Trying to install LED Headlight

[Shadowhawk]

I went ahead and bought myself this.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/7-LED-Daymaker-Headlight-Passing-Lights-Fit-Yamaha-Royal-Star-Venture-XVZ1300/282559788361?fits=Year%3A2007%7CMake%3AYamaha&epid=16004752496&hash=item41c9e03549:g:k7AAAOSw2sZbLMqa

 

Now I am trying to install it and I am confused. From the posts of others that have bought similar headlights, they say to mount the new mounting bracket you have to drill and tap 3 holes in the stock bracket. Nobody really shows or says where to drill the holes. I am sitting in my garage scratching my head looking like a chimpanzee with an etch-a-sketch. I've tried to look at pictures of other peoples installs and I am just not getting it. To me it looks like the little post that is welded to the stock mounting bracket that holds the headlight stationary is going to be in the way. Do I have to cut or break that off? Man I wish there was some detailed instructions on how to do this.

[M61A1MECH]

Try going to this DELPHI forum, I am pretty sure some folks over there have done this swap, you may get some additional help or hints.

 

http://forums.delphiforums.com/vrider

[Rafterd]

I went ahead and bought myself this.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/7-LED-Daymaker-Headlight-Passing-Lights-Fit-Yamaha-Royal-Star-Venture-XVZ1300/282559788361?fits=Year%3A2007%7CMake%3AYamaha&epid=16004752496&hash=item41c9e03549:g:k7AAAOSw2sZbLMqa

 

Now I am trying to install it and I am confused. From the posts of others that have bought similar headlights, they say to mount the new mounting bracket you have to drill and tap 3 holes in the stock bracket. Nobody really shows or says where to drill the holes. I am sitting in my garage scratching my head looking like a chimpanzee with an etch-a-sketch. I've tried to look at pictures of other peoples installs and I am just not getting it. To me it looks like the little post that is welded to the stock mounting bracket that holds the headlight stationary is going to be in the way. Do I have to cut or break that off? Man I wish there was some detailed instructions on how to do this.

 

Been a couple of years since I did mine, but I believe you have to cut that off. You also have to eliminate the auxiliary headlight adjustment parts. Find the top of the old assembly and the top of the new assembly, lay them together and mark the holes. Then drill and tap, then assemble. Good luck.

[djh3]

Yea unfortunately Yamaha saw fit to make the lens and all that integral. So no easy way to swap out without cut gluing new assy in or something like that. I saw a few pics and threads and decided to go HID. Good luck.

[YamahaLarry]

Agree with djh3 comments above. After doing research, I decided to go with LED bulb that fits right into the existing headlamp. Just have to make sure the cooling fan will clear everything. Was an easy install after splitting the faring.

[Dale124]

Agree with djh3 comments above. After doing research, I decided to go with LED bulb that fits right into the existing headlamp. Just have to make sure the cooling fan will clear everything. Was an easy install after splitting the faring.

 

Which LED bulb did you use? I’m interested in changing mine too, but don’t think I will try to do anything as drastic as changing the entire headlight.

[YamahaLarry]

Which LED bulb did you use? I’m interested in changing mine too, but don’t think I will try to do anything as drastic as changing the entire headlight.

 

Just a typical H4 (9003) 6000K bulb conversion kit. Cool white color I think, maybe that's what the 6000K means. Best I can recall, it has the same power draw as a 40w bulb.

 

Can't recall the brand name, but bought highest rated one I could find on Amazon at the time. Most of these I think are Chinese made so the brand names are pretty much meaningless. I didn't pay but I think $60 to $65 for a 2 pack. It has a stainless steel construction and a fan mounted to the back, so you will have to remove the rubber boot that is on the back of your sealed beam. I have been thru some pretty hard rain storms since installing and have had no issues (yet). When you turn your key on, you will hear the fan.

 

Will have to split the front faring to mount the control driver box or whatever it's called. I wire tied mine to one of the existing cable bundles away from the audio cabling. It's been a year and maybe 15k miles ago and still working just fine.

 

Much more light, especially right in front of the bike. Brighter and a white color. Not much difference between high and low beam. I keep it on low all the time and still have people flash their lights at me at times at night.

[Flyinfool]

Just a typical H4 (9003) 6000K bulb conversion kit. Cool white color I think, maybe that's what the 6000K means. Best I can recall, it has the same power draw as a 40w bulb.

 

Can't recall the brand name, but bought highest rated one I could find on Amazon at the time. Most of these I think are Chinese made so the brand names are pretty much meaningless. I didn't pay but I think $60 to $65 for a 2 pack. It has a stainless steel construction and a fan mounted to the back, so you will have to remove the rubber boot that is on the back of your sealed beam. I have been thru some pretty hard rain storms since installing and have had no issues (yet). When you turn your key on, you will hear the fan.

 

Will have to split the front faring to mount the control driver box or whatever it's called. I wire tied mine to one of the existing cable bundles away from the audio cabling. It's been a year and maybe 15k miles ago and still working just fine.

 

Much more light, especially right in front of the bike. Brighter and a white color. Not much difference between high and low beam. I keep it on low all the time and still have people flash their lights at me at times at night.

 

And this exactly the problem with most cheap LED headlight conversions. the light is not focused correctly so it is scattering light everywhere instead of sending a focused beam down the road. Because there is so much light scatter everything right in front of you looks very bright. This brightness will actually reduce your eyes ability to see at night and make it more dangerous, because you will be less likely to see a hazard that is not right in front of you.

The reason that there is little difference between low and hi beam is that because of all the scatter you are effectively riding with the high beam on all the time.

These are clear signs that you should try a different bulb, there are some that have the LED element in the same position and approximately the same shape as the filament in the Halogen bulb that will get an acceptable light pattern. But they are never the cheap ones.

 

Another thing to watch out for with LED headlights is power draw, there are now a lot of them that are pulling way more power than the stock halogen bulb. When it comes to anything bright, do not assume that LED means low power. A typical halogen bulb is 50 to 60 watts depending on brand and model, I have seen LED headlight bulbs that were pulling 150 to 180 watts. That is a lot of load on your poor old stator.

 

The other thing I find fun with LED headlights is the claims of lumens that they make, and then to show just how good they are they tell what LED element they are using, I love to go the the website of the manufacturer of the claimed LED element and look up the specs. The bulb makers sometimes are claiming as much as 3 time the amount of light that the LED manufacturer say it can produce. There are only 2 explanations at this point, option one is that they are flat out lying about the light output, option two is that they are way over driving the LED pumping way more volts and amps thru it than what it is rated for, which means it will run hotter, require more power from the bikes electrical system ( see above paragraph), and have a much shorter life span.

[YamahaLarry]

And this exactly the problem with most cheap LED headlight conversions. the light is not focused correctly so it is scattering light everywhere instead of sending a focused beam down the road. Because there is so much light scatter everything right in front of you looks very bright. This brightness will actually reduce your eyes ability to see at night and make it more dangerous, because you will be less likely to see a hazard that is not right in front of you.

The reason that there is little difference between low and hi beam is that because of all the scatter you are effectively riding with the high beam on all the time.

These are clear signs that you should try a different bulb, there are some that have the LED element in the same position and approximately the same shape as the filament in the Halogen bulb that will get an acceptable light pattern. But they are never the cheap ones.

 

Another thing to watch out for with LED headlights is power draw, there are now a lot of them that are pulling way more power than the stock halogen bulb. When it comes to anything bright, do not assume that LED means low power. A typical halogen bulb is 50 to 60 watts depending on brand and model, I have seen LED headlight bulbs that were pulling 150 to 180 watts. That is a lot of load on your poor old stator.

 

The other thing I find fun with LED headlights is the claims of lumens that they make, and then to show just how good they are they tell what LED element they are using, I love to go the the website of the manufacturer of the claimed LED element and look up the specs. The bulb makers sometimes are claiming as much as 3 time the amount of light that the LED manufacturer say it can produce. There are only 2 explanations at this point, option one is that they are flat out lying about the light output, option two is that they are way over driving the LED pumping way more volts and amps thru it than what it is rated for, which means it will run hotter, require more power from the bikes electrical system ( see above paragraph), and have a much shorter life span.

 

Not doubting at all what you are saying, but the bulb I have does put beam down the road much further than the standard H4 and with my cataracts, I can see just fine with them, where as I couldn't with the standard bulb. So far I am please, and haven't checked the exact wattage the bulb is pulling. I may do that when I have the bike tore down next week. But, it was advertised as 40 watts.

 

On high beam, it does throw beam further down the road, but it's not that noticeable unless there are maybe trees or something direct in the path. As far as making the road move visible on high beam, it is minimal.

[videoarizona]

The best way to tell if the bulb is designed for single bulb high/low beam operation is to look for the tiny metal cut off next to one of the LED chips. It is like a tiny dam that blocks the light.

 

Scroll down to the pictures...look for the tiny metal piece on both the old and new bulbs. If the LED bulb has this little "dam", it will throw a clean low beam with a cut off so it won't blind oncoming drivers and allow the high beam to throw further.

 

https://www.xenondepot.com/Philips-12953BWX2-H4-LED-Bulb-Review-s/62.htm

 

BTW, the article gives a nice explanation of color temp and other stuff....

[Karaboo]

Another thing to consider is the consequences of an accident. If your headlight is not DOT approved, you can lose a lot of money, no matter who is at fault.

 

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

[jeromeb]

Agree with djh3 comments above. After doing research, I decided to go with LED bulb that fits right into the existing headlamp. Just have to make sure the cooling fan will clear everything. Was an easy install after splitting the faring.

 

Ditto.

[Heimdog]

I've had very, very good results with Alla Lighting. No scatter at all with these. My son discovered them after some trial and error with his own car. I now have Alla in my cars and cycles, he does too. Available on Amazon.

 

 

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