Re: Query regarding lights

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Re: Query regarding lights

Anyone? Please help.

Re: Query regarding lights

3. I can vouch for Gold Runway aux lights, if you can spare upto 12k. gives the Bajas and Cyclops a run for their money.

5. Go for Roots (if you want a trumpet) or Minda. VFM products.

Re: Query regarding lights

1) Most LED lights have similar performance in my opinion. Buy from a reputed company. Try to check that the light type is HS1 and not H4. They have similar mounting and wiring, but the location of the actual light source is slightly different. This means that the headlight reflector (Designed for HS1) will not spread the light as well H4. It is manageable, but not optimal - especially the high beam. Also, check the type of coupler that comes with the LED bulb to see if it fits your coupler readily or if some modification is required. Sometimes it is these small things that make a bigger difference.

2) You can also get pilot lights in LED, sometimes in different colours, with blue being the most common. For this, it is better if you know come shop where you can check the fit and colour. Intensity/Quality is not critical as these are more accent lighting than road illumination. For Number plate light, some bulbs are similar to the position light bulbs (eg. Hero bikes use the same bulb for position lamps and number plate lamps), in which case you can use the same one. If not, you get LED strips (waterproof). They either come in modules of 3 lights (Like this) or in a continuous roll that can be cut every 3 lights (Like this). You will have to wire them yourself, and they are adhesive backed, so you can often stick them onto the bottom of the tail light or any suitable place.

3) CREE are very good for aux lights, better than the 6x2 clusters. Look for beam patterns of around 20°. Also, in general, look for bulbs with lenses as they concentrate the light better and are brighter (as a general rule, glass lenses have better clarity and life. Plastic ones are cheaper, and the material degrades soon, making the lens cloudy). The reflector type have wide spreads and the illumination at any one location is less.

4) Bar end lights all look and work the same as far as I am bothered. Just be aware that you have to make a decent sized hole in your handlebar for the wiring to come through. Also, check that your bike does not have wrap around hand guards (that bolt onto the end of the handlebar) or handlebar end weights, or a handlebar with some type of plug at the end. Any of these will make the installation difficult or often impossible.

5) Horns are best bought in a store. Horns often come with different "loudnesses" and different pitches. In simple words, you can get a "peep peep" or a "paaaaaaaan" and generally everything in between. Buy the one that appeals to you.

Coming over to the battery, or more specifically, the current draw, LEDs generally have more illumination per watt than standard bulbs. So you can get the same illumination with a 35W halogen (~3 amps at 12V) and a GOOD QUALITY 10W LED (~0.8 amps at 12V). So overall, lesser consumption puts less strain on the battery.
But if you run headlights and aux lights all at once, the amps can add up, but most modern bikes have enough overhead current that they can handle it. Just ensure that the extra lights are OFF when the engine is idling or switched OFF. In these conditions, the current generated in the ACG is less or 0, so the battery is drained more.
As a comparison, I had an 18W LED headlight ON the whole day when my bike was on display, and there was no drop in the intensity of the light after over 10 hours. The battery, however, was sufficiently drained that I could not self-start the bike. No problems. 1 kick and the bike was back to life, 20km ride home and the battery was back to full charge.

Re: Query regarding lights

Thanks for the detailed reply. I didn't quite get what you meant regarding the 20 degrees thing. Can you maybe link me to a product online?

Re: Query regarding lights

Higher-end companies mention the beam pattern in an angle (describing how wide the spread is when seen in the top view).
High beams are normally 10°, also called Spot.
Normal driving beams are 20°.
Flood lights/Wash are 60°.

The part that they don't mention is that you get a similar pattern in the side view (because they don't know which orientation the light will be mounted)
So a 60° Flood light (that looks impressive when pointed at a wall) only has about half of that pointed at the road, and the other half going upwards. That is a mistake I have realised on my bike. (there's a photo of my bike linked in my signature)

For lower end companies, stick to Spot lights, and if they specify angles, 20° is best.
Cant find a good photo when I need it, but here are a few for idea: 1, 2, 3

Re: Query regarding lights

So which light would you suggest? Maybe you might have a few options. I checked a few Cree LED lights (U7 light), but they didn't mention any angle.

Re: Query regarding lights

CREE U7 is a good buy. From what I know, it comes with a glass lens, so it is good quality and the beam pattern should be good.

Also touching on the topic of your main headlight, you could also consider Xenon lamps. They are something I have used in the past. The only major advantages are they put out more light for the same wattage as halogens, and that the output is quite high even with cheaper sets (although life may suffer), unlike LED where cheaper ones may not be bright enough.
Not all rosy as it sounds though. 3 major disadvantages:
1) They have 10~15 seconds start-up time, which is fine, as they are usually up to full brightness by the time you are out of a parking lot and onto the road. But with headlight off, if you press the pass switch, the light will not flash due to the start-up time.
2) It has a single light source that acts as a high beam and low beam (unlike halogen with 2 filaments or LED with 2/multiple LED chips). This means you cannot use the low beam and pass beam together. You can use one or the other, so there's a bit of DIY involved to get a relay installed.
3) They need a constant current input since they work on an electric arc (like a welding arc). If your headlight is connected directly to the ACG output, when the RPMs drop, the current drops. In this case, a normal light will dim or flicker. The xenon will keep going out and restriking the arc (with each restrike reducing the life). So you will have t make a small modification to the wiring harness so that the light is powered directly from the battery.

If these points do not deter you, Xenon headlight with 2 CREE U7 aux lamps are the way to go.

If you need instructions with the DIY, I have some posts here and here where I go into way more information than necessary.

Re: Query regarding lights

So I went ahead and bought the RTD M02K LED headlight. And it sucks.

Even on low beam, the light isn't spreading on the ground. It's pointing a bit upward. Same with high beam. So I can't see what's on the ground beyond 10mts. The mechanic reversed the wiring, still no use.

So now, my final option is to buy an Halogen buib with temp of 5000-6000k so that I can get a white coloured light. So which halogen should I go for now?

Re: Query regarding lights

So I went ahead and bought the RTD M02K LED headlight. And it sucks.

Even on low beam, the light isn't spreading on the ground. It's pointing a bit upward. Same with high beam. So I can't see what's on the ground beyond 10mts. The mechanic reversed the wiring, still no use.

So now, my final option is to buy an Halogen bulb with temp of 5000-6000k so that I can get a white coloured light. So which halogen should I go for now?

Re: Query regarding lights

Sorry to hear that.

In my experience, Bosch, Osram and Phillips are the best names in Halogen bulbs, although the temp is closer to 3500K, more of a warm white than a cool blue.
I choose to stay away from the blue colour HID halogen bulbs. The ones I have tried are basically a normal bulb with a blue film/blue glass (that actually absorbs part of the light). However, from a reputed company like Osram, they may be very good.
Just make sure to search for HS1 bulb, and not H4. That should ensure that you get a good spread.

Since you are upgrading your headlamp, look for something a little higher than 35W, so that it's brighter, but below 55W. (brighter also means more heat, don't keep the headlight on for too long when the vehicle is stationary. It can deform the plastic that the lens and reflector are made of)

I'd rather not suggest a particular bulb as I haven't tried them myself, Take your pick

Re: Query regarding lights

All the lights are meant for cars. It should work with bikes too, right?

Re: Query regarding lights

HS1 - New bulb design special for Bikes
H4 - Older design, mainly for cars

They are interchangeable to some extent, but make sure you take HS1. H4 will give you spread issues

Re: Query regarding lights

So I went ahead and got another LED bulb from Amazon. This one:
AXT LED Headlight Lighting System H4... https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07DLYDD6D?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

And boy, this one is way better than the earlier LED which I used. I feel this is perfect now. So I guess all the M02K LEDs are crap. Anyway, I'm a happy person now