Misc: Everything Else Headlights

highbury731

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I am quite keen for someone to make a decent light-bulb for my old banger. It's got a Lucas E3L giving an alleged 60W at 6V. The 36W incandescent headlamp is pathetic, and unsafe. But so far, I have not been persuaded to buy anything better.....

The problem with LED headlamp bulb-replacements is that they are not bulbs casting light equally in all directions, as with an incandescent or halogen bulb. LEDs have a narrow-angle output. All LED headlamp bulb replacements I have seen cast the light sideways from a tower pointing from the base to the glass lens. I don't think any LED as a headlamp bulb-replacement will give a good beam pattern until one is made which replicates the omni-directional output of an incandescent light bulb.

To get an idea how a LED headlamp can be made to work well and give a good beam pattern, look here: https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/b&m-hl.php
If you scroll down, you can see a test beam pattern, and I get the impression that a well-designed 6V 3W bicycle headlamp is better than anything offered for our elderly motorcycles (now that gives me an idea!). The secret is in the basic design. In these Busch + Muller headlamps, the LED is mounted at the top of the lens, points down and backwards onto the shaped reflector, and casts a carefully designed beam forwards. Most of the light is in the top of the flat-topped beam, little is wasted on the ground immediately in front of the cycle, and it's controlled for width.

My idea for a motorcycle headlamp bulb replacement is to have a single large LED pointing forwards to a small half-spherical reflector (sized to the width of the LED's beam at this range...) with its centre where the centre of the bulb used to be, so that it reflects the light backwards onto the headlamp reflector. Or perhaps two LEDs, one for low beam and another for high beam.
Anyone care to make a prototype?

Paul
 
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Mr. Boring

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Use to rally a 63 Cooper with lots of lights and a high output alternator was required with relays needed on all the other lamps. It was great to have the extra flame power but the lense on the headlamp was the most important for fog and general usage and on the standard 7" headlamp it was a 60/55w halogen that worked well...…………………... but, the knowledge of the regular Vincent riders is most important to consider as evenings become tougher as I age. :) Thanks for the DC input.
 

stu spalding

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Hi Gary, some years ago I had a Cibie headlight, 6 1/4" in dia with a concave lens. Is it the same as the 82440 unit that you're using, if so I'd like to get another but all the adverts are head on photos with no diameters given. It certainly gave a better light (H4) than anything I've had since. Cheers, Stu.
 

Gary Gittleson

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Hi Stu,
No, it's not the same. My bike actually came with the concave item you mention. I still have it but the silvering is flaking off, so without restoration, it's not usable. I think the thing is more like 7". I'll take a measurement later and post it. In fact, I'll try to take a couple of pictures and post them.
 

Gary Gittleson

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Stu,
I measured the concave reflector and it's 7" at the widest point. Here's a picture of the new one and the old, concave one.
Gary
 

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stu spalding

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Thanks Gary, I contacted Demon Tweeks who told me about the 82440 unit. They said that the 6 1/4" Cibie unit is no longer available, which is a shame as it was a very good light. Does anyone know of some NOS? Cheers, Stu.
 

Howard

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I use a 55/60 watt Xenon bulb in a Cibie. The light is very bright and the lens puts the light in the right places. Not sure if you can still buy concave Cibies anymore.
 

highbury731

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The Ebay item is a 7" lens, not suitable for our 6.5" Miller shells. The 6 1/4" Honda lens was for the CB400N or CB250N Superdream. This information was on TheVincent.com, I tried hard to find a Superdream Cibie in 'right hand drive' for UK use, and could not find one
Paul
 
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