LED or HID Headlight Conversions

[BB]

UPDATES TO MOT MANUAL


Stolen from another forum

Unread post » Tue Jan 12, 2021 6:57 pm

Posted on an airhead club site today 12.1.21 a few changes, perhaps the most relevant section 4.1.4 Headlamps, now states:“Some motorcycles may be fitted with high intensity discharge (HID) or light emitting diode (LED) headlamps. Existing halogen headlamps should not be converted to be used with HID or LED bulbs. If such a conversion has been done, you must fail the headlamp.”

The full details are at www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-for-motorcycles (http://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-for-motorcycles)

[WR6133]

Good, all shoving the wrong bulb in a wrong reflector does is dazzle other road users. Yeah they are brighter but the focus/aim is usually dangerous.

For bikes using traditional round lamps you can get proper LED headlights fairly cheaply now. They would pass as the entire unit is designed for LED. Most have the LED's built in to the unit though, this puts me off as if it goes pop, you can't just easily swap out a new bulb.

[Scotty]

...Most have the LED's built in to the unit though, this puts me off as if it goes pop, you can't just easily swap out a new bulb.
True dat. My 1290 SuperDuke has a natty LED headlight - in fact there isn’t a single filament light in the bike anywhere. The headlight is super bright and the main beam throw is reasonable, but I’ve never had lights on a bike as good as those on my Harris Magnum in 1985. That was a pair of twin Cibié round lights, 60W main beams, and the spread and throw of light was superb, but the lenses were made by specialist manufacturers of competition lights designed for optimum performance, rather than having to try and get a reasonable job from a fancy shape dictated by a stylist and some marketing focus group.
Given the likely horrific cost of replacing a non-functioning LED headlight unit, does anyone know if there’s been a prediction of LED life? I’d imagine (hope, more like) that it’s considerably longer than a Halogen bulb filament, but it’d be interesting to know how much more.

[jer r1]

Looks like this has been overturned, result as I can keep my Cyclops bulbs in. ��

[Burbler]

Looks like this has been overturned, result as I can keep my Cyclops bulbs in. ��

...and I thought you had some candles and a box of Swan Vesta.