LED

I haven't had any issues with stop/tail LED bulbs (now available at Halfords and any motor accessory outlet) but they are the only ones i would recommend. The headlight ones I have tried have a dismal beam pattern. I like having incandescent instrument lights which help keep the speedo and rev counter moisture-free. And it's a more acceptable light spectrum.

I have found an LED headlight with good beam pattern, now got 2 bikes through MOT's with them fitted with the tester confirming the pattern was good on dipped with crisp cutaway and the main is good too. They are also fanless.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2Pcs-High-Quality-LED-Headlight-Hi-Lo-Auto-LED-Headlight-Bulb-Head-Lamp-4000LM-White-Colour/32737422998.html

Hello I have Not seen any Pre focus LED replacements has yet but time will tell so I will wait that bit longer yours Anna J

The current trend for LED car headlights seems to pay no attention to the poor oncoming driver with a lot of glare from blue/white type bulbs. Even new cars with purposely designed LED headlight units. (particularly Range Rovers with high mounted headlights) Seeing these cars pass me on the motorway, their beam seems to not penetrate too far ahead compared with a good incandescent bulb and the normal incandescent bulbs seem to have a much more controlled dip and main beam. Just my thoughts.

I agree that there seems to be way more dazzle from oncoming traffic these days, far too much!

Aging eyes don't help either, I remember my Mum, complaining about dazzle well before LED/HIDs!

I remember coming round a country road bend and being met by a wall of light as I slowed I lost control on gravel and fell over. A large Jag or Daimler car with driving lights passed. When I regained my sight properly and picked the bike up I was on a large gravel entrance to a large property. No damage just my pride but it taught me that if you get dazzled you can loose your sense of direction, better to look away. That was back it the 70's, now I have a Cibie headlight miles better on a bike than Lucas or Wipac. With an H4 bulb it puts the light where you want it.

Thinking of boosting what you've got, my Mk2A Commando has the halogen headlamp bulb â https://andover-norton.co.uk/en/shop-details/17437/headlamp-bulb-12v-60-55w-472-â I fitted relays to both dip and main circuits with the aim of boosting the juice and the increased brightness is very noticeable. But being now an old-fashioned bulb, in a pre-focused headlamp shell, I doubt it does much dazzling ...

Previously anna jeannette Dixon wrote:

Hello I have Not seen any Pre focus LED replacements has yet but time will tell so I will wait that bit longer yours Anna J

They do exist, bought one in the UK. Has it in my 16H, works well at day. In my country that old bikes don't need MOT. Light pattern is a joke. Might work at night as cruising speed of a 16H is not impressive. If you have good nightvision.

Mike

Hi,

i was a little confused, why so many cars were using High beam at night when i had my Honda Civic, halogen equipped but having been given a later Mazda2 by the family, i now understand why! The main beam is just on the border of acceptability, but the high beam is good, not as good as halogens but not bad!

It's another case of crazy practice, in that I believe LED units are hard to focus when compared to a Incandescent lamp bulb, like the headlamp units themselves yellowing and being made ineffective by U.V. light!

There is the additional issue of sharp cut off points too, in a light, no light type scenario, was going to get a Wipac Quadoptic unit, but advised against it as the light cut off points can be disturbing as against a Lucas reflector!

Is there use safety orientated, energy use, or cost as in cheaper charging equipment can be used in the build?

Cheers

John H

There's an interesting test on the Web re-bulb effectiveness

http://ridershandbook.com/the-best-motorcycle-bulbs-put-test.html

I found it quite helpful and it identifies dodgy suppliers of equipment!

Cheers

John

Anyone played around with HID units?

Cheers

John

P.s. Anyone remember Cibie "Z" beams?

The annoying thing is that it is illegal to have lights that dazzle. In the olden days the wattage ratings were related directly to brightness - then came Halogen, then Xenon, then HID, then LED. It is supposed to be an MoT failure to use LEDs, unless the vehicle manufacturer had them on their accessories/options list. Also an MoT failure if the headlights are adjusted incorrectly and cause dazzle when dipped. The trouble is I don't think the testers bother with that anymore. They seem more interested in failing cars when the rubber 'boots' on bushes are split - even when the bushes are unworn! (Viz - me having to scrap my Jaguar S-Type after 13 years!) Nothing that Norton owners will be bothered with - I'm just saying.

LEDs are voltage sensitive so a 12 Volt LED won't last long on a 12 Volt system (car or bike) as it isn't 12 volts! Charging voltage is around 13.7V, which can cook cheap LEDs fairly quickly. It is possible to have a voltage "smoother" to give a fairly constant 12 Volts with an input ranging for 12 - 15 Volts. I bought some for my motorhome but found that they get quite warm. If your 12 volt battery reads 12 volts when off-charge then it is nearly flat!

Previously david_evans wrote:

The current trend for LED car headlights seems to pay no attention to the poor oncoming driver with a lot of glare from blue/white type bulbs. Even new cars with purposely designed LED headlight units. (particularly Range Rovers with high mounted headlights) Seeing these cars pass me on the motorway, their beam seems to not penetrate too far ahead compared with a good incandescent bulb and the normal incandescent bulbs seem to have a much more controlled dip and main beam. Just my thoughts.

Yep!

Interesting point about Voltage fluctuation and LEDs, they are obsessed at the moment with theoretical power consumption.

Re Jag, most MOT's are now done by "Trained" operatives going down a tick list, subjected to Mind control Techniques so do not independently think about the real applicable logical process of vehicle safety and "Road Worthiness"! I am convinced it is more about getting older vehicles off the road than anything else!

However, can you see where we are going with MOT's and replacement parts, being either on a given LIst, or fitted by the original manufacturer, who may not have been in a position to fit the best equipment at the time, it is "TYPE APPROVAL" , no more and no less and dangerous to anyone building up machines or wanting to upgrade equipment, in France it cover everything, even I believe to Tyre types chains, Brake pads shoes manufacturers, if you haven't got stuff on the List then no MOT equivalent road worthy certificate, if your vehicle needs one!

And yet we know have headlights were the environment affects the materials and clouds/mists the reflector/Lens/casing and diminishes the light output!

Bike magazine warned about EU and "Type Approval" in 1978!

Cheers

John H

There is an interesting article in this month's "Historic commercial news" on the legalities of LED use in road vehicle lighting. This came from the BHVC so we may be getting an article in Roadholder. Broadly, the rules which affect the majority of Nortons are:

Pre 1971 permitted for stop lamps.

Pre 1972 permitted for side lamps

Pre 1974 permitted for tail lamps

Pre April 1986 permitted for rear registration plate lamps

Due to minimum power input to head lamps and indicators being specified as opposed to light output, LEDs are not permitted for these lights as they will not meet the minimum power input requirement (24W for over 250cc bikes).

Non-electric lights are exempt.

Hope this is of interest.

Rod

Interesting stuff Rod, a classic case of the real world having passed the rule makers by.

iain.

Hi. I have modified a couple of led lamps that I bought from the local pound shop to operate as day-light running lamps. I have mounted them either side of the headlight shell of my dommie. The question is, although they make me more visible to oncoming traffic, are the legal? PeterM

Previously rod_thompson wrote:

There is an interesting article in this month's "Historic commercial news" on the legalities of LED use in road vehicle lighting. This came from the BHVC so we may be getting an article in Roadholder. Broadly, the rules which affect the majority of Nortons are:

Pre 1971 permitted for stop lamps.

Pre 1972 permitted for side lamps

Pre 1974 permitted for tail lamps

Pre April 1986 permitted for rear registration plate lamps

Due to minimum power input to head lamps and indicators being specified as opposed to light output, LEDs are not permitted for these lights as they will not meet the minimum power input requirement (24W for over 250cc bikes).

Non-electric lights are exempt.

Hope this is of interest.

Rod

Previously peter_maple wrote:

Hi. I have modified a couple of led lamps that I bought from the local pound shop to operate as day-light running lamps. I have mounted them either side of the headlight shell of my dommie. The question is, although they make me more visible to oncoming traffic, are the legal? PeterM

I have had a good read throughThe Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/made

And I think these would be called Running Lamps but I cannot see anything relevant in the regulations. I would say that as long as you do have a legal headlight and the running lamps are not likely to dazzle (the illuminate in the same way as a dipped headlight, not a main beam light) then you would be ok.

This is not legal advice !

Anna, I got good advice and a super 6v pre-focus bulb for my Dommi 99 from Classicdynamoregulators. The original bulb gave about half the light of the LED and as the LED takes no power I ride with headlight on all the time, which might save my life in these road-rage days.

Previously Dan Field wrote:

Aging eyes don't help either, I remember my Mum, complaining about dazzle well before LED/HIDs!

You sure it wasn't DAZ?

Previously christopher_winsby wrote:

I remember coming round a country road bend and being met by a wall of light as I slowed I lost control on gravel and fell over. A large Jag or Daimler car with driving lights passed. When I regained my sight properly and picked the bike up I was on a large gravel entrance to a large property. No damage just my pride but it taught me that if you get dazzled you can loose your sense of direction, better to look away. That was back it the 70's, now I have a Cibie headlight miles better on a bike than Lucas or Wipac. With an H4 bulb it puts the light where you want it.

I remember the "Z" Beams coming out in the Mid 70s.

Previously john_hall1 wrote:

Previously Dan Field wrote:

Aging eyes don't help either, I remember my Mum, complaining about dazzle well before LED/HIDs!

You sure it wasn't DAZ?

Nah we were an OMO family!