11-14-2018, 02:32 PM
(11-14-2018, 10:52 AM)LongRanger_imp Wrote: Yes, agreed, but if the difference in light output is neglible, is longevity and electrical draw the primary benefit? None of my vehicles have an LED headlight (well, the Monkey will) and I have no first-hand experience.
Yes and no: for any DOT approved LED sealed beam H4 replacement, the output in lumens is going to be the same as for a halogen H4. Although, the color of an LED headlight is going to be a pure white, which will definately seem brighter.
Still, there are options to exceed the DOT limits with an LED headlight, if that’s what you want to do. Search Amazon, and you’ll find automotive LED conversion kits for round headlights that would fit most bikes. These are headlight housings designed for a separate LED bulb in an H4 mount. Stock H4 housings for halogen bulbs do not spread the light from an LED bulb evenly, which is why you want an H4 housing designed for an LED bulb. The H4 socket connector is the same with halogen or LED, so no wiring modifications are necessary.
Next, what you want to do is search Amazon for high lumen LED H4 bulbs. All of them come from China, and while they are reliable, the rated output in lumens is usually absurdly inflated. All you can really know is that if some are rated at 6000 Lumens for example, they are nowhere near 6000 Lumens, but they will be much brighter than a standard H4. How how much brighter is anyone’s guess. They’re not expensive, selling for between $30 to $100, without much difference in quality between the high and the low.