Topic: Need LED Headlight for 78' Honda CB550????

[Jimbo4871]

Hey everyone. 

PLEASE ONLY RESPOND to this thread if you have actually installed an LED Headlight into a Honda CB550 (Any year) and it worked.

I want to install an LED Headlight into my 78' Honda CB550.  I live in the city so I'm stop and go a lot.  I'm running a stock head light now and it's eating too much power.  I've installed a shut off switch for the low beam, so I can run with it off during the day.  But if I ride at night I have to have it on of course. 

Low-beam/High-beam capable would be great, but if not Low-beam only would work fine.

I've ordered so called, plug and play H4 LED lights off ebay and other places so far and none have worked. 

??
1. Has anyone done this? 
2. What LED did you use, and where can I get one??

Thanks Everyone. 

Jim.

[Bodi]

You will need a complete LED replacement headlight. These cost around $250.00 and up.
No non standard drop-in replacement "lamp" for an H4 reflector - LED or HID - works decently, and all are technically illegal for any on-road use.
The light pattern will be wrong, usually overlighting the road immediately in front and underlighting the distant and off-centre areas.  None produce the H4's required weak high angle beam designed to light distant reflective road signs. The result is that your eyes do not dark-adapt because of the very bright close-in roadway, and the areas you really want to see (like the verges and roadway far enough ahead that you can react to unexpected obstacles) are poorly lit as well.
Many HID conversions also a produce blinding hazard for oncoming vehicles because the beam control of the H4 lens is incompatible with the HID source.
Don't bother with any H4 LED or HID conversion.

[calj737]

TruckLite brand LED headlight. Plug and play. Costs $250 and is heavier than you'd imagine, so recommend strongly you replace fiberglass bucket with metal. Draws a fraction of amps in either low or hi-.

Cb750caferacer has referenced it in his thread. I have one on order for my '74 550, buying mine through Revival Cycles.

[PGF550F]

Hey jimbo, I will let you know what I have experienced with an LED H4 "replacement" bulb off eBay. I installed one on my 1972 CL 350 TWIN. It is a plug and play affair with the wiring harness. I have tested it at night and am very dissappointed with the light output! It is very weak and totally unsafe for night riding. It does not illuminate anywhere near far enough to spot or avoid obstacles. I will be replacing it with a stock 35/35W bulb as it was from factory. Everyone that sees it from the front says it's fairly bright and they see me coming no problem, but from behind the handlebars it is really NOT a viable option. I think to run an LED headlight You have to get the whole replacement headlight like has been suggested here already with the trucklite but 250$ seems pretty steep to me for it.

Edit: I see you only wanted to know if it was installed in a 550... I will leave it up to you, but I fully expect i would get the same result if I put it in my 550F

[Jimbo4871]

PGF550F.  Was the LED light you got off eBay similar to the one I have pictured here in the attachment? 

Thanks a lot for your input.  I only posted the "Reply only if you have..." comment because I want to get credible info, and not a bunch of "he said she said", and "this is what I heard" and then find myself buying and trying LEDs' that don't work.  So if your work has worked on a CB550F I'm more then sure it will work on my bike as well. 

[PGF550F]

That bulb looks totally different than what I bought. I got a pair of bulbs that have a small tower of LEDs in a hexagonal profile. I'm away from the computer but it was a 6$ eBay deal for the pair. I did notice that the low beam was kind of "flickery" but high beam didn't have the flickery appearance. It was on a 350 TWIN but I think you would get the same result with the 550. Again, if you want to be seen from the front during daylight hours it might be ok, but I cannot recommend it for night driving. Simply does not throw the light that you need.

[calj737]

Jimbo - to replace the stock filament bulb with an LED bulb will probably be disappointing. Typically they need some type of ballast and resistors to cast as much light. If you seek a bulb replacement, did you try a lower wattage H4, that has a better reflector in it? Many of the newer lenses and reflectors are far more effective than our stock units.

I understand the power drain issue, but if you really do want adjust that and be safe, a full LED unit and not a bulb is probably a better answer. Here's a link to the "TruckLite" brand with power ratings down the lower right side. You may be able to find it for cheaper, which would help fund the metal bucket to support the weight.

http://store.revivalcycles.com/collections/lighting-1/products/ledheadlight

[adventure_prone]

I got a Trucklite headlight here.
http://www.drivetrainamerica.com/p-15587-truck-lite-27270c-7-round-led-headlight-harley-hummer-jeep-wrangler-cj-tj-jk.aspx?CAGPSPN=pla&gclid=CjkKEQjwlcSdBRD3wva3-KOAo80BEiQAjNIhian4bMQI1Gf2xu4AeLkG2cxaB2MAr9ym6x1CE8hJacPw_wcB
$166, I forget what shipping was. Love it, But it fits weird

[Hon3ybadger]

Go to your local Fleet Pride store and ask to see a Truck lite LED headlight. They have decent prices and usually have one in stock. If not they can order one in for no charge to you. Play with it, ask for a demo and see how you like it.

[RodPlunger]

I got a Trucklite headlight here.
http://www.drivetrainamerica.com/p-15587-truck-lite-27270c-7-round-led-headlight-harley-hummer-jeep-wrangler-cj-tj-jk.aspx?CAGPSPN=pla&gclid=CjkKEQjwlcSdBRD3wva3-KOAo80BEiQAjNIhian4bMQI1Gf2xu4AeLkG2cxaB2MAr9ym6x1CE8hJacPw_wcB
$166, I forget what shipping was. Love it, But it fits weird

Care to elaborate?

[b5rider]

I installed the Truck-Lite. You have to get a slightly longer screw in order for the metal mounting ring to fit over the headlight. The headlight will stick out about 1" past the bucket. I did not find this to be any problem, but if you're looking to have it match perfectly, it won't. The light output is much better than stock. The beam pattern is horizontal and focused, not diffuse like stock. I really like it, and so does my charging system. Once you upgrade your stock bulb to a higher wattage your charging system is taxed.

[Deltarider]

The light output is much better than stock.

But is it better than say a good H4 halogen, like the Philips X-treme vision?
Why is this 'taxing the charging system' on your side of the Atlantic only? I don't here complaints here. Later models SOHCs were even standard equipped with H4 and by now everybody here with an earlier SOHC must have exchanged the old 40/45 bulb for a 55/60 H4.

[Lostboy Steve]

What if you spent the money on one of the more expensive H4 LED bulbs? I was thinking about pulling apart a conversion lens and putting this magnifier lens out of an audi headlight in with a LED behind it.

[calj737]

@Delta - if you read closely what the OP wrote, he does a fair bit of stop-and-go city riding. Regardless of H4 40 or 55, it will tax the charging system when run below 3,000 RPMs for extended periods of time. Just because changes occurred in the bulb, doesn't mean the actual charging system kept up with the draw or deficiencies of its original design.

@Lostboy - same thing. Multiple bulbs, if their current draw don't minimize the load compared to original, there's little to no gain. The single benefit to LED units is their consumption. Being able to run a unit at all RPMs with no adverse effect is the ultimate goal. In fact, safety is drastically improved when doing so. As he runs it now, low beam off during daylight hours, this is less than optimal.

In general, placing an H4 bulb in the stock reflector is less productive than the newer reflectors with H4. Better light focus, transmission, and illumination. LEDs are very similar. Better illumination through light engineering.

[Jimbo4871]

I Salved my head light issue.  Here is what I did.....

To recap a little, like I originally stated I live in the city so I ride a lot of Stop and Go, and as calj737 stated my charging system has a hard time keeping up.  These bikes where originally set up to run off the battery when riding under about 2,000RPMS.  How ever I did originally fail to mention I'm running with Dyna 3.0 ohm coils, and ignition system so that taxes a lot from the charging system, even after I converted every single light bulb to LEDs.  '
I wanted to be able to plug an LED light bulb into my H4 stock headlight socket.  However when I did plug it in it would not light up. I think it had something to do with the power level/type/flow that is set up to feed the Stock light bulb, plus the plug set up is reversed on an LED Bulb from a halogen bulb.  so....

My solution......

I located an empty plug outlet inside the headlight dome wiring harness.  In this case it was the empty power port to the blinker buzzer (I had removed the buzzer a long time ago) a Brown w/Blue stripe wire.  Using a multi meter I could see that this port had a constant 12V+ power output when the ignition switch was engaged. 

So I soldered a wire together to connect the "+Pos" port of the LED to this power port.  I then soldered another wire that I could connect the "-Neg" port of the LED to an open ground port (Any Green wire).  And that was is, LED H4 Headlight works, and draws very little power to boot. 

Riding in the city you don't need much light at night due to street lights. But you still need something. One CON is I don't have a "High Beam"  but I don't care, I never use it anyway.  When it comes time to go for the inspection I'll just pop back in the original Halogen light bulb.  Then switch back after the inspection.

LED Bulb cost me $15. 

Thanks for all you help everyone.   

[Deltarider]

when run below 3,000 RPMs for extended periods of time.

You shouldn't. There will be excessive carbon build up in your engine.
How about a moped for these distances? The Honda Super Cub? May I recommend the good old pedal bike? Philips makes some damned good (and pricewinning) LED lights for pedal bikes.

[cocinero196]

...Later models SOHCs were even standard equipped with H4 and by now everybody here with an earlier SOHC must have exchanged the old 40/45 bulb for a 55/60 H4.

Hi Deltarider, can you be more specific on what year those "Later models SOHCs were even standard equipped with H4" are?
I need to replace my '77 CB550k oem sealed bulb assembly with an h4 bulb.

[Deltarider]

If you have a look at p.44 of the http://www.honda4fun.com/pdf_parts_list/pdf_spac500-550/CB500-550_K3-K4.pdf you'll see that in Europe the K3 models had the H4 standard (ref. no. 17). But also earlier models like my 1976 built CB500K2 (ED) had a H4. You will not find it in the Parts Lists of earlier models. I believe importers like Honda Nederland must have taken the decision to change the headlight for H4. In my case it's in the same Hella reflector that were on early VW Golf (Rabbit?) models. These reflectors are still widely available. Do a search in this forum and you'll find the numbers. 

[Bankerdanny]

PGF550F.  Was the LED light you got off eBay similar to the one I have pictured here in the attachment? 

Thanks a lot for your input.  I only posted the "Reply only if you have..." comment because I want to get credible info, and not a bunch of "he said she said", and "this is what I heard" and then find myself buying and trying LEDs' that don't work.  So if your work has worked on a CB550F I'm more then sure it will work on my bike as well.

You can't just plug an H4 style LED bulb into a reflector designed for a halogen and expect it to work properly. LED's output light in a very directional fashion (that is to say they project mostly straight out from the diode and don't project in 360 degrees like a filament type bulb does) so plugging them into a reflector assembly designed for a bulb that produces light in a completely different way is a recipe for a week beam and disappointment.

I understand your desire for a low draw solution and think it is a good idea, I am looking at doing something similar. But you need to use a system that replaces the whole lense/reflector assembly if you want to get a worthwhile replacement.