LED Headlight

[CDNRatMan]

  I have tried to shop on Amazon and on both .com and .ca and a lot of the time the items are not able to be shipped to Canada, so my buddy GB gets them and then ships them forward.....he is my hero....

[JagLite]

I don't buy much on Ebay anymore since it is mostly a buy-it-now store...

Ya, eBay is really lame compared to what it used to be.  I find I'll search for a part for my bike, thirty thousand results come back, twenty nine thousand and nine hundred of the results have nothing to do with what I searched for and most are 'buy it now'.  You can turn off the 'buy it now' results but it still kind of lame.  The other big issue is a lot of the stuff is more expensive than somewhere else off the shelf.  And the famous shipping scam has been around since the beginning.  Another big scam are 'handling fees'.  eBay should mandate that handling fees are not allowed or must be included in the minimum bid price and that only actual shipping can be charged (refunding the difference in estimated vs actual if required).

I appear to have edited JagLight's posting.  Not sure what's going on here.

Bucko

[Bucko]

Some ebay sellers sell the part cheap then jack the shipping up to make up the difference. When selling on ebay you pay a percentage of the selling price as a fee, but no fee deduction on shipping cost.

I don't think that the case here.  The shipping is only a few bucks ($2.99) and the seller mentions there's no additional cost for additional items.  I'm tempted to buy 10 like I did last time but I still have a few left from the first batch.

[49Reo]

Some ebay sellers sell the part cheap then jack the shipping up to make up the difference. When selling on ebay you pay a percentage of the selling price as a fee, but no fee deduction on shipping cost.

[JagLite]

Thanks for the link!
I will give them a try

[pcarrell]

Just found these 25w H3 bulbs on eBay.  I haven't used them so I can't speak to the quality.  http://www.ebay.com/itm/H3-12V-25W-Clear-Halogen-Fog-Headlight-lamp-Bulb-25-Watt-lightbulb-1-/150765623188

$2.99 seems a bit too cheap but who knows?

The price is sure right!  Shipping will cost you more then the part!

[Bucko]

Just found these 25w H3 bulbs on eBay.  I haven't used them so I can't speak to the quality.  http://www.ebay.com/itm/H3-12V-25W-Clear-Halogen-Fog-Headlight-lamp-Bulb-25-Watt-lightbulb-1-/150765623188

$2.99 seems a bit too cheap but who knows?

[JagLite]

LED headlight update  July 2015

Looks good to me and it works   

However, it was not a simple replacement installation.
The base of the LED has a fan and heat sink built in so the retainer spring clip would not fit with out a lot of trial and error bending.
The rubber bulb seal would not fit either.

But I was able to get it all together and it looks bright to me...   

But I never rode after dark on my trip so I can't report on how it compares with a stock light.
Not much help for you am I   

On my trip I did have both the driving lights die, the second one the day after the first one.

Replacing those bulbs is on my winter project list   

[Bucko]

I can't find a bulb size/number for the F&S spots on the parts fiche,probably because they weren't provided from the factory.
Do you know what bulbs they use?

The bulbs are H3's (somebody jump in here and correct me if I've got my H's mixed up).  Kawasaki has a part number for them but I can't tell you what is is.  I ordered about a dozen of of the original 25W Kawasaki replacements online the last time I needed one because they're hard to source locally.  I seemed to be burning through the bulbs at a high  rate at  one time (couple per season) but haven't replaced any in the last few seasons (maybe that's an indication that I need a new battery!    - I'm still on only my second battery since 2001).

Suzuki also used 25W H3's for some model and they seemed to be more readily avaible but I can't remember the details around that too clearly.  I'll see if I can find one of my spares to get the part number for you but this time of year, all my bikes stuff is buried so they won't be easy to find.

[JagLite]

Heated grips are really wonderful.. I have fitted them on several bikes, always the same way, I wire them directly to the battery (they come with an inline fuse) and I fit a handlebar switch (also included) Then I leave them switched off.. I ride with motorcycle gloves and underneath them I wear very thin leather gloves, I ride until the frost nips my fingers and then I switch on the grips, straight to full power, it takes no more than a minute for the warmth to spread through both sets of gloves and then I switch off and the gloves retain the heat for quite a while. I wait until the frost nips my fingers again and then repeat the cycle, this keeps me warm and keeps my battery charged.

John.

Thanks John,

I had heated grips on my ATV snow plow and used them the same way, intermittently.
I found that even on the low setting my gloves would get too hot to leave it on.
The high setting would put the heat out real quickly and after the initial heating just turning it on every once in awhile on the low setting worked great.

[JagLite]

The original Kawasaki F&S spots came with 25W bulbs.  Replacement 25W bulbs are hard to find but they're out there (and the 25's are just as bright as the 35's IMHO) although they tend to be a bit more expensive.  Switching back to 25's from 35's will save 20W right there which is probably enough to drive a higher wattage headlamp.

The other thing you can do to conserve some power is to go to LED running, signal and tail lights which will save quite a few watts, easily making up for a larger headlamp draw.  I'll do that at some point for for now the cost of LED replacement 1157's is still way to high and the reliability questionable.  Keep in mind you don't want to 'save' too many watts as any power that's not used is 'consumed' (shunted) in the R/R which will cause it to get hotter and possibly fail prematurely.

Thanks for the suggestions!

I hadn't thought about the spot lights.
I can't find a bulb size/number for the F&S spots on the parts fiche,probably because they weren't provided from the factory.
Do you know what bulbs they use?

I ordered the Cyclops H4 LED a few days ago and I would like to see about getting the spot lights in LED too.
Eventually I will probably switch all the lights over to LED's.

Interesting thought about surplus power being possibly detrimental, I have not heard that before.

[John Hopkins]

One big advantage is the lower power draw of 30w on low and only 40w on high which will leave some power for heated grips or...

Heated grips are really wonderful.. I have fitted them on several bikes, always the same way, I wire them directly to the battery (they come with an inline fuse) and I fit a handlebar switch (also included) Then I leave them switched off.. I ride with motorcycle gloves and underneath them I wear very thin leather gloves, I ride until the frost nips my fingers and then I switch on the grips, straight to full power, it takes no more than a minute for the warmth to spread through both sets of gloves and then I switch off and the gloves retain the heat for quite a while. I wait until the frost nips my fingers again and then repeat the cycle, this keeps me warm and keeps my battery charged.

John.

[Bucko]

The original Kawasaki F&S spots came with 25W bulbs.  Replacement 25W bulbs are hard to find but they're out there (and the 25's are just as bright as the 35's IMHO) although they tend to be a bit more expensive.  Switching back to 25's from 35's will save 20W right there which is probably enough to drive a higher wattage headlamp.

The other thing you can do to conserve some power is to go to LED running, signal and tail lights which will save quite a few watts, easily making up for a larger headlamp draw.  I'll do that at some point for for now the cost of LED replacement 1157's is still way to high and the reliability questionable.  Keep in mind you don't want to 'save' too many watts as any power that's not used is 'consumed' (shunted) in the R/R which will cause it to get hotter and possibly fail prematurely.

[JagLite]

I think I saw a review on here a while back.

From what I gathered.

Other people can see led lights from a long way off.

They do not light the road ahead up as well as other lights.

John.

All LED's are not the same 

Just like all H4 bulbs are not the same in the light they produce.

Many cars are now using LED'a for headlights and it is only a matter of time before all will come equipped with them.

I have read lots of posts from people who tried various brands of LED's (most from China via Ebay) and almost all of them were junk.
What a surprise, eh? 

The Cyclops brand is getting excellent reviews so I am going to order one for my trip in June.
Hopefully I will be able to mount it with the heat sink and fan clear of wires without too much trouble.

One big advantage is the lower power draw of 30w on low and only 40w on high which will leave some power for heated grips or...

I won't need the light up here since I haven't ridden in the dark in 30 years.
Alaska summer daylight hours and all. 

[John Hopkins]

That's true but Wagner don't exist in any uk supplier lists.

It seems we really take those off road only laws very seriously, so the 80/100 bulbs are either very very expensive or almost free if you can find them.

I don't know what make I have actually ordered, it would be funny if it actually turns out to be Wagner.

John.

[pcarrell]

I couldn't find the bulb quoted BP1210/H4 80/100 anywhere in Britain although one firm offered me a different make same spec for £35 about $50 each, I declined and found a firm on ebay uk selling 12v 80/100w H4 bulbs for £2.99 about $5 for two. I figured I can afford to lose that much and if they are good.. I'm happy.

John.

That part number I gave is for a Wagner bulb I believe.

[greenbarn]

I used a cheaper solution when I wanted more light.  I went to my local NAPA store and bought PN BP1210/H4.  It is a drop in replacement bulb that is 80w on low beam and 100w on high.  Let me tell ya, that lights up the night!  It does pull some power though, so when I added my fog lamps I didn't know if it would be too much draw, so I put the stock bulb back in.

I can tell you with a stock wattage headlight, I added (by mistake) H3 driving lights of 50 or 55 watts (I thought I asked for 35w), it was too much for the charging system.  On a long ride last fall, with the GPS also running, it drained my battery while riding.

I use a higher-end headlight in the standard wattage--phillips crystal vision or sylvania silverstar- whatever is available in a single (some of the time they sell a pair).  I don't buy the highest-price bulbs - but these IMO are a lot brighter and better light than the stock or the $5 standard bulb.

[John Hopkins]

Wow! 100 watts.  Ya that would light up the road.  The problem is that is over 8 amps for the headlight alone and with a charging system only putting out 23 amps, that's eating up a lot of output.  Add a couple of 35w spots @ 6 amps and brake/taillight @ 2 amps, that's 16 amps out of 23 just for lights. Not much left over for things like fuel pumps and remember that EI needs a lot of juice to work properly.  Wise choice to go back to stock.

All that you say is true.. but I can deduct the spots from mine because I haven't got any fitted and with 100/80 watts from the headlight I don't think I will bother fitting them..

I couldn't find the bulb quoted BP1210/H4 80/100 anywhere in Britain although one firm offered me a different make same spec for £35 about $50 each, I declined and found a firm on ebay uk selling 12v 80/100w H4 bulbs for £2.99 about $5 for two. I figured I can afford to lose that much and if they are good.. I'm happy.

John.

[pcarrell]

Yeah, even the low beam was brighter then the stock high beam, but when you hit the high beam......DAYLIGHT!

If you aren't running other add-on electrical, it's the way to go for sure!

[jmbo]

Wow! 100 watts.  Ya that would light up the road.  The problem is that is over 8 amps for the headlight alone and with a charging system only putting out 23 amps, that's eating up a lot of output.  Add a couple of 35w spots @ 6 amps and brake/taillight @ 2 amps, that's 16 amps out of 23 just for lights. Not much left over for things like fuel pumps and remember that EI needs a lot of juice to work properly.  Wise choice to go back to stock.

[pcarrell]

I used a cheaper solution when I wanted more light.  I went to my local NAPA store and bought PN BP1210/H4.  It is a drop in replacement bulb that is 80w on low beam and 100w on high.  Let me tell ya, that lights up the night!  It does pull some power though, so when I added my fog lamps I didn't know if it would be too much draw, so I put the stock bulb back in.

[John Hopkins]

I think I saw a review on here a while back.

From what I gathered.

Other people can see led lights from a long way off.

They do not light the road ahead up as well as other lights.

John.

[pcarrell]

The Drifter headlight bucket is bigger then most, so it should fit.

[JagLite]

Has anyone tried this new Cyclops H4 LED bulb?

http://www.cyclopsadventuresports.com/3800-Lumen-H4-LED-Headlight-bulb-_p_83.html

It has great reviews on the other forums I am on but I don't know if it will fit in the Drifter headlight shell.