Really freaking bright headlights!

[corksil]

Hey guys I just thought I'd share this. I've tried many different off-the-shelf hi/lo beam bulbs in the ninja and none of them seem to give the throw and flood and output that I've become accustomed with from my modified flashlights.

I came up with the clever idea of buying go-pro handlebar mounts, 3M VHB double stick adhesive, and the right assortment of fasteners, safety wire, and cable ties -- and with a bit of work I've mounted a few very bright flashlights on the front of my bike via removable quick-release mounts.

Does anyone know of a better way to get more illumination on the front of our bikes? Modifying the headlight to fit a different bulb doesn't seem to be very effective, and seems like a lot of work.

What I did with the flashlights is working very well, I just have to remember to take my flashlights off the bike and throw them in a backpack every time I park so no one steals them.

[Ghostt]

There are a inumber of options you have available,

First is using a better conventional filament bulb, like an Sylvania ultra silver star, etc.... A little bit brighter and whiter light.

Second option is a CREE LED bulb, much brighter than filament bulb, less amperage draw from electrical system.

Third option is a HID conversion kit(http://www.ddmtuning.com/Product-Cat...-Kits-Lighting) a lot brighter brighter, and less amperage draw from electrical system.

Forth option is a projector style headlight housing, but this means fabricating/modify the headlight

One thing to keep in mind is that brightness of the lights now a days is rated and has been always in lumens, the old school wattage system means nothing with modern technology.

I personally have the DDM TUNING kits in both of my bikes, and I'm am extremely pleased with the results. They are great quality kits, along with customer support..

Hope this gives you some helpful ideas.

[NevadaWolf]

Pick up some LED aux lights

Denali, MondoMoto, ClearWater, Rigid, LEDrider, etc.

Tons of options to get some additional punch down the road at night.

[Worldtraveller]

Keep in mind, there's a trade off at some point. You may be able to see better, but the drivers coming at you might be blinded.....

[JohnnyBravo]

Two words "day lighters" yea the lights that used to be on Bigfoot with the big ol KC covers!!! You see them in the baja, the Dakar rally, etc. if you want something a bit smaller there are some made for bikes, but smaller ones for cars would work just as well... There is a thread around here about auxiliary lights, fog lights an such

[Ghostt]

Originally Posted by Worldtraveller

Keep in mind, there's a trade off at some point. You may be able to see better, but the drivers coming at you might be blinded.....

True, but a well aimed headlight will avoid most of the issues.

I myself have the DDM TUNING KIT (55w/5k) which put out about 5,000 lumens, compared to the OEM bulb @ about 800 lumens, I very rarely get the old high beam flip from oncoming traffic.

I did readjust my headlight slightly for better lighting performance, due to the factory sets it low on purpose.

[cuong-nutz]

The Retrofit Source
/thread

[Desmoluci]

Just remember, the brighter the bulb, the shorter the life.

You can always run the stock bulb through a relay, it will give you slightly more voltage to the stock bulb for a brighter light.

I think my '04 has a great headlight, it's much better than a lot of bikes I have.

[Ghostt]

Originally Posted by Desmoluci

Just remember, the brighter the bulb, the shorter the life.

You can always run the stock bulb through a relay, it will give you slightly more voltage to the stock bulb for a brighter light.

I think my '04 has a great headlight, it's much better than a lot of bikes I have.

If your talking about conventional filament bulbs then that's kinda true,but the brightness of the bulb has very little to do with its life span, has to do with construction, and types of materials used.

Filament, HID, and CREE LED are all totally and completely different style of ways to make light, I've seen CREE LEDs bulbs that are 2,000 lumens, HID up to 5,000 lumens, filament bulb s like Sylvania ultra silver star about 1,200 lumens, which the Sylvania has the shortest life span.

[Desmoluci]

Okay, but when I used the fancy-shmancy bulbs, they always seem to burn out quicker. :shrug:

OEM bulbs for me, not that I ever have to replace them....

Edit- I've never used the ones you describe, though.

Linky?

[Ghostt]

Originally Posted by Desmoluci

Okay, but when I used the fancy-shmancy bulbs, they always seem to burn out quicker. :shrug:

OEM bulbs for me, not that I ever have to replace them....

When using filament bulbs you are 100% correct, brighter light means more heat, and shortens the lifespan of said filament.

I would recommend that you look into. CREE LED headlight bulb, you will be pleasantly surprised.

[corksil]

For now I have to keep doing this on the cheap cheap because I don't have the $ to spend on OEM-fitment parts (or ones that can be mcgyver'd into OEM housings).

For now I'm stuck with a 500lumen flashlight on a gopro mount on the left side of the bike, and an 800lumen spotlight on the right side of the bike (also on gopro mount.)

Wondering what the hands-down best setup is.. With two flashlights, it's hard to reach my hands down in front of the bars to click off TWO bright flashlights when encountering oncoming traffic -- and it takes a second. I'd rather not modify the surefire lights I'm using because I'll void the warranties (lol wait, now that I think about it -- I've already voided the warranty on one when I turned it on a lathe to widen the battery tube for a beefier battery..)

What kinds of setups are you guys running? Bonus points for pictures.

Thanks everyone!

[Ghostt]

I had the DDM TUNING HID KIT in both my bikes and cars. It's a plug-n-play installation.
I have my SUV which is next on the upgrade list, so I'm gonna to install CREE LED headlight bulbs.

[corksil]

^^ Yeh, I've been running that DDM kit on my car for a few years now. Honestly it seems a little heavy to install on the bike and seems a little difficult to install. The shape of the bike headlight housing is definitely a different animal compared to an automotive headlight.

Time for me to do some more research.

Thanks everyone.