Load Equalizer for Front Turn Signals

[Tartan Terror]

Not trying to disagree with anyone's personal preferences here - just expressing my own thoughts . . .

 

I agree in the choice to replace brake lights and running lights with LEDs. but ONLY if you find ones that work appropriately with an incandescent fixture and lens. This is a totally separate subject that I won't take the time for here, but the majority of LED bulbs will NOT work appropriately as replacements for normal bulbs in existing lights.

 

It is possible to replace flashers with units that are designed to work specifically with the low draw of LEDs (as already described in other posts). If you do this and do not use anything described a load balancers, resistors, etc., then you will be saving electrical load for the very small amount of time that the flashers are actually flashing. And that is all. I personally do not see the benefit of this, even if my bike is running close to the limit. Since the flashing lights have roughly a 50% duty cycle, even if those two bulbs (four in the case of 4-way flashers that are even used LESS often) put me over the max charging current when they are on, the time they are off should more than compensate for the battery drain. The total current drain from just two flasher bulbs is fairly minuscule in the grand scheme of things. Then when I factor in the problems with the computer circuits that provide the auto cancel function, if I loose that feature than I have lost something valuable to me while gaining nothing of value. And on top of all that you still have the problem of the correct light pattern when replacing normal bulbs with LEDs.

 

CAUTION: even more personal opinion follows:

Yes, LED bulbs do last MUCH longer than normal bulbs, but considering the price difference and normal long life of standard 1156 and 1157 bulbs, you will never save more than you spend.

 

Yes, LEDs do technically light up a few milliseconds faster than incandescent bulbs. MAYBE in a brake light this provides a margin of safety; although, that is debatable. I absolutely deny any possibility that the turn signal lighting up a few milliseconds faster on each flash can have any possible safety value. None. Nada. Zip Zilch. No way.

 

Unfortunately, the dual filament 1157 bulbs in the front don't have a good solution. Since the smaller wattage filament is on all the time as a running light, you could save this very small amount of electrical load by switching to LEDs, but all of the other concerns above then come back into play. There is no option that I know of where you can change just one filament of an 1157 bulb to LED and not the other. The closest thing here is to use a replacement LED and the load balancing resistors on the flasher circuit. Still not enough benefit in my eyes to be worth the expense or effort. Just two small running lights is not going to make a real difference in the charging system.

 

So, for those that have a personal preference to make the change, great - go for it. Just 'cause I wouldn't do it is no reason for you not to. I just want to try to help folks understand what is really going on so they don't do this for the wrong reasons. Good luck all,

Goose

You do have many opinions. You didnt answer the brighter statement and you also didnt address the many lights in one spot vs one bulb to fail statement either. What all of us that have LED have found to be benefits I guess dont sway you but those of us who made the change seem to be very happy so I guess it is all just opinion. For me it is proven by application. All the things I have suggested are currently in use on my own ride and work very well for what that is worth. You dont need to do it to your own.

[BuddyRich]

This is one thing to consider. Just checked and the average led is at full brightness in less than 10 microseconds. Actually some are at full brightness in nanoseconds. This makes them at least 1000 times faster. Remember the 250 milliseconds which is 1/4 of a second, for an incandensent lamp to reach full brightness.

So if it take 1/4 of a second for a normal bulb to reach full brightness and another 1/4 second for the driver behind me to hit the brakes. He would have been on his breaks 1/4 of a second earlier with LEDs as the brakes lights.

 

Just something to think about.

 

Besides, I think there purty....

[V7Goose]

You do have many opinions. You didnt answer the brighter statement and you also didnt address the many lights in one spot vs one bulb to fail statement either. What all of us that have LED have found to be benefits I guess dont sway you but those of us who made the change seem to be very happy so I guess it is all just opinion. For me it is proven by application. All the things I have suggested are currently in use on my own ride and work very well for what that is worth. You dont need to do it to your own.

I do not believe LEDs are significantly brighter than available incandescent bulbs. Yes, we all know that you can buy bright and dim versions of both, but that is not the question. More importantly, MANY LED conversion bulbs placed in an existing incandescent light housing will appear dimmer. This is driven by the fact the an LED is a very focused light, where incandescent bulbs are diffuse 360 degree lights. The reflectors and lenses of normal vehicle lights are designed to appropriately direct the light from an incandescent bulb and fail miserably when a focused LED is placed in them. Even when you have an LED that is actually as bright as the original bulb (and many are not), the full brightness often will not be seen through the lens, and even if it is, it can only be perceived from a very limited viewing angle. These are all factors that make most LED replacement bulbs LESS safe than the original incandescent bulb.

 

Note, however, that most of this does not apply to a complete replacement LED light that does not just stick an LED inside an old fixture. If you buy the whole thing, then it is properly designed to emit the right light in the correct pattern. Unfortunately, most of what this thread has talked about is putting LED replacement bulbs behind existing lenses, and that is usually a bad idea.

 

You are absolutely correct about many lights in one spot verses one bulb to fail, but that is almost pointless. What I mean is that LEDs virtually never fail, so the many-to-one means nothing; even a one-for-one replacement would give you the same reliability improvement (but not the same brightness). So, if I am only going to have a single brake light or a single turn signal on each side, then replacing those lights with a proper LED setup absolutely adds a lot of value. However, I prefer to solve this problem by adding LED lights for both brake and signal functions, while leaving my stock lights alone. Now I have the best of both worlds. Even if any single light fails (LED or regular bulb), I have backups. Also, adding LED lights to an existing signal circuit will not add significant load to the electrical system nor will it have any impact on the flashers or computer. All the benefit with none of the problems for probably less cost than trying to convert existing lights with replacement LED bulbs.

 

You are hit it right on the head when you said "it is all just opinion." Ain't it great that we all get to have one in this country? Nothing at all wrong with yours. My only concern is that I hate to see those sad reports that so often show up where someone thumped out $35 or more on a fancy replacement LED bulb and then finds out how disappointing it is when they install it. I ain't never gonna prevent that, but I can at least give the folks here a little information to use in making an informed decision on their own. I do try to make sure everyone knows when I am blowing opinion verses when I believe I am stating facts. Hope I haven't misled anyone. Please know that I wasn't putting down your ride in any way. Ride safe,

Goose