CREE LED Headlight Modification

[FJRider]

I received my CREE LED H4 High/Low from ElectricalConnection.com and today is warm enough to add this interesting farkle.

Here is their website.

EC - LED Headlight Bulb - H4 High/Low

The package arrived within 3 days of order and everything looked of high quality. The kit consisted of the H4 CREE bulb, a transformer, a mini fan assembly and a PVC fan duct. The instructions were OK.

Step1: Remove the headlight from the bike

Step 2: Remove the existing H4 Bulb.

Old bulb and the CREE LED Bulb

Step 3: Install the new CREE LED Bulb

Step 4: Install mini fan and duct

Step 5: Decide where you want to mount the transformer.

The requirements are:

1. It has to be close to the Headlight
2. It must turn with the headlight and fork
3. It should not interfere with the headlight assembly

I decided the best place was next to the horn and I would need a special bracket. I used a piece of aluminum sheet and fabricated a small bracket.

It would mount adjacent to the horn and mount between the horn and the horn fork mount.

Test everything. Good to go!

Step 6: Reassemble

I took the bracket apart and painted it with some satin black rattle-can stuff I had in the basement. Now it matches the rest of the fittings and doesn't look so home made.

Here is the finished assembly.

All back together.

Before the modification I measured the stock headight with my wife's light meter (she's a professional photographer) one foot in front of the center of the headlight, engine running. It read 2037 lumens

After the modification a I measured the same way and got 4024 lumens.

All in all not a bad modification for $79.95 plus shipping.

 

[Stripy]

Sounds like a great improvement - I think the light as standard is good; Yamaha is known for getting this part quite right in comparison to other bikes.

One (two, actually) concern/s though; here in UK, or everywhere else in Europe, there is this meterological phenonemen called "rain" - how is the fan going to cope with that, looks like a pretty open system to me?
Next to that, the light housing is a closed enclosure to avoid steam and condensation - if you have a fan, there must be somewhere the air can pass through, and that will just lead to condensation. How does this fan work/justify it's placing?

 

[FJRider]

Sounds like a great improvement - I think the light as standard is good; Yamaha is known for getting this part quite right in comparison to other bikes.

One (two, actually) concern/s though; here in UK, or everywhere else in Europe, there is this meterological phenonemen called "rain" - how is the fan going to cope with that, looks like a pretty open system to me?
Next to that, the light housing is a closed enclosure to avoid steam and condensation - if you have a fan, there must be somewhere the air can pass through, and that will just lead to condensation. How does this fan work/justify it's placing?

The fan is mounted in a shroud behind the headlight assembly. I think you might see animals walking two-by-two towards a large wooden ship with the kind of rain that might get this wet in normal riding. But you bring up a good point as a need to be careful when washing the bike.

The fan is cooling the base of the bulb and outside of the sealed area.

 

[Stripy]

I think you might see animals walking two-by-two towards a large wooden ship with the kind of rain that might get this wet in normal riding.

Seriously?
We do get a lot of rain:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=25OMLFBlnhc
This have happened maybe 5 times since the MT was released in October, unfortunate this is a part of living in UK, and other parts of Europe.

Search a bit more on YouTube, you'll find we've had a few showers....
http://m.youtube.com/results?q=uk floods 2013&sm=1

 

[FJRider]

We too get our share of rain and flooding in the Midwest US. And tornados, hail, ...

Once I was caught in a torrential rainstorm in Tennessee. 5 inches of rain in one hour. The water wash off my front tire was knocking my feet off the pegs. I was riding an FJR1300.

But, seriously, this unit was made for motorcycles and the environment we ride in.

 

[PaulG]

We too get our share of rain and flooding in the Midwest US. And tornados, hail, ...

Once I was caught in a torrential rainstorm in Tennessee. 5 inches of rain in one hour. The water wash off my front tire was knocking my feet off the pegs. I was riding an FJR1300.

But, seriously, this unit was made for motorcycles and the environment we ride in.

The fan will just be an off the shelf instrument fan,looks like a 40mm.No way will it be specially made.Having said that, short of the bike going submarine,the fan should be ok as the rest of the bike's wiring etc also has to survive in that area so it can be too exposed.I would check the fan yearly,even in ideal conditions (in computers etc) these fans don't last for ever.I recently re-lubed a seized one on my computer's graphics card after smelling some odours indicative of hotness.

 

[watto]

Hey FJ how are the cree led's working out I'm thinking of doing the same mod but would like to hear how they are going now you have had some time using them

 

[RBC]

Hey FJ how are the cree led's working out I'm thinking of doing the same mod but would like to hear how they are going now you have had some time using them

I'm also working on it [MENTION=253]watto[/MENTION]

 

[RBC]

Hey FJ how are the cree led's working out I'm thinking of doing the same mod but would like to hear how they are going now you have had some time using them

[MENTION=244]FJRider[/MENTION] - thanks for the brilliant idea!!
[MENTION=253]watto[/MENTION] - Here's my setup for Touratech Auxiliary Xenon on my MT09:

Now I plan to

(i) turn the ballast 90 degrees counter-clockwise for reducing wind's potential harm on the harness, sockets, etc.,

(ii) use thermal paste to isolate the heat produced by the ballast,

(iii) replace the plastic self-locking zip ties with heavy-duty (e.g. chrome or stainless steel) ones before I hit the road, and, finally, to

(iv) add a second connection (e.g. an additional acme-screw helping with heavier load) for strengthening the existing single connection that was originally designed for carrying the weight of the horn only.

Your thoughts will be appreciated!!

 

[MT09-Smurf]

Great idea, nice mod... Couple of Q's

The 12v controller you mounted by horn, would it reach if concealed in one of the side air intakes... Some have moved the horn in there, just wondered if the box would fit inside and cables reach ok... Well hidden then, and you may only need a zip tie or good Velcro strap.

What's the light intensity of the bulb, 6000k etc.. (Seen various and wondered what this kit was)

 

[RBC]

Great idea, nice mod... Couple of Q's

The 12v controller you mounted by horn, would it reach if concealed in one of the side air intakes... Some have moved the horn in there, just wondered if the box would fit inside and cables reach ok... Well hidden then, and you may only need a zip tie or good Velcro strap.

What's the light intensity of the bulb, 6000k etc.. (Seen various and wondered what this kit was)

Thanks!!

I think what you saw was functional using of the air intake on the left, which I've heard is fake (i.e. empty, does not have cooling functionality.) It could be a better idea of placement in terms of isolation from rain, water, etc. and also cooling, if the cables reach O.K. as you noted. Fixing it to the chassis (e.g. inside the left intake) could cause cable length issues when I make full right.

It seems to me like the good thing about [MENTION=244]FJRider[/MENTION]'s horn-coupled placement idea is that everything will be allied to the front fork, so the ballast will move along with the movements of the handlebar, and I will not be worried about the cable length and/or a possibility of its being tangled which could be a nightmare.

What I experienced with reliable brands' HID kits' light intensity so far is the higher number of kelvin does not mean better lighting; IMHO, having different/whiter (even blue-ish or violet-ish) color of light at higher kelvins is rather an aesthetic concern for low quality kits. Thus, my guess about the intensity of this kit is as low as 4300k.

Here's the full kit:

 

[MartinB]

Guys don't forget that for around £8.00 you can get a 1 Meter HID extension lead, I got one and just stuffed the relay and Ballast under the seat simples,

 

[RBC]

Guys don't forget that for around £8.00 you can get a 1 Meter HID extension lead, I got one and just stuffed the relay and Ballast under the seat simples,

That's great news [MENTION=120]MartinB[/MENTION] - I didn't know having a one-meter extension isn't a big deal. Probably the warnings in the label made me frightened.

This would still be my plan B though. I'm not into electronics at all, so I generally prefer going by the book, especially in my DIYs.

Don't you think that the ballast needs some air/vent/cooling, which would not be able to get under the seat?

 

[MartinB]

That's great news [MENTION=120]MartinB[/MENTION] - I didn't know having a one-meter extension isn't a big deal. Probably the warnings in the label made me frightened.

This would still be my plan B though. I'm not into electronics at all, so I generally prefer going by the book, especially in my DIYs.

Don't you think that the ballast needs some air/vent/cooling, which would not be able to get under the seat?

Ballast does not seem to get hot at all, I might add that the extension comes with the correct fittings either end, I am not saying just extend the cable! please . The Only thing I was worried about was running the cable under the tank in such a way so it did not rub etc, after all you really don't want 23,000 volts in the frame

One other thing is the beam pattern I just changed the bulb not the reflector, pattern is rather flat, but for me it was all about being seen rather than being able to see. It is certainly unmissable, and at 6000K its very white as well.

Did the same mod on my Z1000SX and it even passed its MOT with the HID connected,

Good luck with the installation

Martin

 

[marksim]

This is the kit i put on my bike and well pleased,it has the new slimmer ballast and i was able to fit all the parts either in the headlight or under the tank.
Everything is invisible,i also have my horn moved to under the R/H vent panel.
It can be abit tight under the tank and airbox area but i also have cables from my heated grips and 12volt adapter plus 3 braided hoses going to my ABS box.

Bi-Xenon HID H4 H/L Headlamp Conversion Kit Yamaha MT-09 FZ8-N MT-07 | eBay

 

[RBC]

One other thing is the beam pattern I just changed the bulb not the reflector, pattern is rather flat, but for me it was all about being seen rather than being able to see. It is certainly unmissable, and at 6000K its very white as well.

Thanks for valuable contribution Martin! Connector compatibility issue is great - noted.

I hope I don't have any issue with the beam pattern. Mine is an auxiliary one - so it has its own housing and lens on it.

In addition to my auxiliary HID that will turn on with the high-beam switch & flasher, I will probably replace low beam with [MENTION=244]FJRider[/MENTION]'s Cree LED kit, which again does not seem to have focus/beam pattern issues as far as I see in YouTube test videos.

 

[RBC]

This is the kit i put on my bike and well pleased,it has the new slimmer ballast and i was able to fit all the parts either in the headlight or under the tank.
Everything is invisible,i also have my horn moved to under the R/H vent panel.
It can be abit tight under the tank and airbox area but i also have cables from my heated grips and 12volt adapter plus 3 braided hoses going to my ABS box.

Bi-Xenon HID H4 H/L Headlamp Conversion Kit Yamaha MT-09 FZ8-N MT-07 | eBay

[MENTION=926]marksim[/MENTION] thanks - have any pictures of it?

 

[marksim]

[MENTION=926]marksim[/MENTION] thanks - have any pictures of it?

Sorry i havnt at the moment,
ive done loads of mods but not taken photos.
next time i take my tank off i will take some.
Will be putting my R1 Wavy discs on and doing Kevs damper mod next week