H4 bulbs can I swap for an LED bulb

[Daddy Dom]

Wow, quite a difference. I'd be curious to see the pattern it makes on the road, too, if you wouldn't mind?
Jolly good!

[Fastmongrel]

Haven't had a chance to do a night ride yet but weather looks good for Saturday and Sunday night.

[Fastmongrel]

Well I tried the led bulb out and it's going in the bin

Dip is fine

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Main beam is bloody awful

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In fact it's lethal I turned down an unlit country road flicked main beam on and I couldn't see a thing just glare. It throws further on dip all main does is light up the sides and road. Wish I hadn't wasted £36.

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Third photo is same viewpoint as first it doesn't come across how much glare there is but you can see it doesn't go very far

[Daddy Dom]

Wow, thank you so much for organizing that.
So even if you tilted the headlight up for main beam, your dip would be way too high, would it?

Cheers, DD

[Fastmongrel]

Yes I would be dazzling other road users. I am going to have a chat with the seller Paul Goff it might be that my rectangular headlight isn't suitable for an Led bulb or I have cocked up fitting it.

It was scary doing about 40mph on a road that I fortunately knew well and suddenly I couldn't see a damn thing apart from glare and the hedge either side of me. There's nothing wrong with LEDs I have a light on my pushbike that is brilliant but it's not the power it's about the way the light is reflected.

I might look for a nice round headlight with a reflector designed for LEDs.

[Fastmongrel]

Just noticed the rev counter illumination bulb has fallen out again I am going to glue the damn thing in place.

[morini_tom]

I didn’t get on at all well with the P43t daylighter LED in my sport (same square headlight as you) and instead swapped it for a Hella HR2 60/55W halogen bulb.

The halogen HR2 is very good with a more correct beam pattern and is the correct type of fitting for the reflector. Ok not the power saving I was after but my alternator in good condition and with a decent AGM battery means I’ve never had any problem even with several hours riding in the dark and using the electric start.

For decent daylight visibility I’ve tended to use a more Helly LED pilot bulb which gives a good brightness and some colour which helps to stand out from the queues of cars with white daytime running Lights.

[Fastmongrel]

The original bulb was a P43 but I have an adapter for a H4 bulb I wonder if that's thrown the bulb out of alignment. I have refitted the halogen bulb and noticed the bulb glass is a bit cloudy. Possibly that's why it was so wimpy I will try a new H4 halogen when shops open.

[Steve Brown]

That's a surprise and obviously a disappointment too. Mine is really rather good but in a round headlamp without any adaptor bits needed.
Tom, if you are retiring your daylighter I'd be happy to try it in my bikes, in the interests of research obvs. I can try in the Camel rectangular lamp and various round headlamp types.

[3potjohn]

I have had instrument bulb holders drop out when hitting a pothole so not unusual. Pity about that light pattern. My concave Cibie is fine, or it was last time I rode a distance in the dark. Another bike has twin 35W bulbs. Seems a bit pathetic too . I did not update to LED on that bike because it’s my understanding it can fail MOT being a ‘89 model.
I use a LED pilot but this has a slightly blue tint.

[MickeyMoto]

I think it may be due to the unsuitability of the reflector and the glass. The same problem occurred when using a halogen bulb in a tungsten bulb designed headlight.

Try looking for a complete LED unit, the problem then is the spaghetti in the shell.

[3potjohn]

Keep up John! Reading the latest MOT guidance the year of manufacture limit for the motorcycle ( converted to LED) has been removed. The light pattern must pass of course.

[Fastmongrel]

I will have a look at a complete LED unit the rectangular headlight even with a halogen bulb in it is poor. I guess it was designed for a tungsten bulb.

[Fastmongrel]

I had a look at LED light units but they all look horrible to me like something designed by a ten year old. I bought a cheap chrome headlight off fleabay and fitted the LED bulb I bought from Paul Goff. I haven't done a test ride because rain stopped play but a quick comparison using the end of the shed shows a lot less scatter from the new round unit, also looks better than the rectangular headlight it looks a lot like a Lucas unit.

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