Modern Vespa

While googling LEDs ran across this from the folks at SIP. Anyone use one or try one or seen one in action? Is it truly plug and play?

https://shop.sip-scootershop.com/en/product/headlight-unit-sip-performance-led-round-o-143-mm_57268300?q=Led%20headlight

NOTHING from SIP is plug and play

I bought the SIP performance front and rear damper/shock. They plugged and played fine. I wouldn't hesitate to try this, but for the price you'd have to be riding at night on unlit roads a lot for it to be worth it.

The SIP light requires DC - so if your scoot runs on battery - you should be fine.
I have an older model - 62 VBB - that I converted to DC.
I use this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZVLFW88/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It's a $29 dollar solution.

It's bright - with a capital B - and the reflector in my light aims it ~ reasonably but imperfectly.

Its excellent for daytime running - and it is suitable for nighttime - however - I have little adjustability with my headset to control angle height of cut off for other drivers. That is less than ideal and is likely the same issue you will have with the sip model. A bit of creativity with the chrome ring could resolve this I imagine.

-CM

I recently installed that same headlight on my 2016 PX. Everything went well on the install front, you just have to wire up the parking light, easy peasy.

It is (literally) night and day difference, I’m going to put a similar headlight on my Rally this winter.

You can do better than that.

I run this headlight on my Stella, and after almost two years, it's still crazy-bright.(4500Lms ; 6000K). It's a DC power hog, though, so you're going to need a strong stator to drive it. $35 bucks.

Now, it wasn't plug n' play. I wound up eventually fabricating custom brackets out of sheet metal and had to crimp blades onto the existing headlight wires, but that's pretty trivial.

Here's a couple of shots I took with it when I installed it, including the mounting. The only real work was drilling and tapping mounting holes into the heat sinks, and that took like five minutes.


Installed. The throttle pulley would hit it from time to time, but I just ground out a spot for it and I was good-to-go.

Lo-Beam

Hi-Beam. I think that's bright enough, don't you?

Thanks CM, I knew there were fellow folks who have tried some other ways just search didn't bring much up.
I have the US sealed headlight right now which is DC on battery, so my thoughts really were I would need to buy the Euro headlight around is $40ish plus tax and shipping if I go from Mercato or $90ish from Scooterwest for PX version and then pop another $30 for the LED. I am at what $80-$120 which is not bad... but for another $100 get a potential plug and play was tempting.

Chandler I remember when you posted about your headlight, issue is my fabrication and electrical skills are limited. I can tear a motor apart and put it back together but electrics does my head in. Thanks for your suggestion though as well. That headlight certainly improves the nighttime riding!

Thanks for the feedback and your thoughts on it.

rfman, you can totally do this. It's just disconnecting the wires from the BA20-D socket they're connected to now, crimping blades onto them, and getting it mounted. No real electrical work at all. If you can tear down a motor, I think that tapping a couple of mounting screws shouldn't be a problem, either.

If you post a photo of the existing light, I'll even tell you what plugs into what

No need to spend 3x the cost when you can get a seriously bright headlight for not a lot of money.

you didn't mention that in your original posting

Hey, just bumping this thread as I wanted to get some real-world reviews of their forays into LED headlights.

I've had my eye on the SIP unit for some time now and am looking to get the VAPE ignition and switch over to all-DC. $200 is a bit steep for lighting but if you're doing nighttime riding -- well, I've done my fair share of that with the halogen bulb and it's always a bit unnerving.

Seems to me that the options are--

1. The SIP LED unit, which optionally comes with a mounting bracket
2. Some other similar Alibaba approach which comes in at about a fifth the price
3. One of those fanless LED bulbs mentioned in this thread and dropped in to the stock headlamp mount -- at about a tenth the price.

Anyway, was just looking to get some field reports from folks. What I'm after is not just brightness but *reliability*.

Like, does that SIP unit ever just crap out? Is says it comes "with bulbs." Are those... replaceable? Or if it dies do you have to shell out for a new unit? Same deal with the Alibaba units, which as I see take a bit more effort to install but otherwise appear similar.

Just dropping in one of those fanless LED units is also increasingly appealing. It's cost effective enough to just have some spares handy. Charlieman, how's that working out for you? What's the reflector in your unit look like? I'm just thinking of what would be a probable good for for the PX (new) reflector. Something like:
https://www.amazon.com/Nilight-20035H-Motorcycle-Headlight-Conversion

Anyway: decisions, decisions!

My $.02.

The SIP Vape DC is exceptional.
Would not build another motor without.
Brake light is equally important to me - and it is just wow bright when I step on the peddle.
Other riders have noted both tail and headlamp when I have ridden in groups (I had forgotten all about it).

The Amazon LED that I plugged in to the existing headlamp base worked ok - but had two significant drawbacks that limited.
1. The aim - was too high - though the light pattern was decent as the bulb I put in had the hooded reflector and placement near where a filament bulb would have sat.
2. They dont last. Too much vibration - literally fell in to pieces.

So I went back to the drawing board.
Couldn't swallow the $200 version from SIP.
Also - if honest - not really a fan of the look.

Since I am on a VBB - I think I am also about 12MM or so smaller than the 70's bikes round headlamps. I found this one using "passing light" as my search - which was the highest lumen in this style (both amazon and aliexpress offer).
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C7CJW8P/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It was about $45 on Amazon and available within 1 day (about half the price on aliexpress but longer wait...) and it came as a set of two so I have a spare.

I love this light for the price.
The good:
it is a non reflector - and ~3400 lumen.
It has a pattern that is like a half moon - and I found that if I run it 180° from intended - it has a hard line across the top like modern car lights - so I can set it just below the level of an automobiles side mirrors and know that I am not bothering them.
It is rock solid. Never flickers, and doesn't mind a ton of vibration.
The Daylight Running Light looks cool - and I often run with just that until its dark out.
I also like the fashion of it - techy but not weird - to my eye.

The compromise:
The light output is probably not as long a throw as the $200 SIP one - as it is likely wider but less long in its pattern.

I used 3 pan head Allen bolts in stainless in varying lengths and tapped the top hole in my headset that used to be just for a tab.
I drilled a hole in the bezel to match - and that allowed the three bolts to triangulate and hold the light in. By varying which one I tighten first - and then shortening or lengthening the top one - I was able to make those bolt then adjust its aim.

Net result - I have an amiable light - that does not rattle or move - and is about 15x brighter than my old incandescent bulb. It projects a wide half moon shape with a hard line across the top - and riding at night is a totally better experience. Probably not quite as good as SIP.

One last thought. Aliexpress had a number of lights that were slightly larger - and would have matched SIP. I just couldn't use them as my headset would not hold. You may want to measure your opening carefully to see if they fit yours.

-CM


I added the bolt at the top fo the bezel to give me the triangulated hold and just screwed it until it interfered with the light housing which is hard ABS. There are three bolts in total to hold it still.

Interesting look, and the price is good! lets see it lit up the various ways

Thanks for the replies. @charlieman, I get the sense that these aftermarket LED bulbs might not be up to the rigors of a shaking, rattling two-stroker, unless of course somebody makes some ruggedized version.

Otherwise I think I'll play it safe and open my wallet for the SIP LED option.

What do you mean a power hog? It's only 80 watts which is more than two of the factory 35 watt bulbs. Oh, and a high output stator seems to be in the 110 - 120 watt range. Even the vape is only good for 110 watts.

http://www.scootermercato.com/Scooter-Parts/Complete-Stators/217866-120

LOL!

I run the Vape and all-LED, so I have more power in and less power draw. Plus, that light is less draw on lo-beam, so it's always worked for me

Again on discount...

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33006979843.html

Cosa stator, only AC but you can easily convert it to full DC by "floating" the other end of the windings...

I have a Stella all I need is AC to the voltage regulator. The regulator does the power distribution. Currently using a P200 two yellow wire stator, with one yellow wire grounded. Charges my battery to 14.6 volts, with a 35 watt bulb.