Question about these new CREE based LED lights & HID

[UncleFester]

Back again

As the nights are drawing in, i'm finding the H4 35/35W light output is next to useless and stops me wanting to go much over 30mph on unlit roads.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271259145131?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

These are starting to appear ( i'm waiting for some info from the seller) but it looks like they won't kill the alternator and should give a good bit more directed light.

Has anyone else tried these yet on a 125 or are we not quite there yet?

If i can get a sample for test purposes, i'll happily report back but fo now, it's something i'd be interested to hear other peoples opinions on.

[G]

60w from an LED is the same power as 60w from an incandescent bulb or 60w from an HID setup.

If your bike can handle 60w, stick a 60w bulb in; if it can't, don't.

From hand held torches, HID tends to offer similar brightness per watt to LED, but better designed setups are available, I'd say.

The advantage for LED and HID is they produce more light per watt.
So it means you can get a good chunk more light with a 35w system if you're limited to that.

I suspect the beam pattern on those is terrible. They specify they are for off-road/'show' purposes - presumably not intended to be road legal.

[UncleFester]

It's the current draw the bike can't handle the increase of - i reckoned 35W at 12V is about 3 amps.

I don't think a 55W LED based lamp will draw more than 3 amps but that was one of my questions to the seller.

[G]

Ahem; perhaps a return to schooling is in order?

Current = power / voltage

So 55w / 12v=4.6a

If you were thinking LEDs running at lower voltages, that'd make it worse, though its not an issue as power is more important than current really.

Ie, 55w / 5v = 11a

[UncleFester]

Heh - good job i'm not in 'lectrics eh

I'll have to see what specs come back ( if any ) but with the charging system my bike has, there's no headroom for fitting anything that needs more current than the existing equipment draws.

I could always bolt a couple of CatEye lights to the bars but that's just something extra to faff about with.

I'm well aware the real solution to this is to pass my big bike test and go and buy a proper bike

[G]

55w Leds could only draw less amps if you were using a higher voltage - if the original source is 12v, it will draw the same amps regardless.

You can get 35w HIDs that are pretty good.

[SteveZZR]

I run 35w HID projectors on my ZZR Frankenstein bike

35W HID will give you loads more light than a 35w standard bulb.
PM me if you want help sorting a projector[/quote]

[i.p.phrealy]

I bought one, they're shit. no direction or deflection to the beam, the "dip" is just half power.
Halogen 35w bulbs are about £6 in Halfrauds and are an improvement on the standard bulb.
____________________
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and if you just tried you need professional help.
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[moonzoomer]

You also need to consider the fuse size and the diameter of the wiring carrying the current, if the fuse (if it has one) is too small it will blow and if the wiring is too light for the increase in current then you will get a volts drop across the lamps so stick to the original wattage regardless of the type of lamp you use.

[UncleFester]

[UncleFester]

Been doing some searching around and it looks like even the 'good' 35W HID kits need 8A on ballast startup.

I think that's too much of an increase to draw from the existing wiring and charging system on the 125. That means either buggering about with relays and given the space available on the bike, it would be a tight fit to hide all the wiring.

It can wait until I pass my test and get something that probably comes with a better headlight in the first place.

[G]

It wouldn't be drawing it from the charging system; it would be drawing it from your battery.
Your starter motor will use a lot more than 8A I expect.

The problem comes when it's a continuous draw, so not only do the wires keep heating up, but the battery is slowly being drained because the charging system can't keep it topped up.

As it is, a few seconds of 8a shouldn't unduly heat your wires up and the charging system should quickly top up the watts used, just as it does after using the starter.

[UncleFester]

Thanks G.

So there shouldn't be an issue with drawing that 5A continuously through the existing wiring? Given that the wiring on the bike is no thinner than the stuff i've seen on cars that have handled that sort of drain?

However I would bet the starter is wired on a far more direct route to the battery and with far thicker cable than what runs to the headlight.

[G]

The starter will use massively more power, I'm sure.

If your currrent bulbs are 35w and you replace with 35w HID, they will have exactly the same requirements for wiring, battery, etc.

If you are drawing 5a continuously, you have a 60w system.
It's possible this will cause problems with your wiring (though usually the wiring is overspecced, but I know people have found trouble with the charging system running brighter lights on an NSR, but forget if that was 75w-100w ones or still-legal ones.)

[UncleFester]

Just had an email back from the place selling them, 3.2A at constant consumption.

That's about the same as the Halogen one uses.

So the only question is whether the bike wiring to the headlight can withstand an 8A load for a couple of seconds as the ballast warms up.

There's no individual fuses for the headlight as far as i'm aware so it really is down to the quality of the wiring.

[stirlinggaz]

Hi,
i have upgraded to 55w & even 100w (yeah yeah, i know there illegal but it does get very dark up here a fair bit earlier) on 125's
& never had any issues.
i usually replace all the other bulbs with leds as well , which doesnt put as much strain on battery/charging circuit,
cheers,
GAZ

[Timmeh]

Avoid LED headlights, they simply don't work properly.

You can buy proper HID kits that offer proper full/dip with a pattern that will pass an MOT - mine certainly does.

Also be aware that some bikes (like my TZR) use unregulated AC to power the lighting circuit, so make sure that the HID ballast will take it, some are DC only.
____________________
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[G]

The NSR is known to have a pretty weak generator - seen others having trouble with it and brighter lights.

As above, 40w really should be within tolerances, but seems they made them pretty tight in this case.

Pretty sure the NSR is DC.

[UncleFester]

https://www.hids4u.co.uk/h4-hids4u-slim-35w-hid-xenon-conversion-motorcycles.html

That's the one i've been looking at - connects directly into the H4 connector in the headlight bowl.

[stirlinggaz]

hi,
i got 2 for just over 50 quid posted, off ebay.
seeing as the 1 you linked seems to be out of stock,
cheers,
GAZ

[UncleFester]

I've done my time with cheap HID kits - i need a ballast that works to a known tolerance so i don't risk damaging something Had all sorts of problems with cheap ballasts and even cheaper lamps.

They'll be back in stock there before long and with it being a slimline one, i've a reasonable chance of hiding it, it also comes with a UK warranty and it's somewhere i know has been in this game for a good 10 years.