LED HEADLIGHT insert not working. Just blowing headlight fuse ?

With the same problem occurring I'd have to assume the manufacturer made the light as a direct swap for another led headlight. The lower load would be the same so there'd be nothing to change. If that's the case with this light then yes, a ballast would be needed.

Check the manufacturers site for a ballast kit to go with the light you purchased. If none is available then you'll need to do some further checking online or maybe even look at the website of another headlight manufacturer. Either that or wait until you can talk to your friends who have made the same changes.

Let us know how you make out and what the final solution was. Good luck.

PS I looked around a bit for some more information and while I did find some led kits with ballasts, others did not. You can also purchase ballasts by themselves. Perhaps some of them do build it in but you'd think they'd mention it in their spec's. That technology is changing fast so there could be differences in requirements. Still unsolved. Also note that HID bulbs would already have a ballast installed so may be plug and play with an upgrade from them as well. Will be interested to find out what you come up with.

^^^ What he said. Led’s generally require drivers. All the ones I have seen have theirs internal.
However that’s only my very limited experience.

Here is some other things that might bring you closer to solving this mystery
Check to be sure that the fuses that are blowing are of the correct amperage and of good quality.
Not something that might be questionable from Amazon, etc. Those China fuses are generally OK.
However not a good time to use them right now. Quality control is often lacking on cheap products.

Myself I would then reinstall the factory original light and be certain everything functions normally.
Lights work as advertised , fuses don’t blow. That stuff.
Don’t neglect to wipe the bulbs down with alcohol if you have handled them to get any oil off of them before installation.

All this to be sure that the bikes wiring hasn’t developed a fault during surgery that is what is actually causing your problem.


Down the road at the end of this adventure, if it turn out that you have a unit that is actually designed so that it requires more amps to light it than the bike is designed to provide, something that is really unlikely since it would severely limit the number of people who were willing to buy and install that LED , you will then have to decide if running that light is really worth the hassle.

Because to run it without chancing damaging your bike’s electrical system, you will have to power it with separate properly sized to the load wiring coming right off the battery, with a properly sized fuse to protect said wiring, connected to properly sized power relays that get their signal from the original headlight harness.

Your high and low beam wiring would then be used to send a signal to a corresponding hi or low beam power relay which would provide power from the little harness you construct from the battery to the relay to the light putting no additional load on the factory harness etc.
And you’ll need to find space for the 2 relays, a fuse holder or holders, etc. Sort of a pain.

You’ll also need to know how many amps that light needs to be fused at, and that information will need to or should come from the manufacturer of the light. But you probably could guess and get it right by trial and error, or with a amp gauge.

It certainly can be done. But it will be a lot of work for little gain.
The factory headlights are some of the best Freeform lights I have ever seen on a motorcycle.

I put a Victory accessory version of that light on my bike and it was plug and play.
I think you have a defective light.

That aside.
There are some things I don’t care for on the LED I have. The cut off is too complete on it.
It’s so bright where it’s bright that it appears totally dark where it’s dark, even though it may not actually be so in reality .

With that LED light I could not see game, or grazing animals on the sides of the road on moonless nights.
I then had to add auxiliary lights to light up the shoulders and give some more light for the shoulders and when the bike was heeled over in corners to be comfortable riding with it at night.

It was especially problematic turning right off a country highway onto a rural road where the road dropped off. You were driving blind till the headlight swung in line with the new road. Not ideal in farming and ranching areas. You have no idea what might be hanging out in the middle of the road in the dark. Dead cars, dogs, kids, range cattle, cattle guards?
Here is a video that explains what I an trying to convey.
It is a promotional for the headlight linked below.

A friend has a early classic gold wing. He put a trucklight brand led on his because it has a very small alternator and thought he might free up enough amps for heated gear. Has the same issues, with corners, grazing deer and range cattle . He now tries to not ride at night with that bike if he isn’t planning on being in a well lit city till he can get the auxiliary lighting figured out with the small alternator. In the case of that bike the original light is pretty awful. So the LED headlight plus auxiliary lights will be a worthwhile improvement.

If you have $500 to sink into a headlight they make a headlight that fixes this issue.
I’ve never talked to some that owned one. Don’t know if they solve the issue or not.
I’ve already spent the time and money for the auxiliary lights relays etc. So no $500 headlight for me.

How necessary the auxiliary lights are depends on where you are planning on riding at night.

Technology isn’t always what they say it is when they are hoping to sell it to you.
My thoughts on the matter, anyways.