Headlight LED
For High Performance headlights the latest and greatest is LED. Cadillac XLR and most all hybrid/electric cars have proven this. Aftermarket HID headlights are a good solution to get more light, however folks have had both good and some not so good results on snowmobiles. The latest LED headlight bulbs are the best alternative to get more light (3 times stock), use 60% less electricity, last longer and have small size components. Snowmobiles also have very low output electrical systems, so caution is wise when selecting a headlight solution.
Fortunately, a new LED aftermarket system was released just this month. It uses a new LED technology that is both as bright as HID and projects forward just as far. All this while using less electricity than either a stock bulb or HID set up. LED is also "instant on" with no delay or warm up and will outlast the sled. This is what we have been waiting for!
HID has a bulky ballast and has electrical issues that a snowmobiler may not accept. Although a 35W HID (in 6500 Kelvin color- White/Blue) will produce about 1890 Lumens, the issue to be dealt with is HID's reliability (anyone have issues with HID's on Dodge pickups?). This new LED system uses less than 25 watts and is voltage stable in use. The driver is the size of a thin stack of business cards and is easy to mount. The best part is the new LED is 5000K in color (White/White)and produces about 1850 Lumens of output. The newest LED has a lifespan of 30,000 hours in use - 6 times a HID and is way more vibration resistant.
The advantage of LED headlight bulbs on a Ski Doo (where two bulbs are used) is the new LED's will free up about 80 watts for the hand warmers that we all know could use a boost! So more light and warm hands! What's not to like? Well, at the current time the only thing is the cost ($270 per pair MSRP). Other than that they are the superior solution no matter how you look at it. Nobody ever said the best stuff was cheap, so this should not be a surprise!
Riders that have been interested in a better headlight choice now have a great option. PM me and I will find you a dealer in your area who will have these kits. If you are in Alaska: Contact Chris at Alaska LED Industries (907) 978-2900. He will tell you why better vision from headlights would have changed his life and why you need better light to ride safely. Applications are now available now for all Ski Doo, Polaris and Yamaha. Newer Arctic Cat will be little later, however older models are covered.
Cheers, and yeah, pray for snow!
