L.E.D. bulbs.

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thedruid

Active Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2014
Messages
125
Location
Gateshead
Car
e220 coupe, Kawasaki ZX10R and a chugging H/D 883 Sportster.
Good day everyone. If I'm posting this in the wrong section please feel free to have a tantrum and call me names.

As well as my MB I also have a 2006 ZX10R ( its a motorbike in case you didn't know ). I have just changed the running lights to led from ten year old dull yellow things.
10X 501 LED SIDELIGHT BULBS ICE WHITE XENON T10 W5W 194 HID WEDGE LAMP LIGHT 12V | eBay

I was wondering if anyone has changed their dipped/main beam lamps to led and what their thoughts are. I have read some discussions about the heat generated by them causing a problem but I am looking at some on Amazon that are rated at 2.6 watts which should only draw around 0.217 amps which by my thinking shouldn't produce any heat.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0176D9LA8/?tag=amazon0e9db-21

Thanks for reading and any (sensible ) advice will be greatly received.

Cheers.
 
Those won't work at all. The light will be all over the shop and you may also dazzle other drivers. I've seen a few led headlight bulbs that look like they are good (point source of light) but the reviews don't suggest they are any better than decent halogens- just whiter. Nothing against leds, I've converted my clk foglights to drls, and yesterday changed the incandescent drls on the Jeep to led - MASSIVE improvement, I just don't see aftermarket ones being any good just yet at a sensible price. There are some dedicated bike ones with reflectors etc that might work, but don't know how good they are.
Edit: oh, and if I had found good ones that look like they work, they would have been on my bike by now.
 
I've replaced my 501s in the sidelights (these aren't dipped beam). The issue I've had is that they burn out after weeks to months. I've been through at least 5 different types from cheap to not so cheap. Haven't found any SMD LED or COB LED that lasts more than a couple months.

I think it's the heat from my Xenon headlights that sit just beneath that's doing it.

Edit: oh, you're not talking about 501s. Those fog lamps won't output a fraction of the light a proper halogen 55w bulb will. I've tried them in a previous car. They look good, but you're basically removing the fog light feature from the car.
 
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There is a reason the ebay LEDs are called fog lamps . It's because it's illegal to use them in headlights. As Ted pointed out, they would be hopeless for anything other than a day time running light.

While still strictly illegal there are now vastly better LED headlamp bulbs with a correctly positioned single LED.
 
Thanks for the replies. 190, can you elaborate on your reply with a link or part number please.

Most of my riding is daytime. I remember years ago when the wife questioned if bikes were allowed out in the dark, I did larf and then get slapped. Yes she had led a sheltered life
 

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