Misc: Everything Else Headlights

Bill Thomas

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Bill
I have played a bit with LED headlight bulbs and have never found one where the LED is in the right position to focus on the reflector. I have take the mounting plate off the bulb and moved it back and forth until the focal point is correct and the cut off beam is correct which is the problem you appear to have. I then reattached the bulb mounting plate in that position. This is not always possible on some LED bulbs.

Ordinary bulbs seem to be fairly compliant with slightly different reflector shapes, where as LED's are not.

I fitted the LED bulb to the front of the Rapide for when I took it to Italy in 2015 so I could easily run with it on in the daytime as in Italy I believe any bike over 100cc has to run with headlights on in the daytime. At night the LED just about works but I rarely if never ride at night. LED headlights appear bright to look at, but just don't seem to penetrate very far forward.

Simon
Thanks Simon, That's what I wanted to hear, But on this Chap's Bike, There is not room in the shell,
We have been given a Lucas Lens.
It's got a big lump on the back of the bulb, That get's a bit Warm,
I now remember some one saying , Move the Bulb away from the lens.
Like Normski said, We should not have to alter things to fit something new,
It's OK if you are doing your own Mods, Which I have done many, But this is not our bike.
Many thanks all. Bill.
 

timetraveller

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I'm a bit reticent to say too much about LED bulbs as I certainly have not seen them all but an LED emits light from one face only. You can put several LEDs in one glass shell and pretend that it will shine light in all directions but it wont. An incandescent bulb really does emit light in all directions and therefor the parabolic reflector can try and make it parallel. It can't do that with LEDs. On the other hand a lens can, more or less, make the light from an LED parallel. Spot lights for example. LEDs are fine for rear light clusters and spot lights but I still have to see one that would make a good headlamp. Now I will sit back and wait for all the examples of LED bulbs which are perfect. Over to you chaps.:confused:
 

Gary Gittleson

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Sorry, no examples from me. I do still use one, but mainly because many states in the US require lights-on all the time. That plus the question of conspicuousness, which in this instance is a good thing.

So Norman, how do you manage to wring 130 watts out of a Vincent? Do you run battery ignition?
Gary
 

Chris Launders

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I use a Honda CB 250 reflector and experimented with several LED bulbs, the triangular ones didn't give a defined dip, so I got a couple of two sided bulbs these gave a definite dip but as been said didn't give much penetration, in fact down unmarked roads with bushes on both sides were pretty useless, they would however make a reflective sign quarter of a mile away light up blindingly, gone back to halogen. Like the sound of an 8" miller with a modern reflector.
 

Bill Thomas

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I thought I read the other day that they are banning Halogen Bulbs, Not sure.
I don't see how or why we are being sold LED, If it's not better, And if the cut off is not right, I would not pass it on an MOT, I was an MOT man many years ago on Cars. Cheers Bill.
 

timetraveller

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Several years ago Dick Sherwin and I came up with a design to fit a small car alternator to a Vincent. We came up with designs for all post war models, singles and twins. On the singles the alternator takes the place of the rear cylinder and does not interfere with any other parts of the bike. On twins we had to design in a replacement for the dynamo which drives a poly vee belt which then drives the alternator. All the early ones were based upon an Iskra 30 amp alternator intended to be fitted to 2CV Citroens and similar. In order to keep the price down I was having to buy these in tens. About 80 were sold and many of the long distance riders over here have them. I have only made one in the last few years but suddenly have orders for four. Following a single installation of a 40 amp Nippon Denso alternator several years ago for Peter Holmes I decide to fit the Nippon Denso ones to the latest batch. These are 40 amp units with the regulator built in and it turns out are very popular with the kit car people. I have had to re-design several of the parts and am currently waiting for some bits to be made so, to those of you who are waiting, sorry but that its the reason. I can provide more details if anyone is interested but should warn people that I am having trouble sourcing the alternators. Several years ago I was able to buy them for about £50 each. Now the only way to get them quickly is to pay about £120 and so I am buying them in ones and twos when they come up on the internet. I could send photos or other details if there is any interest but they are not 'off the shelf'.
 

Colin

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I have a Wipac Quodoptic reflector and one of Goffys LED bulbs (and an ALton). With a little bit of fiddling of the focus, I find the main beam perfectly adequate, though dip is a bit scattered. It is not perfect but is by far the best headlight I have managed to get on my Egli
 

mercurycrest

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A while back..... (donkey’s ages ago) Bill Easter and I bought a stock of 6v H4 35/35watt QI bulbs. I’ve had one in my D ever since and it was as good as the 60/55 in my BMW. I figure if you can find a decent lens and reflector this is the way to go with a 6 volt system..... I think in my parts there are at least a dozen of the bulbs,
I just need to find them.:cool:
 

Colin

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I also had a 130/90 bulb in the headlight of an old BMW R100T I bought some years ago. It had produced so much heat during the period it was fitted that the silvering (or " aluminiuming" if you know what I mean) had started to vapourise and the reflector was cloudy
 
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