LED Bulbs

[Fraggle]

Hi,

I have a 1980 R65. Can anyone tell the type of bulbs in the rear light cluster & also the pilot light so that I can replace them with brighter LEDs?

[Barry]

The rear lamp has separate bulbs for stop and tail. The stop lamp is a 21W ba15s and the tail a 5W ba15s.  

In terms of light output the 5W bulb will be in the region of 35 - 50 lumens which many consider inadequate by modern standards and up it to a 10W bulb of the same physical envelope size which should provide 125 lumens.  I would target your LED lamp at the higher output. The brake lamp should be at least 300 lumens.

The stock pilot light is a 5W ba9s and is pretty useless except as a parking light. As a day time running light a 10W halogen will triple the light output to 140 lumens and a 20 W halogen will give 320 lumens. Stock H4 Head light bulbs on dipped beam by comparison are 1000 lumens.

[Ed Miller]

Barry, you sure know a lot of stuff.

If I wanted LEDs for my tail light (and I do, come to think of it) I would probably go with the Beacon 2:

http://www.motoelekt.com/lighting.htm

I like LED arrays much better than the little bulb replacement options.  I have one on my Triumph, though a few of the individual LEDs have failed over the years.  Hey, the vibration doesn't bug me.  Stuff falling off does.

[Fraggle]

thanks for the replies, just what  I needed

[Luca]

+1 on the Beacon 2.  Simple installation and an incredible improvement in light output.  I even noticed that the GEN lamp would go out a little bit sooner once I installed it.

[montmil]

What often occurs here in the Colonies, with our DOT laws requiring head and tail lights on at all times. is that some owner will make the mistake of replacing the physically smaller 5Wba15s tail light bulb with a larger, higher wattage 1156 single-contact bulb. The result is a melted hole in the plastic lens due to; 1) constant high heat, and 2) close proximity to the lens. Oops.

Trading for an 1156 LED bulb will eliminate melted expensive tail light lenses while increasing lumens.

[Fraggle]

OK, switched out the rear 2 x bulbs with LEDs, quite a bit brighter.

Significant, for me, is the difference in the parking light - see attached. Seems much safer riding with that on (at 1.2W) than riding with the standard.

[Barry]

Significant, for me, is the difference in the parking light - see attached. Seems much safer riding with that on (at 1.2W) than riding with the standard.
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Any details on the LED used to replace the parking light ?



I run a 10W tail lamp without problems but it must be the same physical envelope size as the original 5W and not the larger one usually used for stop lights.

[Fraggle]

the pilot light is described as 233 LED 9 SMD

The stop & tail light are the same physical size as the bigger bulb, but has a flat top - this doesn't seem to foul the rear light lens.

The pilot light was a bit of fiddle to mount, I put it in through the headlight bulb aperture and held it there with a finger whilst I put the holder on to the bulb.

The "normal" bulb is the pilot light for comparison..