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Post by oldchopperguy on May 14, 2016 1:43:51 GMT -5
Between family problems and weather, it took me a couple of months to finally get old "Minnie Mouse" buttoned back up and on the road, but I think the results may be worth the effort!
I did spend more time than really necessary insulating and protecting the wiring since it runs (fused) directly off the battery and runs close to HOT cooling pipes and the radiator. The switch runs off the factory running lights lead, to the relay. And I probably spent even more time making sure the lights and mounts were VERY solid, and shock-resistant mounted. It must have worked, since the LED's beams don't bounce at all...
They are SCARY bright, but I did aim them down and slightly to the right. I rode a half-hour tonight, and no oncoming traffic flashed their lights, so I think I have them about as "long-range" as possible without blinding oncoming vehicles. I am MORE than pleased with their performance. They are BETTER than my family Honda car lights! The only thing left to see is whether they are too much drain on the battery. They are only 30 watts total, little more than the factory bright-beam (55 watts). This old scoot has a SOLID charging system, so hopefully they will be OK.  Here are some shots from the rider's seat... Not great, but the best my old camera will do...
 This is the factory low-beam. It's not bad for a scooter.
 Here's the same view with the LED lights on. The close-up and peripheral lighting is phenomenal, and the pencil beams wipe out the factory light, and reach out more than a football field!
 Here's looking at the factory low-beam from50 feet away. Notice NO ground illumination close up.
 With the LED driving lights on, you can see how the ground gets fully lit-up... Hopefully, no more close calls with those pesky unpainted curbs that jump out in the left-turn lanes... LOL!
  And... The infamous "Illuminated Swan"... No telling HOW many old-school high-school kids' cars THIS piece of history has adorned... Maybe even my own first car, a 1950 Chevy... The old goose is wired into the factory running-lights circuit (like the LED switch) but has a hidden weatherproof toggle-switch under the scooter nose, so I can turn it on or off separate from the other lights).
While riding tonight, I came upon some guys on new Harley baggers. We rode together a while, and they were surprised I could keep up with them at 70+ mph. These LED lights compared very well to their Harley "Daymaker" LED headlights! So... for riders who ride their scoots on totally dark roads, LED auxiliary driving lights are small, inexpensive ways to get some SERIOUS light on that black pavement. They should be an excellent way to avoid animals, unpainted curbs, potholes, road-debris, etc. while pushing our scoots "into the unknown"... Yup!Ride safe!Leo (seeing things in a new light) in Texas
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Post by wheelbender6 on May 14, 2016 7:39:46 GMT -5
That's a big improvement, Leo. Looks like a locomotive coming with the LEDs burning. I worry about hitting the median curb during left turns because they aren't painted around here.
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Post by oldchopperguy on May 14, 2016 12:30:03 GMT -5
That's a big improvement, Leo. Looks like a locomotive coming with the LEDs burning. I worry about hitting the median curb during left turns because they aren't painted around here.
THAT is the MAIN reason for my use of the driving lights... Have a bone! Far too many unpainted curbs protruding into the traffic lanes you're in while crossing an intersection around here. My neighbor just TOTALED his Jeep SUV on one which didn't even define a turn-lane. It just protruded three feet into the traffic lane he was going straight in. It wiped out his entire front suspension, and rolled the tall Jeep. Several motorcycles have hit the same curb, seriously injuring the riders. And, added to the "plethora of junk" laying in traffic lanes, there are genuine concerns when riding at night. Only time will tell, but my "goal" was to add driving lights which could be used on poorly lit, or totally-dark roads without blinding oncoming traffic. We did the same 50 years ago with Harley baggers. Most came equipped with dual driving lights which were police-style spotlights on a crossbar. They were good, but used ENORMOUS amounts of juice and were still not as bright as these LED's.
These LED's replicate that early system of auxiliary lighting, but are brighter, and use only 15 watts each. Now, scooters do NOT have the huge batteries and alternators of the Harley Davidson, so wattage IS a real concern. I don't want to drain the battery while riding, and I don't think I will. The factory high-beam is 55 watts, and this pair of LED's is 60 watts. And, these lights are no bigger than a small flashlight, and, together with the aluminum crossbar mount weigh less than 3 pounds. Those old Hog lights and crossbar were about 15 pounds... Can't hang THAT off plastic! Well, you could, but I wouldn't... LOL! Only time will tell, but with just one short ride last night, it looks like I did apparently achieve my goal... I can spot a curb, pothole, muffler or hubcap in the road a hundred yards off. Close up, the peripheral illumination is fantastic, providing extra confidence when turning into pitch-dark alleys, etc. A .45 Colt on your hip also provides extra confidence in those dark alleys, but that's a 'nuther story... LOL! On a black 2-lane with NO street-lighting, I can see a cat or dog... coyote, deer, drunk pedestrian, etc. crossing the road 500 feet ahead! My old eyes are NOT what they once were, and neither are my reflexes, but now I have an extra second or more to react to what I see on the highway at night (even more reaction time at city speeds) and THAT can be a life-saver! And no oncoming traffic has flashed their brights at me yet, so it seems the LED's don't blind oncoming traffic... That depends a lot on how they're aimed. I made sure the pencil-beams do NOT cross the center-line, only lighting from the right-hand gutter to the left side of the lane. I'm already running 10 watts of extra LED's on my trunk, but I'll only use the new lights when necessary. I'll post any problems of battery-drain if they show up, but I don't think they will. Ride safe!Leo in Texas |
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Post by rockynv on May 15, 2016 11:36:44 GMT -5
Those unpainted curbs that stick out can be a problem at night. I rode over one a while ago on a moonless night but the 15" wheels on the Aprilia just soaked it up and made for an easy recovery.
Low focused lighting is what you need to see those things.
Some aim their aux lighting to hit street signs and such which is really bad in a fog or mist and when other drivers may be present.
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Post by oldchopperguy on May 15, 2016 15:54:36 GMT -5
Those unpainted curbs that stick out can be a problem at night. I rode over one a while ago on a moonless night but the 15" wheels on the Aprilia just soaked it up and made for an easy recovery. Low focused lighting is what you need to see those things. Some aim their aux lighting to hit street signs and such which is really bad in a fog or mist and when other drivers may be present.
Rockynv,
You're absolutely right! Have a bone!With super-bright auxiliary lights, aiming is critical not to blind traffic, or reflect back, blinding yourself. I believe I have these about right, really lighting the pavement (not the sky and trees...) and not bothering oncoming traffic (at least so far...).
You REALLY dodged the bullet, hitting a curb and not wrecking out. Some of the "camouflaged" curbs around here are 10" high and must be "leftovers" from previous left-turn lanes. One of the worst is the one I mentioned that totaled my neighbors big Jeep. That Jeep had much bigger wheels/tires than any bike, and the front wheels were simply obliterated, tires and all, and the Jeep rolled. All the undercarriage was wiped out. Most scooters would have stopped dead against that curb. Big-wheel scoots might catapult over, leaving the front fork in the gutter but Heaven help the rider... EEEEWWWW! Those are the truly AWFUL ones I REALLY want to SEE before a "close encounter of the worst kind"... LOL! Keep watch, and ride safe!Leo |
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Post by rockynv on May 16, 2016 3:31:04 GMT -5
Don't you kiddo's also get some pretty horrific heaves and ripples in the road too? As memory serves some would have done well to promote the first flight. Those must be pretty hard to see especially at night.
One thing to watch out for when upgrading your bulbs or even changing them especially if you have the automotive type mounts is that you get the bulbs and holders securely in place. I have seen too many folks only kind-sorta get them in only to have them come loose and cut a slot in the plastic lamp housing from the heat of the lit bulbs glass touching the plastic.
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Post by spandi on May 16, 2016 9:15:22 GMT -5
Great job Leo. The better to see (and be seen, especially at night.)
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Post by ricardoguitars on May 16, 2016 10:02:49 GMT -5
Nicely done, where did you get the led light from? Mine is flickering and not as bright as yours, that's what happen when you get cheap stuff out of Ebay, lol  |
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Post by oldchopperguy on May 16, 2016 20:10:58 GMT -5
Nicely done, where did you get the led light from? Mine is flickering and not as bright as yours, that's what happen when you get cheap stuff out of Ebay, lol
If your LED's are connected to an AC circuit (which many Chinese scoots are) you'll need a bridge-rectifier to convert the AC to DC current for the LED's to settle-down and work properly (unless they connect directly to the battery). The sellers of LED's say they will work with AC, but they do NOT like AC.
Mine indeed ARE cheap ones off eBay... The seller CLAIMS they use genuine CREE LED's. Maybe so, probably not... LOL! My Kymco does use DC current for the headlights, but, I actually connected directly to the BATTERY, with only the SWITCH spliced into the headlight wiring (so the LED's cannot be accidentally turned on with the headlights off).
If your scoot uses AC, I'd recommend simply hooking the LED's directly to the battery (FUSED, please...) and that would eliminate the need for the bridge-rectifier altogether. Most likely, a heavy-duty SWITCH is all that's really needed. I used a RELAY because my factory brights use one... Just overly cautious.It's likely that DC current will cure the flickering. Worth a try! Ride safe,Leo |
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Post by oldchopperguy on May 22, 2016 15:23:17 GMT -5
Don't you kiddo's also get some pretty horrific heaves and ripples in the road too?
Yes, indeed we DO have some washboard ripples that would make a Chinese laundry envious... LOL!The much brighter LED's DO make them obvious by creating dark shadows at each ripple, which does help a lot. So far, even the worst of them have not made my scoot act dangerously. Even my old Chinese 150 negotiated them OK. Of course, spread out over enough distance, at any speed, they certainly COULD set up a "high-speed-wobble" (even at low speed). Those are killers even on a high-end crotch-rocket.
Always best to avoid them altogether if possible, or at least slow down!Ride safe! Leo
PS: I can't help but think how much fun you could have with about 4, or 6 of these LED's mounted in the rear window of your car or truck, aiming backwards at windshield-level, when some cretin is tailgating you with his brights on...  I know, I'm SO rotten... |
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Post by rockynv on May 23, 2016 4:27:04 GMT -5
I have seen pictures of some heaves that look like they are 3 to 5 feet tall on some Texas Interstates during the dog days of summer. Those seem like they would be unrecoverable in anything except for the General Lee.
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Post by oldchopperguy on May 24, 2016 9:04:26 GMT -5
I have seen pictures of some heaves that look like they are 3 to 5 feet tall on some Texas Interstates during the dog days of summer. Those seem like they would be unrecoverable in anything except for the General Lee. Those pix are usually taken with a long telephoto lens, making them REALLY look dramatic (like photos of stretches of railroad track that look like a bad worm-fence) and in fact ARE probably 3 to 5 feet tall, but are spread over hundreds of yards. In reality, just gentle "ocean-wave" rolling ups and downs. Now, those rare (thankfully) sink-holes that swallow whole cars, bridges and houses are another story... Somehow, they seem to always appear in the middle of a busy highway, or under some poor soul's house, killing whomever is unlucky enough to be there when the hole opens up. EEEWWW! Seems there are many "holes" in the earth lurking just below a thin crust of dirt. When the building, road or whatever finally fatigues that thin crust, it all falls into an "underground canyon" of emptiness. You just never know just what kind of mischief is lurking UNDER your seemingly "solid" ground! Ride safe!Leo |
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