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Ratbuell
| Posted on Friday, February 25, 2022 - 10:22 am: |
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So...with the price of fuel going up...and up...and up...(thanks, Biden...), I can see the Uly getting a metric ton of miles put on it this season (and the CR). I know folks were batting around a couple different upgrade headlights a couple years ago...is there anything new or decidedly amazing on the XB-S and XB-X lighting front? I already have the both-on mod, along with HID low beam and LED high beam and LED aux lights...but looking for something cleaner and honestly, better. The HID is bright, but the reflector still sucks and doesn't put the light where it needs to be. Just curious if anyone had any earth-shaking advances in forward lighting for these... |
Hughlysses
| Posted on Friday, February 25, 2022 - 10:50 am: |
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I’ve seen people installing a complete new headlight assembly with built-in LED’s; I think it’s out of Europe. I’ll see if I can find a link. Here you go: https://www.lightningleds.nl Apparently out of the Netherlands. They maybe available from someone in the US. |
Ratbuell
| Posted on Friday, February 25, 2022 - 10:53 am: |
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I saw the lightning unit. Nice...spendy though. I wonder - has anyone done a conversion to a 7" sealed beam like from a tube frame Buell? I know tuber guys put XB lights on (no idea why anyone would do that...) but I wonder if the opposite could be done? May look at that...I have an old M2 front end with headlight bucket and brackets...hmmm..... |
Hughlysses
| Posted on Friday, February 25, 2022 - 10:56 am: |
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Yikes! The deluxe version is 250 Euros, which is $281.20 at current exchange rates. |
Hughlysses
| Posted on Friday, February 25, 2022 - 11:03 am: |
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I found this pic; that’s an inverted Harley Fatbob headlight.
That may well be just as pricey, an inverting a headlight might send the light directly into the eyes of oncoming drivers which would be a bad idea at night, but it looks reasonably stock. (Message edited by Hughlysses on February 25, 2022) |
Hughlysses
| Posted on Friday, February 25, 2022 - 11:23 am: |
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These Chinese jobs are on eBay from multiple sources, about $185: https://www.ebay.com/itm/363279718633?epid=6038870 265&hash=item54952898e9:g:41gAAOSwoZFgGRPK |
Ratbuell
| Posted on Friday, February 25, 2022 - 01:12 pm: |
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I a) wonder what light output is actually like on those Chinesium units, and b) try real hard not to send money to the ChiComs whenever possible. I can start looking for used Fat Bob lights I suppose... |
Hughlysses
| Posted on Friday, February 25, 2022 - 02:11 pm: |
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I'm with you on avoiding Chinesium if practicable. I noticed these lights are also listed on Amazon for about $198 with free shipping and they're allegedly in stock there. You have to wait on it to come from China if you order on eBay. The reviews were about 9/10 good, with the 10th one saying the low beam went out after ~3 months of occasional riding. I'd imagine they're a significant improvement in light over stock, but who knows on the reliability. Apparently the Fatbob stock unit is not LED, but there are LED inserts available for about $75 each x 2 or you could just install LED bulbs. I was thinking you can probably turn the housing upside down if that makes it easier to mount, but rotate the reflector inserts 180 degrees so that the beams are directed correctly to avoid blinding oncoming traffic. I did a quick eBay search for used Fatbob lights and the first one I saw was $300 which seems pretty ridiculous. I also saw several kits listed to replace the "ugly" stock lights (the ones we want) with single light assemblies, so it seems like there'd be plenty of used ones available. |
Hughlysses
| Posted on Friday, February 25, 2022 - 02:21 pm: |
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Ha! I found a thread discussing the ChiCom lights here. It should be at the top of the BB&D forum now; I asked how the lights are holding up after ~2 years. I'll be interested to see if anybody responds. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/142 838/870537.html |
Dammechanic
| Posted on Friday, March 11, 2022 - 08:40 am: |
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I bought one of the light assemblies like the one list from the Netherlands off eBay. The low beam is a huge upgrade over the stock lighting but the highbeam is just ok. It like the LED light wave just doesn’t travel as far as HID or other types of halogen bulbs. |
Lew360
| Posted on Friday, March 11, 2022 - 08:00 pm: |
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I bought a 3D printed LED assembly from eBay Like this, but with a chrome reflector. He also has a printed grill. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Buell-LED-Headlight-Modul e-XB9S-XB12S-direct-bolt-on-w-Black-reflector-/234 444481192?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890 .l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0 I did a Google album with pics and a video https://photos.app.goo.gl/6ZGhXv7MR8Cu96Cr5 Hope that all worked. |
Dammechanic
| Posted on Friday, March 11, 2022 - 08:34 pm: |
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That’s the same one that I bought. |
Cletusberontwood
| Posted on Friday, March 11, 2022 - 09:31 pm: |
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Oooh lighting - a topic I love to talk about and recently took action on with my Uly. I was out riding the other night and could barely make out where the turn was, and I knew it was time to figure out something with my lights. I looked at the replacement units from Lightning Leds and talked with the owner over chat. Really nice guy and nice product. Really nice to have something that has OEM fitment. I also looked at the FatBob option and came across a company called JW Speaker, who makes really nice quality headlight upgrades for Harleys and Jeeps. The one for the FatBob and also is noted for custom fitments is called the JW Speaker Model 93M and has a dual light pod, just like our Buell XBs. There is currently one on Ebay right now. I'm not sure if JW Speaker still makes these, but they don't seem to be readily available on the aftermarket. To mount on our bikes, you would mount the pod upside down to what you would on the FatBob and it appears you can rotate the lights within the pod to have them oriented correctly. Then I began looking for options to enhance what I already have. What is the brightest bulb I can put in the housing. We already know that LEDs don't typically play well with halogen housings, and typically blinds oncoming traffic. I think there is possibly a company who has a setup that can work in projector housings - quality stuff, my buddy bought lights from them, but pricey too at around $149 for two bulbs. Then I continued my search and checked out some thoughts on the brightest H7 bulbs out there and came across this info on candlepowerforums about this German made bulb (Osram) which had a H9 burner on a H7 base - I think this essentially means, you had a H9 bulb, that fits within H7 assemblies. This bulb is 65W instead of the standard 55W and this creates a good increase in lumens - he shared that the standard 55W H7 produces 1410 lumens, versus his 65W H7 which makes 2100 lumens, also said the the 10W increase does not pose a risk to circuitry or the lamps. DanielSternlighting.com is a site I have known about and referenced for info for about twenty years now. I contacted Daniel about this bulb, which he actually contracted to have built (Osram no longer makes this bulb). Very knowledgeable and nice guy. I bought two of his H7 bulbs and they are en route. Not cheap, but certainly the cheapest of the options I was considering, and maintains the factory setup. Here's the link to what I bought, scroll down to H7. https://www.danielsternlighting.com/products/products.html (Message edited by cletusberontwood on March 11, 2022) |
Tootal
| Posted on Saturday, March 12, 2022 - 07:31 pm: |
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I have the Osram "Rally" H9/7 bulbs in the stock housing. There was a big improvement but, as others have noted, the lens is horrible. It's like the high beam is just a repeat of the low beam. Everything is brighter but it still doesn't send the light further down the road. Lew360, how do you like them? I was considering this but would love some first hand experience. |
Lew360
| Posted on Saturday, March 12, 2022 - 08:37 pm: |
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I hoped my Google files would help people see what I see, but maybe not. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I completely love them. I was bummed that the stock cage wouldn't fit but I got them anyway. When he said he was making the printed cage I was first in line. Worth the money in my opinion. |
Tootal
| Posted on Monday, March 14, 2022 - 01:13 pm: |
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Thanks for spelling it out for me! In the picture I can see the brightness but how it looks behind the handlebars going down the road is what I was after and you affirmed that it works well. The lens makes the real difference. It's like some of the HID's were very bright but the light scattered everywhere and not exactly where you wanted it. Thanks for the confirmation. I may put this on the short list of improvements. |
Ratbuell
| Posted on Friday, March 18, 2022 - 12:27 pm: |
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Nice thing right now is, days are longer...so less headlight time in general commuting to work. And at $5 a gallon? I've got the Uly back into commuter duty! I still want to do a lighting upgrade though... |
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