jacfenway95
New member
Hummm....first post on here...what are the odds of that, having an expert on lighting....Hummmm...just saying....smells like a vender...hope your authorized and paid you $
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Kuryakyn LED Headlight?
- Thread starter jacfenway95
- Start date
i just got the hella E-code headlight housing for my streetglide a couple of days ago from susquehanna motor sports. it cost me 38 bucks plus shipping. i re used the osram/sylvania h-4 bulb i had in the cheezy plastic harley housing. the e code headlight puts the majority of the beam right down your lane rather than splattering it all over the place, i.e. to oncoming traffic, to illuminate overhead signs, etc. there is enough spread to the right shoulder to where you can see critters. they claim 400% more illumination, but it's not that high in my opinion after having used it for a couple of days. it is much brighter using the same bulb and is a whiter and much more focussed light, right where i want it, down the center of my lane. for me, it works great. E-code headlamps are for use in germany and france. do not get the type made for england, those guys ride on the wrong side of the road. hella and cibie both make great all glass headlights that put out a much crisper light. that's my observation anyway.
Mommy 2 Be(Due 1/25)
New member
Hey guys. Yup. New guy to the blog.. I found this site by accident while doing some research.
I wasn't trying to be sneaky about who is am. As I said in my posting, my company designed and manufactures the Kuryakyn light that was being discussed. I mentioned that so you would know that I have some background to tell you about the lights that were being discussed.
I tried to keep my comments generic in order to answer some questions about LED lighting. The ones that are mentioned from Kuryakyn were the topic of discussion. But as you know, they are not the only ones on the market. I won't even try to convince you why one is better than another. When you think this makes sense for you, you can look and decide that for yourself.
Here's what I will say:
They are expensive right now - but, all LED lights were expensive when they were first released. This is a function of the cost of the LED's themselves and the technology needed to make them work right.
It's not as simple as sticking some LED's behind a lens. I have seen designs that don't work very well and others that could toast bread at 10 feet.
The trick is to get the light bright enough to do the job (that is, be legal AND satisfy the needs of the guy using them). So the light has to be bright and has to direct light in the right places. At the same time, the light has to be as tough as possible so your expensive light keeps working everytime you hit the switch for years to come.
I have a lot of respect for the Engineers who do this work - I get to see what they do every day.
Back in the early 90's, an LED tailight needed over 60 LED's to be legal and sold for almost $80. Now you can get excellent LED taillights with as few as ONE LED for around $10. As the technology evolves and the LED's become brighter, fewer will be needed and they will get cheaper.
For now, there isn't a bulb made that can come close to the bullet proof reliability of an LED. Period. In fact, I don't know of any lighting technology that has the toughness and reliability of LEDs.
LED's have no filaments and the way they are encapsulated in epoxy keeps them from being affected by shock and moisture.
Now, keep in mind that an LED light is an elecronic device. So while there is no filament to break and the LED's themselves can be put under water, the light must be designed to protect the electrical components, circuit boards and other stuff protected from moisture, corrosion, heat, etc. The best light designs feature all of this. The best ones are designed like a brick. They are literally nearly bullet proof. So when you shop, you want to look for these design features. All are not created equal.
The white light of LEDs is unlike ANY light you can get from ANY bulb. IF you light them up side by side, the brightest Halogen bulb will look very yellow. My Road King has an LED headlight and LED passing beams. I tried just about everything to get the light I needed and wanted. I hated what the conventional lights looked like after I switched to LED.
The nighttime contrast AND the accuracy of color (red looks like red, etc.) is another unique characteristic of LED light. Aimed properly (as any headlight should be) you get all of the performance you need and it won't annoy other drivers the way a super bright Halogen bulb will. I ride with all 3 lights on constantly and I have never been flashed by on coming traffic on our narrow roads.
I live in the country and ride on narrow unlit, really dark, tree lined country roads. It's like living in a game preserve with deer and every other critter on the planet hiding behnd bushes waiting to jump out and commit suicide under my bike. Before using LED's it was a little nerve racking to ride at night. As you might guess, I am a "mature" rider (older than dirt) and maybe I don't see as well at night anymore. My 3 light LED system fixed that for me. I see fine now and the critters will have to throw themselves under somebody else - sorry.
As I said, I'm not a vendor. But I do work for a lighting company - no names, no commercial. My colleagues would laugh at the suggestion that I am an "expert". But I have been in the lighting business for 34 years and a biker longer than that.
I've seen and used every kind of light you can imagine over the years in my cars and on my bikes. Some have been really diappointing and others pretty great. Are LED's perfect yet? No. But they are now pretty exciting. This wasn't the case even a few years ago.
Are they are expensive? Yes. But less expensive than HID systems that I have seen and LOTS easier to install and live with. By the way, LEDs draw less current and put less strain on your electrical system than conventional lighting.
Are LED's practical for motorcycles? Yes. I use them and I am NEVER going back. As the lights improve, I will update to the new designs - I am always open to "better"!
I hope that this answers some of your questions and I really hope that I haven't rubbed anyone the wrong way. I am really sorry if it sounds like I'm preaching or trying to sell something. That really isn't my intention.
I have the good fortune to be in the middle of some really exciting new technology that makes motorcycling a lot safer and more enjoyable at night. If it isn't for you right now - that's OK. But, stay tuned, I'll bet in the not too distant future, you will see more LED's in headlights and other forward lights, on bikes, cars and other vehicles.
I'll bet that a lot of you will end up owning bikes equipped with LED lights. And that's good. We'll all be a lot safer in the daytime because our bikes are a LOT more noticible and we'll be safer at night because you will see more and see more easily with a good LED system. LED lights are no novelty item. They are a true advancement in lighting technology.
Safe riding guys - maybe we'll cross paths out there some day. When you see my bike, you'll recognize me.
I wasn't trying to be sneaky about who is am. As I said in my posting, my company designed and manufactures the Kuryakyn light that was being discussed. I mentioned that so you would know that I have some background to tell you about the lights that were being discussed.
I tried to keep my comments generic in order to answer some questions about LED lighting. The ones that are mentioned from Kuryakyn were the topic of discussion. But as you know, they are not the only ones on the market. I won't even try to convince you why one is better than another. When you think this makes sense for you, you can look and decide that for yourself.
Here's what I will say:
They are expensive right now - but, all LED lights were expensive when they were first released. This is a function of the cost of the LED's themselves and the technology needed to make them work right.
It's not as simple as sticking some LED's behind a lens. I have seen designs that don't work very well and others that could toast bread at 10 feet.
The trick is to get the light bright enough to do the job (that is, be legal AND satisfy the needs of the guy using them). So the light has to be bright and has to direct light in the right places. At the same time, the light has to be as tough as possible so your expensive light keeps working everytime you hit the switch for years to come.
I have a lot of respect for the Engineers who do this work - I get to see what they do every day.
Back in the early 90's, an LED tailight needed over 60 LED's to be legal and sold for almost $80. Now you can get excellent LED taillights with as few as ONE LED for around $10. As the technology evolves and the LED's become brighter, fewer will be needed and they will get cheaper.
For now, there isn't a bulb made that can come close to the bullet proof reliability of an LED. Period. In fact, I don't know of any lighting technology that has the toughness and reliability of LEDs.
LED's have no filaments and the way they are encapsulated in epoxy keeps them from being affected by shock and moisture.
Now, keep in mind that an LED light is an elecronic device. So while there is no filament to break and the LED's themselves can be put under water, the light must be designed to protect the electrical components, circuit boards and other stuff protected from moisture, corrosion, heat, etc. The best light designs feature all of this. The best ones are designed like a brick. They are literally nearly bullet proof. So when you shop, you want to look for these design features. All are not created equal.
The white light of LEDs is unlike ANY light you can get from ANY bulb. IF you light them up side by side, the brightest Halogen bulb will look very yellow. My Road King has an LED headlight and LED passing beams. I tried just about everything to get the light I needed and wanted. I hated what the conventional lights looked like after I switched to LED.
The nighttime contrast AND the accuracy of color (red looks like red, etc.) is another unique characteristic of LED light. Aimed properly (as any headlight should be) you get all of the performance you need and it won't annoy other drivers the way a super bright Halogen bulb will. I ride with all 3 lights on constantly and I have never been flashed by on coming traffic on our narrow roads.
I live in the country and ride on narrow unlit, really dark, tree lined country roads. It's like living in a game preserve with deer and every other critter on the planet hiding behnd bushes waiting to jump out and commit suicide under my bike. Before using LED's it was a little nerve racking to ride at night. As you might guess, I am a "mature" rider (older than dirt) and maybe I don't see as well at night anymore. My 3 light LED system fixed that for me. I see fine now and the critters will have to throw themselves under somebody else - sorry.
As I said, I'm not a vendor. But I do work for a lighting company - no names, no commercial. My colleagues would laugh at the suggestion that I am an "expert". But I have been in the lighting business for 34 years and a biker longer than that.
I've seen and used every kind of light you can imagine over the years in my cars and on my bikes. Some have been really diappointing and others pretty great. Are LED's perfect yet? No. But they are now pretty exciting. This wasn't the case even a few years ago.
Are they are expensive? Yes. But less expensive than HID systems that I have seen and LOTS easier to install and live with. By the way, LEDs draw less current and put less strain on your electrical system than conventional lighting.
Are LED's practical for motorcycles? Yes. I use them and I am NEVER going back. As the lights improve, I will update to the new designs - I am always open to "better"!
I hope that this answers some of your questions and I really hope that I haven't rubbed anyone the wrong way. I am really sorry if it sounds like I'm preaching or trying to sell something. That really isn't my intention.
I have the good fortune to be in the middle of some really exciting new technology that makes motorcycling a lot safer and more enjoyable at night. If it isn't for you right now - that's OK. But, stay tuned, I'll bet in the not too distant future, you will see more LED's in headlights and other forward lights, on bikes, cars and other vehicles.
I'll bet that a lot of you will end up owning bikes equipped with LED lights. And that's good. We'll all be a lot safer in the daytime because our bikes are a LOT more noticible and we'll be safer at night because you will see more and see more easily with a good LED system. LED lights are no novelty item. They are a true advancement in lighting technology.
Safe riding guys - maybe we'll cross paths out there some day. When you see my bike, you'll recognize me.
halofan_sd
New member
Lightguy, I see HD is offering a LED headlight as well . Does your company manufacture for them ???
I did a Google search and found that Audi is planning LED headlights on their high end sports car in it's next version. I still find it hard to picture them doing what we hope they'll do. I'd like to see them day and night and I'm hoping the price comes down before I'd buy. It's probably inevitable that technology will trump old fashioned light bulbs before long. This sounds like a good concept that may be the next wave. Hopefully at a much lower price that HID. I actuall have a flashlight that I can hide in the palm of my hand that puts out more light that a big light with 4 D batteries. It has one LED. If they can do that then the headlight concept could be the next big thing.
dominguezsex
New member
Thanks for the info Lightguy.
Hey! Thank you for your compliment!
No, we don't make the set the you now see in the HD catalog. But, sometimes "no" means "not yet". ) I have a long time fondness for Harley and I hope that some day I'll be able to say "YES! That's our light!".
You all are on the right track. Until some new technology comes along, LEDs are the next wave. The flashlight example is a good one. So is the example of the Audi sports car. There are already white LEDs in use in cars for DRL's.
LED lights are and, until something changes, will be cheaper than HID systems. That said, we don't make HID lights and I really don't know what is involved that drives cost. So, my opinion on HID is strictly that; my opinion. I'm sure there are some really smart guys who are working to improve and reduce the cost of HID. Maybe as LEDs become more common and are less expensive, competitive pressure will drive the price of HID systems down too.
By the way, I have owned vehicles with HID headlights and I really like them. They really put out some very nice light. But, because they still use a ballast, they take a second to come up to full brightness. In my experience, HID systems don't like being turned on and off quickly. That makes the "high beam" function a problem. The car I had used HID on low beam and a halogen bulb for high. I hated that. Maybe it's different now.
Also HID systems still have a bulb - that means that they can burn out. LEDs don't last forever... but they last a REALLY long time. Some of our our commercial grade tail and marker lights have a lifetime warranty. I still see early LED lights that we sold 16 or 17 years ago in service. White LEDs don't have the service life of the Red and Yellow ones. But I don't think that you will find a 3 or 5 year warranty on a Halogen bulb or an HID system.
I apologize to anyone who makes a living with HID - some HID lights are really EXCELLENT. But in comparison to LED, HID is more expensive, lights are bulkier and due to the ballast etc., are more complicated to install. LEDs last longer, draw less current, are lots tougher and less expensive. I won't try to tell you that (especially in a headlight) that HID isn't as good as LED from a light output standpoint. That just isn't the case. But LED headlights are about at the point where I would go head to head with an HID light. And LEDs are only going to get better.
Conventional incandescent and Halogen lights are cheaper. But brighter bulbs draw more current and they are subject to damage from shock and vibration. I refer you back to my earlier comment regarding the fire tower, baseball bat and rifle... MAN! I love my job!
No, we don't make the set the you now see in the HD catalog. But, sometimes "no" means "not yet". ) I have a long time fondness for Harley and I hope that some day I'll be able to say "YES! That's our light!".
You all are on the right track. Until some new technology comes along, LEDs are the next wave. The flashlight example is a good one. So is the example of the Audi sports car. There are already white LEDs in use in cars for DRL's.
LED lights are and, until something changes, will be cheaper than HID systems. That said, we don't make HID lights and I really don't know what is involved that drives cost. So, my opinion on HID is strictly that; my opinion. I'm sure there are some really smart guys who are working to improve and reduce the cost of HID. Maybe as LEDs become more common and are less expensive, competitive pressure will drive the price of HID systems down too.
By the way, I have owned vehicles with HID headlights and I really like them. They really put out some very nice light. But, because they still use a ballast, they take a second to come up to full brightness. In my experience, HID systems don't like being turned on and off quickly. That makes the "high beam" function a problem. The car I had used HID on low beam and a halogen bulb for high. I hated that. Maybe it's different now.
Also HID systems still have a bulb - that means that they can burn out. LEDs don't last forever... but they last a REALLY long time. Some of our our commercial grade tail and marker lights have a lifetime warranty. I still see early LED lights that we sold 16 or 17 years ago in service. White LEDs don't have the service life of the Red and Yellow ones. But I don't think that you will find a 3 or 5 year warranty on a Halogen bulb or an HID system.
I apologize to anyone who makes a living with HID - some HID lights are really EXCELLENT. But in comparison to LED, HID is more expensive, lights are bulkier and due to the ballast etc., are more complicated to install. LEDs last longer, draw less current, are lots tougher and less expensive. I won't try to tell you that (especially in a headlight) that HID isn't as good as LED from a light output standpoint. That just isn't the case. But LED headlights are about at the point where I would go head to head with an HID light. And LEDs are only going to get better.
Conventional incandescent and Halogen lights are cheaper. But brighter bulbs draw more current and they are subject to damage from shock and vibration. I refer you back to my earlier comment regarding the fire tower, baseball bat and rifle... MAN! I love my job!
Secret N Keyblade Master
New member
Lightguy - I run a modulator in my main headlight. It pulses high/low beam. I have this installed in order to attract attention of the cages that oftgen try to pull out in front of us.
How does LED handle these modulators?
How does LED handle these modulators?