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Best 2020 Headlight for 2012 NC700x?

MOTTOfied

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Hey folks,

Looking for recommendations to increase my visibility while riding in traffic and road illumination. 2012 Stock NC700 Headlight is dim to say the least. I'm looking for bulb replacement. I don't really want to mount lights on the crash bars. I'm fairly unskilled mechanically speaking. It's been recommended to me by Cycle Gear of San Diego to get a Cyclops conversion.

I just wanted to get your opinions and experience, what's too hot for housing, and things to be aware of.

Drop your recommendations below if you'd be so kind.
 
I highly recommend a headlight modulator if conspicuity and maximum visibility are your aim . Yes, it IS annoying , and Harley riders will probably laugh at you, but it WILL make you much more visible.
I won’t ride without one. It was the first thing I did on my new-to-me NC700.
 
I installed this LED bulb as a replacement to the standard headlight bulb on my 2015 based on recommendations from the folks on this forum. Plug and play. I had a modulator on the old bulb and it worked great - very conspicuous. I’d need a special LED modulator now and it’s not clear they are all plug and play (and they are pricey).

Well, I can’t the Amazon link to work here. Put this in google and it will come up:

BEAMTECH H4 LED Headlight Bulb, 50W 6500K 8000Lumens Extremely Brigh (9003 Hi/Lo) CSP Chips Conversion Kit
 
I installed this LED bulb as a replacement to the standard headlight bulb on my 2015 based on recommendations from the folks on this forum. Plug and play. I had a modulator on the old bulb and it worked great - very conspicuous. I’d need a special LED modulator now and it’s not clear they are all plug and play (and they are pricey).

Well, I can’t the Amazon link to work here. Put this in google and it will come up:

BEAMTECH H4 LED Headlight Bulb, 50W 6500K 8000Lumens Extremely Brigh (9003 Hi/Lo) CSP Chips Conversion Kit
How hard is the install, I can't seem to find anything about how to change the bulb / get to the assembly. Do I need to remove the housing and ferrings to get to the light?
 
nope -- it's a little tight but you can get to the headlight bulb reaching down from the top. You unclip the harness from the rear of the bulb, pull off the rubber boot/seal, then unclip the retaining wire that holds the bulb in. Remove the old one. Then you install the new one pretty much the same way in reverse. It's tight, and you're unclipping the retaining wire "blind," but it unclips on the right side (from the rider's position) and swings to the left. I wouldn't call it particularly easy, especially if you have larger hands, but it's totally doable without removing anything. You will want to turn the handlebars full right or left to give you as much room as possible (I turned them full left). I think it took me about 30 minutes from start to finish to change out my old bulb and modulator unit and install the new LED. Works great.
 
nope -- it's a little tight but you can get to the headlight bulb reaching down from the top. You unclip the harness from the rear of the bulb, pull off the rubber boot/seal, then unclip the retaining wire that holds the bulb in. Remove the old one. Then you install the new one pretty much the same way in reverse. It's tight, and you're unclipping the retaining wire "blind," but it unclips on the right side (from the rider's position) and swings to the left. I wouldn't call it particularly easy, especially if you have larger hands, but it's totally doable without removing anything. You will want to turn the handlebars full right or left to give you as much room as possible (I turned them full left). I think it took me about 30 minutes from start to finish to change out my old bulb and modulator unit and install the new LED. Works great.
Thanks, I'm going to attempt to toss in a Speedmetal LED Conversion from Cycle Gear, they are on sale right now
 
Just run by any parts store and pick up a higher end H4 bulb and you'll likely notice a difference. I put a Sylvania XTRA Vision bulb in my cruiser and noticed a significant difference. I'm not sure what bulb is in my 2013 NC, it was in it when I bought it, but I never feel like I have trouble seeing. Actually, first time riding it at night when I bought it last year I remarked that the headlight on it was about the best I remember having on any motorcycle I've had.
 
I think after installing the Speedmetal led I'm going to try a higher watt halogen, the conversion kit seems loose even with the retaining clip. I didn't see much difference in brightness at least on the road. It may be the result of needing to adjust the beam on the Y axis.

The other thing I don't like about the conversion is I can't place the rubber seal back on to keep debris out of the light.
 
Adjusting the Y Axis, while a PITA definitely made a huge difference! I'll cut the dust cover to fit for the heatsink and everything seems to have come together nicely.

People definitely got the hell out of the way tonight
 

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PIAA makes a lamp that is very good. Not cheap but comes in packs of two. they do not last as long as most halogens but are unquestionably brighter.
 
Standard Halogen on the NC700 2013 runs what 60 watts?, since the Speedmetal runs at 24 watts, is it safe to assume that I can bump up to a higher lumen led to say maybe like a 5,000 instead of the Speedmetal 2400?
 
Lumens isn't as much of a matter as wattage. I put some blue halogens in an old sportbike I used to have. One side was dim, other side bright. Dim was 55w and Bright was 65 watt - stock. I didn't pay any attention to the aftermarket bulbs I put in until leading the pack one night and my headlight fuse blew and I had to motion someone to pass me and drive a few miles by their light until we found a gas station to pull over at. I was running my lights on bright and come to find out the bright bulb was a 100 watt. So it blew the fuse. So I would recommend running stock wattage so as to avoid that. Luckily I was with others, or I would have been screwed, as it was pitch black out where we were that night.
 
I installed this LED bulb as a replacement to the standard headlight bulb on my 2015 based on recommendations from the folks on this forum. Plug and play.
BEAMTECH H4 LED Headlight Bulb, 50W 6500K 8000Lumens Extremely Brigh (9003 Hi/Lo) CSP Chips Conversion Kit
Thanks for mentioning the exact brand you used. It was plug and play indeed. My daughter helped me with the install, it was a little easier with her smaller hands.

The manual has the steps to replace the headlight bulb, with some pictures. Here is what I had to do.
1. Disconnect the cable connector.
2. Remove the rubber dust protection cover
3. Release the pin holding the bulb in place, and remove the bulb.
4. Beamtech LED has an aluminium base that looks like a heat sink and a small cable with the H4 connector.
5. This (3 pin) H4 connector is a tight fit into the dust protection cover. Insert the H4 connector through the rubber dust protection cover first.
6. With the rubber dust protection cover dangling from the LED bulb, squeeze the pin that secures the bulb on the bike, between the aluminium base/heat sink and the LED
7. Stick the pin back into place and secure the dust protection cover. Cover the new H4 connector with some electrical tape.
IMG-20200201-WA0015.jpg

Very happy with the outcome, it was such a easy upgrade and it only cost $34 (for a set of 2)
 
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I was going to suggest a Silverstar bulb.....readily available at autoparts stores, Walmart etc. Can't recall manufacturers name......common though.
 
Thanks for mentioning the exact brand you used. It was plug and play indeed. My daughter helped me with the install, it was a little easier with her smaller hands.

The manual has the steps to replace the headlight bulb, with some pictures. Here is what I had to do.
1. Disconnect the cable connector.
2. Remove the rubber dust protection cover
3. Release the pin holding the bulb in place, and remove the bulb.
4. Beamtech LED has an aluminium base that looks like a heat sink and a small cable with the H4 connector.
5. This (3 pin) H4 connector is a tight fit into the dust protection cover. Insert the H4 connector through the rubber dust protection cover first.
6. With the rubber dust protection cover dangling from the LED bulb, squeeze the pin that secures the bulb on the bike, between the aluminium base/heat sink and the LED
7. Stick the pin back into place and secure the dust protection cover. Cover the new H4 connector with some electrical tape.
View attachment 41621

Very happy with the outcome, it was such a easy upgrade and it only cost $34 (for a set of 2)
Hi!
If I got you right, the rubber dust seal covers heat sink radiator. Didn't you face any overheating issues? Thinking logically, it should stay outside. But it is so big that I cannot pull it out. Just installed Beamtech bulb exactly the way you have mentioned. Ant only thing confusing me is the lamp radiator covered by that rubber thing...
 
The NC segmented reflector very exactly directs the halogen beams, meaning any other bulb IMO will only blind/annoy everybody around it at night..
The 2018 NC and up are now LED front/rear. Marker lights still old school. \
I never ride at night, very dangerous, so am installing Auxito light as daytime running light.
 
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