LED Headlight Bulbs

[RaYzerman]

With those lights, the main lamp separates from the mount..... install the mount with the wire bail, install the boot, then insert the main lamp assembly into the mount..... possibly you'd have to shave a little off the forward edge of the smaller diameter of the rubber boot so it allows the main bulb to seat fully.

 

[970mike]

So, I bought the lights on Amazon. I've cut the two tabs off the bottom and have managed to remove the bulb on one side of the headlight. Two questions:
1. How were you able to maneuver /navigate the wire clip around the little fan on the back of the LED light?
2. What did you do about the rubber boot that goes on the back. Were you able to fit it around the light or did you have to cut it open?

Pull the main part of the light out of the back of the body, install the mounting clip around the base of the light that you cut the tabs off. Reinstall the light into the socket and plug the wires in and reinstall the boots.

I just did this on my 07 ST today. Same lights as you just got.

 

[SMSW]

So, I bought the lights on Amazon. I've cut the two tabs off the bottom and have managed to remove the bulb on one side of the headlight. Two questions:
1. How were you able to maneuver /navigate the wire clip around the little fan on the back of the LED light?
2. What did you do about the rubber boot that goes on the back. Were you able to fit it around the light or did you have to cut it open?

I can only speak to Evitek's lamps. Theirs are a two piece arrangement. The flange with the tabs comes off by turning counter clockwise. You can remove the LED/fan assembly and now have the fan on the back of a cylindrical shaft. Install the flange and hook the bail over it. Insert the LED porition through the boot, then insert into the flange and turn it to lock it in place. Evitek's allow you to position the LED in different positions - you want the LED horizontal. Make sure the boot's drain is at 6 o'clock.

I see others have had the same experience with other brands so I guess they are all alike.

 

[dduelin]

These pictures illustrate how the Evitek bulb comes apart for installation. Hold the 'bulb' with the fan in your right hand and grip the flange with tabs in your left hand. Turn the fan end about 20 degrees counterclockwise to free it and pull the two pieces apart. When it is in two pieces you can see how two nibs inside the flange end key into slots molded into the fan end. The pen is pointing at one of the nibs. Note that you do not want the LEDs to be perfectly vertical. The nibs are indexed to the fan end in order to precisely roll or rotate the light emitters about 10 degrees to the left. You can look at the H4/9003 halogen bulb and see that that those bulbs are constructed in the same alignment. This is absolutely required for the bulbs to reflect properly in a reflector designed for H4/9003 bulbs. The bottom picture shows the proper alignment after the parts are locked in place.

 

[Michael B]

With those lights, the main lamp separates from the mount..... install the mount with the wire bail, install the boot, then insert the main lamp assembly into the mount..... possibly you'd have to shave a little off the forward edge of the smaller diameter of the rubber boot so it allows the main bulb to seat fully.

Thanks! I got them installed. I considered installing the mount as you mentioned above, but I was afraid I'd wiggle the mount through the bulb hole and lose it inside the headlight. I didn't take any of the faring off or the dash apart. I pushed the rubber boot out making in conical in shape towards the gas tank which provided the space for the entire bulb and fan housing. I'll try to upload some pics.

 

[skinl19]

Reading through the various threads on installing LED bulbs I have seen different descriptions on LED orientation. Some say vertical, and in this thread there is a mention of horizontal and another post of them being at a slight angle. Is there a definitive answer for the ST1100 and does it depend on LED bulb construction?

 

[Obo]

@skinl19 you want a bulb that looks like these. I won't say horizontal or vertical as these terms get used when the bulb is installed and uninstalled and thus referenced differently.
Two emitters per side, long ways end to end with a bit of an offset, plus a metal shield towards the tip end. The thickness between each side should be as thin as possible to keep the 4 emitters as close to center as possible.

 

[SMSW]

Reading through the various threads on installing LED bulbs I have seen different descriptions on LED orientation. Some say vertical, and in this thread there is a mention of horizontal and another post of them being at a slight angle. Is there a definitive answer for the ST1100 and does it depend on LED bulb construction?

Generally speaking, you want the flat that holds the LED's and shield horizontal. For the last H4 Evitek lamp that I installed the LED/fan part was inserted into the flanged base and rotated all the way until it stopped. The prong on the base at 12 o'clock then positioned the LED 'shelf' horizontally.

You can easily check this for yourself with your new bulbs. Position your bike about 20 or 30' from a vertical surface in the evening and turn on the lights. Look at the cut off where the light is blocked. This reduces the glare an oncoming driver will see. Ideally this should be done with you aboard the bike and on its own two wheels (no stands), but you can get an idea of what is going on by using the centerstand.

 

[Michael B]

Thanks! I got them installed. I considered installing the mount as you mentioned above, but I was afraid I'd wiggle the mount through the bulb hole and lose it inside the headlight. I didn't take any of the faring off or the dash apart. I pushed the rubber boot out making in conical in shape towards the gas tank which provided the space for the entire bulb and fan housing. I'll try to upload some pics.

I managed to enclose the fan unit and the translucent piece is the lid from a bottle cap secured to the boot with electrical tape. This way the bulb is water proof. It clears my forks and wiring behind the dash - so, I figured every solution is a little different and it seems to work.

 

[Obo]

I managed to enclose the fan unit and the translucent piece is the lid from a bottle cap secured to the boot with electrical tape. This way the bulb is water proof. It clears my forks and wiring behind the dash - so, I figured every solution is a little different and it seems to work.

My fan sticks out a bit from the headlight boot and is not enclosed/blocked. Never had an issue (so far) with water. Heat is usually what kills the bulb quicker.

Looks like this:

 

[spiderman302]

Obo's installation looks good. The fan / heatsink does need air flow.
The black/red wire should be hanging down on the bottom. Or look to see that the shield's are under the low beam leds.
The F2 should just snap into the ball detent and should be correct. Your bike beam pattern should be flat. I just toss the power module up into the side fairing.
My boots got destroyed years ago when I was trying and modifying other leds. So I have been running with out them, but I live where there is very little rain.
And the ten days it does rain, I drive the truck, just do not trust some other drivers, they are bad enough when the roads are dry .

 

[Michael B]

My fan sticks out a bit from the headlight boot and is not enclosed/blocked. Never had an issue (so far) with water. Heat is usually what kills the bulb quicker.

Looks like this:

Thanks for the pic and replies. I think I'll drill a ventilation hole in the back of my bottle cap. That said, since there's a gap below where the mounting plate inserts into the original hole (between the two bottom tabs I cut off), I'm thinking that the fan is getting air from inside the headlight housing.....at least a little. I'll check the temperature after an hour or two of riding and see if they're heating up. I'm amazed at all the responses I've had on this forum. I still haven't figured out how to reply to all. I'm assuming that everyone gets notified of a reply as long as it's still in this 'LED Headlight Bulbs' thread.

 

[Andrew Shadow]

I'm thinking that the fan is getting air from inside the headlight housing.....at least a little.

I would suggest that you remove that bottle cap. The fan should be open to ambient air to ventilate. Recirculating air from inside the enclosed headlamp housing might be drawing in air that is considerably warmer than ambient air.

The fan is designed to be exposed to ambient air and they are protected quite well behind the fairing. I have been running mine for many years and in many rain storms and they have not suffered from it.

 

[ST Gui]

I'm thinking that the fan is getting air from inside the headlight housing.....at least a little.

I'd wager very little. Not riding in rain or wet weather there's no concern for my LEDs getting water damage.

My G6 installation mirror's Obo's. The rubber boot wasn't modified at all and fits snugly. There's no airflow to speak of in the headlight housing that will assist the fan in any way. I bet that's true of just about anybody's installation. The fan needs air and it won't get it from the headlight housing.

Maybe during cold weather convection and conduction would provide some cooling on a theoretical level.

But if there was any concern maybe I'd fashion some kind of guard or deflector around the bottom of the fan to prevent damage. But I'd be more likely just to replace the bulb if water every damaged it.

I still haven't figured out how to reply to all. I'm assuming that everyone gets notified

Not notified strictly speaking. (Not speaking of Strictly). Everybody who sees this thread sees every post. And the thread always show in New Posts when someone adds to it.

 

[Michael B]

I would suggest that you remove that bottle cap. The fan should be open to ambient air to ventilate. Recirculating air from inside the enclosed headlamp housing might be drawing in air that is considerably warmer than ambient air.

The fan is designed to be exposed to ambient air and they are protected quite well behind the fairing. I have been running mine for many years and in many rain storms and they have not suffered from it.

Thanks! It occurred to me that after I had the LED mounted with the wire clip I could in fact pull it out again since it's got this little socketed connection. I'm glad to hear that you've been riding with no problems from the rain. I was worried about rain getting into that little fan. So, it's done! I pulled the light bulb out reinstalled the rubber boot and then pushed the light bulb back in. Probably looks like everyone else is now.

 

[Gerryb]

I will try that option.

I removed both the bottom tabs on the replacement
lightbulb 9003 and this worked perfectly. Thank you.

 

[mjc506]

These things are waterproof and can run quite happily submerged.

Getting crap in the fan could potentially hurt the motor (more likely an issue on a dual sport machine) but the LEDs themselves will be much happier with the heatsink and fan out in the open.