Best LED headlamp (positive earth)

I have the high beam on always during the daytime. Drivers don't look twice for Motorcycles. (I know this from my own experience)....I would rather burn their retinas out than getting into a t-bone with a pickup truck pulling out of a side street, or soccer mom in a SUV on a cell phone.
 
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Dedubyah said:
It's illegal to have your high beam on during the day here in NZ, considered too distracting. If oncoming traffic can't see an LED headlight clearly, dazzling them with it on high isn't going to help much
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You do what you must.

Here in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun is very bright, and an automotive headlight is not at all dazzling in daytime, as our human retinas are adjusted for ambient conditions.

Stay safe, and be careful😎🏁
 
concours said:
Sorry.

Wattage load is easily calculable.

I missed the trial & error theme.

Good luck. 48F this morning. 🥶
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Some of that heated gear has a “pulsed current “ heat control (for lack of a better term), so there is a little wiggle room in that calculation. My gut tells me that a liner and gloves is pushing the limit at idle/low rpm’s though.
 
Dedubyah said:
It's illegal to have your high beam on during the day here in NZ, considered too distracting. If oncoming traffic can't see an LED headlight clearly, dazzling them with it on high isn't going to help much
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I keep them dipped. Use of full beam in people’s faces and mirrors is inconsiderate and probably not much of a safe practice.

In the UK, the Highway Code (simplified law and general road advice) suggests, for motorcyclists: “Dipped headlights, even in good daylight, may also make you more conspicuous.”

Also states:

Rule 114​

You MUST NOT
  • use any lights in a way which would dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders
The word “must” means it’s in the related law.
 
On my 2017 Bonneville T120 I replaced the H4 bulb with an Auxito LED ($30 from Amazon). simply remove the old bulb and replace it with the Auxito bulb. brilliant light with a sharp low beam cut of. I still aim my headlights using a line drawn on the back of my garage wall.
As an aside I also replaced the speedo and tach bulbs on my Mk III, which has Smiths instruments, with LED's. They are #194 bulbs, wedge in not bayonet type. I mention this because there is a long closed thread discussing it and it was mentioned that Smith's had bayonet type and Veglia were wedge in.
 
concours said:
You do what you must.

Here in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun is very bright, and an automotive headlight is not at all dazzling in daytime, as our human retinas are adjusted for ambient conditions.

Stay safe, and be careful😎🏁
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Hmm, I must disagree here. Even in daylight, main beam lights are (to me at least) a real annoyance. We also have lots of people with badly fitted bulbs so that one light is fine, the other is pointing too high and dazzles. Not to mention all the builders vans, heavily loaded, with lights now pointing too high
:cool:

Now where we are moving into the darker months, the problem will get worse.
 
Deets55 said:
Some of that heated gear has a “pulsed current “ heat control (for lack of a better term), so there is a little wiggle room in that calculation. My gut tells me that a liner and gloves is pushing the limit at idle/low rpm’s though.
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Correct. My 90w jacket on 25% pulls approx 23w
SteveBorland said:
Hmm, I must disagree here. Even in daylight, main beam lights are (to me at least) a real annoyance. We also have lots of people with badly fitted bulbs so that one light is fine, the other is pointing too high and dazzles. Not to mention all the builders vans, heavily loaded, with lights now pointing too high
:cool:

Now where we are moving into the darker months, the problem will get worse.
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"annoyance" is just that.

Someone choosing to be angry about a benign part of someone elses behavior.

FAR DIFFERENT than the actual physical situation where a persons pupils are dialated while driving at night and a vehicle with inapropriately aimed lamps causes an inability to see.



When you are "annoyed", it confirms you've seen the bike, and won't intentionally turn in front of it.
 
SteveBorland said:
Hmm, I must disagree here. Even in daylight, main beam lights are (to me at least) a real annoyance. We also have lots of people with badly fitted bulbs so that one light is fine, the other is pointing too high and dazzles. Not to mention all the builders vans, heavily loaded, with lights now pointing too high
:cool:

Now where we are moving into the darker months, the problem will get worse.
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I don’t think anyone here is advocating the use of main beams for all vehicles and / or having them set too high.

With an LED bulb in my Lucas lens it is usefully bright, but it really does not dazzle (in daylight).

What we’re talking about is riding our old bikes with small and easily missed lights (and profiles) in modern day traffic when all cars have bright blue headlights on all the time.

Frankly, it comes down to this: I’m perfectly happy balancing that I might risk mildly annoying someone in order to possibly help prevent me from being mowed down !

And / but I’m not saying anyone else should do the same who does not want to.
 
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Agreed Nigel - if pissing off a few people in tin boxes (..who need a bit of pissing of BTW!) keeps me seen and alive then that's what I'll do! 👍 👍

...and my money is on Goffy's Daylighter 2
Cheers
 
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Fast Eddie said:
I’m aware of the rules.

I’m also aware that these days, with roads full of cars with massive bright blue headlights, my single 7 inch Lucas lens (correctly adjusted) ain’t dazzling anyone in broad daylight, even on main beam !
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Yes, if your headlight is not bright, there will be less of a dazzle problem.
 
Deets55 said:
Some of that heated gear has a “pulsed current “ heat control (for lack of a better term), so there is a little wiggle room in that calculation. My gut tells me that a liner and gloves is pushing the limit at idle/low rpm’s though.
Click to expand...
I attached my new jacket to my bench power supply and indeed the temp is pulse width modulated.
 
worntorn said:
I really like this LED light unit. It replaced a very good H4. This LED is better than the H4.

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I purchased this LED headlight build. Looks well made and is defintiely brighter than stock. The bulb requires a
worntorn said:
I really like this LED light unit. It replaced a very good H4. This LED is better than the H4.

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I purchased this LED bulb. Looks well made and is definitely brighter than the H4 that it replaced. It does require an H4 style base, called a P43T. So the bulb won't fit directly into the original incandescent headlight, which requires a bulb with a P36D base.
 
ludwig said:
It is harder to judge the distance and speed of an oncoming bike (or car) with its high beam on.
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Agreed.

But, at least you've been seen. The logical default if posisition/velocity is not able to be determined, is to wait before turning in front of the oncoming vehicle.
 

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