mephistopheles
New member
I know lightguy is right because I saw LED headlights a couple of years ago.They were manfactured for the military because they were 24 volt.They are very bright.
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Kuryakyn LED Headlight?
- Thread starter mephistopheles
- Start date
livelove123
New member
Thanks Light guy for all the info- just wondering if the Custom Dynamics (ttp://www.customdynamics.com/high_intensity_led_headlamp.htm )LED headlight and passing lamps are the same as the Kuryakyn, or are they manufactured by some one else?
also, what about the poly lense yellowing ? any issues there?
I've already decided this is going to be my next upgrade, and I'm sure there will be more options soon
TIA
joe
also, what about the poly lense yellowing ? any issues there?
I've already decided this is going to be my next upgrade, and I'm sure there will be more options soon
TIA
joe
friendly older kid
New member
Greetings. On the question of the lens yellowing; The lens is made of Polycarbonate plastic. Tough stuff. It can take LOTS of abuse (see previous comments about the basebaLL bat).
But PC is softer than other plastics (like Acrylic). In order to meet the DOT spec, the headlight lens must be "Hard Coated". This coating protects the surface of the plastic against abrasion, UV hazing, etc. With proper care, the lens will remain clear and bright for years. So, with hard coating, you get super tough PC performance and long life as a result.
"Proper care": I'm sure that you have seen plastic lenses on auto headlights for years. They should have been hard coated too. Some are not only yellow, but they are so cloudy that they seem more like a plug in nightlight than an effective headlight. The discoloration and cloudiness can be due to a lot of things. But common causes include severe abrasion from road grit or severe mechanical cleaning (with abrasives) or CHEMICAL cleaning. If the hard coating was not applied properly or if the type of hard coating was ineffective, the lens will degrade fairly quickly.
Good hard coating applied properly (quality) will prevent issues due to road abrasion for a long time. But, you can ruin a good lens in minutes with the wrong cleaners.
Again, to avoid a direct "commercial", I would suggest that you do an internet search on compatible cleaners for Polycarbonte plastic. Some lighting companies and plastics companies publish this information on their websites.
A lot of the other plastic lenses on our bikes are Acrylic plastic. This type of plastic is not as sensitve to chemical attack. BUT, acrylic is harder and can be quite brittle. It's a trade off.
I am over simplifying - so before a reader who happens to be an Engineer goes after my throat on this, I admit that I am generalizing and that there are some types of VERY tough Acrylic plastics that come close to PC performance in the area of impact toughness.
But, in general, the plastic used for light lenses, especially when low production cost is an issue, tends to be a type of acrylic that shatters fairly easily on impact... Again, in general, the average lens is no where near as resiliant to direct impact as a lens made of PC.. but they are not as sensitive to chemical problems either.
So, be nice to your Polycarbonate headlight lens... the other lenses on our bikes are generally not an issue.
Most bike washing products are just fine. But if you accidentally spill anti-freeze (Ethylene Glycol) on an uncoated PC lens (especially on a hot day), it can and will literally disintegrate in minutes. PC can take a full swing from a baseball bat, but it can be crushed in your hand after a few minutes in anti-freeze. By the way, this is a great trick to impress the girls and wins some bets.
Bottom line is, if you use gentle detergents and keep the steel wool for cleaning scum off metal parts, your PC headlight lens will be happy for a long time.
On the question of Custom Dynamics... it sure does look like the same light. Since that lamp design is so unique, I'd say that you are correct.
Ride safe.
But PC is softer than other plastics (like Acrylic). In order to meet the DOT spec, the headlight lens must be "Hard Coated". This coating protects the surface of the plastic against abrasion, UV hazing, etc. With proper care, the lens will remain clear and bright for years. So, with hard coating, you get super tough PC performance and long life as a result.
"Proper care": I'm sure that you have seen plastic lenses on auto headlights for years. They should have been hard coated too. Some are not only yellow, but they are so cloudy that they seem more like a plug in nightlight than an effective headlight. The discoloration and cloudiness can be due to a lot of things. But common causes include severe abrasion from road grit or severe mechanical cleaning (with abrasives) or CHEMICAL cleaning. If the hard coating was not applied properly or if the type of hard coating was ineffective, the lens will degrade fairly quickly.
Good hard coating applied properly (quality) will prevent issues due to road abrasion for a long time. But, you can ruin a good lens in minutes with the wrong cleaners.
Again, to avoid a direct "commercial", I would suggest that you do an internet search on compatible cleaners for Polycarbonte plastic. Some lighting companies and plastics companies publish this information on their websites.
A lot of the other plastic lenses on our bikes are Acrylic plastic. This type of plastic is not as sensitve to chemical attack. BUT, acrylic is harder and can be quite brittle. It's a trade off.
I am over simplifying - so before a reader who happens to be an Engineer goes after my throat on this, I admit that I am generalizing and that there are some types of VERY tough Acrylic plastics that come close to PC performance in the area of impact toughness.
But, in general, the plastic used for light lenses, especially when low production cost is an issue, tends to be a type of acrylic that shatters fairly easily on impact... Again, in general, the average lens is no where near as resiliant to direct impact as a lens made of PC.. but they are not as sensitive to chemical problems either.
So, be nice to your Polycarbonate headlight lens... the other lenses on our bikes are generally not an issue.
Most bike washing products are just fine. But if you accidentally spill anti-freeze (Ethylene Glycol) on an uncoated PC lens (especially on a hot day), it can and will literally disintegrate in minutes. PC can take a full swing from a baseball bat, but it can be crushed in your hand after a few minutes in anti-freeze. By the way, this is a great trick to impress the girls and wins some bets.
Bottom line is, if you use gentle detergents and keep the steel wool for cleaning scum off metal parts, your PC headlight lens will be happy for a long time.
On the question of Custom Dynamics... it sure does look like the same light. Since that lamp design is so unique, I'd say that you are correct.
Ride safe.
Mz.Swaggerific
New member
the company i bought my hella E-code headlamp from is susquehanna motorsports in fleetwood, pennsylvania. daniel stern lighting has the same stuff along with cibie, the french company also E-code headlights, but they're about twice the money as susquehanna. for the roadglide guy, if your stock headlight is the 5-3/4" round, they also carry that size. the stock harley pigtail where it plugs into the back of the headlight is a pain in the butt. i went to napa auto parts and got a good connector to replace the harley part. the napa item is made of bakelite which is also used to make distributor caps for cars. it's not the cheezy soft plastic like harley uses. another reason i chose to replace the connector where it plugs into the three prongs of the headlight is because i had to use miniature screwdrivers to get each of the three prongs to release from the stock plug. imagine trying to change out a headlight bulb in resume speed, iowa in an auto zone parking lot with that setup. the napa part plugs in just right and holds tight, but allows you to unplug it without all the monkey motion that the harley plug gives you. three solder joints with heat shrink tube, the joints staggered of course, and voila, no worries with changing a bulb. the harley pigtail/connector seems to be a soft nylon type of plastic to me, and the bakelite socket is far better quality. i hope this information is something someone can use.
elaina. :D
New member
I've got my headlight apart right now, installing a mini-tach which mounts to the nacelle. Anyway, after 1200 miles with the 80/100W Hella bulb (and the e-code housing) my stock connector is still unaffected. It doesn't look like there is a heat issue at all. Probably not enough time on it to be sure though.
Lightguy - thank you for the cutting edge info.
for what it's worth, I've had Osram 80/100 in my Ultra for over 6000 miles with no problem and it makes a difference but not like HID or LEDs that's for sure. also, I just installed an E-code headlight with the 80/100 bulb and the light pattern is better, but it's still a yellow light and still does not meet my expectations. I'm going to order an hid this week. Seems everyone is happy with them. Again, Lightguy, thanks for the very interesting information.
Just another thought - if you are looking for outstanding secondary lighting, the HD lights that fasten to the engine guard are outstanding but can't be used with the Ultra. I went with Vizor Lights from Weekendconcepts.com fastened to my Ultra's engine guard. those suckers are really bright, just a little pain in the butt with finding the right way to attach to the guard and the wiring relay I bought from easternbeaver.com. Well worth the effort though. Look great too, imho.
for what it's worth, I've had Osram 80/100 in my Ultra for over 6000 miles with no problem and it makes a difference but not like HID or LEDs that's for sure. also, I just installed an E-code headlight with the 80/100 bulb and the light pattern is better, but it's still a yellow light and still does not meet my expectations. I'm going to order an hid this week. Seems everyone is happy with them. Again, Lightguy, thanks for the very interesting information.
Just another thought - if you are looking for outstanding secondary lighting, the HD lights that fasten to the engine guard are outstanding but can't be used with the Ultra. I went with Vizor Lights from Weekendconcepts.com fastened to my Ultra's engine guard. those suckers are really bright, just a little pain in the butt with finding the right way to attach to the guard and the wiring relay I bought from easternbeaver.com. Well worth the effort though. Look great too, imho.
bummedlover
New member
In our other root business (Marine), we have been manufacturing LED underwater lights for some time now for small boats & not ships. We have been using these lights and they are a lot more harder to develop for the market than plugging in a bulb. There is much circuity involved to make a big intensity LED work. It seams every month the Koreans have doubled the efficiency so by the time you develop a product it is outdated. In the future all lighting will be Light Emitting Diodes. Korea is the place where it all happens and they are the world leaders in this field.
My experience is the droplet sized LED "Bulb" and separate "Controller" (for simplicity) gets very hot. Hold a single 5 Watt in your hands and you will know. The problem is heat sinking for temperature management. I have some direct drop in 6,000 Kelvin that will drop into your new style passing lamps. I did not test them due to my production schedule.
The future will be in LED lighting especially in autos, boats, and airplanes, no doubt. A developing product that is in cooperation with Asia & an American Motorcycle lighting company is testing a LED for custom applications. The light must include the bucket (chrome thing), bulbs w/controllers, and lamp (glass thing with chrome inside). The color can be made any temperature (kelvin) but you will see these crystals grown in only a few colors. The failure rate of producing the passable bulb is very high. I guess this is not a good time to die as the future will far too interesting to miss.
My experience is the droplet sized LED "Bulb" and separate "Controller" (for simplicity) gets very hot. Hold a single 5 Watt in your hands and you will know. The problem is heat sinking for temperature management. I have some direct drop in 6,000 Kelvin that will drop into your new style passing lamps. I did not test them due to my production schedule.
The future will be in LED lighting especially in autos, boats, and airplanes, no doubt. A developing product that is in cooperation with Asia & an American Motorcycle lighting company is testing a LED for custom applications. The light must include the bucket (chrome thing), bulbs w/controllers, and lamp (glass thing with chrome inside). The color can be made any temperature (kelvin) but you will see these crystals grown in only a few colors. The failure rate of producing the passable bulb is very high. I guess this is not a good time to die as the future will far too interesting to miss.