Purchased some new, brighter LED headlights & I have some questions about installation...

Discussion in '6th Generation 2002-2013' started by CHASETV, Sep 29, 2017.

  1. CHASETV

    CHASETV New Member

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    Hey guys, I purchased 2 sets of LED's headlight kit for my '07 VFR. Highs & Lows.
    I've never installed headlights before (on a bike)
    Part of me just wants to go in there & try to figure it out but I really don't wanna mess anything up.....
    Another part of me wants to take it to a professional so it can be done correctly (but I don't wanna spend any extra $$, these weren't cheap) Also I'm not too mechanically inclined (I know the basics I guess...) nor do I have any special tools. I've attached a couple of photos of what I purchased, so y'all can see what I'm working with. Any info/advice would be greatly appreciated.
    Also if you've used or had experience with this particular brand, please let me know the pros and cons of them. Thanks!


    Low Beam: H4 (9003/HB2) LED Headlight Kit
    High Beam: H7 LED Headlight Kit
    along with the capacitors.
    IMG_4734.JPG IMG_4736.JPG IMG_4737.JPG

     
    Last edited: Sep 29, 2017
  2. Terry Smith

    Terry Smith Member

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    I've got LED's in my 5G VFR, VTR and ST. As a general rule, it is MUCH easier to take the top fairing off, to do this: while it is technically possible to get the bulbs in/out while the fairing is in place, you need teeny tiny hands and maybe a dentist's mirror, plus more patience than I possessed.

    I have used double-sided tape to attach the driver units to the back of the headlight shell; I cleaned the shell with methylated spirits first so the tape gets a good grab. Think carefully about clearance and wire length when you plan this.

    The LED's I have all separate from the bulb base with a twist lock, so it is easiest to set the base into the headlight shell and clip the wire retaining clip into place, then fit the rubber boot, then push the LED through the boot and twist and lock it into the base. The boots on my 3 bikes are a tight fit but I haven't had to trim them at all.

    After that just connect up the wires, refit the fairing and enjoy the extra lumens. You may need to use a few cable ties to secure the wires nicely so they don't tangle on the forks. You may also need to re-aim the lights as the LED's don't always maintain the same aim as the original bulbs. Might not be a bad idea to set your bike on the stand and aim it at a wall before you pull the old bulbs, and use some masking tape to mark the aim points.
     
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  3. CHASETV

    CHASETV New Member

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    Appreciate you responding Terry and also the little details. Sometimes those are the ones that matter most. Thank you!

    Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk
     
  4. Lint

    Lint Member

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    May I suggest getting someone to help you aim your lights? I'm sort of guessing here, but I believe that there beam will be thrown off if you do it while it's on the center stand. When you're sitting on it, your headlights will land on a different spot than if it's on the stand. I.e, there will most likely be a big difference in the height of your rear wheel, therefore a big difference in the height of your headlight.
     
    Last edited: Oct 4, 2017
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  5. JimFife777

    JimFife777 New Member

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    I'm curious as some time has passed, now that you have had time to use them, how is the visibility, putting aside all numbers of claimed lumens and dollars spent?

    Have done a lot of reading about LED vs Halogen vs HID bulbs and there's a big difference between standing in front of the light and judging brightness, and how much light is actually projected out from the vehicle, illuminating objects far away, and making those objects lit up to the user. Wondering what your experience is with their performance.
     
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  6. OCLandspeeder

    OCLandspeeder New Member

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    I ended up just upgrading my light bulbs to the Sylvannia Silverstar Ultra bulbs. I had thought about going with the LED upgrade, and on the surface they truly are bright if you're just measuring lumens. The problem is the LED "bulbs" sit on a flat panel, so light is only emitted to each side. However, our VFR's reflectors are designed to take the light that shines all around, and reflect that forward with a cut off on top for low beam. So when you have a light shining to the left and right of the reflector, the top and the bottom has very little light or "holes" in the light beam, which then creates shadows on the illumination in front of your bike. To overcome these shadows, LED makers put really bright lights....something like 7,000 lumens, and that produces A LOT of heat. Because anything like 4,000 lumens leaves those shadows above and below--exactly where you want some illumination!

    If you look at an LED headlight, you will notice the LED itself faces forward, not sideways.

    My other concern is going LED means I'll have FOUR tiny little fans on when I have all four lights on (or two always on at low beam). Not a deal breaker if I knew the fans would be reliable. But how do I really know? What if the fan fails? Then my light bulb overheats? Too much for me to worry about when I use my VFR800 for daily commuting.

    Anyway, the Sylvannia Silverstar Ultra's are not quite as bright as LED's but they're brighter than the OEM. More important for me is most of the available illumination is reflected where it needs to be and I can see better. I can see further down the road, and more of what's on each side of the bike. The light output from the headlight is a bit whiter also, which makes the bike more visible to others as I'm approaching. That's all I can really ask for $50 (four bulbs) and simple plug and play.
     
  7. Lint

    Lint Member

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    I also would like an update based on your actual experience with it.
     
  8. Terry Smith

    Terry Smith Member

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    I'm 100% sold on the LEDs. I don't do a lot of night riding, but when I do the extra illumination is a huge bonus. All three of my bikes put out a solid horizontal fan with a decent cutoff on low-beam, and a more intense central patch on high. One thing I really like about the fan-cooled LEDs is that the low beam stays on when you switch to high beam, so you get the benefit of both brighter near and far. The heat-sink cooled LEDs in my 5G don't have the fan and switch between high and low like a halogen bulb.

    The LEDs put out a more noticeable, whiter light during daytime as well, which I believe makes me more conspicuous.
     
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