Custom Led Headlight- need electrician guru's

[e30dean]

I am looking to make a led headlight from an offroad utility light. I have tried it on at night and it provides adequate lighting and isnt blinding to oncoming traffic. I have run into an issue because it has a simple 2 wire hookup but I would like to utilize the low/hi beam from the bike. I made a diagram of how I believe I could get it to work but I need someone with knowledge with electrical to help.

Questions:
1. Can the high beam be used as a load circuit and control circuit?
2. How big of a resistor will work for a 6 led (18w total)?

 

[rah7777777]

If the LED light has any type of quality in it, it has its own current regulation circuitry in it, so by adding the load (resistor) to the circuit it will either make no difference at all or turn the light off completely.

Its not the same as working with a halogen bulb.

You would need to have 2 current regulators or the best thing is to have 2 separate lights, 1 on with lows, both on with highs if your working with sealed units.

 

[e30dean]

How about adding a dimmer to the low beam or would that be the same as a resistor?

 

[Cooter]

A potentiometer is an adjustable resistor.

Can you open up the work light? Perhaps you could use the center LED's as a low beam, and turn the end ones all on with the high beam switch.

No matter what, it's a flood beam so say goodbye to any long distance lighting no matter how bright it is.

 

[e30dean]

So I went ahead to test my diagram since I didnt know how else to do it and sure enough it worked. I used a 50w resistor that I had left over from ebay turn signals. I will still be testing at night to see if the low beam needs to be dimmer or not. Is it possible to put two resistors in line to make it dimmer? Here are the results:

Off:

Low Beam:

High Beam:

 

[ccdirtrider05]

nice work.. ive been considering an LED headlight for mine .. Cree makes a direct plug in i think.

 

[e30dean]

So here it is all wired up and in its final location. Next thing to do is to dome some long term tests and make a new fairing the fits the style of headlight a little better.

 

[e30dean]

Ok so i finally got a night shot in with high and low beam. The phone camera doesnt give it justice in brightness or the difference between high and low beam but I like it and would say its definately an upgrade. I am still planning to go out in my car and have someone ride behind me to check for any blinding effects.

Low beam

High beam

 

[Shawns]

You could always double them up. It looks thin enough.

 

[e30dean]

That's what rah7777777 said to do, just double them up and have single for low beam and both for high beam.

@cooter: I might do some auxiliary lights for long distance lighting.