Amazing Modern LED Headlamps for Spyders!

[Ben Burped]

I plan to upgrade my BRP fog lights as soon as weather permits. I have the optional BRP HID head lights and would like to match up the fog lights to the same color and intensity. I was planning on Xenon Depot's HID Extreme H8 with the Phillips bulb upgrade to get the maximum lumens possible. I realize the extreme amount of work and disassembly required to install the HID bulbs and the ballasts and feel that I can do it. Since you have experience with both, what do you think would match my HID head lights best ?

[jcthorne]

I plan to upgrade my BRP fog lights as soon as weather permits. I have the optional BRP HID head lights and would like to match up the fog lights to the same color and intensity. I was planning on Xenon Depot's HID Extreme H8 with the Phillips bulb upgrade to get the maximum lumens possible. I realize the extreme amount of work and disassembly required to install the HID bulbs and the ballasts and feel that I can do it. Since you have experience with both, what do you think would match my HID head lights best ?

I think the HID of the same color temperature as your HID headlamps would match better and be a bit brighter. The LEDs are MUCH easier to install. Also some have had nanny diffeculties with the HID kits. Mine work fine. I think it has to do with where the ballasts are located and good circuit grounding to keep electrical noise out of the bikes electrical circuits. The LEDs will not cause these noise issues.

[Ben Burped]

Thank you for your quick and courteous response. I plan to use Doc Riverside's plan and mount the ballasts on the tunnels. He sent me an excellent pictorial on mounting the ballasts and drilling the fog lights. From what he said, there is no need to use the relays on my 2010 RT. I realize that I have to remove and extensively disassemble the "frunk" & I'm comfortable with this as I have done it before. Do you have any thoughts on this or things to be careful of not breaking ?

[Biggdogg22]

Where did you get the LED's that's mounted on the control steering arms?

Reg

Next a quick BEFORE pic of the RT with the old halogen lamps still installed. Note the yellow color of the head and fog lamps compared to the fender tips and the LED daytime running lamps on the A arms.


Next here is the XenonDepot 9005 replacement lamp installed in the headlamp housing.


And the headlamp with the cover re-installed. Note that this cover is important as it keeps the dirt and moisture out of the lens housing while the bike is in use.


Here is the Xenon Depot H11 replacement lamp installed in the Fog housing. Again, this pic is taken with the frunk removed so I could take the pic, you can easily reach these above the a arms from behind the wheel.

[jcthorne]

Where did you get the LED's that's mounted on the control steering arms?

Reg

TricLED

[Sealeopard]

I have been trying my best to install the led conversion inside the housing on the headlight assembly but can't seem to cram it all in. Don't want to jam the high beam solenoid. Looking for suggestions

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I have been trying my best to install the led conversion inside the housing on the headlight assembly but can't seem to cram it all in. Don't want to jam the high beam solenoid. Looking for suggestions

....How about looking at the PICS in post # 30 !!!!!.....Mike

[Saluda]

Made in Italy, I like that.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Mike, I may be wrong, but it sure looks like the connector and wires exiting the connector are against the shutter that moves to provide high beam. The shutter is the white colored bar under the connector. Tough call but appears that way to me from the photo. I believe this is what the person is asking about.

PK

JC Thorne , did the PICS of His install....( as shown in post # 30 ) and He was the tester for Xenon Depot ......and He says they are working fine .....I haven't attempted mine yet and I may be sticking the BRAID out the back due to the same concerns plus keeping the BRAID cool ........I'll keep you all posted .......Mike

[jcthorne]

All I can really tell you is the pics show the way they were installed back then. They and the shutter mechanisms are still working fine today. The braid get little more than warm to the touch, not hot.

[Tweakers]

I don't see how to fit this much "STUFF" into this housing. There must be some differences in a) housing design (the locking ring for the bulb is to big go let the rectangular box to fit past it or b) these lights come with differing box dimensions or c) done of each of the above. There is some room next to the circuit board but it interferes with the shutter linkage.

[Tweakers]

Has anyone removed the "holder" for the circuit board that's mounted in the headlight housing. If I can get this out. I should be able to fish the LED box down below the solenoid....where there appears to be an Apartments worth of room. Thanks in advance for any wisdom offered!

[jcthorne]

Has anyone removed the "holder" for the circuit board that's mounted in the headlight housing. If I can get this out. I should be able to fish the LED box down below the solenoid....where there appears to be an Apartments worth of room. Thanks in advance for any wisdom offered!

If you look closely at the photo I posted, you can see where the black box for the LED is on the lower left. Sharing space with the circuit board.

[Tweakers]

Finally got the LED headlights installed. I ended up removing the circuit board, had to trim off tabs on the sides of the circuit board holder which then let it move enough sideways to disengage the bottom of the holder and remove it from the housing. This allowed me to insert the LED Box in one side and run the lead to the light under and then up the other side of the shutter solenoid. I could then fit the circuit board holder back in the general area it came from with the bottom section removed, reinstalled the circuit board and fiddled with its plugs until I had them where they didn't interfere with anything. The plug from the LED box I set by the light socket and tucked the black lead down between the side of the housing and the socket. All the while I was checking the shutter for unobstructed motion and keeping wiring as far away from the solenoid as possible. I then bent the heat sinks down and around the bulb housing, trapping the power plug under them. Shout out to JC for the photos to give me the determination to wrestle with this project. I almost gave up and installed them in my Motorhome. Lol

[jcthorne]

Finally got the LED headlights installed. I ended up removing the circuit board, had to trim off tabs on the sides of the circuit board holder which then let it move enough sideways to disengage the bottom of the holder and remove it from the housing. This allowed me to insert the LED Box in one side and run the lead to the light under and then up the other side of the shutter solenoid. I could then fit the circuit board holder back in the general area it came from with the bottom section removed, reinstalled the circuit board and fiddled with its plugs until I had them where they didn't interfere with anything. The plug from the LED box I set by the light socket and tucked the black lead down between the side of the housing and the socket. All the while I was checking the shutter for unobstructed motion and keeping wiring as far away from the solenoid as possible. I then bent the heat sinks down and around the bulb housing, trapping the power plug under them. Shout out to JC for the photos to give me the determination to wrestle with this project. I almost gave up and installed them in my Motorhome. Lol

Yahoo! So glad you got them in. Congrats.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Finally got the LED headlights installed. I ended up removing the circuit board, had to trim off tabs on the sides of the circuit board holder which then let it move enough sideways to disengage the bottom of the holder and remove it from the housing. This allowed me to insert the LED Box in one side and run the lead to the light under and then up the other side of the shutter solenoid. I could then fit the circuit board holder back in the general area it came from with the bottom section removed, reinstalled the circuit board and fiddled with its plugs until I had them where they didn't interfere with anything. The plug from the LED box I set by the light socket and tucked the black lead down between the side of the housing and the socket. All the while I was checking the shutter for unobstructed motion and keeping wiring as far away from the solenoid as possible. I then bent the heat sinks down and around the bulb housing, trapping the power plug under them. Shout out to JC for the photos to give me the determination to wrestle with this project. I almost gave up and installed them in my Motorhome. Lol

I'm just now working on doing this same install. I've run into the same problem Tweakers did. There is no question the inline box is now a bit larger than when JC did his install a year ago. There is no way to fit the box in like JC did and not jam the shutter. I believe I will do the same mod Tweakers did, remove tabs on one side of the PC board holder. I may add a pic or two to add some additional info to what Tweakers has above.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Here are pics of my installation of the Xenon Depot LED headlights. I found it easier to fit the holder in by cutting off all the tabs as shown. Removing the holder is a bit of a pain. It is held in place with the cross piece of the long tab hooking over the end of a rib under the screw. The lamp cable and module cable can be stuffed into the housing alongside the lamp after plugging them together. I rerouted the wires to the PC board as shown in the pics.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Here are a couple of pics of the completed installation.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Nice job.....Thank you very much.....it's help like this that benefits all ...............Mike

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Looks good.

I assume you verified the shutter clearance by moving it by hand prior to closing it up.

Both by hand and then jerry rigging an electrical connection and testing it with power.

Also consider, the original post was done to an F3 which is supposed to be much different than an RT.

Look again! The LED install was done on his wife's RT, which I think is the one he had problems with and sold after buying a replacement. He has since traded his RT in on the F3 that's in his sig.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I also wired in a Kisan LED headlight modulator. Works great in my garage testing. I'll post info and pics later.

[PW2013STL]

Looks good.

I assume you verified the shutter clearance by moving it by hand prior to closing it up.

Also consider, the original post was done to an F3 which is supposed to be much different than an RT.

When I did the LED install in our RTs, knowing the black box was waterproof, I simply did an entire plug and play with no mods to the headlights or internals, by mounting the box on the exterior of the headlight housing.

My install differed also since I used LEDs that are fan cooled and have no braids.

Again, nice job.

The photos were taken the other night. Our RTs with 3200 lumens per bulb, a different brand than yours, and two stock RTs, one on each side. Gives an idea of how the lights compare. The difference is more dramatic looking forward onto a dark road but we did not have time for that.

I did my install like you, but I notched the cover so as not to pinch the wires and put the LED control box on the out side of the headlight housing. Works fine and there is room for the box and headlight housing in the Spyder. I went with the Xenon Depot units.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

When I did the LED install in our RTs, knowing the black box was waterproof, I simply did an entire plug and play with no mods to the headlights or internals, by mounting the box on the exterior of the headlight housing.

I did my install like you, but I notched the cover so as not to pinch the wires and put the LED control box on the out side of the headlight housing.

Based on your comments, PMK, earlier in this thread I considered notching the housing or cover and putting the power module outside of the housing. Like you say, the entire housing is sealed but it does have vent tubes at the back that have foam filters in them. I was concerned about getting a good seal where the wires go in and out of the box. Water isn't the real issue, dust is. If the headlight envelope is breached without a filter in the breach then dust can eventually get in. The reflector and lens are not sealed inside the housing so any dust that gets in there could coat the backside of the headlight lens and the front of the projector lens.

The real solution, I think, for the Spyder headlights would be for Xenon Depot to make the power module with Delphi connectors so it could be inserted right into the power leads coming to the headlight assembly. They could make an adapter to connect the LED lamp to the headlight plug which would fit comfortably inside the housing.

[jcthorne]

Both by hand and then jerry rigging an electrical connection and testing it with power.


Look again! The LED install was done on his wife's RT, which I think is the one he had problems with and sold after buying a replacement. He has since traded his RT in on the F3 that's in his sig.

Correct. The install in the first post is on a 2013 RT. Those lamps are now in Louise 2015 RT and still working great. I have also installed LEDs in my F3.