EC LED Headlight Replacements need more room!

[PunWinger]

[Well, I hope this is the right place to post this.]

Hi! Long time reader, first time poster (and a newbie at that)! I was hoping someone here could help me out with a little problem I've encountered.

Before buying, I both watched the YouTube reviews and read through the posts in the Review forum on each of the LED headlight "bulbs" Pathfinder vs EC multiple times as it were. I finally bought the EC kit from Cyclemax and installed them on my '89 GL1500 yesterday. I did the "beach towel" test, except I used my garage door instead, and noted the huge difference the LEDs made over the halogens! Satisfied that they were positioned close enuf, I took off on a test ride once it got dark enough to road test. The low beams were a little low but they still illuminated well with that flat lighting pattern. The high beams were spectacular, but again a little low for my liking like the low beams were. But, it goes lower from there.

I stopped, adjusted - nothing for a couple turns and then the beam started going lower. I then rotated the knob the other way until it went to the end like an old hand operated record player (click, click, click,...)! Oh no! Then I rotated it all the way back in until it stopped. Real low now! After spinning the knob back out, the beam came back up a little bit, but not much, so it was an annoying ride home.

After fiddling with it today, I discovered that both heat sinks were hitting the faring well behind the headlamp toward the bottom of the well. It's pushing the bulb assembly in at least 1/2 inch before the headlight bolt mounts touch. ( Grrrr....!) So, before I get the trusty die grinder out and start knurling away, I wanted to see if anybody else had similar experience in installing these critters, or am I just doing something wrong? I don't see anything I've done wrong, but I didn't see any posters in the preview posts having any issues of this type either. I'm going back to the halogens for now, but I'm not going to like it!

Any help is appreciated.
Thanks.
Curt

[WingAdmin]

I definitely did not have that experience. I wonder if they modified the design of the heat sink slightly?

[PunWinger]

WingAdmin: I noticed my Clymer book only covers from 88-92 and wondered if maybe they changed something in the fairing/headlight in '93 model, just grasping at straws! Then however, I recalled that you put them in your 2000 Wing. I am aware that there was a significant change with the headlight in 98 (I think), although I don't know the nature of that change. Maybe that's why you didn't have that problem? Thanks for the response!

[Bentrider]

I'm anxious to hear a solution to this problem. I have an 89 GL1500 that I was planning on converting to LED (I do a lot of night riding). I have bought the same kit you did. Now I'm a little concerned that I could be wasting my time.

[PunWinger]

When I have a solution, I'll be happy to post it.

I think I have inherited a problem, in my case. I pulled the LEDs out again and took a good look at the mounts for them. It appears that the whole internal assembly is installed crooked and the right side sticks out more than the left (I'll try to post a pic of this inline). In fact, I can see around the ring around the right H4 bulb mount right into the headlight case. Can't do that so much on the left side. Both bulb mounts are crooked in the headlight case, and I fear the only option is to totally disassemble the headlight and then decide how to fix it once I get in there. Suggestions welcome!

Top view, left is right, right is left

I put out feelers to Cyclemax and Gary referred me to Electrical Connection about my original question, I'm currently waiting for a callback from the expert. I'm hoping that between him and someone at the shop where I'm getting the bike inspected can shed some light on my predicament.

IMHO, if I were you, Bentrider, I'd try installing them. Since it doesn't take much to install the LEDs, it shouldn't take much to put the halogens back in. A few things to keep in mind:
1. Before installing the LEDs, tighten the set screws on the 3-tab mount with the supplied Allen wrench. The bulbs should already be aimed correctly. One of my heat sinks was stubborn getting off and I twisted the bulb in that ring. I had to clean up burrs and reset the alignment to that of the other bulb. It's just a PIA to have to fix "new".
2. I've found the best way to route the wires is over the top quadrant of the heatsink toward the turn signal (see #3), otherwise it could pinch between heatsink and fairing. You may not experience this issue if your headlight is good. Be careful around the height adjuster for the headlight in the fairing!
3. Put the power box into the turn signal pocket through the hole between the headlight and turn signal pockets. It takes a little finagling, but it will go through. I liked it better than dumping them through the opening in the fairing into the fork area.

Let us know your experience and post a pic or two of how it's sposta be dun!! Good luck.

[Bentrider]

Many thanks for the reply. I will be sure to look for the misalignment issue you mentioned. I have a modulator on my current lights and I purchased a new modulator for the LED's. I'm not sure if that complicates the installation or not. I'm hoping I can use the old "daylight detecting electric eye" and not have to route a new one in there.

[WingAdmin]

Many thanks for the reply. I will be sure to look for the misalignment issue you mentioned. I have a modulator on my current lights and I purchased a new modulator for the LED's. I'm not sure if that complicates the installation or not. I'm hoping I can use the old "daylight detecting electric eye" and not have to route a new one in there.

It depends on the modulator. I have a Kisan modulator, and when I switched to LEDs, I was able to re-use the old light sensor with the new modulator.

[Corkster52]

I had no problems at all installing the EC LEDs on my 99, other that figuring out how to attach and support the new stuff in the wiring.

[Bentrider]

Good news! Was the upgrade worth the effort?

[Corkster52]

Oh yes. Very much so!

[PunWinger]

At last, I have solved my problem, and yes, it was due to the crooked mounts inside the headlight assembly. I took the easy-fix approach and found another headlight on eBay. Installed the EC LEDs and the 50W SoCal LED position lights and WOW! THERE WAS LIGHT! and right where I needed it with full adjustability! I only have a slight fly-away on the left bulb - not enuf for me to fix for now!

So far as the wiring & boxes, I routed the bulb wire upwards to the outside so as not to get pinched behing the heatsink and jammed the power box in the opening between headlight and turn signal cavities so they just lay in behind the turn signals. Had I thought quicker, I might have left them stuck in the access hole. At least they were secure there!

[Bentrider]

Glad to hear everything worked out. I am guessing the access holes you are referring to are the holes behind the bulbs? Do the power boxes get hot? I was wondering about using tape to secure them.

BTW, is your bike Commodore Blue in color? Its hard to tell in your avatar.

[PunWinger]

Yes, it's Commodore Blue. That picture was taken in southern Washington after five days on the road (two days of sightseeing - The Badlands, Mt. Rushmore & Crazy Horse - were in there too) a couple of years ago. I'm hoping I can get a helmet I like and then paint to match, but I might be getting a newer bike before that happens!

The specific holes I was referring, just so I'm clear (as mud), are the ones between the headlight and turn signal pockets. The left side has the adjuster cable going through it, and the right side has the headlight power cable routed through it. It was clear to me when I described it, but I forget, you weren't there! Unfortunately, of all of the pics I took, I have none of the bare fairing, even when I had it all apart after that trip 3 years ago! Sawy! So far as heat, I don't really know, and well, they're in there now!

These lights are awesome! That night after I reinstalled them, I took it out to check aim points and, being chased in by the rain, stopped at the end of my driveway momentarily - no traffic and no rain yet. It's probably just under a 1/4 mile from there to where the road drops out of sight, but it lit it up all the way down! It was well worth the pain.