Topic: The Holy Grail of Headlights...

[Mr.D]

I'm wondering if the headlight I would like to have even exists. Here are my criteria:

1) Is LED (brighter and less draw on the system than my current incandescent bulb)
2) The unit looks exactly the same as the original (I don't like new style headlight units, I think they change the entire look of the bike)
3) Emits a similar colour light as incandescent (not a fan of bright white/blue light)

Haven't been able to find anything like this online, but surely there would be a market for something like this??? Any ideas/suggestions? Any reason why something like this couldn't exist?

[Desert-SOHC]

try here...https://vintagecarleds.com/product-category/7-inch/?gclid=CjwKEAjwj6PKBRCAy9-07PeTtGgSJAC1P9xGiCDMDRLQO9wkADsOvqEl6sAcwGpVcxrb1sxkTkNX5BoCK1jw_wcB

[Deltarider]

try here...https://vintagecarleds.com/product-category/7-inch/?gclid=CjwKEAjwj6PKBRCAy9-07PeTtGgSJAC1P9xGiCDMDRLQO9wkADsOvqEl6sAcwGpVcxrb1sxkTkNX5BoCK1jw_wcB

That's a lot of money for some unknown brand. How do you know they have some quality? Why not choose the brands that have proved themselves? This is what I've suggested the other day in another thread. Hella, Bosch, Cibié, Maréchal reflectors, they're all known good reflectors. Then fit the Philips X-treme Vision Moto and you'll have the best headlight possible for acceptable costs. If you're really worried about the charging system (you shouldn't IMO), you could opt for the Philips H4 Ecovision that draws 20% less, yet performs better than a standard H4. In European style reflectors you can use the ba9s 'city light' socket to create a DRL to your liking. I choose a 20 Watts halogen, but others can maybe create something usefull with a led. I myself couldn't find a Ba9s led fit (around 450 lumens) for the job (or it would have been a ridiculously big tower with I don't know how many leds) but, who knows, maybe there is one now. Like you I prefer the classic look and I find Led headlights hideous (makes it look like a frog). Best classical layout to my taste is what some German has (see pic). The smaller type blinkers make the headlight stand out. Then yellow is better noticed by traffic. Some think the brighter the better. Not so. You could compare it to sailing. When sailors have to renew their sails, they can choose white sails or the classic looking brown sails. The latter are better noticed at sea as they stand out better against the background.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

I'm wondering if the headlight I would like to have even exists. Here are my criteria:

1) Is LED (brighter and less draw on the system than my current incandescent bulb)
2) The unit looks exactly the same as the original (I don't like new style headlight units, I think they change the entire look of the bike)
3) Emits a similar colour light as incandescent (not a fan of bright white/blue light)

Haven't been able to find anything like this online, but surely there would be a market for something like this??? Any ideas/suggestions? Any reason why something like this couldn't exist?

LED will be comparatively brighter, and by using just a bulb, it will not change the look of the housing. 

The trick will be to find a LED bulb that is not bright white.

[Bodi]

No.
Please don't put a LED bulb in an H4 lamp. You will be blinding oncoming riders. H4 reflectors are made for H4 bulbs. Period. No xenon or LED replacement will or can give a correct beam pattern. Only the incandescent bulb it was designed for will work properly. Nothing else will be street legal either.
If you are madly in love with LED hedlights, the only ones that throw tye proper light pattern and can be legal are DOT accepted OEM units from another recent motorcycle model.
Probably sounds hard line, fine. I'm tired of being blasted by the blinding glare from some arsehole's modified headlights.  Probably has no idea how dangerous his enhanced lighting is for the unfortunates coming the other way.

[Mr.D]

try here...https://vintagecarleds.com/product-category/7-inch/?gclid=CjwKEAjwj6PKBRCAy9-07PeTtGgSJAC1P9xGiCDMDRLQO9wkADsOvqEl6sAcwGpVcxrb1sxkTkNX5BoCK1jw_wcB

Interesting... thanks for that link. Nice to know someone is attempting what I'm looking for. But I agree with Deltarider, those are expensive!

[Mr.D]

Yeah, I've read on other threads that I shouldn't put an LED bulb into the stock headlight unit, thanks for confirming that. That's why I was hoping someone made a unit that looked like stock but was LED. I suppose the demand is pretty low for what I'm looking for, otherwise it would be common already!

[MikeSimon]

You should be able to convert your stock headlight to LED. I did this on my BMW R100S.

[flybox1]

You'll need it to emit light in the 4300K range, which is incandescent yellow. 
Closer to 3000K and it gets really yellow.  Used in many of the cars which ran Le Mans over the weekend.
The higher above 4300K you get, the more blue it emits.

[Duke McDukiedook]

No.
Please don't put a LED bulb in an H4 lamp. You will be blinding oncoming riders. H4 reflectors are made for H4 bulbs. Period. No xenon or LED replacement will or can give a correct beam pattern. Only the incandescent bulb it was designed for will work properly. Nothing else will be street legal either.
If you are madly in love with LED hedlights, the only ones that throw tye proper light pattern and can be legal are DOT accepted OEM units from another recent motorcycle model.
Probably sounds hard line, fine. I'm tired of being blasted by the blinding glare from some arsehole's modified headlights.  Probably has no idea how dangerous his enhanced lighting is for the unfortunates coming the other way.

This, so, so much this. I want to wring the neck of every d-bag that created a night blinder and thinks it is cool. 

[flybox1]

Many d-bags dont know there are newer LEDs which place the diodes at the same location as an incandescent filament, so they reflect light exactly the same. 

Dont be a d-bag

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/center-high-mount-stop-light-bulb/motorcycle-led-headlight-conversion-kit-h4-led-headlight-bulb-conversion-kit-with-compact-heat-sink/3930/

[Bodi]

"Many d-bags dont know there are newer LEDs which place the diodes at the same location as an incandescent filament"
This is, in a word, impossible. The LED array is not and cannot be the "same location" of an approved H4 filament. The filament location and size are rigidly defined in the H4 specifications. LED arrays are fundamentally very different in shape and emission pattern.

[Duanob]

try here...https://vintagecarleds.com/product-category/7-inch/?gclid=CjwKEAjwj6PKBRCAy9-07PeTtGgSJAC1P9xGiCDMDRLQO9wkADsOvqEl6sAcwGpVcxrb1sxkTkNX5BoCK1jw_wcB

Interesting... thanks for that link. Nice to know someone is attempting what I'm looking for. But I agree with Deltarider, those are expensive!

\
Please don't put a car lens on a motorcycle! Not made for it what so ever. The light pattern will probably be so far off it will negate any and all benefits of having LED bulbs. Funny, we go though this topic every couple of months.

[Mr.D]

I'm getting mixed signals 

Seriously though, thanks all for your input, it does help and I'm learning more!

[MikeSimon]

Seems like this could easily evolve into another "oil thread" or maybe even a "DOT3/4" vs "DOT5" discussion.

Where is the popcorn?

[Deltarider]

Where is the popcorn?

Hahahaha, oh, MikeSimon, you're one of a kind, really, hahahaha.

[RAFster122s]

Is DOT 3 what happens when DOT 1 has relations with DOT 2?
Followed by other progeny when they forget what the first many months of life of DOT 3 made their sleep deprived brains mush?

[CBGhia]

"Many d-bags dont know there are newer LEDs which place the diodes at the same location as an incandescent filament"
This is, in a word, impossible. The LED array is not and cannot be the "same location" of an approved H4 filament. The filament location and size are rigidly defined in the H4 specifications. LED arrays are fundamentally very different in shape and emission pattern.

That was all specifically addressed in the video posted above your comment.   They have designed the LED replacements to specifically mimic the H4 bulb, so that the spread is correct when put in the H4 housing.

[Jimray23]

try here...https://vintagecarleds.com/product-category/7-inch/?gclid=CjwKEAjwj6PKBRCAy9-07PeTtGgSJAC1P9xGiCDMDRLQO9wkADsOvqEl6sAcwGpVcxrb1sxkTkNX5BoCK1jw_wcB

Interesting... thanks for that link. Nice to know someone is attempting what I'm looking for. But I agree with Deltarider, those are expensive!

\
Please don't put a car lens on a motorcycle! Not made for it what so ever. The light pattern will probably be so far off it will negate any and all benefits of having LED bulbs. Funny, we go though this topic every couple of months.

All the vintage honda's and kawasaki's came with car head lights

--------------------------------------------------
Jim
I really don't see why people ask for advice if their not going to take the advice given.

[evanphi]

Now where's my ScarJo popcorn gif...?

Ah here we are:




We need someone to independently verify all these claims. Someone from the forum.

[Deltarider]

evanphi, that-is-so-funny! You kill me laughing! Popcorn... where ever did you get such a funny idea? You're one of a kind, really.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Man, what's in the water these days?

[jonda500]

try here...https://vintagecarleds.com/product-category/7-inch/?gclid=CjwKEAjwj6PKBRCAy9-07PeTtGgSJAC1P9xGiCDMDRLQO9wkADsOvqEl6sAcwGpVcxrb1sxkTkNX5BoCK1jw_wcB

Interesting... thanks for that link. Nice to know someone is attempting what I'm looking for. But I agree with Deltarider, those are expensive!

\
Please don't put a car lens on a motorcycle! Not made for it what so ever. The light pattern will probably be so far off it will negate any and all benefits of having LED bulbs. Funny, we go though this topic every couple of months.

All the vintage honda's and kawasaki's came with car head lights

--------------------------------------------------
Jim
I really don't see why people ask for advice if their not going to take the advice given.

+1 My Honda's have exactly the same sealed beam headlights that Holdens, Fords, Valiants and many other cars of the seventies had!
John

[RAFster122s]

You contact your buddy ScarJo and have her call me and we will get together to verify these facts...
I'm sure she would jump at the chance to do that research with me.   

Now where's my ScarJo popcorn gif...?

Ah here we are:




We need someone to independently verify all these claims. Someone from the forum.