Driving/fog lights, and converting to LED

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Track T 2411
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Driving/fog lights, and converting to LED

#1

Post by Track T 2411 »

Since I've become an early morning (before dawn) commuter, with Grumpy as my main ride, I think I need to upgrade the lighting. I've pretty much decided on an LED headlight, but I'm quite overwhelmed by the choices for driving lights. My objective is to get more illumination on the shoulders of the road due to the abundance of wildlife. Any suggestions as to what I should look for? Wattage, lumens, etc.?
"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

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Current Rides:
'Grumpy' - '81 Standard, now fully dressed.
'Layla' - '81 Standard w/dealer installed fairing and Hondaline bags.
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The 'Jalopy' '78-'79 Mash-up
'Quikie' '81 gl1100I back on the lift, project with the step-son!

In The Shed:
'81 gl1100I barn find aka "Josie, the farmer's daughter." (almost comatose build)
'77 gl1000, roller parts bike.
'82 gl1100I, 'Old Crusty' titled roller parts bike (free!)
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5speed
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Re: Driving/fog lights, and converting to LED

#2

Post by 5speed »

I don't have a suggestion for lumens but if your goal is seeing wildlife I would go with a bright flood light style beam instead of a spot light style.
That is my plan. My 82 has halogen driving lights on the crash bars which I will be changing over to LED.
The right hand light will be adjusted to shine more towards the side of the road.
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Lucien Harpress
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Re: Driving/fog lights, and converting to LED

#3

Post by Lucien Harpress »

I ran into this issue recently. I eventually went with a standard 35w halogen, for a very specific reason. There's a lot of LED replacement driving light bulbs out there, but almost none of them are positioned correctly in the housing to correctly project the light forward (most are too long compared to the halogen bulb). As a result, the bulb itself may be brighter, but the actual amount of light projected forward is much, much less.

Now, this may not be an issue if you buy a complete LED setup rather than trying to retrofit LEDS to an existing light mount, but at least in my experience, so far LEDs are great for BEING seen, whereas the halogens are great for actually SEEING.

My two cents, anyway.

EDIT: As far as the actual numbers, a pair of 35 watt bulbs for my GL1200 is generally considered the max you want to go. I ran 55w floodlights for a while (which were AWESOME), but that was pushing it. LEDS could theoretically help here, as none draw nearly that amount.

As far as Lumens go, that's just the measurement of how bright a bulb is (wattage is actually how much power it uses, not brightness), so the higher the number here the better. Just be sure you're not going over your wattage, and you're good.
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Re: Driving/fog lights, and converting to LED

#4

Post by scootsx2 »

Check out SuperBrightLeds.com. I am using one of their LED headlights on my CX500-based police trike. It lights up the night very nicely tumb2 tumb2 tumb2 I also use one of their light pods as a driving light on my sidecar outfit.
https://www.superbrightleds.com/
https://www.superbrightleds.com/cat/led-light-pods/
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Re: Driving/fog lights, and converting to LED

#5

Post by Sidecar Bob »

If you do end up with halogens, this is the best way to connect them https://www.ngwclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2809
Mr. Honda ('83 GL1100/Dnepr) summer How a motorcycle evolves thread
The Famous Eccles ('84 CX650EI/VeloUral) winter Never Ending Build (CX500forum)
Click: Colour schematics for all GL1000 & GL1100 and GL1200 standard models plus instructions on how to download the full size version
"A guy with two sidecars can't be all bad." - Cookie
Another guy with two sidecars..... Hmmmm... must be something to that....
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Re: Driving/fog lights, and converting to LED

#6

Post by Track T 2411 »

Sidecar Bob wrote:If you do end up with halogens, this is the best way to connect them https://www.ngwclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2809
Thanks for the link, I did find that and a few others in my search. It will be very helpful!
"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

"He that is good with a hammer tends to think everything is a nail" - Abraham Maslow

"If you can't take the time to do it right the first time, how are you ever going to find the time to do it over?" -Unknown

Current Rides:
'Grumpy' - '81 Standard, now fully dressed.
'Layla' - '81 Standard w/dealer installed fairing and Hondaline bags.
'Scarlett' '76 'Survivor' nekkid as a j-bird!

Under Construction:
The 'Jalopy' '78-'79 Mash-up
'Quikie' '81 gl1100I back on the lift, project with the step-son!

In The Shed:
'81 gl1100I barn find aka "Josie, the farmer's daughter." (almost comatose build)
'77 gl1000, roller parts bike.
'82 gl1100I, 'Old Crusty' titled roller parts bike (free!)
'82 gl1100I, My first 'Wing, and an expensive lesson!
New2U Bike? Read Me.
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Re: Driving/fog lights, and converting to LED

#7

Post by Sidecar Bob »

I had driving lights connected that way for years. Now that both bikes have sidecars I don't need them because each sidecar has a light that is aimed to hit the road as far away as the low beam and halfway between the headlight and the shoulder of the road so that it lights up the ditch pretty well.
Mr. Honda ('83 GL1100/Dnepr) summer How a motorcycle evolves thread
The Famous Eccles ('84 CX650EI/VeloUral) winter Never Ending Build (CX500forum)
Click: Colour schematics for all GL1000 & GL1100 and GL1200 standard models plus instructions on how to download the full size version
"A guy with two sidecars can't be all bad." - Cookie
Another guy with two sidecars..... Hmmmm... must be something to that....
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Re: Driving/fog lights, and converting to LED

#8

Post by Whiskerfish »

Because i had a fairing it was easy. This is my thread https://www.ngwclub.com/forum/viewtopic ... 36#p675436
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Re: Driving/fog lights, and converting to LED

#9

Post by cbrianroll »

I hope this isn't invading this topic and my apologies if so...but...what is the highest output one can safely go? I have a 78gl1000, do different models have higher output? Thanks
78 gl1000 rat project thingy...still under construction
76 gl1000 parts for 78? Trying to get running...
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Re: Driving/fog lights, and converting to LED

#10

Post by Sidecar Bob »

Your bike's alternator is rated at 300W. It can't produce that unless the engine is turning over at something like 2500 or 3000 RPM. At idle it produces more like 100W - with just the original electrical equipment that's not enough to power everything so the rest of the power has to come from the battery. If you are just sitting at a traffic light with your brakes on and your turn signals flashing for a couple of minutes you will probably notice the headlight dimming every time the signals flash, but that's OK because as soon as you pull away the output will go back up and your battery will recharge.

BUT if you have 2 x 55W driving lights and a 55W headlight, that's 165W just to light the road in front of you. And on top of that you need something like 100W for your ignition and over 30W of instrument lights, tail lights, marker lights &c. Add it all up and there isn't much left to charge the battery.
Mr. Honda ('83 GL1100/Dnepr) summer How a motorcycle evolves thread
The Famous Eccles ('84 CX650EI/VeloUral) winter Never Ending Build (CX500forum)
Click: Colour schematics for all GL1000 & GL1100 and GL1200 standard models plus instructions on how to download the full size version
"A guy with two sidecars can't be all bad." - Cookie
Another guy with two sidecars..... Hmmmm... must be something to that....
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Re: Driving/fog lights, and converting to LED

#11

Post by cbrianroll »

Awesome, I'm not sure where I'm going with my build yet but at least I know that what i replace with l.e.d. s I can add the difference safely.
78 gl1000 rat project thingy...still under construction
76 gl1000 parts for 78? Trying to get running...
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Re: Driving/fog lights, and converting to LED

#12

Post by Sidecar Bob »

Yeah. I used to always recommend setting up driving lights so that only 1 at a time was on to help keep the electrical load from overwhelming the alternator (see the link in post #5) and I still do if you are going to use halogens or HIDs but running 2 LED driving lights at the same time shouldn't be a problem.
Mr. Honda ('83 GL1100/Dnepr) summer How a motorcycle evolves thread
The Famous Eccles ('84 CX650EI/VeloUral) winter Never Ending Build (CX500forum)
Click: Colour schematics for all GL1000 & GL1100 and GL1200 standard models plus instructions on how to download the full size version
"A guy with two sidecars can't be all bad." - Cookie
Another guy with two sidecars..... Hmmmm... must be something to that....
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Re: Driving/fog lights, and converting to LED

#13

Post by Track T 2411 »

Thanks for the wattage ratings. I'm probably going to change all the bulbs to LED, as well as change out the rear saddle bag lights to turn - brake - tail light LED's.

Scootsx2, I'm curious how easily the headlight assembly fit into the fairing bracket. I haven't measured yet, but there's not a lot of clearance in the 1100 fairing, and the bracket is quite complex... I'm not sure if it will fit without modification, or if that's even possible.
"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

"He that is good with a hammer tends to think everything is a nail" - Abraham Maslow

"If you can't take the time to do it right the first time, how are you ever going to find the time to do it over?" -Unknown

Current Rides:
'Grumpy' - '81 Standard, now fully dressed.
'Layla' - '81 Standard w/dealer installed fairing and Hondaline bags.
'Scarlett' '76 'Survivor' nekkid as a j-bird!

Under Construction:
The 'Jalopy' '78-'79 Mash-up
'Quikie' '81 gl1100I back on the lift, project with the step-son!

In The Shed:
'81 gl1100I barn find aka "Josie, the farmer's daughter." (almost comatose build)
'77 gl1000, roller parts bike.
'82 gl1100I, 'Old Crusty' titled roller parts bike (free!)
'82 gl1100I, My first 'Wing, and an expensive lesson!
New2U Bike? Read Me.
User avatar
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Re: Driving/fog lights, and converting to LED

#14

Post by Sidecar Bob »

I can't say for sure about the LED headlights but when I installed an HID in the fairing on my 650 (same as the one on the 1100) I had to bore a hole in the fairing behind the bulb where the inner & outer shells meet to get clearance for it.
Mr. Honda ('83 GL1100/Dnepr) summer How a motorcycle evolves thread
The Famous Eccles ('84 CX650EI/VeloUral) winter Never Ending Build (CX500forum)
Click: Colour schematics for all GL1000 & GL1100 and GL1200 standard models plus instructions on how to download the full size version
"A guy with two sidecars can't be all bad." - Cookie
Another guy with two sidecars..... Hmmmm... must be something to that....
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Re: Driving/fog lights, and converting to LED

#15

Post by Sidecar Bob »

I knew I had a pic of that somewhere
fairing - inner painted.JPG
fairing - inner painted.JPG (74.04 KiB) Viewed 223 times
Mr. Honda ('83 GL1100/Dnepr) summer How a motorcycle evolves thread
The Famous Eccles ('84 CX650EI/VeloUral) winter Never Ending Build (CX500forum)
Click: Colour schematics for all GL1000 & GL1100 and GL1200 standard models plus instructions on how to download the full size version
"A guy with two sidecars can't be all bad." - Cookie
Another guy with two sidecars..... Hmmmm... must be something to that....
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