Daymaker Type Headlights (Chinese Copies)

[Ishrub]

This is the kind of thing that gives me a violent allergic reaction to LED "bulbs". Every millimeter the tip of that LED jiggles causes light to bounce many meters up/down or sideways 100 meters down the road, as the distance to the reflector is very short every jiggle of the bulb will be magnified massively down range. LED "bulbs" are already not legal with halogen reflectors - now you have loose LED "bulbs"? Uh... yea, no bueno.

The lamps are a complete sealed unit that simply connect to the H4 wiring harness plug. There is no 'bulb' being fitted to the std halogen reflector like a H4, H3, or H1 etc. Those type of LEDs do exist and yes I am aware they are not likely to be correctly aligned for the design of the std H4 or other type bulb reflector which require the filaments (or LED light source) to be in an exact placement to the sub mm to correctly match the reflector design.

Have a look at the listing in post #55 and view the online video as well. The LEDs in these are fixed inside the sealed units behind projector lenses, they do not use shell reflectors at all. The LEDs are fixed in a focused position inside the sealed unit which clamps very firmly inside the shell using the outer chrome ring without using the inner tabbed steel locator ring. Once the chrome outer ring is tight you can push and place a lot of force on the front lens without ANY movement at all. You will need to ensure they are aligned and the projected fixed design light edge cut offs for high and low are at the right angle. This appears to be what the now deleted inner tabbed steel rings did quickly for the 'lamp' style H4 etc reflectors. It is a slower process with them deleted.

So far I have only shone them against my backyard fence and the cutoff of the low beam is reasonably sharp and shaped (as per the video link in post #55). Obviously both lamps need to be aligned or even have the one closer to oncoming traffic a little lower and less spread. A vehicle used in countries with RHD like Australia, UK and Japan when driving in LHD countries like Europe and USA should be adjusted to suit. Same make/model cars for LHD and RHD markets have different front headlights to suit from the factory.

My first attempt at aligning them by eye turned off 'unlit' was done with the bike on the side stand (not ideal) but the 'cats eye' type horizontal low beam projector lenses help to define the angle. Aligning unlit would be a lot harder with a single central lamp in a circular back reflector unless you had the 'old style' focal facet lines in the front lens. When turned on and bike held upright the two high beam circular top and bottom projector lens converged from both lamps to a very, very concentrated SINGLE spot of light on the back fence that was perfectly aligned to the wider pattern of the low beam that stays on when switching from low to high.

It is ESSENTIAL to ensure the long distance focus and alignment as a single spot projected on a nearby fence could easily be crossed beams at a distance shining into oncoming traffic. This MUST be done BEFORE NIGHT USE ON PUBLIC ROADS. It may be possible to take them to a vehicle inspection garage or center and use their calibrated headlight alignment gauge (often a rolling frame with a board with a grid pattern or simply a marked up grid on their workshop wall). Even then they will DEFINITELY need to be checked on a dark night on an unlit road without traffic with the bike upright and adjustments made as required by loosening the outer chrome ring a little and aligning the whole sealed unit like a marine gimbal compass before locking in place by re-tightening the chrome ring (much easier done with an assistant than alone which is still possible but tedious).

I have now mounted two square 16w (4x4w) each LED lights to my front tip-over bars as well and will check them out and align them at the same time. These will be angled low and to the edges of the road to assist when cornering and detecting errant kangaroos and other 'beasties'. Legally they have to wired to the high/low beam switch but I plan to use them on open country roads and angled low so will see how that works out being wired with a fused relay harness using a separate rocker switch I installed below the accessory power plug I fitted to the LHS fill-in panel yesterday as well. I still have plenty of other power sources to wire up for USB and heated clothing in preparation for some long winter rides.

After my regulator/rectifier shat itself on me a couple of weeks ago (post#46 Only "Harley bikes matter"?) I have an AUD$220 (US$165 ouch!) spare brand new DEKA US made 330cca absorbed glass fiber mat (AGM) battery. I may now locate it in the unused airbox with an Australian designed 3"x2" intelligent battery isolator I have had kicking around for a couple of years that I was going to put in my BMW sidecar but as I now have an 85 amphour 24kg deep cycle in it as the main and only battery I don't think it will be needed.
A bargain (about US$47) posted in Oz.

I may even pull out some old school 100+watt Cibie Super Oscars I have in the shed and convert them to HIDs and really light up the road. . I put a hi/low H4 HID in my '78 BMW R100RS reflector headlight and the cutoff and focus is very good, I was surprised. Also have some NIB German Hella cornering lamps that are mercury switched to only illuminate on the inner side when cornering that should work with the sidecar but maybe not a solo with different lean angles, gyro effect and inertia etc.

 

[EasTexRIII]

Oooooooooohhhhhhhhhh, Croft was referring to LED Bulbs in the Original reflector lense........... DOPE!
Now I'm back to kicking myself for spending all that wasted time on the fitment rings

 

[sonny]

Wow I spent over six Hundred dollars but it only took about twenty minutes to get them in and adjusted.

 

[Ishrub]

Wow I spent over six Hundred dollars but it only took about twenty minutes to get them in and adjusted.

That is retirees for you, time rich and miserly .

Probably took me longer writing all this up than doing it. The extensive warnings about fitting and adjustment is just to cover liability and comments/complaints from the pedants*.

Just like those terrible safety explanations on every device and item made for the US markets these days. They probably even have them on notepads now to warn of the risk of papercuts.

* I should know I share the inclination https://www.google.com/search?q=pedants&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=VlwMV8X3NIrO0ASK_IO4Dw

 

[sonny]

Sweet. Cheap China $hit is always better. You pay for what you get Period.

 

[Ishrub]

.......due to my extreme OCD I spent over 1 hour each with a dremmel cutting disc & Air grinder cutting out the 3 additional slots & grinding out the inside diameter of the ring to where it will slide over the lamp housing, as it is too tight to go over it if you don't ...................... NOW I FEEL BETTER that I went to the trouble

Oooooooooohhhhhhhhhh, Croft was referring to LED Bulbs in the Original reflector lense........... DOPE!
Now I'm back to kicking myself for spending all that wasted time on the fitment rings

JW Speaker 8630 Evolutions Fitted

.... JW Speaker 8630 Evolution headlights from www.ok4wd.com that were purchased for $385 each.

NOTE: When the lights are fitted to the stock shells, there is NO room for making the H4 connection in the shell. You must make the connection under the tank and the supplied leads are plenty long enough to reach......
...Now the tricky part. When fitting the 8630 to the shell, you do not use the positioning ring that comes with the stock headlight. The 8630 will more or less "click" into place to hold the correct position. Fit the headlight ring and tighten down firmly.......

Appears the JW Speaker version 8630 that tdragger fitted has the same issue re the inner steel tabbed positioning ring, yet a lot more hassle to fit as the H4 connection wont fit in the Rocket 3 light shell and dismantling plugs etc and re feeding bared wires to be reconnected and relocated. He also commented later that he definitely had to adjust after taking out on the road at night and some later posters gave good advice similar to mine above but more specific.

 

[EasTexRIII]

Wow I spent over six Hundred dollars but it only took about twenty minutes to get them in and adjusted.

Sonny, Since you say it only took 20 minutes, did your JWS's have the 3 "tabs" that fit into the 3 OEM slots on the alignment ring? And was the outside diameter the same as OEM's? Or did you just not use the alignment ring?
My Chicom's have 4 tabs (top, bottom, left, right) opposed to each other & I had to cut 3 new slots, larger than originals
AND had to grind the Inside diameter larger to get it to slip over the unit

 

[sonny]

Perfect fit. Two tabs but did fit directly into OEM slots on alignment ring. Outside diameter was the same. Did buy some longer screws for the rings on the outside but it turned out that the stock screws worked out just fine. Parking light required A new connection to fit properly but that was easy. JW sells two types one with H4 connections and one with the 3 prong connections. The 3 prong are hard to find but they are out there. I was really surprised on how it all fit up real simple and easy. With the dual lights on the roadster if you sit the lights correctly the problem of loosing your lights in a tight turn is eliminated. More than happy with the results. Very high quality part.

 

[EasTexRIII]

I hear ya on the high quality part! I'm glad that worked out easily for you - Another great benefit of spending the $$$ on the JWS's
Especially as much as you ride at night. I don't ride that much at night, so the trouble I had to go through to mount my Chicom's was well worth the $$ saved - At least when I do use them, they work great
Be safe....................

 

[Ishrub]

Pretty sure they were not turned on just flash reflection.

After having camera for 4 years+ finally got around to learning how to do a download.
Might tackle my last 8 years tax returns next though the bastards owe me so I call it a 'savings plan'.