Question, maybe someone can point me in the right direction ? What's the difference between replacing the headlight and the spot lights and turn signals with LED lights apposed to just replacing the bulbs with LED bulbs ? I see kits from Custom Dynamics ,Paradise lights and others on the market what's the difference between the bulb repayment kits and buying all new led lights ?

 

I'm no expert but I believe the difference has to do with the reflectors inside the fixture. The LED and halogen are two total different style bulbs and project light differently. A reflector made for a halogen may or may not give you the light pattern or distance you are looking for with an LED bulb in it. Will it work? yes. Will it work well? Maybe, maybe not. It might be brighter up close but if it doesn't throw the beam down the road, what good is it?

Also putting an LED bulb in a halogen assembly can make "DOT approved" questionable.

 

^^^ what he said!
Retrofitting reflectors with LED bulbs will result in a lot of the light being dispersed in the wrong direction, blinding oncoming traffic and waisting the light that should be on the road... but is not.

 

Another feature offered is the projection LED design. Offered for the headlight and driving light replacement like the JW Speaker for example IS a DOT approved LED sealed beam replacement. The HD daymaler another example of this design. They do exactly what the name states. Light from the led element is projected through the lens covering it.

 

Changed mine to the LED bulbs only. Lights up down the road, the side of the road, the trees, and everything in between very well, but the oncoming traffic is not very pleased with me.

 

as others have said, it has to do with the design of the reflector, and that is contingent upon where the filament of the bulb is.

An aftermarket generic LED is not going to be the same as a incandescent bulb, and the reflector is going to be inefficient. The focal points are not going to be close.

I have the Sunpie LED knock off's of the Daymakers, Outside of it aiming high, which I need to address, the LED throws a ton of light, even more than the 2013 vintage HD daymakers I took off ( that hopefully will fit my 03)

Projector headlights are far superior to reflector headlights

 

I also have used the Sunpie LED headlight now for over two years (20k miles). It has been the best $50-60 I've spent on the bike.

 

Thanks for explaining it, now I have a better understanding of why folks are changing out the whole light assembly over replacing just bulbs. Thanks again.

 

Because the lamp isn't made for LED bulbs. Your lamp is dispersing light in every which way, which is not safe for road use. That's why optics in headlamps are engineered and designed the way they are. It's not about lighting up the forest lol. We complain about what others do wrong on the road all the time, and ywt some feel that it's ok to do stuff like this.
The way oncoming traffic is affected by your light for example, varies from just a nuisance to a very dangerous blinding moment depending on the other driver's eye condition, and may cause them to veer of their course and slam into you.

That's why that stuff bothers me so much, ppl do it without giving safety a single thought.
Spend the money on good lamps and keep yourself (and others) safe

 

I'm pretty sure he knows that.