SuzukiSavage.com - H4 LED headlight blubs

badwolf

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H4 LED headlight blubs
01/17/16 at 12:59:55

I did a search for this and found some info, but I am looking for someone who has tried them and is using them, hates them, threw them away, loves them, or whatever. Someone with experience with them not just someone else's option or something "they heard from a buddy".
How about it, has anyone made the jump?
I am tossing around the idea of building a frame mounted faring and think dual 5" headlights would be different, and throw a lot more light. But 2 regular H4 bulbs might be too much for the S40. The LED bulbs draw much less current. Normal headlight draws 55/60 watts. I am thinking 2 X 20/40 in LED would light up even the back roads.
Anyone?

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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28886 L.A. California Gender:	Re: H4 LED headlight blubs Reply #1 - 01/17/16 at 15:27:54 http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1441896225 http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1443596635 http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1411594938
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badwolf

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Re: H4 LED headlight blubs
Reply #2 - 01/18/16 at 19:45:55

Verslagen, Thanks for the reply. I had found most of those, and the more I read and research the more confused I get. Tonight I tried a ''superbright'' H4 bulb (blueish) I forgot I had, and it does seem like a little more light to my eye. Suppose I'll stick to that till I decide to drop $300 on a GOOD led unit that is dot approved.
Does a bigger 7'' lens throw more light with the same bulb?

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verslagen1

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Re: H4 LED headlight blubs
Reply #3 - 01/18/16 at 20:14:58

The stock bucket and lens will actually do a good job with the right bulb.
My LED bulb has an adapter for the H4 receptacle that gets loose and the bulb moves around.
and it varies from a good pattern, very bright to not so good.
with a standard bulb, it's a poor low beam and a good high beam.
if you can sink the bulb in a little bit then I thing the low beam would be better.
I think if you look around the net you'll find an explanation of all the types of bulbs. some have the same fittings with different dimensions.

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Dave

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Re: H4 LED headlight blubs
Reply #4 - 01/19/16 at 05:03:28

Please don't misunderstand my intentions.....the stock headlight is not very good, and it can stand some improvement. However.....I am not a fan of throwing LED lights into a housing it was not built for, as the low beam light is not well controlled (and it is not legal to install the LED lights in normal bulbs....that is why all the sellers state that the bulbs are for "Off Road Use Only". The vertical cut off is not provided in most cheap LED lights, and you end up throwing a lot of light into the faces of the oncoming traffic. There are several folks in the area where I live that have put the LED lights in their cars and trucks, and when they are behind me I can see the outline of my car reflecting in all the road signs and bridges as we pass.....and my rear view mirrors are blinding (and it is even worse when they are coming straight at you on our narrow county roads).

This is what a proper headlight does on the low beam - it limits the amount of light that shines upward.

When you put a bulb in without the proper vertical control, the light shines upward and is blinding to other drivers.

Good LED H4 bulbs have a vertical cut off built in to the low beam light. You can see the bulb below has a molded shield that prevents the low beam light from shining upward.

The CREE and other lesser quality bulbs don't have any vertical cut off built in, and they don't properly control the light shining upward when using the low beam.

There is a thread in the Honda ST forum that shows the work they did to modify the LED bulbs to get the needed vertical cut off for the low beams. This reduces the "glare" that results when the bulb doesn't control the low beam properly.
http://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?146534-How-to-modify-H4-led-to...

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Dave

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Re: H4 LED headlight blubs
Reply #5 - 01/19/16 at 05:11:11

badwolf wrote on 01/18/16 at 19:45:55:

Tonight I tried a ''superbright'' H4 bulb (blueish) I forgot I had, and it does seem like a little more light to my eye.

Does a bigger 7'' lens throw more light with the same bulb?

When you buy regular filament bulbs, try to buy the ones with the clearest glass possible. The blue coating might make a "kewl" color - but it actually filters out some of the light spectrum that illuminates the deer and other brown things along the roadway. You will see better with the filament shining all the light down the road - it is best for visibility if you don't tint the light with a colored bulb.

The size of the reflector doesn't make a bunch of a difference - what matters is the quality of the reflector and lens, and the Savage headlight just isn't very good at properly aiming the light.

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Dave YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 18099 Camp Springs, Kentucky Gender:	Re: H4 LED headlight blubs Reply #6 - 01/19/16 at 05:16:37 According to the ST Forum, this LED headlight bulb already has the necessary shields built in. http://www.ebay.com/itm/141854486810
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badwolf

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Re: H4 LED headlight blubs
Reply #7 - 01/19/16 at 06:08:08

Dave, Thanks, that is very helpful. The Super Bright LEDs site has some very good stuff with specs in American English I can understand. Looks like this would be the way to go for a 7" , price is steep thou.
https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/motorcycle-led-bulbs/7-round-sealed-...
I am looking at the smaller bulbs to brighten up the back, and things could get interesting.

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Re: H4 LED headlight blubs
Reply #8 - 01/19/16 at 06:15:44

For the tail/brake light bulb......this is an excellent one for the Savage, or any light housing that has a lens that has been molded with the little diamond shaped surface to disperse the light. (It doesn't work well in lights that use a clear lens and a fluted reflector).

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/s-series-bulbs/1157-led-bulb-w-brake...

The bulb flashes 3 times whenever you apply the brake, and it does attract attention.

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stewmills

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Re: H4 LED headlight blubs
Reply #9 - 01/19/16 at 21:30:39

Dave wrote on 01/19/16 at 06:15:44:

For the tail/brake light bulb......this is an excellent one for the Savage, or any light housing that has a lens that has been molded with the little diamond shaped surface to disperse the light. (It doesn't work well in lights that use a clear lens and a fluted reflector).

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/s-series-bulbs/1157-led-bulb-w-brake...

The bulb flashes 3 times whenever you apply the brake, and it does attract attention.

i have that bulb in my tail light. works well. no complaints.

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thumperclone Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline PGR rider riding with respect Posts: 6076 Grand Junction Colorado Gender:	Re: H4 LED headlight blubs Reply #10 - 01/19/16 at 22:07:22 I click the front brake lever to flash I also have dual circuit (run and brake) led flex strips in the plate frame and on the rack & single circuit (brake only) license plate led bolts
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Dave

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Re: H4 LED headlight blubs
Reply #11 - 01/20/16 at 02:13:47

One of the best headlight upgrades you can do.....is to find a headlight bucket that will accept a 7" assembly. Then find a 7" diameter "E code" headlight from Cibie or Hella. The E code headlight is the European lens, and it has a better light pattern than the DOT version. You can find them on eBay regularly - or buy them form Daniel Stern lighting. (Be sure you buy a left hand drive version(right side of road)....some are made for driving in the right lane (right hand drive)and the pattern will be wrong).

http://danielsternlighting.com/products/products.html
http://www.ebay.com/itm/331747110694?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=...

https://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=AwrB8pLGXZ9WYzQA.akunIlQ;_yl...

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Dave YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 18099 Camp Springs, Kentucky Gender:	Re: H4 LED headlight blubs Reply #12 - 01/22/16 at 03:59:32 Here is a link to Amazon, where you can buy the LED lights with the "low beam shield" built in. http://www.amazon.com/Headlight-Evitek-6500K-Easy-Installed-4500LM/dp/B017M56...
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badwolf Serious Thumper Offline Ridin' my Lil' Bagger - 153k miles so far Posts: 802 Palm Beach County, FL Gender:	Re: H4 LED headlight blubs Reply #13 - 01/22/16 at 05:48:26 Dave, Do you know the difference tween the G6 and the G3?
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Srotag Full Member Offline Have Thumper Will Travel Posts: 100 Wherever it is warm and sunny Gender:	Re: H4 LED headlight blubs Reply #14 - 01/22/16 at 05:53:02 https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/s-series-bulbs/1157-led-bulb-w-brake... The bulb flashes 3 times whenever you apply the brake, and it does attract attention. [/quote] i have that bulb in my tail light. works well. no complaints. [/quote] Hey Stew did you use the resistor too or just change the bulb? Thanks
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