How to make your own LED headlight.

I have thought about it. I was thinking about using some contacts I now have and making ready-made LED headlights in standard motorcycle sizes-- 6", 6.5", 7", etc. Not sure on the price, but it wouldn't make sense to make it too expensive. Non-DOT headlights seem to be around $50. Maybe around double with a good order quantity. I have some good contacts with some big vendors so it might sell okay. The risk would be mine, so I have to be sure people would buy them.

If I started a petition thread, would everyone here sign it honestly?
 
trek97 said:
Are those clip ons welded to the fork tapers ?
Click to expand...

The bars are welded to the tapered bosses I had machined. The bosses have a shoulder that grabs the top of the fork tapers and set screws keep them from rotating.
 
OK I was really confused for a minute there. it really looks like they are welded directly to forks.
 
Couple ?'s
1. Hows that epoxy holding up to the vibrations a bike puts out?
2. Whats the best way to cut the headlight shells, I cant tell if they are metal or plastic.
 
tobydmv said:
Couple ?'s
1. Hows that epoxy holding up to the vibrations a bike puts out?
2. Whats the best way to cut the headlight shells, I cant tell if they are metal or plastic.
Click to expand...

1. Not sure. To be honest, I've been quite busy and haven't had much time to get the fuel injection system working enough to ride it. I'll try to get back at it soon.

2. I did it with a hole saw, which wasn't all that great, so I finished up the hole with a dremmel. The shell was metal.
 
As far as headlight shells are concerned, I am using the shell from an RZ (YPVS) Yamaha and the hole is just about the perfect size without cutting!

I imagine the same shell was used on many other Yamahas from around the same time.
Although I don't know if it is permissible to use the shells on a Honda product - Soichiro probably wouldn't approve.
 
Let me know if you do decide to sell them. I would be interested in purchasing one or two.
 
I know this thread is old, but if going with the 1000ma setup, is their any difference in other items used, such as the 10k pot, or anything?
 
who-is-awesome.jpg
 
bigpimpdx said:
I know this thread is old, but if going with the 1000ma setup, is their any difference in other items used, such as the 10k pot, or anything?
Click to expand...

Sorry I never responded to this! To be honest, I'm not sure. I'm fairly confident it will be the same pot, but I will check with the wizard (my electrical engineer father) and get back to you on it. Also, if anyone is interested, there are a number of companies now selling H1, H2, H4, etc LED light "bulbs" that are EXTREMELY bright and have high/low capability. We're starting to use them in the race cars. They aren't cheap, but if people wanted to go the capitalist route rather than the hole saw way, there are options out there that would fit a non-DOT non-sealed beam bucket.
 
MBellRacing said:
Fit the diode in between the capacitor's leads (the capacitor should sit coaxial to the diode, if you've bought a diode with leads shooting out both ends, bend them 90 degrees) and wrap the positive lead around the capacitor's and solder it in place. Do the same for the negative leads.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7022/6755905497_44b5710ed5_b.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7023/6756637731_7292c71d3f_b.jpg
Click to expand...

As I read it, the written instructions contradict the diagram. The diode should be installed with its negative post connected to positive of the capacitor. Other than that, I can attest the this light does function, though I found myself with a complete short when the diode was installed per the written instructions. I remedied this (temporarily) by disconnecting the VIN- from the diode/capacitor array all together and thusly removed the anti-reverse polarity protection (asides from hooking the battery up backwards I'm not sure why I need it).

Additionally, there is no mention of the use of the VIN- in the written instructions. The VIN- should connect to negative side of the capacitor, this terminates at the ground to chassis.

If you are wiring an RD350 ('74), or presumably other Yamaha's of a similar era, wire the headlight to turn on via light switch (on/off switch on throttle side), then use the low beam circuit to close the low beam potentiometer circuit when the high/low beam switch is in the low beam position. The high beam position switch position/circuit is only used to break the low beam potentiometer circuit, I used a piece of shrink wrap to terminate the end of the unused high beam positive wire in the headlight bucket.

I am going to do a little more in depth write up on my website as I think this project really was an excellent one. MBellRacing (and father) outdid themselves here.
 
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