Headlight Upgrades - LED / HID?
Discussion
Hi all,
I've got a 2010 GSXR 750 and the standard headlight in my opinion wasn't what it should be. It is a proper projector unit but halogen bulb. I'd find myself having to ride slowly on a dark road with cars coming towards me as I could only see 10ft in front of me (bloody scary for a new rider!).
I didn't know they existed but whilst searching for an HID upgrade kit I come across LED Headlight bulbs.
So I purchased one not expecting much (it was very cheap, I remember an HID upgrade on my old e36 3 series being £150 I think) and these bulbs were £8!
They look superb, very pure white light however, I don't think they illuminate the road any better than the halogen.
The ones I bought are 72w. I've found another set that are 500w but still very cheap at £14. Stupid question but will there be a massive difference in brightness?
Or should I just fit a proper HID upgrade kit?
Are there any other tried and tested upgrades that you can recommend? Or should I just accept that motorbike headlights are terrible??
I've got a 2010 GSXR 750 and the standard headlight in my opinion wasn't what it should be. It is a proper projector unit but halogen bulb. I'd find myself having to ride slowly on a dark road with cars coming towards me as I could only see 10ft in front of me (bloody scary for a new rider!).
I didn't know they existed but whilst searching for an HID upgrade kit I come across LED Headlight bulbs.
So I purchased one not expecting much (it was very cheap, I remember an HID upgrade on my old e36 3 series being £150 I think) and these bulbs were £8!
They look superb, very pure white light however, I don't think they illuminate the road any better than the halogen.
The ones I bought are 72w. I've found another set that are 500w but still very cheap at £14. Stupid question but will there be a massive difference in brightness?
Or should I just fit a proper HID upgrade kit?
Are there any other tried and tested upgrades that you can recommend? Or should I just accept that motorbike headlights are terrible??
First thing I'd suggest is watch this video
https://youtu.be/FPcE-fWHmww
Ok it's a US site, they're in Bemidji, Minnesota but they have really good info and I found them helpful. They have plenty more videos for guidance.
Full disclosure, they couldn't recommend a solution for me, the issue being an oddball bulb holder arrangement, so I've resorted to upgraded incandescent bulbs. Anyway that's my suggestion fwiw.
https://youtu.be/FPcE-fWHmww
Ok it's a US site, they're in Bemidji, Minnesota but they have really good info and I found them helpful. They have plenty more videos for guidance.
Full disclosure, they couldn't recommend a solution for me, the issue being an oddball bulb holder arrangement, so I've resorted to upgraded incandescent bulbs. Anyway that's my suggestion fwiw.
HID upgrades are great, but you will fail your mot with a HID kit fitted and you'll dazzle the f
k out of everybody, which is pretty selfish, you'll get full beams off me if you're heading towards me, which will ruin your night vision 
Although it might not actually be so bad if you have a projector lens.
A 500w led will melt your headlamp, I have 500W led lamps at work, you could cook a steak on them.
k out of everybody, which is pretty selfish, you'll get full beams off me if you're heading towards me, which will ruin your night vision Although it might not actually be so bad if you have a projector lens.A 500w led will melt your headlamp, I have 500W led lamps at work, you could cook a steak on them.
Jazoli said:
HID upgrades are great, but you will fail your mot with a HID kit fitted and you'll dazzle the fk out of everybody, which is pretty selfish, you'll get full beams off me if you're heading towards me, which will ruin your night vision Although it might not actually be so bad if you have a projector lens.
A 500w led will melt your headlamp, I have 500W led lamps at work, you could cook a steak on them.
Pish.k out of everybody, which is pretty selfish, you'll get full beams off me if you're heading towards me, which will ruin your night vision Although it might not actually be so bad if you have a projector lens.A 500w led will melt your headlamp, I have 500W led lamps at work, you could cook a steak on them.
I have mot'd several bikes (and cars) with cheapo ebay chinese HID kits and never once has it even been questioned. Likewise, I have never had any issues with dazzling anyone, cars or bikes.
LED kits are hopeless unless you are spending a decent wodge of money on them and even then you will struggle on a bike due to the lack of space for fitting them and the heat they produce.
My money would go on HID's.
Jazoli said:
Meh you could be right as it seems the law has changed for cars but not bikes, putting HID's into a non projector headlamp is tttish though.
Yeah agreed there, scatter central! Work ok most of the time in a projector though, the cutoff isn't quite as sharp but sometimes that's an advantage.ttish though.I keep hoping LEDs will make a big entry into aftermarket, in theory there's no reason they wouldn't be as good as incandescent.
SteveS Cup said:
It is a proper projector light though.
This is the LED, photo makes it look very blue but it’s actually perfectly white!
I wasn't saying that what you were doing was tThis is the LED, photo makes it look very blue but it’s actually perfectly white!
ttish as you'd said it was a projector, just give it a try with a HID, it should in theory make a big difference.Not all bike headlights are rubbish, the standard twin LED setup on my Z1000SX is awesome, but the single led on my MT09 was terrible.
Jazoli said:
I wasn't saying that what you were doing was tttish as you'd said it was a projector, just give it a try with a HID, it should in theory make a big difference.
Not all bike headlights are rubbish, the standard twin LED setup on my Z1000SX is awesome, but the single led on my MT09 was terrible.
Yeah think I’ll try an HID, need to figure out where I can discreetly fit the ballast / igniter box. ttish as you'd said it was a projector, just give it a try with a HID, it should in theory make a big difference.Not all bike headlights are rubbish, the standard twin LED setup on my Z1000SX is awesome, but the single led on my MT09 was terrible.
No affiliation to either brand but I've bought Nighteye LED's (I think recently rebranded to Novsight) from eBay. They seem to be the same design and spec as the Philips equivalent which costs 10 times as much.
I have the bulbs fitted to 3 of my vehicles (Honda Civic daily, mk2 MX5 and my bike- Honda NC750X). The difference in light output is amazing and the beam pattern is spot on. They've been installed to the Civic for at least 4 years and never had an issue at MOT time. The bike has been through 2 MOT's and equally without comment.
I have had one biker tell me the bike light is too bright, implying the pattern was off. I tested the new bulb against old on a wall and the pattern is exactly the same. The light is very bright, and perhaps more noticeable as the bike is higher up, the same as SUV's with bright lights in that perspective. I'm very pleased with the LED's, the quality of the units and the light output of them. I have noticed a big difference in people pulling out from side roads etc- there really is no excuse to say they haven't seen me.
It's also a very cheap upgrade. I had to cut some of the rubber protector out so there was space for the fan that's attached to the LED, took no more than 15 mins start to finish and I have fairly large hands which made access a bit awkward.
I have the bulbs fitted to 3 of my vehicles (Honda Civic daily, mk2 MX5 and my bike- Honda NC750X). The difference in light output is amazing and the beam pattern is spot on. They've been installed to the Civic for at least 4 years and never had an issue at MOT time. The bike has been through 2 MOT's and equally without comment.
I have had one biker tell me the bike light is too bright, implying the pattern was off. I tested the new bulb against old on a wall and the pattern is exactly the same. The light is very bright, and perhaps more noticeable as the bike is higher up, the same as SUV's with bright lights in that perspective. I'm very pleased with the LED's, the quality of the units and the light output of them. I have noticed a big difference in people pulling out from side roads etc- there really is no excuse to say they haven't seen me.
It's also a very cheap upgrade. I had to cut some of the rubber protector out so there was space for the fan that's attached to the LED, took no more than 15 mins start to finish and I have fairly large hands which made access a bit awkward.
regarding beam patterns
for an MOT the light is supposed to be pointing 10%(from memory) down.
but i have had comments they my tigers headlight is dazzling people, and i notice that alot of other bikes tend to dazzle me.
is it due to sat when you sit on the bike making the light level or pointin gup (if your a lard arse like me) or is it simply something that most MOT places dont tend to test on bikes?
for an MOT the light is supposed to be pointing 10%(from memory) down.
but i have had comments they my tigers headlight is dazzling people, and i notice that alot of other bikes tend to dazzle me.
is it due to sat when you sit on the bike making the light level or pointin gup (if your a lard arse like me) or is it simply something that most MOT places dont tend to test on bikes?
I'm sure we're all aware that the MOT inspectors are not the arbiters of what is considerate and safe in all instances.
Whatever you do, please just show some consideration for other road users. I drive a lot and I am infrequently dazzled by incorrectly set up HID lamps, old bikes with modified lamps are the worst for it. It's up to you of course, but if a driver losses sight of the road as it curves, they will move closer to a kerb, or you.
Whatever you do, please just show some consideration for other road users. I drive a lot and I am infrequently dazzled by incorrectly set up HID lamps, old bikes with modified lamps are the worst for it. It's up to you of course, but if a driver losses sight of the road as it curves, they will move closer to a kerb, or you.
Rubin215 said:
I have mot'd several bikes (and cars) with cheapo ebay chinese HID kits and never once has it even been questioned. Likewise, I have never had any issues with dazzling anyone, cars or bikes.
Unless you've been taking surveys of every motorist you've cast your lamps on, there's no way you could know you've not dazzled anyone simply because you've not had "issues" brought to your attention. If you've fitted a cheap kit with no thought for others, there's every chance you have. I ran HID conversions in my bikes from 2006 to last year. I've never had any issues with MoTs although I know the requirements changed last year. All had reflector lenses.
My HID lights did not dazzel, as confirmed many times by those I rode with. (And by me when they borrowed my bike. )
My new bike has an LED headlight as standard. It can't hold a candle to the HID conversion in my previous bikes.
My HID lights did not dazzel, as confirmed many times by those I rode with. (And by me when they borrowed my bike. )
My new bike has an LED headlight as standard. It can't hold a candle to the HID conversion in my previous bikes.
Prof Prolapse said:
Proper LEDs on new bikes are fking immense.
I've only ever had a couple of cars which were better than my Uganda Twin's headlights.
As far as the LED on my Kawasaki H2 SX is concerned, you're wrong. It most certainly is not "fking immense.I've only ever had a couple of cars which were better than my Uganda Twin's headlights.
king immense" . Barely adequate is a much better description. Prof Prolapse said:
Proper LEDs on new bikes are fking immense.
I've only ever had a couple of cars which were better than my Uganda Twin's headlights.
As said here. LED's are moving in tech quick. Latest ones have all their heat dispersion built in without any fan needed. My Aprilia has aftermarket LED (with an ally mesh heat sync) as the OEM Halogens are crap and on this bike they work REALLY wellking immense.I've only ever had a couple of cars which were better than my Uganda Twin's headlights.
My MV had a genuine HID/Xenon upgrade and the light was very clear but they did take 20-30 seconds to really warm up
I had the HID also on my last Chevy (car). With the projectors it worked very well.
Personally I think HID have been best for ultimate bright, clear light without scatter and giving good distance...the last bit LED have historically failed on but the tech is changing so quick now I'm not so sure
What is important with LED is that you use one that has the diodes in the same place as a halogen - NOT 4 like a square which I have seen before as that fires the light all over the place
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