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-   -   LED Lights for 2 Wheelers: An alternative to high power halogens (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/ride-safe/163008-led-lights-2-wheelers-alternative-high-power-halogens.html)

My dad's kinetic always had a problem of super weak headlights. I got the headlights changed to the newer multi reflector ones, better bulbs but still the lights was pretty bad.

One of these days, I was browsing YouTube looking at reviews of Cree LED torches. Out of the blue, I saw a review of a 18W LED bar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yetGKStxbFA

I thought, well this would be perfect for my dad and his kinetic. Need flood light and not spot since he does not ride fast and surroundings need to be lit.

I searched around aliexpress and found the cheapest LEDs which looked similar here :

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/1550L...256728332.html

3 weeks later, I got the light!



Went to my trusted mechanic and got it fixed. I didn't need any extra clamps, it went straight on the nut holding the front sheild in place. A switch was added to turn on the light whenever needed.



I went out to an empty stretch close to my house where its absolutely dark to get a good idea on the brightness of these lamps.

Stock headlights. Now you know why I wanted to upgrade



Let there be light!



I backed for quite some distance to get the whole spread. I have cropped the photo and so it might seem that I have taken the picture up close. The 2 white dots are reflections from reflective tape on remvable barriers.



Side views. Gives you an idea of the throw:





All these are fine, but how does it look on the road?



Conclusion : Best 1000 rupees I've spent on lighting!

Can you post a shot from the front? Is it blinding? If so careful, others might just get blinded and create bigger safety issues.

There is some glare to oncoming folks, its somewhere between low beam and high beam from halogen lamps. Not as strong as the glare from high beams from other 2 wheelers.

I did take a picture but it kind of came out as too strong than it really is :

On a no traffic situation it is ok. Would not recommend using when oncoming traffic is there on narrow roads. These light bars are not for on road use, hence.

Jaggu, would adding black dots at the center help? I am sick of the lightning in both my bikes. This looked like a brilliant solution. I too am concerned about the glare as in no time this would go mainstream.

Pramod

SunnyBoi, that is quite a transformation! Thanks for sharing. I understand the glare in pictures might be amplified and will seem more than what it actually is, but recently I have been seeing the local 'racer boys' fixing LEDs at front/rear of their bikes and couple of them at the front are quite bright. They are borderline irritating. But those are naked LEDs, not covered ones like your's.

I believe that they might not be as bright as high beams of some 2-wheelers like the 220 whose high beam is designed just to kill the one in front :Frustrati

While searching for these did you find any LED lights which may not have a good spread but have good spot illumination? Can you share if you found any?

-Bhargav

Just what I was looking for. I have been trying to augment the current head light on my Activa and this looks like a perfect addon.

A few questions -

• How do we wire this.
• Any way we can cut the glare on the on coming traffic?

See the tree tops being lit by the new light, you be the judge what effect these lights will have on the oncoming traffic.:Shockked:

Brilliant stuff! I have a Kinetic Blaze which has the most pathetic headlight possible even after having a twin bulb setup! I might consider fitting this LED bar soon. I have a few questions:

1) Would this light put additional strain on the wiring loom of the scooter?
2) Can i connect it directly to my main headlights wire and make this the primary light?
3) Does the beam angle get disturbed due to the road vibrations?
4) Is a relay or LED adapter needed for the setup or is just plug and play?

From your pictures, the beam spread is wide but the throw is short. This makes me think that the light bar is better suited as fog lamp and therefore, should be mounted low, as in cars. In the current position it seems to be causing a lot of glare to oncoming vehicles.

I want to know how it is for oncoming traffic, because in Mumbai I've seen some 2 wheelers with LEDs (mostly round ones mounted to the sides of the headlight) and they do nothing but blind oncoming traffic. I am also sure a spot light would be better suited than a flood light.

Nope the SPOT in an LED source would just make it more messy and throw will almost be zero if you go bigger dia with the spot.

Yes if budget permits go for regular round shaped LED units, they are expensive but they can be better focused to the ground and keep the glare minimal or focused away from the oncoming eyes.

LED bars are strictly for offroad or non traffic situations. I personally wouldn't encourage the use otherwise. Pretty sure cops are going to clamp down on the usage also.

Do you suggest using the old school of painting/stickering the top half to avoid the glare? Is that a doable solution?

Not sure how well the stickering will hold due to the heating issues with LED.

It takes high school physics to realise that painting/blocking a part of the lens will not change the way the light beam travels. Obviously the stupid rule was set by some babu with no scientific knowledge.

A simple way of understanding how this works is to try it for yourself by covering different portions of the headlamp with opaque paper and observing the effect from a distance. On low beam, covering the top of the headlamp will have the effect of reducing the beam throw on the road.

Ook, then i suppose its better not to use the LED bars as suggested by Jaggu.