Hitchcocks Forum

Hi all, don't like the way the headlight bulb flashes on tickover and gets brighter and dimmer with the engine, has anyone tried an LED headlight bulb (UK LEGAL) and if so does it have the same problem as the standard type bulb, cheers in advance.

What bike / year etc? AC or DC headlight?

Its a 2004 classic 500 4 speed.

The joys of direct lighting, a cheap and nasty form of lighting I thought went out with older BSA Banatams & the many small villers engined two strokes with their flywheel magnetoes

Is re-wiring not as simple as plumbing the head light straight into the 12v circuits, even if via a relay ?

Bertie,
Not quite....
You need to wire ALL the output from the alternator through the rectifier/regulator so there is enough to go round. As it is the alternator delivers some of it's power as AC direct (via a voltage regulator) to the headlamp.
The next problem is that the original rectifier and regulator are not really up to all that power (or at least pretty suspect) so a new, better one needs to be fitted. No relay required (although some people like one)

Bertie,



I understand where you're coming from with the LED, as with its much lower power draw it would be less affected by power fluctuations at lower engine rpm. However, seeing as how we are in Bullet World, there are a couple of buts.



I have tried an LED headlamp bulb in my Electra-X and it seemed fine, but make sure you have one that isn't too bulky at the back, as some are, where it might foul the speedometer if you have the standard casquette headlamp. Also I don't think any LEDs would work on alternating current, you might have to replace the AC regulator with its own regulator rectifier or re-wire the alternator connections as per PeteF's comment.



A.