MOTORCYCLE LED LIGHTING

Bicyclists benefit from improved visibility and road safety thanks to LED headlamps. There are countless possibilities for aftermarket LED lighting for motorcycles. It can be not easy to compare various LED products. We also covered this topic in “Make the ‘Bright’ Choice.” How can the best LED headlamp be selected? Lumens: What are they? We’ll review several things to consider when choosing “the brightest headlamp.” However, there are two critical phrases to understand before diving in.

Terminology

Lumen: The total “amount” of visible light—not brightness—that is present! Electrical and real-world losses, as well as wasted light, are not considered in a lumen rating. Among these losses are assembly, optical, and thermal losses.

Lux: a distance measurement of the target area’s illumination intensity. The task/target region receives this amount of proper light. Lux measurements minimized waste by delivering light.

Measuring Lumen Ratings

First, it’s critical to comprehend how lumen ratings are calculated. The lamp—in our case, an LED headlamp—is positioned inside an Integrating Sphere. The lamp’s light is evenly distributed across the sphere at all angles. This uniform distribution allows us to calculate the total lumen generated. Applications requiring 360 degrees of illumination, like a kitchen lamp, benefit significantly. However, using a headlamp, you want the light to be in a specific beam pattern. The total lumen rating does not indicate the product’s real-world performance. Therefore, the brightness rating of LED headlamps is frequently deceptive.

It’s also crucial to remember that two-lumen measurements are available: raw and compelling. J.W. Speaker states, “LED lamp output values (Lumens) can vary dramatically depending on the quoted values. “

Raw V. Effective Lumens

A light’s theoretical output is measured in raw lumens. This is computed by multiplying the number of LEDs in the light by the theoretical output of one LED. A lamp, for instance, has ten separate LEDs. Every LED is rated with a 100-lumen maximum output. There will be 1000 raw lumens from that light.

The actual output of a lamp is measured in effective lumens, and inherent losses are taken into account. As LEDs get hotter, less light is generated, which leads to thermal loss. The lamp assembly causes optical and assembly losses. Light is lost during transmission through the lens and within the lamp housing.

Lumen v. Lux

Lux, in turn, gives a more accurate image of how well a product performs in a particular application. Once more, lux is a unit of measurement used to express how much light is provided to a job or target area (measured in square meters). A desktop, a hallway, or, in our instance, the road ahead can all serve as the job area. The light product is installed in its designated use to measure lux. When it comes to a headlamp, this would entail setting the lamp within the housing. Next, the task area’s exposure to directed light is measured. Lux disregards any light waste because it would not reach the job area. Lux considerations for an LED headlamp include:

  • The beam pattern was created.
  • The lumen output.
  • The LED headlamp.
  • The housing in which it is mounted.

Less Lumens but a Brighter Beam?

Therefore, an LED headlight would be the brighter choice if it had a more excellent lumen rating. This is not true. For instance, at a distance of 25 feet, Headlamp A measures 360 lux and emits 3,800 lumens. Headlamp B measures 1,360 lux at 25 feet and emits 3,700 lumens (100 less). Despite having 100 fewer lumens than Headlamp A, Headlamp B offers 1,000 more lux. When installed, the target region will receive more light from Headlamp B. Headlamp B will create a more focused, superior beam pattern. Headlamp B would function better even though Headlamp A has a higher lumen rating.

Automotive headlamps from GTR Lighting (February 20, 2017) serve as an example of this concept. The GEN-2 LED emits 3,600 lumens, the GEN-3 LED emits 3,700 lumens, and the OEM Halogen Headlamp emits 900–1000 lumens. As you can see, the GEN-2 LED generates less lux even though it has three times the brightness of the OEM bulb. The target area is not the focus or concentration of the GEN-2 beam pattern. Additionally, you can see that the GEN-3 LED provides 1,000 more lux, even though it only has 100 more lumens than the GEN-2 LED! The GEN-3 LED performs better and has a more focused beam pattern. The enhanced engineering and design are to blame for this.

In actuality, lux will be inversely proportionate if the lumen rating stays constant. In other words, light illuminates dimmer when it is dispersed over a broader region. In the findings above, GTR Lighting serves as an example of this. The more excellent lumen rating is essentially meaningless. A lamp with a subpar design and bad engineering will have less lux. As a result, the lamp’s beam pattern will be focused and valuable. Design and engineering “factors” are essential. These elements are critical to the performance of LED headlights. We go into more detail about this in our blog post “Road Glide® Revolution.”

Lumen Bias: the Eye-Sensitivity Curve

The fact that lumen ratings only take into account energy on visible wavelengths is another drawback. The human eye is related to visible wavelengths, each distinct. We have to take into consideration different sensitivities. The “eye-sensitivity curve” exists for this. The curve assigns varying values to various light wavelengths or colors. Green light is the most sensitive color to the human eye. The red and blue ends of the color spectrum are less noticeable to the human eye. Even with the same amount of energy driving it, a green light will always appear brighter than a blue or red light.

The Judd-Vos Correction

However, we underestimated the blue end of the spectrum as time passed. The curve was shifted by the Judd-Vos adjustment. This alteration demonstrated how sensitive the human eye is to blue light. This is especially crucial when thinking about LED light sources. Single-color LEDs use a single-color LED, which uses limited light. This exacerbates the eye-sensitivity curve’s disparities. Radiation from incandescent light fills the visible spectrum. As a result, the curve’s irregularities are less noticeable. Philips issued a comprehensive technical brief on this topic. You can see how a lumen rating misrepresents and understates the appearance of a blue LED source below.

Color temperature may also impact luminosity measurement. Due to their color spectrum placement, two lights emitting the same radiant energy can have different lumen measurements.

Ledlightjeep TruBEAM® v. ProBEAM®

Lumen ratings undoubtedly have drawbacks. This is particularly true for LED headlights. Consider our 7” ProBEAM® and TruBEAM® LED motorcycle headlamps as an illustration.

Projector lenses and sophisticated optical D lenses are used in the ProBEAM® LED Headlamp. It has a bright beam of 1250 effective lumens.

Both projector and reflector-type LEDs are used in the TruBEAM® LED Headlamp. 2947 Effective Lumens are available. Light is dispersed to both sides, creating a larger beam pattern.

The LED halo ring is integrated into the TruBEAM® headlamps. This offers a more personalized appearance that complements the style of our Dynamic RingzTM Motorcycle LED Turn Signal Lights! The built-in halo does not influence the beam pattern and illumination. However, for many clients, it does improve the cosmetic appeal. The ProBEAM® headlamp has a sleeker, more contemporary appearance.

Click the image below for our ProBEAM® vs. TruBEAM® Motorcycle LED Headlamp Comparison video.

The beam pattern provided by both LED headlamps will be significantly better than that of the stock headlamp. They provide a wider distribution of light and are brighter, making driving at night considerably safer. The ProBEAM® LED Headlamp delivers a far more focused, centered beam pattern. The ProBEAM® and TruBEAM® LED Headlamps are contrasted with the three rival models below!