LED headlights

I went with the spiderman recommendation for the G6's, which I thought were fine enough, but the F2's do indeed bump things up a notch. I don't see how you can go wrong with them. Other manufacturers appear to be catching up with similar LED placements and shields, but nothing is compelling me to try them since I have the F2's. And they're a lot cheaper than some of the alternatives who make great claims, e.g. Cyclops.
 
RaYzerman said:
I went with the spiderman recommendation for the G6's, which I thought were fine enough, but the F2's do indeed bump things up a notch. I don't see how you can go wrong with them. Other manufacturers appear to be catching up with similar LED placements and shields, but nothing is compelling me to try them since I have the F2's. And they're a lot cheaper than some of the alternatives who make great claims, e.g. Cyclops.
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Who makes the F2’s? And do I need anything else to make the conversion? I saw someone mention adapters, transformers etc.
Thanks guys great info!
 
Morguns1cam said:
Who makes the F2’s?
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A company called Evitek. They are sold under many different names. See the links in post #4 above for sources.
Morguns1cam said:
And do I need anything else to make the conversion? I saw someone mention adapters, transformers etc.
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If you have an ST1100 H4 Adapter Rings Compatible with Honda ST1100 are required after cutting off the two bottom alignment tabs from the new bulb.
If you have an ST1300 the tabs must still be removed but nothing else is required despite the above link stating that these adapters are for the ST1300 as well.
 
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I have replaced my bulbs many times. turn the front wheel towards the bulb you are going to remove. Then go in front of the bike down on one knee and reach under the front cowling to get to the back of the bulb. your index finger will find the wire bail just on the top side of the bulb. press in on the bail and sweep it to your right to unlatch it. The bulb should come out and drop down to fender level, now squeeze hard on the sides of the plug to remove it from the bub.

to put in the led bulb remove the two bottom tabs (like you would for a H4 bulb) then remove the ring from the bulb and install it first. It is a lot easier to set the wire bail without the fan in the way. now plug in the bulb and then insert it into the ring with the wire down and the shields on the bottom. twist the bulb level.
now I tuck the power wart into a small pocket in the tupperware...

I have about 30k miles with a pair of F2's with no sign of degradation..
The wife's van has about 15k miles too.
 
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While I read the claims of superlong life with LED's, I don't know if they will go 50,000 hours.... many times longer than halogens.... yet they aren't a whole lot more than good halogen bulbs in cost. Two years on the G6's and transferred them to another bike, running the F2's now this year. The transformers you speak of are their power supplies..... which you have to find a spot for and zip tie them to something to stay out of the way of your forks turning.... no biggie.
 
"I have replaced my bulbs many times" --- so that you do have to do what I have done.......
It all started before this one
https://www.st-owners.com/forums/threads/how-to-modify-h4-led-to-reduce-glare-st1300.146534/
then this one
https://www.st-owners.com/forums/threads/h4-led-2018-evitek-f2-replaces-g6.162067/
then this
https://www.st-owners.com/forums/threads/why-brighter-more-focused-leds-are-better.168356/

We have made a lot of progress in the last four years......

I am just the village idiot,..... The so called experts kept telling me that it could not be done, if it could be, then the big boys would have already done it, and that I was wasting my time, and what I had done was not good enough..... but I did not listen to them, .... (please read this last as pure humor - I have no issues...)
 
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There are many who can recite memorized facts with great conviction, and a few who can see the other possibilities not yet written......
I did not have time for their drama so I quietly moved on.... just a good laugh....
 
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ST-Traveler said:
I have no idea how to install these but I guess I will try to figure it out once they get here.
Any tips are appreciated.
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See post 36 in the thread Replacement Headlight Bulbs for my best info. Here's the executive summary, for the ST1300. I expect some slight differences if you're doing this on an 1100, as for example you need the shims to correctly position the bulbs. On an ST1300, you do not need (or want) them:

  • Remove the fairings to open access to the work area
  • Disconnect existing bulb from headlight wiring loom by squeezing the sides of the socket and pulling the socket off the base of the bulb
  • Remove rubber boot
  • Open the wire bail by unhooking the inboard end from the slot in the mount and swinging the bail free
  • Remove existing bulb
  • Remove the mounting "collar" from the rest of the LED bulb assembly
  • Remove the two lower tabs from the collar (a Dremel tool works well for this task, followed by a file to smooth things out)
  • Install the mounting collar and secure by closing the wire bail. Use the orientation "index" (flat spot at the bottom) to ensure you have it correctly placed.
  • Reinstall the rubber boot BEFORE installing the emitter, ensuring that the opening does not impede / interfere with the opening in the mounting collar
  • Insert the LED emitter/fan assembly through the boot and collar. Seat it home firmly.
    • Wiring pigtail should be at the bottom
    • Low beam cutoff shields should be concave-up
  • Connect the pigtail from the emitter to the pigtail with the matching connector on the transformer / power supply and secure with the lock ring.
  • Mount the power supply securely to a convenient frame member, using zip ties. Tidy up the wiring if needed. Be sure it is placed out of the way of tupperware reinstallation, particularly the inner cowls.
  • Connect the other pigtail on the power supply to the headlight wiring loom socket.
  • Repeat on other side
  • Test your work.
    • This is the best time to check for bulb function and set / adjust proper aim.
  • Reinstall tupperware.
  • Go ride.
 
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ST-Traveler said:
Thanks for the quick tip, Do you have a pic of the bulb from the front so I know how to install the flat side of the bulb? ( make sense?)
Also how did you finally avoid the sharp right angle you think damaged the wire?
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It turns out that it wasn't the bend, per se, that caused my problem but rather the fact that it was right up against the hard plastic edge of the housing. When the bulb is installed correctly, the rubber boot acts as a cushion between the housing and the wiring harness. In this "Don't-do-it-this-way" photo you can see where the wiring was in contact with that hard edge.

242387

And in the "This-is-the-RIGHT-way" photo you see the pigtail at the bottom of the unit, cushioned by the rubber boot. That also positions the blade with the emitters in the correct orientation. (More on that, below.)

242388

I don't have a front-on photo of the bulb in place, but the "blade" that has the emitters should be vertical, with the little "cup" shield around the low beam element oriented concave-up (it is faced concave-left in the photo below). This will happen naturally when you put the thing in with the wiring pigtail coming off the bottom of the fan assembly. And that flat spot I mentioned in my synopsis above - the "orientation index"- is what you see at the bottom of the collar. You can see where I removed the lower tabs and filed the stumps smooth, too.

242386
 
ibike2havefun said:
It turns out that it wasn't the bend, per se, that caused my problem but rather the fact that it was right up against the hard plastic edge of the housing. When the bulb is installed correctly, the rubber boot acts as a cushion between the housing and the wiring harness. In this "Don't-do-it-this-way" photo you can see where the wiring was in contact with that hard edge.

242387

And in the "This-is-the-RIGHT-way" photo you see the pigtail at the bottom of the unit, cushioned by the rubber boot. That also positions the blade with the emitters in the correct orientation. (More on that, below.)

242388

I don't have a front-on photo of the bulb in place, but the "blade" that has the emitters should be vertical, with the little "cup" shield around the low beam element oriented concave-up (it is faced concave-left in the photo below). This will happen naturally when you put the thing in with the wiring pigtail coming off the bottom of the fan assembly. And that flat spot I mentioned in my synopsis above - the "orientation index"- is what you see at the bottom of the collar. You can see where I removed the lower tabs and filed the stumps smooth, too.

242386
Click to expand...
HOw did you cut the 2 tabs at the bottom? did you use a grinder or dremmel?
 
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