What are my options for LED headlights

[Steveish1006]

Basically the headlights on my 98' are nowhere near bright enough for me and I figured with LED I'll save a few watts and get much more lumes.unk:

 

[D-Max2012]

I've noticed that LED are bright for "attention getting", which is why they are great for turning signals, but the light throwing power is not that strong for the average Bright White LED.
The only one I've seen that really throws the light in front of you, are the CREE Replacement headlamps.
I wonder whats the life expectancy of these bulbs..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cLw1z-p8bA



http://www.ebay.com/itm/2014-NEW-30...adlight-Bulbs-H4-Hi-Lo-HB2-9003-/231336914711

 

[silverado6x6]

For a long throw you really need a clear lens and a slim hid unit, like a 55 watt, same as the OE lamp but 5 times brighter. Or go with just the bi xenon 35 watt hid, they are cheap.
That's what I plan to do to my max. The led bulbs at this stage have not a good rep as far as to longevity.
Almost half of the Cree lamps I have bought fail prematurely.

 

[Steveish1006]

For a long throw you really need a clear lens and a slim hid unit, like a 55 watt, same as the OE lamp but 5 times brighter. Or go with just the bi xenon 35 watt hid, they are cheap.
That's what I plan to do to my max. The led bulbs at this stage have not a good rep as far as to longevity.
Almost half of the Cree lamps I have bought fail prematurely.

Understandable, any idea where I can get one. Or what to search for?

 

[silverado6x6]

I restore Goldwings, just bought my second v max today so I have not gotten to that point yet, but on the Goldwing they had the clear headlamp in 98 and there was plenty of room for the hid ballast.
I think you can get an hid mounted on the max. Look on ebay for the slim hid hid kits.

 

[m-cman]

Search this site for HID. Plenty of info. Lots of guys have converted to HID.

 

[DMAN999]

Understandable, any idea where I can get one. Or what to search for?

Look at my reply to your Post about the HID kits here:
http://www.vmaxforum.net/showpost.php?p=382340&postcount=13

 

[Steveish1006]

Look at my reply to your Post about the HID kits here:
http://www.vmaxforum.net/showpost.php?p=382340&postcount=13

Thanks so much, I have everything I need now plenty of information :eusa_dance: For the life of me I couldn't find many forums with suggested HID conversions. :clapping: Does this one need the head bucket to be modified? If so how easy is it to **** up, I'm good at ******* things up.unk:

 

[gentsvmax]

This is an older pic of the clear lens I got from Sean, it is what I needed to get the true white light brightness of the H.I.D. set-up I run. Mine is a BikeMaster, can't remember the model number. I'll check my receipts and post the exact wattage etc. Super bright and it is a low and high beam unit.

 

[Fire-medic]

Look at my reply to your Post about the HID kits here:
http://www.vmaxforum.net/showpost.php?p=382340&postcount=13

I have had ddmtuning kits on three cars/trucks, but have removed them after a few years because of them beginning to flicker or to operate irregularly. I purchased them from ddm originally, so I should be able to warranty them, I just haven't done it yet. I ran the 35 watt slim ballast setups and liked them for low's but I had to remove them from my high's in my GMC because there was a lag-time when switching from lo-hi.

I switched my VMax to a EMGO 7" bucket & a clear lens which has plenty of room inside for the ballast. It required aftermarket downtube headlight bucket mounting arms, I got rubber-insulated ones w/2 clamping screws, off ebay. The work really-well, have thick rubbers, and w/a good halogen bulb I haven't made the jump to a HID yet, but I may if/when I get my warranty replacement/credit from ddm.

You see in the pics how I used vise-grips to compress the arms to throw the bolts in. I substituted SS hardware for what came stock, & used nylock nuts. The clear lens is from a H-D (!) I got for cheap from a local who switched lamps (he had a new Nissan GTR in the garage), it was brand-new & cheap, I like the 'jewel' in the lens center, take a look, now the Harley guys have 'something to like' on the bike! I guess I could go to a graphics co & have a tuning fork emblem done & slap it on there. I also used fabric-reinforced fender washers between the mounting arms and the headlamp bucket for additional vibration-resistance, and the headlamp stays where I adjust it up/down. I was going to install SS fender washers on the bucket mounts to gain more 'purchase' (holding power) on the bucket sides, but I didn't have-to as it holds its position fine.

 

[HyperPete]

The clear lens is from a H-D (!) I got for cheap from a local who switched lamps (he had a new Nissan GTR in the garage), it was brand-new & cheap, I like the 'jewel' in the lens center, take a look, now the Harley guys have 'something to like' on the bike!

I understand that knocks off five HP and makes your bike leak oil!

 

[Traumahawk]

What I went to was the 90/130 Bulb and ceramic pigtail that Sean sells. Both together were not expensive, and about the price of an HID kit. I changed it out in the motel parking lot in Eureka Springs. It took maybe 30 mins to change out.

The bulb is "blue" but throws a very clear light. I asked Sean if there were reliability issues, and he said no. This was an upgraded bulb from what is used with the Gen 2.