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F800GT full LED headlights system

45K views 112 replies 39 participants last post by  theSpeedRacerX 
#1 ·
Hi everyone,

just wanted to share with you a small mod I did lately..

Basically, the context was that although being very happy with my F800GT I condider the original kighting system to be very average.
I decided to improve it and I initially fell in the trap of trying "white" halogen bulbs which were barely better that the stock bulbs. This was clearly just an expensive bandaid type fix.

I needed to achieve two goals:
First, an overall light quantity increase to spread the beam further and potentially wider
Second a color temp shift towards a white light to help being noticed by other road users, in the lane filtering context in particular.

So I decided to try some LED H7 bulbs such as these:
Camera lens Cameras & optics Lens Camera accessory Tire
Automotive tire Gas Electronic device Gadget Cylinder

They come with a ballast, an optional can bus error filter, and the harness. They feature an internal heat sink and a high speed fan to cool them down. The whole system is waterproof and nicely manufactured.
I ordered them in H7 format which is what is mounted on the F800GT as stock. The LED bulb flange is 100% identical as the stock H7 bulbs.

Upon reception, I mounted them in the headlight block, but I struggled a bit to clamp the spring wire retainer, as the LED bulb base is bulky. It carries the fan and the heat sink to there is a recess between the flange and the housing to clear the spring retainer, but not much. I used a small plier and after 5mn of struggle I finally locked them in place.

I connected them without the CAN bus error filter and I worked perfectly with a HUGE amount of light available. This is a chalk and cheese difference. There is no way I'm switching back to a halogen bulb, ever, period.

Now, since the back end of these bulb is more prominent that the stock halogen bulbs, I noticed that I can't put the lids back in place. See this picture about the stock lids:
Automotive tire Motor vehicle Steering part Automotive design Steering wheel


So I designed a pair of lids that would snap into the headlight block in lieu of the stock lids. Those would carry a emboss to clear the bulb back end, while being rain proof and providing the required venting, and cable clearance. I used Solidworks to create two digital models of the parts:
Automotive tire Automotive design Automotive lighting Rim Automotive wheel system
Output device Automotive lighting Rim Auto part Gadget
Auto part Metal Font Cylinder Titanium
Rectangle Watch Plastic Metal Circle

As you can see the right side is a bit different as it has to accommodate an existing 23° angle. The depth of each of them was defined based on the required clearance of the LED Bulb back end and the full left / right fork end point.

I then 3D-printed them online using selective laser sintering and got them in my mail 10 days later :)
Vehicle Car Motor vehicle Steering part Steering wheel
Automotive design Motor vehicle Automotive lighting Automotive tire Audio equipment


They fit perfectly and give a nice industrial finish to the modification.

I use this config for about 6 weeks now and it went thru rain, cleaning, sun and wind without any issue so war.
I even changed the parking light for a led bulb to match the color temp and style; found a 5€ led bulb that did the trick and matched spot on.

Next step: a new SC project muffler on my GT in about 10 days, can't wait!

I hope this experiment may inspire some users to switch the LED lights, this is just fantastic!

Cheers,

Remi
 
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#28 ·
Blueskip - great modification, and righteous 3D modeling skills. I'm adept at old school 2D work, but little seat time doing 3D. Your Shapeways parts are sintered _____? What alloy? Asking because of a similar project, for which heat transfer and structural rigidity are required.

Thanks for posting.
 
#33 · (Edited)
Cyclops led has an H7. I've installed in their h7 led into both low and high beam. You will not need special caps.

http://www.cyclopsadventuresports.com/H7-3200-lumen-LED-Headlight-bulb_p_86.html

For the high beam. Drilled a pattern of holes for venting. One larger hole for the wires to pass and used a rubber grommet to protect the wires. Tucked the control into the side. Cables didn't reach well enough to the controller tuck under

For the low beam. Same as high beam but did have to cut out the little reinforcements to give it s bit more room. Tucked the controller under neath.







Props to Boraaski for bring back a cyclops bulb from e national rally to try. Here are the two GTs side by side. Both with low beams on.

 
#37 ·
Cyclops led has an H7. I've installed in their h7 led into both low and high beam. You will not need special caps.

http://www.cyclopsadventuresports.com/H7-3200-lumen-LED-Headlight-bulb_p_86.html

For the high beam. Drilled a pattern of holes for venting. One larger hole for the wires to pass and used a rubber grommet to protect the wires. Tucked the control into the side. Cables didn't reach well enough to the controller tuck under

For the low beam. Same as high beam but did have to cut out the little reinforcements to give it s bit more room. Tucked the controller under neath.







Props to Boraaski for bring back a cyclops bulb from e national rally to try. Here are the two GTs side by side. Both with low beams on.

So if I understand what you've done correctly, you put the Cyclops "driver unit" on the outside of the headlight unit? I believe you used the term "controller" instead.

Also, are you getting enough cooling with the small holes? If the bulbs are waterproof, could you leave off the caps? Or would that lead to water getting inside the reflector?

Chris
 
#38 ·
With the cyclops bulbs yes, the driver controller unit thing is on the outside. For the high beam it is necessary and for the low because it does get warm. I had several conversations with the cyclops guy and he was saying the bulbs will not get as hot as the halogen. He didn't even think the small holes I put in were even necessary due to the bulb will be running at a lowered temperature than a halogen

Also, do a YouTube search for cyclops and f800. In the video they put the whole thing inside the reflector.
 
#39 ·
I noticed they have three different options for our bikes. Just the bulb for about $65. The high beam bulb and a plastic replacement cap. And the low and high beam bulbs with two replacement caps. From what I see of your installation, the caps aren't needed.

Was there any adapter to ensure the LED bulb was placed in the right place to take advantage of the halogen reflector?

Chris
 
#42 ·
Okay, Thanks to Remi, it got me thinking about fitting a set of LED headlight bulbs to my F8GT. I do 3D design & modelling for my own business so have no problems knocking up some caps to cover. I wanted to replace the whole cap rather than cut the original in case I wanted to return to stock later.
I got my set from a UK supplier via eBay so are different to the ones Remi has and also have the ballast built into the unit so a cleaner install.
Also I have my own FDM printer to do such things on so easy for me to play...

I printed my own design of cap from PETG material and it came out quite well, I just copied the original cap and then edited it to enlarge it to cope with the LED bulbs. I just fit the rubber seal off the standard cap to the 3D print cap for the seal.
Actually designing for FDM printing has some challanges to overcome to finish so not quite as easy as it sounds but once you have worked with FDM printing and got used to what you can and cannot do it becomes second nature when designing for FDM production.

The latch is not quite right (it's such a small detent on the housing) so I'm making version 2 which will have two lugs in case I need to secure it better with springs or something in case the latch pops off. Also on the low beam cap I am designing a boss to accept a on/off switch so I can run with the low beam off if I wish. When I'm training and behind student it's good to switch off the light as they can see my indicators better (that's how I tell which way I want them to go if I'm not on radio) and it doesn't distract them with the light off if I'm moving about behind for a safer position. so with me fumbling for the switch before we set off I wanted a very secure install.



Sadly, I still quite enjoy playing with stuff like this even when I spend all day doing it for work related projects, but especially when it has to to do with my motorcycles.

Version 2 to follow, and when my black PETG comes in I'll print mine in black instead of bright yellow [8D]
\v/
 
#110 ·
I got my set from a UK supplier via eBay so are different to the ones Remi has and also have the ballast built into the unit so a cleaner install.

Version 2 to follow, and when my black PETG comes in I'll print mine in black instead of bright yellow [8D]
\v/
Hey all, I'm reviving this thread to ask if the set on ebay is still available or Remi's design is available somewhere else? Most of the links in this thread are dead now and I'd like to do this mod. TIA!
 
#43 ·
QUOTE=Wisconsinkris;2314753]Two photos from a night ride

Cyclops h7 bulb ...[/QUOTE]

It seems the light is quite concentrated in the foreground to the extent I'm not sure if either or both are low or high beam.:confused:
 
#44 ·
QUOTE=Wisconsinkris;2314753]Two photos from a night ride

Cyclops h7 bulb ...

It seems the light is quite concentrated in the foreground to the extent I'm not sure if either or both are low or high beam.:confused:
I added and labeled the photos better. Sorry that they are taken with an iPhone but that is what I have. When high beams are on the auto adjust the iPhone does dims the up close.

The photos do not do justice to what the eyes see.
 
#45 ·
Kristoffer, did you have to adjust your headlights afterward?

I'm waiting about a half hour and then I'll post some pictures. I just finished with the high beam. One of my cameras is a DSLR and I can duplicate the same settings I used last night with the OEM bulbs, so we can get a side by side comparison.

Chris
 
#47 ·
The lights are installed. There is an improvement, but it is hard to quantify. I tried to take identical pictures, i.e., same F-stop, speed and ISO settings. However, I'm just a little off on positioning. Across both pictures, I'm a little farther back with the LED headlights. Not enough to make much difference for what you see though.

I was hoping for double the light output since the LED bulbs put out 3400 lumens compared to about 1500 lumens for a halogen H7. I don't think it is that much at all.

Halogen

Automotive lighting Hood Car Vehicle Road surface


LED

Automotive lighting Hood Automotive tire Road surface Asphalt


Halogen

Hood Automotive design Automotive lighting Automotive exterior Tints and shades


LED

Asphalt Road surface Landscape Tints and shades Sky


You may see something different than I'm getting from this. But here's what I'm getting from this.
  • The light is whiter. Is it brighter?
  • The cutoff against the garage door is acceptable and far better than I've seen on another bike with HID lighting. In all cases, I'm holding the bike from moving with my right foot on the brake, which means the bike is slightly leaning to the left.
  • The light is concentrated in the middle...where the road will be. That's an advantage I think, because it is covering about double the area.

I noticed when I moved my Subaru back into the driveway that the lights are aimed higher than I have on the bike. I'm thinking I can move part of that light seen in the driveway picture out a little farther and get some additional reach on the beam pattern without blinding anyone.

All in all, while not a dramatic change, I'm happy. I'm getting better lighting...and saving about 50 watts total in my alternator budget.

Chris
 
#48 ·
All in all, while not a dramatic change, I'm happy. I'm getting better lighting...and saving about 50 watts total in my alternator budget.

Chris
Thanks for the write-up and pics, Chris. Exactly what I was wanting to know (how much light they throw out, not necessarily how bright they appear to oncoming traffic).
 
#49 ·
I took the bike down the driveway again and adjusted the headlight up some. There's enough light output to do that and not have the light pattern washed out. I'll do some checking to make sure I'm not blinding others. I try to be real sensitive to that. There's so much traffic around here and folks are getting older with the resulting difficulty in quickly adjusting to bright lights shining in their eyes. I'd hate to contribute to someone having an accident.

Chris
 
#51 ·
I wish that I had heard of these sooner - many thanks for the tip. I imported a pair of the Cycloc LED H7s to the UK (zero import duty, just VAT and extra £8 added by Royal Mail). A quick scan of Amazon Japan shows a huge number of lower quality and lower output ones, so these are very good.

I made no modifications to either low or high beam caps: inserting the controller inside the housing in the space behind the reflector is easily done in the dark for the low beam. For the high-beam, it was extremely awkward and I waited for daylight, but I did succeed (there seems to be only one possible way to cram the controller inside and even that makes the final '1/8th turn' of the lamp awkward).

Even though no aim adjustment was legally necessary, I found during filtering that motorists did not associate the brighter light with a bike (so were slower to react than before (old headlight + two LED spots)), so I dropped the 'heavy luggage' aiming lever down and, all-round, that works better for me and is still a stunning enhancement in the sticks.
 
#54 ·
H7 R3 LED HEADLIGHT

5 Stars 2 product reviews
$65.00 $45.00
(You save $20.00)
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

The Best LED Headlight on the market!

+Awesome beam pattern

Provides a distinct cutoff with low beam applications and unsurpassed distance for high beam applications. Guaranteed or your money back.

+Light output

4800 lumens @ 2.2 amps from a pair of Cree LEDs.

+ Maleable Mesh heatsink makes use of available space.

+ Grommet provided for installations that have a cover or cap behind the headlight. The mesh will protrude from the cover, how much depends on the cap height.

+5700k color temperature

+Waterproof

+External driver

+30,000 hour expected life.

These are onsale at ADVMonster for the holidays.

I haven't tried them on my BMW but I got an H4 for my KLR650 and it works great. The ones
ADVMonster is selling now look smaller...was a bit hard to fit into my klr light fixture.
 
#60 ·
Hello everyone! It have been a year since I put these lights in and after that time and about 6K miles, they are doing great. I had originally planned on adding some kind of aux lighting but haven't gotten around to it after changing my lights to this system. If you are on the fence on this, just do it!
 
#61 ·
Is it true cyclops do the h7 kit for the f800st which includes the cover? They mention that our European bikes have a flat cover. I have never seen anything different! Would anyone be kind to give the link of the correct kit I should be ordering?
Thanks in advance:)
 
#63 ·
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#62 ·
Joshua, I would order this part only. https://www.cyclopsadventuresports.com/4000-Lumen-H7-LED-Headlight-Bulb_p_86.html I put in the older version of that on my GT.

I was able to fit the driver inside the low beam headlight cover, but not the high beam. I ended up drilling a small hole on the edge of the high beam cover and leaving the driver on the outside and using velcro to hold it on the underside of the headlamp assembly. I suggest you do the same.

My low beam went out on a trip. The folks at Cyclops gave me a new LED bulb and driver. When I install it, I think I'll do the same as I did on the high beam and leave the driver on the outside of the headlamp assembly. I had been riding for hours in hot temperatures and I wonder if the bulb overheated. The bulb and that driver can get hot, and the temps were in the mid to high 90's.

Chris
 
#64 ·
If you live in the USA, I'd recommend going directly to Cyclops Adventure Sports themselves. Just looking at their website, they do worldwide delivery. The links above look like around a $50 markup from the Cyclops people themselves.

I don't know what the differences in the light housing are between a GT and a ST. I did fit them to my GT with no issues at all.

The H7 low beam fit with the "driver" inside the light housing and cap. The H7 high beam did not. I elected to drill a small hole for the wires to pass through and place the driver outside the light housing. It'll get better cooling anyway. Some velcro holds it under the light housing out of the way and where it isn't seen either.

Doing an install like that, will make the lights work on any bike. You'll only need the bulbs then. That gets the cost down to $65 per bulb.

Chris
 
#65 ·
We live across the pond unfortunately! I still wouldn't mind the $50 markup if the above link definitely fitted the ST. Taking your advice I might take the plunge and get the bulb kit on their own without the covers.

One final question: if you have drilled a hole , how is the high beam kept waterproof? Is the bulb and led driver waterproof?

Sorry that's 2 questions:p
 
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