There are a number of threads on the forum with some excellent nuggets of information, but I've yet to find a consolidated thread with most of the details / considerations to be considered. If others have additional details / experiences please feel free to chime in.
In general this is a easy / straightforward relatively cheap upgrade when the normal headlights require replacement. My intention for doing this was to (hopefully) extend the time between replacements with a longer life LED version. The only downside is that with the caps we have covering, bleeding off that heat is difficult at best (without drilling holes, which then allows dust and water infiltration) and LEDs don't like heat. So we shall see how well this works longer term.
Items you'll need to purchase:
1)
Extended caps: These replace the std ones (rubber O rings can be reused) and give greater depth to allow for the LED heatsinks behind the diodes. I purchased mine from forum member deftoner (Victor) who was great to work with and a quick ship for $35 for the set at the time of this post.
2)
Pair of LED bulbs: Prices on these can vary depending on what you decide on, mine were $30 for a well reviewed pair. I chose Nighteye A315-S1 (
Nighteye A315-S1 on Amazon). See specs / considerations below.
Considerations for the LED replacements:
1)
Type: Must be listed as H7 compatible to use the existing plugs
2)
Cooling: This can be a fan or heatsinks. As I don't like moving parts that can break, I opted for the fanless.
3)
Driver: Some will have the driver for the LEDs on the cable coming out the back of the lights, which even with extended caps can be hard to fit in. I opted for an integrated driver which packs it inside the unit for a smaller profile.
3)
Lumens: This is the brightness, and the standard bulbs (I believe) are around 4000 lumens (2k per bulb). Someone correct me on this pls. A side consideration is the more lumens the more heat to dissipate, so I opted for 8000 lumens (4k per bulb).
4)
Warmth: This is the coloration of the lights which then dictates to how easily it can be seen at night. I don't personally like a yellow light and see better with a whiter light, so I opted for a 6500k version.
5)
IP68 Rating: Optional, but that means the unit is deemed fit enough to withstand dust, dirt and sand, and are resistant to submersion up to a maximum depth of 1.5m underwater for up to thirty minutes. Hopefully I don't have my S10 submerged that long, but fortune favors the prepared.
6)
Lifespan: To be taken with a grain of salt given the difficulties keeping the LEDs cool behind the caps. The ones I chose say 100k hours, but even if I get half of that I'll take it as an improvement.
7)
Warranty: Not sure how valuable this is given its a nonstandard installation, but the ones I chose were 3 years.
Installation:
1) Remove the current caps, pull off the existing O rings and set aside.
2) Remove bulbs noting the base has a 'tab' that orients in the 7 o'clock position in the housing
3) Mine had a removable base with the same tab as the standard, that the rest of the bulb will fit into and lock into that secured base with a twist after it is secured with the standard metal arm clips. I installed my base with the tab at the 7 o'clock position as the standard.
Note: Use gloves when handling the LEDs as the oils on your hands can be degrading. The bulbs I chose came with a set.
4) Some LEDs will allow you to change the orientation of the LED diodes in the base to control where the diodes are pointing. Mine did not without modification, and after consideration I want to test the LEDs with this orientation as it actually makes sense to me. My LEDs force the diodes to shine primarily in the 7 o'clock position (which is down and away from oncoming drivers) and also in the 2 o'clock position (up and away from oncoming drivers). This is actually quite similar to the european bulbs in cars to prevent blinding oncoming drivers. Some folks prefer the diodes shining at the 3 and 9 o'clock position, so ymmv.
5) Plug the LEDs into the wire harness and test (you have to start the bike). If a LED is not shining, unplug and reverse and some are polarity specfic (mine were).
6) Take the original rubber O rings an put them on the extended caps. Replace the caps and you are done.