Introduction to LED lighting
One way to reduce the electrical load on your old dynamo charging system is to replace some of the bulbs with modern LED lights. These units require significantly less current than standard incandescent or halogen bulbs, which means that you have more spare wattage to use for other accessories such as perhaps a higher power headlamp bulb. Whilst they are a little more expensive than conventional bulbs, they have the added benefit that they last virtually forever and so should rarely (if ever) need replacing.
This article covers the following topics:
- Introduction to LED lighting
- About LED’s
- Which bulbs to replace
- Suppliers
- Conclusions and your comments
About LED’s
Many people think that LED bulbs look better too because they turn on and off instantly, rather than fading in and out like conventional incandescent bulbs. This is particularly noticeable in indicators and brake lights that are regularly turning on and off.
There are a few other important features of LED bulbs though that you need to be aware of. Firstly, they are polarity sensitive which means that they won’t work (or might be damaged) if you connect them the wrong way around. You need to be sure whether your bike is negative or positive earth (i.e. which terminal of the battery is connected to the frame) and order accordingly.
Secondly, LED bulbs are sensitive to voltage. Most of the LED ‘bulb’s that are commercially available will have in-built resistors to make sure that the correct voltage is supplied to the individual LED elements. So you need to make sure that you also order the correct voltage (6 or 12 volt) for your bike.
Which bulbs to replace
Well lets start by considering what bulbs are fitted to the typical old motorbike:
- Headlamp bulb (18 to 35 Watt)
- Sidelight bulb (5W)
- Stop and tail light bulb (21 / 5 Watt)
- Indicator bulbs (21 Watt x 4)
- Speedo or gauge bulbs (3W)
The headlamp bulb might seem to be the most obvious one to replace as it is usually the highest wattage one found on any bike, varying from a rather dull 18 Watts up to an acceptable 25-35 Watts, through to a dazzling 60-65 Watts (probably not a good idea on old Lucas dynamo electrics though!). However, at the moment LED bulbs just aren’t suitable for headlamp usage so we need to look elsewhere.
The indicators (if fitted) are the next obvious place to look. Whilst each bulb is just 21 Watt, two are used at once (one front one rear) and hence the total is 42 Watts. These bulbs can easily be replaced by LED units, but there is one important thing that you need to bear in mind. The old type of flasher relay units need a certain amount of current in order to work; that’s why on some cars the indicators won’t flash if one of the bulbs has blown. LED’s use a fraction of the current and so the flasher relay probably won’t flash. However, more modern electrical flasher units are now available which can cope with a wide range of wattages and so just be sure to order one of these at the same time as the LED’s.
The stop and tail light bulb(s) can also be replaced with dual-brightness LED units. These tend to have an array of individual LED units arranged in a cluster, a few of which light up for tail light and all of which light up for the brake light. The LED unit can therefore be a simple direct replacement for the original bulb.
Actually a new LED rear light option is now available for many classic motorbikes which have the Lucas 564 type of tail light fitted. And this option is really good – I know because I designed and made it myself! It consists of an array of super-bright LEDs mounted on a circuit board which is a perfect fit for the Lucas 564 rear lamp and is available in 12v LED light board and 6v LED light board versions which work with both positive and negative earth motorbikes.
The pilot bulbs which illuminate the speedo and other dials are usually only a few Watts and so it may not seem worthwhile replacing these. But it’s still an extra few Watts saved towards that super-bright high-wattage headlight (or just to take some load of an old charging system)! Other benefits are that LED bulbs do not get hot at all and this might be beneficial where the bulb is in a small enclosure.
Suppliers
I mentioned above that I have recently designed and manufactured a range of LED light units specifically for old motorbikes. This all started because I was having difficulty finding a suitable positive earth LED light for the Lucas rear lamp of my own Matchless motorbike, so I thought I would make one myself. These are vastly superior to anything else I’ve found on the market in terms of quality, brightness, reliability and fitment inside the original Lucas lamp. You can see for yourself by taking a look in my new Matchless Clueless LED store.
Alternatively, have a search on the web for ‘LED bulbs’ and there are now loads of different suppliers that will come up. One web site that I have used quite a few times in the past (for both old car and bike bulbs) is Paul Goff’s store. He stocks direct replacement bulbs specifically for old vehicles so it’s fairly easy to find the right model for your bike. Just remember to order the right voltage and polarity (i.e. negative vs. positive earth).
Conclusions
Hopefully this article has explained what LED lights are, why they could be of real benefit to your classic motorcycle and which of the conventional filament bulbs could be most easily replaced. If you have any thoughts or suggestions for improving this article, please leave me a message using the comments form below.
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Nice job with the LED rear light but why not just use a currently available stop tail LED with the conventional bayonet fitting (at less cost)?
Hi Keith. A few reasons really. Firstly, most off-the-shelf LED lights only work for negative earth bikes, and mine (like many classics) is positive earth. When I did find a positive earth one, the light output was poor and didn’t illuminate the rear lamp well so not very visible. Hence why I decided to design and build my own LED board instead!
Regards, James
just purchased a rear led fitting for my 2007 Bonneville tail light, why doesn’t the kit include a globe bannett adapter to make life easy it looks like you supply or make them? a little disappointed, waited 3 weeks and I still can’t installed it. and no damn instructions with the bags of bits either ??? doh !
flash
Hi Flash. Sorry to hear that you’re having difficulties with the install of your new LED light board. There are full installation instructions available on the website here: https://matchlessclueless.com/product-info/installation-guides/
There were links to the instructions provided on the product page and in the confirmation emails sent when you placed your order, but guessed you must have missed them! The bayonet bulb adapter is not required as the Bonneville LED board has its own reflector, hence the original bulb holder and reflector are no longer needed. Full details are in the instructions and on the product page here: https://matchlessclueless.com/store/modern-leds/triumph-bonneville-led/
Regards, James (P.S. I’ve also sent you an email).
Hi
I’ve a 1975 Norton Commando which is positive earth and I’d like to convert the standard Lucas indicators and Lucas large (rectangular type) rear lamp to LED bulbs. Do your bulbs fit these and if so what do I need?
Thanks for your help and I’m sorry to be so dim( no pun intended)
regards Glenn
Hi Glenn. Sorry, I can’t help you with LED indicators for your Norton at the moment. The only LED indicators I am currently supplying are specific for the modern Triumph Bonneville range. Depending upon your rear light type, my LED stop-tail light boards might fit though, see here: https://matchlessclueless.com/store/products/classic-leds/
Regards, James
I am having Bajaj Pulsar 150 cc bike 2007 model i would like to switch on to LED headlight from halogen bulbs. Kindly suggest which bulb I have to procure? for direct replacement.
Hi Muralidhar. There aren’t any LEDs that I would recommend for headlights at the moment, they just aren’t bright enough so light up the road. James 🙂
Hi bro.
I have a 2007 model pulsar 150. I want to change my tail lamp with let’s and also the indicators.. Could u please help..?
Hi Imran. Thanks for your interest in my site, but I’m afraid I can’t help with LED lights for your Pulsar. However I would have thought that you should be able to find standard generic LED bulb types to fit from various other online stores. Regards, James
I have a 2002 GSX-R 750 and have just put LED indicators on it. Is it illegal and if so can I get a mod plate, or is there away around it. Thanks
i have 2002 hero honda passion motorcycle. can i rep less indicator and tail light bulb
Hi do you do bulbs for a 1977 Yamaha xt500
Hi Derek. Yes, I probably have bulbs to fit your Yamaha, but it depends upon which ones you are looking to replace (tail, brake, indicator, etc.), what fitment these are, and what voltage your bike is running at. Send me a message via the ‘contact me’ page with these details and I’ll let you know what teh available options are. Regards, James 🙂
https://matchlessclueless.com/home/contact/
Hi,
You mentioned you do a replacement taillight unit for older Nortons butdo you do one for a 1974 Commando MkIIa or do you have an LED bulb to fit?
Regards
Bruce
hi I have a 1950 sunbeam s8,i wish to fit led bulbs in it,tail lights,off set pins,bulb is 5,8 or15mm wide,1.38 or 45mm long thanks dave rutter
Hello. I am wondering how the handlebar switches effect a 6v system. I have a Yamaha XT that needs new signals, head light and tail light and wanted to go to LED’s. Am I going to have any issues with using handlebar switches which are listed to be used for 6v-12v systems?
Hai, you are doing Good job. I have a plan to change my bike head light,indicatorand tail lamp(hero Honda passion plus) . can you help me for choosing the matching led bulb for my bike
hi I am in the process of changing the indicators to led on a trike which was built from a 1996 Suzuki vs600 intruder, I am awiting on a new relay and the diode kit, but I have also to fit an led headlight , will I run into any problems with this or will it be pretty easy to install
Hi William. There flasher relay should be a straight swap (as long as you get the right one) and there are instructions for installing our diode wiring kits here: https://matchlessclueless.com/install. You will however need to work out which wire is which as the colours will probably be different. The LED headlamp install will all depend upon which one you have, but if it is the correct fit, then it should be an easy straight swap. You may need to do dome alignment of the beam though to make sure you get light on the road without blinding oncoming traffic. Some LED headlamps do not have great beam patterns!
Hope this helps, James
Hi, I have ordered this 12v Lucas 525 LED light board for £32.95 from you. Do I need for installing such a Lucas 564 LED plugin adapter and mounting kit aswell?
Regards
Martin
Hi Martin,
Thanks for your message, and for your order which was dispatched to you this morning. Just to confirm, you do not need to buy a separate plugin adapter as one is already included in the kit you have purchased. It has everything you need to install the LED light board into your existing Lucas 525 style rear lamp and there is no need to purchase anything else.
Regards, James
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Hi James,
I just stumbled upon this article in my search for a higher knowledge on upgrading old bikes.
I am looking to add led front/rear signals and an led brake light to my 1982 honda xl250.
Would also like to upgrade the headlight to LED or HID (whatever is feasible).
Can you please shoot me an email regarding the products you provide that would allow me to do this??
Much thanks,
Ivan
Hi, I have an Italian scooter 6V AC (no battery) and I will put a trailer on it.
But It`s luck of electric power. Do I need a diode to get it work and where can I buy it. Have you some idea?
Regards Niklas
Hi James I have bullet 1979 6volts battery now the challenge is the head light keep on draining I always have to be dependent upon parking lights and hitch do not help I live in Hyderabad please suggest some modifications on how to have powerful light without changing the 6 volts wiring if you know someone who can do some magic with 6 volts that would be great