H4 LED conversions

[Steve]

No need to "figure it out", Sandy, they already do that.

A couple pictures of the light in my bike will illustrate that nicely.
(This is the Truck-Lite Phase 7.)

Off:


Low beam:


High beam:


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[Dogma]

Interesting comparison. I don't think the stock H4 in my 1000G was as good as the stock light you're testing. Granted that's a years' old memory of a subjective perception. Is that stock light on Brad's 1000G?

Too bad the optics don't work out better on that ADV Monster. As much light as that dumps on the foreground, it might be more useful off-road. Assuming the reflector behaves the same as this test.

[Slycox]

Thanks for the pictures, I was already pretty set on the truck-lite but this pretty much seals the deal when I am ready to install.

Also are you using the white lights in the turn signals for added visibility?

Thanks again for taking the time to do this!

[first timer]

I would suggest you give one of these a try in your stock lens setup. I believe the 80's+ GS's had lens assemblies with replaceable H4 bulbs.

http://www.cyclopsadventuresports.com/3600-Lumen-LED-Headlight-bulb-for-DirtbikesDual-Sports_p_97.html

I am running one in my CRF dirt bike and it was a 1000% improvement. Once I get back around to GS's I will being adding one on the bike.

[Steve]

Thanks for the pictures, I was already pretty set on the truck-lite but this pretty much seals the deal when I am ready to install.

Just be sure you are ready for the sticker shock.

Also are you using the white lights in the turn signals for added visibility?

Yes, the visibility part helps, but they are my turn signals, too.

They operate much like some of the newer cars, which helps bring this 35-year-old bike up to the modern age.

Normal running mode:


Turn the turn signal ON, one light goes OFF for a moment:


Then the turn signal flashes:


It continues the "yellow. OFF, yellow, OFF" pattern until the control unit stops it, then the white light comes back on.

Thanks again for taking the time to do this!

You are quite welcome.

It was a bit surprising how long it took to jockey three bikes around to three different locations, shoot all the pictures, upload them to Photobucket, insert the pictures in the thread and write the captions, but if it helps someone make an educated, informed purchase, it was worth it.

I would suggest you give one of these a try in your stock lens setup. I believe the 80's+ GS's had lens assemblies with replaceable H4 bulbs.

http://www.cyclopsadventuresports.com/3600-Lumen-LED-Headlight-bulb-for-DirtbikesDual-Sports_p_97.html

I am running one in my CRF dirt bike and it was a 1000% improvement. Once I get back around to GS's I will being adding one on the bike.

That is a slightly different version bulb than the one available from ADV Monster that I tested. That one might be a bit different, it might even actually work in your light, but the one from ADV Monster did not work so well for me. Brian Wringer (bwringer) installed one in his light and liked it, so I got one. It was absolutely HORRIBLE in the rectangular Hella light that I had in my AERO fairing on my 850, so I tried it in my son's 1000G. It was better, but the pictures above show that it's still a bit dismal, at best. Plenty bright, but no projection down the road.

Back to your Cyclops light, I would have some serious concerns about it being fan-cooled. In my headlight housings, there isn't much room for a fan, and even if there were, where would the cooling air come from? And where would the heated air go? Sorry, it just does not make sense to me.

.

[first timer]

I can see your point if someone wants to run a windjammer fairing setup. People do run the bulb in KTM 990 adventures which have a very small headlight space with limited air. I will probably buy one eventually for the 990 and stick it in a GS to test out, I just have a standard headlight assembly no giant sailboat setup to cause air flow concerns, but that is a long time down the road. I just wanted to throw another option in the mix since I have used them on another bike with great success. All the bulbs you had linked are all small things compared to the three 10w cree emitters the cyclops uses.

Here is another option, but haven't used it.

http://www.cyclopsadventuresports.com/3800-Lumen-H4-LED-Headlight-bulb-_p_83.html

[Steve]

All the bulbs you had linked are all small things compared to the three 10w cree emitters the cyclops uses.

Evidently you did not look at the links. Not sure what you are calling "small things", but the two Truck-Lite units are complete replacement units that are all-in-one. They are EVERYTHING that you need, including lens, reflector and light-generating device, all in ONE sealed unit.

The Truck-Lite Phase 6 light has several emitters facing forward (not sure if they are CREE). Most of them come on for low beam, they ALL come on for high beam. The Phase 7 light has a completely different design that uses only two emitters, one for low beam, the other for high beam. There is nothing "small" about either one of them.

Also not sure about your concern with the Windjammer setup. A headlight bucket is a headlight bucket, they are ALL small and have virtually no airflow to cool a hot bulb. To a certain extent, a halogen incansescent bulb (typical H4) thrives on a bit of heat, but the high-power LEDs need to get rid of as much heat as possible. Just can't do that with a fan in a closed bucket.

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[posplayr]

Evidently you did not look at the links. Not sure what you are calling "small things", but the two Truck-Lite units are complete replacement units that are all-in-one. They are EVERYTHING that you need, including lens, reflector and light-generating device, all in ONE sealed unit.

The Truck-Lite Phase 6 light has several emitters facing forward (not sure if they are CREE). Most of them come on for low beam, they ALL come on for high beam. The Phase 7 light has a completely different design that uses only two emitters, one for low beam, the other for high beam. There is nothing "small" about either one of them.

Also not sure about your concern with the Windjammer setup. A headlight bucket is a headlight bucket, they are ALL small and have virtually no airflow to cool a hot bulb. To a certain extent, a halogen incansescent bulb (typical H4) thrives on a bit of heat, but the high-power LEDs need to get rid of as much heat as possible. Just can't do that with a fan in a closed bucket.

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This video shows the Cyclops running at about 88 degF at the bulb and 95 degF at the fan. Compared to the HID which is close to 320 degrees. Seem like the fan is may not even be necessary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GC8Df0sC4rI

[Dogma]

Evidently you did not look at the links. Not sure what you are calling "small things", but the two Truck-Lite units are complete replacement units that are all-in-one. They are EVERYTHING that you need, including lens, reflector and light-generating device, all in ONE sealed unit.

The Truck-Lite Phase 6 light has several emitters facing forward (not sure if they are CREE). Most of them come on for low beam, they ALL come on for high beam. The Phase 7 light has a completely different design that uses only two emitters, one for low beam, the other for high beam. There is nothing "small" about either one of them.

Also not sure about your concern with the Windjammer setup. A headlight bucket is a headlight bucket, they are ALL small and have virtually no airflow to cool a hot bulb. To a certain extent, a halogen incansescent bulb (typical H4) thrives on a bit of heat, but the high-power LEDs need to get rid of as much heat as possible. Just can't do that with a fan in a closed bucket.

.

If you look closely into the phase 7 reflector, you can see that the high and low beam each have 4 LEDs near the focal point of the reflector, in the space of about 5 mm. Almost a single source. They're placed behind a shade, that's why you have to look in the reflector. I'm told the specs only required 2 LEDs for the high beam, but it was more cost-effective to use the same 4-element package again. So, more photons!

[Steve]

This video shows the Cyclops running at about 88 degF at the bulb and 95 degF at the fan. Compared to the HID which is close to 320 degrees. Seem like the fan is may not even be necessary.

The last line of the video:
"And that's after running about 5 minutes, ... in stagnant air."

Even "stagnant" air has a fair amount of cooling ability, I would like to see the same test with the bulb (and the fan) closed up in a headlight bucket.

And, ... it's not about the absolute temperature, what really matters is what the light can tolerate.

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[posplayr]

The last line of the video:
"And that's after running about 5 minutes, ... in stagnant air."

Even "stagnant" air has a fair amount of cooling ability, I would like to see the same test with the bulb (and the fan) closed up in a headlight bucket.

And, ... it's not about the absolute temperature, what really matters is what the light can tolerate.

.

Air is actually a good insulator, that is why down jackets work so well. If you close it up it will probably run cooler as now you have the lens to conduct heat away. Even if the air is trapped inside of the bulb preventing convection, heat still conduct out through the housing. So you are comparing the additional cooling effect of the rising heat in stagnant air v.s. a closed volume conducting heat out. It is probably a toss up and at 95'ish degrees I don't think it will ever get so hot you can not touch it.

As per the 5 minutes, there is not enough thermal mass there for it to take much longer than that to get to thermal equilibrium.......... I'm guessing they already tested it and now that 5 min is steady state.

[Steve]

Probably all true, but my money is spent, and I like what I have.

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[posplayr]

Probably all true, but my money is spent, and I like what I have.

.

Well thank you for posting all those pictures, it has really helped. I must confess after seeing them I considered just using the 55w HIS I bought , then I saw the video of the 320 degree HIDS then thought about it some more. A nice bright H-4 led (running cooler) would be nice even if it has a fan on the back.

There is an interesting video where they dunk the LED into a glass of water. At first I thought it was sizzling from the heat and wondered about the thermal shock. When you mentioned fan I went back and realized what it was. I don't really like electric cooling fans, but this seems well made.

Based on Grande Rouge's review, I'm NOT sold on the ADVMonster for the Trainlight. Firstimers recommendation seems like it might be better.

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?230241-Any-updates-on-the-ADVmonster-H4-LED&p=2170008#post2170008

[Steve]

In the next couple of weeks, I am going to be doing some work on #2 son's 1000G so that #1 son can ride it this summer. By only seeing the light projected by the ADV Monster bulb and comparing that to what he has in his 650L (Truck-Lite Phase 6), he wants me to move the Truck-Lite to the 1000 for the summer. (He hasn't seen the pictures posted above, yet.) When I do that, I will get some additional pictures that will feature the stock reflector that was shown in the pictures above. I will get some pictures with the ADV bulb in that reflector, so we know that the only variable is the 'bulb'. I have already seen the differences in some different reflector assemblies, I might toss them into the mix for the next go-around.

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[one_civic]

Sorry if this is off topic but I still have the sealed 7" gs750 headlight, the wattage is 50/35w

Can I replace the sealed lens for a 7" lens that takes an H4 bulb?

Will I have to upgrade the charging system for the new H4 60/55w bulb?