LED auxiliary lights

[bramfrank]

With all respect;

A D2S HID puts out some 3200 lumens (on average) from 35 watts of high voltage power (on average). If you are measuring 60 watts your ballasts truly suck. Modern ballasts run 90+% efficiency.

Yes, HIDs do draw more on ignition, but once warmed up (usually within 20 seconds on most modern designs), the current drawn by a decent ballast will settle to below 40 watts for a 35 watt bulb.

So your 1800 lumen LED device consumes about 20 watts. Your 3200 Lumen HID device consumes about 40 watts.

Of course, for your 'extra' current you DO get almost twice as much light as your high power LED provides. And it is more useable light because it can be properly aimed, assuming that your bulb is in an appropriate fixture and the right bulb (S or R) is used in the application. LEDs are cute, but they tend to spray light forward through tiny lenses directly moulded into them.

I'm guessing that your telescoping bulbs were used in a conversion, which is, among other things not legal - but the reflector in the FJR is simply not designed to be used with the large plasma source of an HID, making such conversions less than perfect. Let's see what you get if you stuff a 3-LED-array in there (intended to use the OEM optics for focus) using today's technology; . . . I'd be willing to wager pink slips that it wouldn;t work well at all.

 

[Fred W]

Deleted.

I don't care

 

[Alex]

The pictures above (not wanting to reply to that) - are the images of each set of lights by themselves or with the headlights?

I'm 95% there...wait, could I save the shipping and just ride out to get them??

The headlights are only used in the 2 pictures and are labeled to reflect that the light is from all 6. 2 pair of leds and 1 pair of headlights. In the other 4 pictures you are only viewing the LED's.

You can definitely save on shipping and ride over to pick them up!

 

[Patriot]

I hope a auxilary dimmer comes out of all of this for the lights

I personally consider it pretty mandatory for my lights

I completely understand where you are coming from. However, I wouldn't of purchased them if there wasn't any info to fall back on. I've been following a thread on advrider with 1208 posts and 170,125 views of riders that love them. The member there happens to be offering them for substantially more than I am.

cool, thanx...+1 rep button !

Deleted.

I don't care

me neither

good we both took a breath

another +1 rep button

 

[puppychow]

I thought this might be an appropriate place to post this link.

Calculating Excess Electrical capacity.

I am thinking of 2 set of 1500Lm lights, one pair on the mirror mounts and one on the forks.

If you have corrections for my numbers, please post and I will update this post accordingly.

Using the link above and the Gen 1 FAQ page as a basis - here is what I think I am playing with.

• Alternator Capacity = 490 Watts, Capacity Left = 490 Watts.

• Stock Consumption = 360 Watts, Capacity Left = 130 Watts.(According to Warchild)

• HID Lo Beam saving = -24 Watts, Capacity Left = 154 Watts.

• Heated grips usage = 40 Watts, Capacity Left = 114 Watts.

• GPS power usage = 10 Watts, Capacity Left = 104 Watts.

• Satellite Radio = 10 Watts, Capacity Left = 94 Watts.

• Radar Detector = 10 Watts, Capacity Left = 84 Watts.

• Widder Vest = 36 Watts, Capacity Left = 48 Watts.

• 2x1500 Lm pair = 80 Watts, Capacity Left = -32 Watts.

Am I screwed?

Can I only really only do 1 pair of 1800 Lm @ 48 Watts and be about even and be on the safe side when I am using all available accessories?

Also, I am unsure between the 1800 Lm unit and the 1500 Lm unit. In the two pictures below - why does it seem to me that the 1500 Lm unit is just as good as the 1800 Lm? With the 1800 Lm unit being at a slight advantage in this scenario as it is sitting much higher? Is it so because of the smaller reflector lenses on the 1800 Lm unit? Camera tricking the eyes?

Krista's for comparison.

1800 Lm beam cast

 

1500 Lm beam cast

Some inputs very much appreciated please!

 

[rcpd807]

I am looking at getting the 1800Lm lights and mounting them using the fender bolts. I have a few questions for anyone who are currently running aux lights.....

Does anyone see an issue with running the 1800Lm lights down low on the fender vs. up near the mirrors?

Are these lights going be so bright that if I run them during the day that I am going to blind or negatively affect oncoming traffic?

At night are the 1800Lm lights so bright that I will have to dim them for oncoming traffic?

I would like to have aux lights that I can run during the day to add extra visibility, but I don't won't to have to constantly be dimming them. I also want a set that will also provide good light during night riding. What power of Lumen will best achieve what I want to do?

 

[Patriot]

I am looking at getting the 1800Lm lights and mounting them using the fender bolts. I have a few questions for anyone who are currently running aux lights.....

Does anyone see an issue with running the 1800Lm lights down low on the fender vs. up near the mirrors?

Are these lights going be so bright that if I run them during the day that I am going to blind or negatively affect oncoming traffic?

At night are the 1800Lm lights so bright that I will have to dim them for oncoming traffic?

I would like to have aux lights that I can run during the day to add extra visibility, but I don't won't to have to constantly be dimming them. I also want a set that will also provide good light during night riding. What power of Lumen will best achieve what I want to do?

here's what works for me (Clearwater big Krista's on mirror mounts up top and lil Glenda's on fender mounts down low)

I have the lower lil Glenda's wired up full bright with no adjustment -> my rationale is these are mainly for visibility to other killer drivers

I have the big upper Krista's wired through a dimmer and the low/high beam

Low beam runs from 20% to 80% brightness using the dimmer knob...high beam immediately kicks to 100% bright regardless of dimmer

Daytime: dimmer set to 25% for visibility to other killer drivers...at dusk usually set to 50% or black of night city driving with street lights on

Black of night in the boonies with no road lighting...dimmer on full blast...still have high beams for momentary flashing...no need to use high beams for visibility of road, etc

I have carefully aimed the Kristas by putting a straight edge across them to aim them straight and then on level surfaces, parking my compact car with the bike directly behind it about 25 yards slowly moving the bike forward to a yard behind without any reflecting of the lights in any of the car's mirrors.

Seems to work (my forever thanx to Jeff_Q for his advice, expertise, and savy wiring even if it was learned in the Air Force !!!)

best

Mike

in Nawlins'

 

[TriggerT]

I went for broke, literally, on the Clearwater lights. I have 4 of the Krista's mounted up next to the mirrors. This picture is of the Clearwater lights on high, and the HID headlight conversions on high.

 

[Eric L]

I am looking at getting the 1800Lm lights and mounting them using the fender bolts. I have a few questions for anyone who are currently running aux lights.....

Does anyone see an issue with running the 1800Lm lights down low on the fender vs. up near the mirrors?

Are these lights going be so bright that if I run them during the day that I am going to blind or negatively affect oncoming traffic?

At night are the 1800Lm lights so bright that I will have to dim them for oncoming traffic?

I would like to have aux lights that I can run during the day to add extra visibility, but I don't won't to have to constantly be dimming them. I also want a set that will also provide good light during night riding. What power of Lumen will best achieve what I want to do?

I have the 3 led wide beam ones on my fender bolts. No one EVER flashes their brights at me for these. I have them aimed essentially a little further out than my low beams - I couldnt stand the black hole near the bike when I was running the high beams - these fill that in nicely. The are brighter than my low beams for sure. I can't even see my low beams when these are on.

 

[rcpd807]

I am looking at getting the 1800Lm lights and mounting them using the fender bolts. I have a few questions for anyone who are currently running aux lights.....

Does anyone see an issue with running the 1800Lm lights down low on the fender vs. up near the mirrors?

Are these lights going be so bright that if I run them during the day that I am going to blind or negatively affect oncoming traffic?

At night are the 1800Lm lights so bright that I will have to dim them for oncoming traffic?

I would like to have aux lights that I can run during the day to add extra visibility, but I don't won't to have to constantly be dimming them. I also want a set that will also provide good light during night riding. What power of Lumen will best achieve what I want to do?

I have the 3 led wide beam ones on my fender bolts. No one EVER flashes their brights at me for these. I have them aimed essentially a little further out than my low beams - I couldnt stand the black hole near the bike when I was running the high beams - these fill that in nicely. The are brighter than my low beams for sure. I can't even see my low beams when these are on.

What lumen are the led's you have? I just wonder if the 1800's will be too bright without using some type of dimmer.

Alex.....any thoughts?

 

[Eric L]

I am looking at getting the 1800Lm lights and mounting them using the fender bolts. I have a few questions for anyone who are currently running aux lights.....

Does anyone see an issue with running the 1800Lm lights down low on the fender vs. up near the mirrors?

Are these lights going be so bright that if I run them during the day that I am going to blind or negatively affect oncoming traffic?

At night are the 1800Lm lights so bright that I will have to dim them for oncoming traffic?

I would like to have aux lights that I can run during the day to add extra visibility, but I don't won't to have to constantly be dimming them. I also want a set that will also provide good light during night riding. What power of Lumen will best achieve what I want to do?

I have the 3 led wide beam ones on my fender bolts. No one EVER flashes their brights at me for these. I have them aimed essentially a little further out than my low beams - I couldnt stand the black hole near the bike when I was running the high beams - these fill that in nicely. The are brighter than my low beams for sure. I can't even see my low beams when these are on.

What lumen are the led's you have? I just wonder if the 1800's will be too bright without using some type of dimmer.

Alex.....any thoughts?

its the 3-led wider version - i think they are 24 watts each. They have three brightness settings, but I never mess with that.

 

[Burnspot]

Got my order in for some 1500's...to mount on the fender. I really need the "triangle of light" for conspicuity...a careless driver on the way into work this morning made up my mind. :blind:

 

[Alex]

What lumen are the led's you have? I just wonder if the 1800's will be too bright without using some type of dimmer.

Alex.....any thoughts?

I wouldn't hesitate to use them during the day, they can't be any more annoying than the Caddilac SUV's driving around. :huh: Since they are instant on/off I would wire them up to your bright lights circut for night night time riding, or put on a switch to fill in the spot above the low beam cutoff of the factory lights.

 

[Eric L]

again, no one flashes their lights at me. I love these lights.

 

[twistedcricket]

I would imagine "someone" might get pissy about it in the dead of night on a deserted two lane road and might flash...but really, I ride with high-beams on during the day and I can't tell you the last time a cager flashed their highbeams.

Does anyone know of a source for those little button switches? The kind that would fit in the same housing as the windscreen or high-beam switch? I'm not going to mess with a dimmer.

 

[Pete Bansen]

Also, I am unsure between the 1800 Lm unit and the 1500 Lm unit. In the two pictures below - why does it seem to me that the 1500 Lm unit is just as good as the 1800 Lm? With the 1800 Lm unit being at a slight advantage in this scenario as it is sitting much higher? Is it so because of the smaller reflector lenses on the 1800 Lm unit? Camera tricking the eye?

Unless you have the camera set on manual - so that it uses the same shutter speed and aperture for both pictures - it will automatically adjust the exposure to make the illumination in the scene look the same.

So, yes - it may be that the camera is tricking the eye.

 

[rcpd807]

What lumen are the led's you have? I just wonder if the 1800's will be too bright without using some type of dimmer.

Alex.....any thoughts?

I wouldn't hesitate to use them during the day, they can't be any more annoying than the Caddilac SUV's driving around. :huh: Since they are instant on/off I would wire them up to your bright lights circut for night night time riding, or put on a switch to fill in the spot above the low beam cutoff of the factory lights.

I currently have a headlight modulator in my bike. During daylight when the high beams are activated, the lights will flash. At night, the high beams work as normal. I would have to wire it to something else other than the high beam switch to run these light during the day. Hum.....

 

[Alex]

I currently have a headlight modulator in my bike. During daylight when the high beams are activated, the lights will flash. At night, the high beams work as normal. I would have to wire it to something else other than the high beam switch to run these light during the day. Hum.....

That really depends on where you are intrupting the bright circuit. I would come off the origional FJR light relay to the new LED circuit. Odds are your flashing unit comes into play closer to the actual H4 lamp.

The relay mentioned is up in the center of the nose. But as long as you send the voltage to your LEDs before the flashing unit it will acomplish the same thing.

 

[Alex]

Also, I am unsure between the 1800 Lm unit and the 1500 Lm unit. In the two pictures below - why does it seem to me that the 1500 Lm unit is just as good as the 1800 Lm? With the 1800 Lm unit being at a slight advantage in this scenario as it is sitting much higher? Is it so because of the smaller reflector lenses on the 1800 Lm unit? Camera tricking the eye?

Unless you have the camera set on manual - so that it uses the same shutter speed and aperture for both pictures - it will automatically adjust the exposure to make the illumination in the scene look the same.

So, yes - it may be that the camera is tricking the eye.

Very true Pete. I could get a flashlight with AA's to look like a hellfire torch by messing with shutter speeds. The same thing goes for aiming the lights. I pointed both sets at the road so you could see the pattern. They are really close with the 1800 versions being a bit tighter beam and brighter than the 1500's.

 

[Patriot]

Does anyone know of a source for those little button switches? The kind that would fit in the same housing as the windscreen or high-beam switch? I'm not going to mess with a dimmer.

Radio Shack micro switches...I removed the cap thingy

https://www.radioshack.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=mini%20push%20switch&origkw=mini%20push%20switch&sr=1