Brightest, Best, Sexiest LED Headlights !!!

[1olbull]

Found a series of tests comparing JWSpeaker & Trucklite LED 7" lights and the auxiliary lights here. Home - bogie's Motorcycle Product Reviews

The first ones compared against Halogens are illuminating (sic)

As nobody but JWSpeaker does 5&3/4" (yet) it's a bit moot - but the pictures say it all.

My lights are somewhere between Barcelona and Madrid.

Gray Beard,
I am thinking in that bogie's review he only used the 8630s and they are NOT the HD Daymakers 7700144 & 7700145.
Look closely at the faces - the JW Speaker 8630 has two circular vertical lights at 12 & 6 O'clock with two rectangular lights at 3 & 9 O'clock for a total of 4 lights.
The Daymaker 7700145 has three circular lights at 12, 5 &7 O'clock with two rectangular lights at 2 & 10 O'clock for a total of 5 lights.
Additionally, I feel photographs of the luminance reflected off an uncontrolled surface of unknown contrast by a headlight does not equates with what the human eye can detect and then discern while driving/riding at night using the illuminance of its headlights, which diminishes as the distance from the source increases.
I for one would NOT choose my headlight based upon any photograph.

JW Speaker has provided pattern data for their 8630s which is very useful and similar to what I intend to test. The horizontal and lateral beam distances and the respective illuminance values for ONE headlight are given in metric values. Two would be an improvement but not nearly two fold.
In the low beam pattern below: At low beam 3 lux casts out between the 1 lux at slightly about 105 meters and the 5 lux at about 40 meters. So, 3 lux would reach out about 70 meters (229 feet).
If this is actually so, it is a huge improvement over the 70 feet produced by motorcycle H7 to H11s as measured so far. Very few motorcycles have been tested to date and this data base needs to be vastly improved.

 

[1olbull]

are those prices here in Auss or from US

Must be somewhere other than US, Mate.
The Daymakers here run $600 to $700 for a pair (7700144 & 7700145).

 

[1olbull]

the J W Speaker light that Ponters, Chris and my self have were originally meant for Mining Trucks which run 24 volt that is why they have the bigger Heat Sink than the Daymakers

Thanks, HansO!
Was cornfused thinking you ran them at 24 volts.

 

[skydog1000]

Look here, Bug Teeth - I had been leading for quite awhile and you were so ***in far back causing such a HUGE gap I couldn't see all the riders.
I was concerned of loosing them, So I decided to see just how slow you really were and drop back to the rear.
Pretty sure I never got out of 3rd gear "walking" behind you. Does molasses in January ring a bell?
Now put THAT in you pipe and smoke it!

Now Now FATBOY just settle down had I known that all I had to do was call you FAT and at the back of the pack to get you excited. I would have called you FAT and at the back of the pack a long time ago

 

[TriumPhil]

In other words , they belong on one of these...

...and you maniacs are running them on the equivalent of one of these...

I hope that opposing motorists have their welder's goggles handy when they encounter you bananas!

 

[HansO]

In other words , they belong on one of these...

...and you maniacs are running them on the equivalent of one of these...

I hope that opposing motorists have their welder's goggles handy when they encounter you bananas!

Then I also added 20 watt 10 degree LED Spots as well.... Mates complain that if I flash them I melt parts of thier bikes .... Just kiddin ... But there is a hell of lot of light emitted from the front of my bike he he

 

[TriumPhil]

My retinas are burning all the way from here, Hans!!!

When we see the "Southern Lights" up here it's prolly from those things you've mounted and not the Aurora Australis!!!

 

[barbagris]

the J W Speaker light that Ponters, Chris and my self have were originally meant for Mining Trucks which run 24 volt that is why they have the bigger Heat Sink than the Daymakers

Not so much a heat sink difference, Hans, as when running off 24V the current draw is less. Watts are watts. But it's MUCH more expensive to build GOOD multi voltage stabilised constant output current LED drivers than single voltage input. The early ones were 24 & 12V compliant in one package. Depending on the LED used - they could be 3.3V - 7V or 13.5V. Normally about 350 or 700ma. Cant remember if they're Phillips Altilon or OSRAM LEDs right now. And the number of dies in the package matters too.

Since then JWS have obviously seen where they sell more gear (JEEP owners - maybe Land Rover too) and have simplified some stuff to get the prices down to compete with Truck Lite.
They've issued 12V only Fogs - smaller - brighter - cheaper. I'm debating (with myself) over some 6145, 6146 or 6150 models.

The 12v only 8630 , are about 50% cheaper. and less than HD's "new" Daymaker over here. The 12V only JWS 8630 is used by Ariel Motorcycles in their "ACE".

The early JWS and early HD-Daymakers WERE identical - about a year ago HD announced the different Daymakers. These are different BUT the design concepts are similar.
The big plus I see is that Main is supplementary to DIP
JWS 8630 are either DIP or MAIN. Frankly it's not a HUGE difference on the 8630 as the majority of useful light comes from the lateral "D" lenses which are always on.

IMO the JWS 8630's need supplementary CLOSE IN LIGHT - one major "problem" with LEDs is almost zero scatter. So the cut off dark/light can be much more evident.
I modified a set of Triumph Fogs to use CREE XM-L2 led emitters and cover the dark close in. - and no it's not easy. You really need access to proper optical calibration gear to do well. And lathes and end.mills.

BTW - the installation spec's for JWS state that the lights should be driven/supplied via RELAYS and one should avoid momentary current switching to avoid damage. As the lights flash OFF when you hit the starter - this COULD cause damage. I've built in a voltage activated relay such that current is only supplied to the lighting circuit once the engine is running and alternator charging. Plus have all sorts of overrides in place - force off - force on.

But imo (as I have both) if TRUCK-LITE will fit your bike USE THEM. The "real world" beam patterns are different. Main is supplemental to dip. "T" owners take note - the rest of us would need to fit twin 7" bowls. Possible and frankly I dont think they'd look too bad.

The difference in cost to the 12v only JWS is less - but they are cheaper. I've stuck one in my OLD Guzzi.

I have seen other € marked 7" LED lights appearing. Will look later and post some links. I have to run to the Doctors - checkup.

 

[1olbull]

@barbagris
Good to have you back posting again, Amigo!!!
Great post!

 

[barbagris]

So - Here is a NEW 5&3/4" - but at the price a 12V JWS 8630 is a better bet
http://www.brands4bikes.de/beleucht...ause-schwarz-seitliche-befestigung-e-gepruft/

And a different 7" and new 5&3/4"
http://www.riveraprimoinc.com/html/newprod1.html

The 7" is comparable in price to a Truck-lite here in Spain. They use CREE LEDs which are high efficiency and good but maybe not quite as robust as the Phillips/OSRAM as used by AUDI etc.