A brilliant idea: replacing conventional lights with LED lamps

LED lighting technology has become a common part of our daily lives for some time now. Flashlights, indoor bulbs, lamps, traffic lights, industrial lighting... in every field, this more effective and efficient type of lighting has replaced low-energy light bulbs and fluorescent tubes.

What is LED
The traditional incandescent filament light bulb works by passing an electric current through a very thin filament, which glows red-hot, emitting heat and light. It's not very efficient, as much of the energy is lost as heat, and it doesn't last long because high temperatures and thermal changes weaken the filament.
Without getting too technical, we'll say that an LED lamp, or rather an LED diode, works based on the photoelectric effect, discovered by Albert Einstein, which consists of some semiconductor materials emitting light when an electric current passes through them.
The advantages of LED lighting are several:
-The LED is a solid-state lamp, so it is highly resistant to shock and vibration and can last more than 50,000 hours.
-It barely emits heat and consumes 10 times less energy.
-The size is smaller than a conventional bulb with the same luminosity, allowing extremely small turn signals and taillights to be legal.
-LEDs are brighter than a light bulb, and the light isn't concentrated in one spot (like a light bulb's filament), but rather the entire diode shines equally. This means we'll see the roadsides better and get more power in the center of the road, without dazzling oncoming traffic.

-The light emitted by automotive LEDs is whiter, around 5500k,

providing greater clarity and greater depth of field, giving the driver better night vision, increasing safety and minimizing eye fatigue.

Solutions for custom
LED technology has been used in motorcycles for years in signaling devices (taillights, turn signals, warning lights, etc.), and as prices become more competitive (it must not be forgotten that it is still a high-priced product today), it is also being introduced in the main lighting of production models, such as the new Rushmore family from Harley-Davidson.

Companies like Speaker and Rivera Primo have also launched similar products.

Improving the present
The modification we'll be performing in this article will be replacing the main headlight on a Screamin' Eagle Softail Breakout model with a Daymaker series headlight from the HD catalog, achieving improved functionality and a design more in line with the rest of the motorcycle.

We can see on the back of the headlight that it is quite similar in dimensions to the original headlight, and its installation is completely "Plug and Play", we just have to place a small anti-vibration band on the back and we can connect it.

Facility
We will start by loosening the screw that holds the retaining ring

and we can now disconnect the original optics.

We connect the new lighthouse in the same way.

and we carefully place it in its position, screwing the ring back into place.

To complement the modern look and improve performance, we've also replaced the front turn signal bulbs with LEDs.

Adjustment
Now we just need to check that everything is working properly and adjust the height and position of the headlight. To do this, we must follow the manufacturer's instructions very precisely.

Finally, we'll conduct a road test, this time at night on a familiar route to test the system's effectiveness and get used to the new light beam.

Frank Burguera

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