10-20-2015, 01:17 PM
Well I've had the LED in the headlight for about a month now, so here is my "long term" update:
With late-afternoon daylight becoming increasingly scarce this time of year, I've been enjoying a bit more nighttime riding lately.
As I mentioned previously, after the initial install, I took out the LED and swapped back to the OEM bulb for a couple days, just to see how it compared. Regarding coverage and throw, both bulbs ended up being about the same, with that extinction line about 32 feet out.
However, I must admit that after using the LED for a short time, it made the OEM bulb seem totally, inadequately dim.
It wasn't long before I swapped back to the LED, but I did take other people's advice, and rotated the lamp up a few degrees. This one, seemingly insignificant adjustment made all the difference in the world. The extinction line is now probably 50 feet out, and it makes nighttime riding much more comfortable. I'd recommend almost anyone consider doing this, even with the stock light. It doesn't take much to make a noticeable difference and improvement.
One other thing I've noticed is that the LED does not seem to make any noticeable improvement in daytime visibility.
It's not any worse, either, but what I'm saying is that from 100 yards away, both bulbs look like the same little white dot, just different color whites. In my opinion, the orange running lamps on both sides of the headlight are a much more prominent and noticeable feature.
So, in conclusion, I will propose to all that this specific LED lamp is definitely a worthwhile consideration for anyone looking to improve their nighttime vision and visibility. With a slight adjustment to the lamp angle (and to the retaining clip), it is remarkably more effective at illuminating the road ahead, and it makes nighttime riding really enjoyable. For the price of about $50 bucks to my doorstep, I think it's some of the best money I've spent on this bike. If you get one and don't like it, you can only blame me!
With late-afternoon daylight becoming increasingly scarce this time of year, I've been enjoying a bit more nighttime riding lately.
As I mentioned previously, after the initial install, I took out the LED and swapped back to the OEM bulb for a couple days, just to see how it compared. Regarding coverage and throw, both bulbs ended up being about the same, with that extinction line about 32 feet out.
However, I must admit that after using the LED for a short time, it made the OEM bulb seem totally, inadequately dim.
It wasn't long before I swapped back to the LED, but I did take other people's advice, and rotated the lamp up a few degrees. This one, seemingly insignificant adjustment made all the difference in the world. The extinction line is now probably 50 feet out, and it makes nighttime riding much more comfortable. I'd recommend almost anyone consider doing this, even with the stock light. It doesn't take much to make a noticeable difference and improvement.
One other thing I've noticed is that the LED does not seem to make any noticeable improvement in daytime visibility.
It's not any worse, either, but what I'm saying is that from 100 yards away, both bulbs look like the same little white dot, just different color whites. In my opinion, the orange running lamps on both sides of the headlight are a much more prominent and noticeable feature.
So, in conclusion, I will propose to all that this specific LED lamp is definitely a worthwhile consideration for anyone looking to improve their nighttime vision and visibility. With a slight adjustment to the lamp angle (and to the retaining clip), it is remarkably more effective at illuminating the road ahead, and it makes nighttime riding really enjoyable. For the price of about $50 bucks to my doorstep, I think it's some of the best money I've spent on this bike. If you get one and don't like it, you can only blame me!