07-22-2022, 01:48 PM
(07-22-2022, 05:10 AM)j3gq_imp Wrote: A few posts have been written about the CB1100 headlight, in particular about the lagging LED headlight in the newer model. Some said it's all a matter of adjustment, other claim that the older H4 light of the DLX was so much better, yet others again have claimed it's bulbs, reflectors. That is an important subject - just one late night return home, - planned or unplanned - can turn into a serious accident.
So I thought, I have to see the difference for real. But how am I gonna do this without professional equipment, with connectors not matching inside the headlight buckets, for different models, with parts expensive, etc. etc.
Here come the ultra short version of my tests out in the dark, in the middle of the night and how it's done. I bought 3 different LED lights (7 inches diameter, for motorcycles) from Amazon, all equipped with H4 connectors fitted my car. This allowed me to compare those three lights with the light of my EX, and with the H4 Halogen lights of my car.
Hereunder follow the surprising test results, while the details regarding test setup, and photos I will add later tomorrow or on Monday. Ready ? The winners and the losers are ... sorted by real-world performance:
1) LED1 (from Amazon) : best light in the test, cost ~ 100€, excellent low and high beam, will work in the worst conditions,
2) LED2 (from Amazon) : same here, for 60€ only,
3) my car's lights (both on) : okay, but not as good the LEDs,
4 LED built into my EX : very bright, white light, but the reflector fails to illuminate a sufficient surface in front of the motorcycle, even after careful adjustment,
5) my car's light (only one side) : not very impressive considering the size of the reflector, and the fact that my bulb is top notch and not old,
6) LED3 (from Amazon) : high light output, but useless reflector, also for about 100€,
If you are interested, keep reading this thread.
You should post up either links of part numbers for the lights that you tested.