08 RT, VisionX LED replace TrailTech HID

[racer7]

Not long after I bought my 08 R1200RT I mounted a set of TrailTech 30W HIDs under the oil cooler using EzyMounts. These have now been removed and replaced by VisionX Solstice Prime SP120 LED lights that are about the same as the D2 round LEDs sold by Twisted Throttle. Both use Cree "10W" LED.

The link to to the VisionX lamp is
http://www.visionxusa.com/LED-Solstice_Prime_Series/c1_106/index.html

I removed the TrailTechs for several reasons but primary is their total lack of reliability. I have been through 2 generations of ballasts and 3 generations of lamp design and the bottom line is that they cannot be made adequately reliable for motorcycle use, primarily because the design (though a novel and interesting concept) cannot be executed adequately. The lamps either fail from vibration (even the latest version designed to be more resistant) or from moisture penetration (which is why they are supplied with translucent silicon covers) caused by heating/cooling creating a vacuum inside the lamp (which is not truly sealed like a sealed beam- it is simply a cemented indoor light bulb design with an HID capsule in the back of it). The TT's also, on my bike, didn't add all that much in the way of useful light, being essentially "swamped out" by the output of the two Hella FF50s using the 65 W Osram H-7 Rallye bulb. So having now blown about the 7th or 8th bulb (at $75@ though several were supplied under warranty by TT when bad ballasts blew the early ones), it was time to dump them. I do not recommend the TrailTechs, the identical PIAAs or the similarly designed Warn's in any wattage or style.

Having found that the addition of FF50s caused me to use the TrailTechs mostly as around town conspicuity lights, I decided to replace them with the best very compact conspicuity type made at present- the latest hi output ("10W") LEDs. (But note that there are multiple LED designs if you want to use a bigger lamp that wouldn't work on EzyMounts) There are both round and square versions available and I simply picked the highest output type - happens to be the VisionX version but could have been the D2. But the VisionX is sold as "lamps only" which is what I needed because my bike already had a very nice PIAA harness powering the TrailTechs and I neither wanted to pay for nor install a different one. I saved about $60 by simply using the existing harness by just cutting off the TrailTechs and splicing in the leads to the VisionX lamps.

The VisionX lamps run on anything from 9 - 50V DC and draw only 0.83A so there is in fact no need for a relay harness to provide full battery voltage at all times- they could be wired with almost any simple connection and a direct switch. I used the PIAA relay harness because it was already on the bike and changed its fuse to a suitable low amp rating (a good rule of thumb is to fuse at 2X the working current so a 4A or 5A fuse would be a good choice)

Physically, the VisionX is a bit shorter and narrower than the TT HID so clearance to the fender when it is hung pendant style on the EzyMount increases to be very similar to a PIAA 1100 halogen. For comparison, the photo below shows the VisionX on the left mount and the TT on the right.

The VisionX lamp can be wired with a dimmer- I chose not to add one at this time.

 

[racer7]

So How Well Do They Work?

The VisionX SP-120 "10W" LED lamp has a 20 degree beam, a bit wider than the TrailTech HID. Its visibility as a conspicuity light is comparable but with perhaps a bit more glare due to its lens (diffuser) design and the blend of wavelength peaks that make up LED light rather than the continuous spectrum that comes from a filament or excited gas.

The LEDs don't add as much to the light field as the 30W HIDs but that was not my concern anyway.

It will be interesting to see if, over the next year or so of ridinig in varied conditions, these lamps can deliver without failures, burnouts, leaks, etc that plagued the TrailTechs. My only criticism so far of the VisionX design is that its power lead is 6" too short and therefore hangs the connector it comes with down in the airstream below the oil cooler, potentially exposing it to the elements. The lead on the TrailTechs was long enough to tuck the connector up behind the headlight and out of the direct impact of rain, etc..But, the VisionX does come with the excellent male and female deutsch type connectors while I had to add the Weatherpacks I used installing the TrailTechs.

Photo below shows the VisionX (left in photo) and TrailTech (right in photo) operating on the bike.

Why do I care about conspicuity lights? Simple- I live in a town designed by greed rather than planning that has so much visual clutter and poor road design that it has about double the accident rate of other cities in the state. It also has many young kids being a college and beach town plus distracted and often stoned tourists. One short stretch of road that runs past my place has had nearly 2000 accidents in the past few years. Last night's roadblock on that road to check returning bar traffic yielded the usual raft of DWI and drug charges, a few unlicensed drivers, several times that number driving with suspended licenses and about 50 other miscellaneous citations. I don't ride with the bar traffic but I'll take every edge I can get...

 

[Retarded Jarhead]

Adjustment?

Racer, 1) how difficult is the adjustment process to avoid blinding oncoming traffic and 2) are the mounts robust enought to hold that position?

They look good but I agree about the connector location issue!

 

[racer7]

The adjustment process requires a pair of 10 mm open ends or a socket/box and open end for both the mounting point (L to R adjustment) and vertical pivot (up/down). The VisionX lamp is better balanced and the adjustments easier than the TrailTech. I had perpetual problems with one of my TrailTechs failing to hold its vertical adjustment due to poor balance at the mounting point and the small bolt/washer used to clamp it. (I ended up using some crazy glue to wick into the mount to help keep it in place). Both adjustments use nylon insert lock nuts.

I don't have enough road experience with the new lamps to comment on reactions of other drivers but do note that these small, almost "pinpoint" LED sources can be a severe glare problem which is why they have a diffuser lens- that helps only a little. The vertical adjustment is easier than for the TrailTechs and getting it right (low enough) is critical if you want to use these at night in oncoming traffic (I'm more concerned about daylight use for these). I do expect to have to do a couple fine tuning sessions until they are adjusted exactly where I want them but that, for me, is normal when I install any accessory lights.

While I would prefer a somewhat thicker mounting bolt for the VisionX, I believe it is adequate for the job. In any case, the mount could be drilled and a larger one substituted rather easily should that become necessary.

The vertical adjustment bolt is plenty thick enough and the mount attaches to the lamp housing with a machined wedge block carrying the load so needs only a light, non load bearing retainer screw and is plenty strong enough.

The deutsch connectors are a very well sealed design so will probably be OK despite their exposed location. Still, its sloppy work that's typical of Asian sourced accessories designed by folks who probably don't use what they build. The lamps are made in Korea which has an excellent track record of being in the forefront of LED applications but not so spectacular in motorcycles. (But given some time they will probably do as well as with their cars where the basically bought or licensed last generation Japanese technology then adapted and modernized it).

 

[Brian-NC]

The VisionX SP-120 "10W" LED lamp has a 20 degree beam, a bit wider than the TrailTech HID. Its visibility as a conspicuity light is comparable but with perhaps a bit more glare due to its lens (diffuser) design and the blend of wavelength peaks that make up LED light rather than the continuous spectrum that comes from a filament or excited gas.

The LEDs don't add as much to the light field as the 30W HIDs but that was not my concern anyway.

It will be interesting to see if, over the next year or so of ridinig in varied conditions, these lamps can deliver without failures, burnouts, leaks, etc that plagued the TrailTechs. My only criticism so far of the VisionX design is that its power lead is 6" too short and therefore hangs the connector it comes with down in the airstream below the oil cooler, potentially exposing it to the elements. The lead on the TrailTechs was long enough to tuck the connector up behind the headlight and out of the direct impact of rain, etc..But, the VisionX does come with the excellent male and female deutsch type connectors while I had to add the Weatherpacks I used installing the TrailTechs.

Photo below shows the VisionX (left in photo) and TrailTech (right in photo) operating on the bike.

Why do I care about conspicuity lights? Simple- I live in a town designed by greed rather than planning that has so much visual clutter and poor road design that it has about double the accident rate of other cities in the state. It also has many young kids being a college and beach town plus distracted and often stoned tourists. One short stretch of road that runs past my place has had nearly 2000 accidents in the past few years. Last night's roadblock on that road to check returning bar traffic yielded the usual raft of DWI and drug charges, a few unlicensed drivers, several times that number driving with suspended licenses and about 50 other miscellaneous citations. I don't ride with the bar traffic but I'll take every edge I can get...

BTW, what mounts are you using for the under mirror Hella FF50's?