LED headlights?

[champion221elite]

I recently picked up a very bright LED flashlight that is rated at 200+ lumens running on 2 AA size batteries. After messing around with the light, it got me thinking about the possibility of fitting LED modules into the H7 and H4 housings on my FZ6.

LED's are very simple with very high output per watt of power consumed. They last for thousands of hours and are resistant to vibration and shock. In the past I've considered going the HID route for lighting, but I've never brought myself to actually pull the trigger and order a HID kit.

After searching the web and this forum for automotive LED lighting, I've come up empty. They make signal lights and running lights, but I have yet to come across an actual H7/ H4 LED module that replaces a standard halogen bulb.

Does anybody on the forum know if such an animal exists? I know LED lighting technology is advancing quickly and it's probably only a matter of time before these lights become a reality. I'm also curious if an H7 LED for example would work with our parabolic FZ6 reflector, or if it will require a projector style housing.

Any thoughts are welcome!

 

[trougnouf]

I don't know what is currently on the market but
- LEDs are definitely the way to go, some luxury cars use them as main headlights and you can build one yourself if you have the skills
- Do not buy one of those crappy H4/H7 ebay headlights, I tried one of the more expensive and it is less visible than the LED brake lights I ordered on eBay.

 

[Senior]

don't quote me on this but I'm sure I remember that the Audi R8's uses LED headlights and have a special dispensation to use them in the UK, as generally thaey are not legal, but I could have completely dreamt that .


Anyway there are plent of H7, H4, H1 LEDs available on UK ebay, but they are generally targeted for use in fog lamps.
Led H7


I guess that LEDs for dipped and main beams would have problems with the the existing reflectors.

I have got an LED lamp for my mountain bike that is 960 lumens
(Hope Vision 4) and is SO bright . . !

Check out this forum, it has loads of techy info on LED and lighting. I'd say that anything is possible :thumbup:

The only way I could see being able to use LEDs would be to fit that in a simular way to which people are doing the HID optical projector upgrade, i.e. useing an LED fitment that is already housed with a reflector that provides the correct beam pattern.

The way the "green" lobby is going, it's only going to be a matter time before LED headlights are common place as they use less electrical power and hence will contribute to better gas milage / fuel economy and hence reduce green house gases.

 

[Fz6Sa]

As I understand it, the problem with LED lamps, is not the lumen, but rather the range.
This is also the reason why we don't see LED lamps in those wast public parking spaces, - the range of the LED light is just to low.

I reacon that this range issue, is why we don't see all the bike manufactures switching to LED, - since everything else seems just about perfect when you look at a LED, - low power consumption, low heat emission, size etc.

Here in Denmark low beam have to light up 30 meters of road, and high beam 100 meters of road, - and I have yet to see a low wattage LED lamp do that. (I've got a 250 watt work LED lamp that does the job perfectly, - but then the whole point about low power consumption and small size is sorta out...)

 

[MaxRyan]

The LEDs that are used for automotive lighting right now generate a lot of heat, so you need to have some fairly large heatsinks. Looking at the cars that do have them, they are using a few per side to get adequate lighting. OEM HID bulbs if i remember correctly put out between 2800 and 3200 lumens each and are also quite shock resistant due to having no filament. Check out hidplanet forums, there is a wealth of information there.

 

[Sparky10]

This would actually be a fun little project. I might look into it.

How much current does the stock headlights draw?

 

[Chaosratt]

There's no reason you cannot get an LED headlight. Except that there is no way to do it in our headlights. For the very same reason that HID's require unique reflectors and optics compared to the good 'ol incandescent/halogen, so too would LEDs require completely re-worked optics and reflectors.
The fact that LEDs are only just now making inroads into tail-light and side-marker lights means that the Big Names in cars are finally starting to figure out the new optical rules of working with LEDs. It'll be a few more years before LED headlights are introduced.

 

[champion221elite]

I just got an email back from an online retailer of LED lighting products. The email indicates there is no such product (currently) that will fit an H7 or H4 headlight.

Such a product might be developed over the next couple of years.

 

[Dirtrider]

I couldn't find any LED headlights so I came up with adding a couple of 1 watt white LEDs to the spot above the headlights. It looks like they molded the headlight assembly to put a marker light above the headlight. These are super bright at night. Like having fog lights.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/r75_fBZh5zDsBckanQFmLA?feat=directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/wKs6sBRBh4D_H7zgvMiOnA?feat=directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/pvAcueeUb-_Q62vdakMHpw?feat=directlink

 

[champion221elite]

your pic's aren't coming through dirtrider... do you have a link to the product you're talking about?

 

[Dirtrider]

Added the links. We're all newbies once!! Hopefully the mod makes up for it.

 

[discgolfdude]

I'm not sure those would be legal while driving, especially at night, wow they are bright.

 

[Chaosratt]

I couldn't find any LED headlights so I came up with adding a couple of 1 watt white LEDs to the spot above the headlights. It looks like they molded the headlight assembly to put a marker light above the headlight. These are super bright at night. Like having fog lights.

Picasa Web Albums - kdirtrider

Picasa Web Albums - kdirtrider

Picasa Web Albums - kdirtrider

Looks like a normal Pod-Light install with some super-bright lights. Fairly standard mod, and generally one of the first ones FZ6 riders tend to do AFAIK.
No offense intended, but (IMO) pod light installs are getting like oil threads, just beaten to death.

 

[ibsrp]

You might find something here

Police Emergency Lights : Mini Lightbars : LED Light Bar : Light Bars : LEDoutfitters.com

 

[Sparky10]

I just got an email back from an online retailer of LED lighting products. The email indicates there is no such product (currently) that will fit an H7 or H4 headlight.

Such a product might be developed over the next couple of years.

There is a product that will *fit*, it just isn't bright enough to be used as a headlight. It is only for running lights/fog lights/etc.

 

[RJ2112]

This would actually be a fun little project. I might look into it.

How much current does the stock headlights draw?

55 watts/ ~12 VDC........ about 4.5 amperes.

 

[Sparky10]

55 watts/ ~12 VDC........ about 4.5 amperes.

You know, now that you mention it, I remember it being 55W. I guess I was just having a brain fart.

Thanks

 

[jtarkany]

The new Nissan LEAF Electric Car
uses LED's for headlights because they use so little electricity

If you can figure out how and what Nissan is using you should have a direction to go in.

 

[RJ2112]

You know, now that you mention it, I remember it being 55W. I guess I was just having a brain fart.

Thanks

Couldn't help myself, LOL. :thumbup:

 

[Mexi-can't]

LEDs and Motorcycles


Also I saw these advertised in one of my Jeep magazines. They're $299 each!!

03/23/2009 - World's First 7" Round LED Headlamp Shows Bright Possibilities for Commercial Applications