it was the H1 side that was the nuisance.  :\ 
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Re: Halogen headlight switch to LED
« Reply #10 on: 14 November 2019, 11:27:27 am »
Most of the LED headlight bulbs (H4) have a heatsink WITH cooling fan integrated!
However some brands don't have the cooling fan, just the heatsink at the rear (so better from a functional perspective).

People who have done this conversion had to cut the hole in the centre of the rubber grommet that sits behind the headlight unit, so it's a slightly larger hole. The grommet then seals around the neck of the H4 LED bulb, behind where it fits into the headlight on the metal tabs, with the heatsink behind the rubber grommet in the open air / so getting an air flow for cooling.

Bracechenko v2

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Re: Halogen headlight switch to LED
« Reply #11 on: 14 November 2019, 11:58:38 am »
Most of the LED headlight bulbs (H4) have a heatsink WITH cooling fan integrated!
However some brands don't have the cooling fan, just the heatsink at the rear (so better from a functional perspective).

People who have done this conversion had to cut the hole in the centre of the rubber grommet that sits behind the headlight unit, so it's a slightly larger hole. The grommet then seals around the neck of the H4 LED bulb, behind where it fits into the headlight on the metal tabs, with the heatsink behind the rubber grommet in the open air / so getting an air flow for cooling.


The LED lights I bought include the cooling fan but fit into the grommet perfectly, no need to cut anything and I can switch back easily.


I bought them from perfLED...think it's a French company

F4celess

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Re: Halogen headlight switch to LED
« Reply #12 on: 14 November 2019, 12:40:06 pm »

The LED lights I bought include the cooling fan but fit into the grommet perfectly, no need to cut anything and I can switch back easily.

I bought them from perfLED...think it's a French company

Sounds great. Perhaps FOC-U could setup a group buy on a set if there's sufficient interest?  :)

darrsi

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Re: Halogen headlight switch to LED
« Reply #13 on: 14 November 2019, 01:51:38 pm »

The LED lights I bought include the cooling fan but fit into the grommet perfectly, no need to cut anything and I can switch back easily.

I bought them from perfLED...think it's a French company

Sounds great. Perhaps FOC-U could setup a group buy on a set if there's sufficient interest?  :)


Totally different bike than yours though.
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Re: Halogen headlight switch to LED
« Reply #14 on: 20 November 2019, 09:55:46 pm »
On the FZS600, a quick cheap upgrade is to do the headlight mod on the right hand (high beam) lamp so that low beam works too.
To improve that further, fit an LED H4 on that side too. Of you are worried about MOT time, fit a fuse inline with the new wire you fit as part of the mod mentioned above and just pull the fuse at MOT time.
MOT testers do not care if the high beam is LED, HID or some other type of glowstick as long as it comes on and the idiot light works.


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