Headlight bulb

[irishbiker]

Hey there

Hope everyone is having a good holiday season with plenty of riding time.

So my main beam stopped working and i went to my local auto store for a replacement. All they had was Sylviana H4 bulbs which supposedly have some shock absorbency in them. Put it in and works alright, not as bright as what was in it, piaa bulb. Anyone know if these Sylvianas last long? What is the best bulb for the rr?

Also ordered myself a pair of vega nitro touring boots for the colder weather, anyone have any experience with them? They are cheap as chips which is why i got them, most reviews online seem favourable.

Thanks for looking

Happy rides

Warren

[towerworker]

Warren-

I put in a Sylvania H4 in my 03 probaby 2 years ago and it was still burning bright when I totaled it early November.

I think vibration is one of the biggest enemies of bulbs so if this one has some qualities along those lines that should help.

Good Luck! (and Happy New Year too!)

Wayne
04r

[Biff's R]

I have the Sylvania Silverstar bulb in my bike, and it is much brighter than the OEM. It was the only H4 bulb that was in the auto parts store in BFE West Virginia where I bought it.

[jm1515]

I upgraded the stocker with a Silverstar also...much brighter than OE, but the high beam lasted only ~7000miles. I use high beam about 50-60% of the time.
After researching some, I bought a pair of Euro-spec Phillips Vision Plus bulbs from http://www.powerbulbs.com in the UK
I've has one in for over 10000mi now...again much brighter/whiter than OE.

[NAIAD]

Another 2 cent opinion...

or agreement anyway...what jm1515 said about bulb life of the Sylvania Silverstars is true in my experience. Tried them in both 4 wheel vehicles and the bike. Uniformly poor life in all circumstances.

Haven't tried the Phillips products yet, but that would be my next choice since they make an anti-vibe type moto bulb...

Ciao! BJ

[irishbiker]

Thank you all for your input, will look into the phillips myself for the future.

[adg44]

Yes, the silverstars sold here in the US are going to last less than a regular bulb. The Sylvania Silverstar is relative crap also, as it's blue coated which reduces visible light, and thus it has to be brighter to try and make up for that, which in return reduces its life span.

If you want a real bright bulb, look into the Osram Silverstar or the Phillips Vision Plus, both +50% bulbs and +20m distance. They will have a shorter life expectency also because they are brighter and have more lumens.

- Anthony

[hank]

I have been using a Philips X-treme Power + 80% bulb for the last year.

I installed this because I often ride home from work on unlit roads in bad weather late at night.

Amazing output and a huge improvement with a longer, wider beam and very bright.

Hank.

[marecycling]

Do the Phillips bulbs require a relay? Any additional heat that will cause issues?

[rockstercliff]

Used the silverstar bulbs for years in my cars, not much noticable difference than the factory. Swapped my Rockster bulbs out last year for the PIAA plasma, noticable upgrade, now have the PIAA in all my cars also.

[Beemeridian]

44

[adg44]

When a bulb's power is listed, e.g., 55w/100w, is that the power it consumes?

Yes, that is the amount of power that it draws.

The Phillips Vision Plus are brighter;
A) Do they consume more power, and if so, should the user install a relay?

They do not consume more power, because they are the same wattage. Thus you do not need to install a new relay. They are built slightly different, so they produce more lumens (light), but because of this, they have a shorter life expectency.

B) Do they produce more heat, and if so are there issues here we should consider?

I don't think they produce more heat because they are the same wattage. Although with higher lumens, maybe they do. Regarding wiring though, the draw is still the same, so I would not worry.

When is installing a relay a good idea?

Installing a relay and upgrading wiring is only a good idea when you are running a higher wattage bulb.

Hope this helps...

- Anthony

[Beemeridian]

33

[rdsmith3]

I use a Philips Rally 90/100 W bulb with a relay from Eastern Beaver
http://www.easternbeaver.com/Main/Produ ... _kits.html

The 90 watt low beam is a huge improvement over the stock bulb.

You really do want a relay, regardless of bulb. You will deliver more current to the bulb because you will run heavier gauge wires directly from the battery.

If you want to stick with stock wattage, PowerBulbs has some great European bulbs. You get a package of two, so you have a spare. Their prices include shipping anywhere in the world.

http://www.powerbulbs.com/product_list. ... 39&cat2=23

The Philips X-treme looks like a good choice

http://www.powerbulbs.com/product_detail.asp?prod=43

My whole light setup is in this thread
http://r1150r.org/board/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=13723

With all the lights on at high beam, I am putting out more than 300 watts -- 100 watt high beam, two 55 watt H3 bulbs in the driving lights, and two 50 watt yellow MR16 halogen bulbs in the Motolights.

[rdsmith3]

When is installing a relay a good idea?

Installing a relay and upgrading wiring is only a good idea when you are running a higher wattage bulb.

Hope this helps...

- Anthony

Why do you say that? Regardless of the power consumption of the bulb, thicker wire = lower resistance, which should send more current to the bulb. V= I*R where V is the same and R is lower with heavier gauge wire, so I is higher.

It should also have the side benefit of prolonging the life of the high/low switch because it will no longer receive the full current draw of the headlight bulb.

[adg44]

When is installing a relay a good idea?

Installing a relay and upgrading wiring is only a good idea when you are running a higher wattage bulb.

Hope this helps...

- Anthony

Why do you say that? Regardless of the power consumption of the bulb, thicker wire = lower resistance, which should send more current to the bulb. V= I*R where V is the same and R is lower with heavier gauge wire, so I is higher.

It should also have the side benefit of prolonging the life of the high/low switch because it will no longer receive the full current draw of the headlight bulb.

Sorry, let me rephrase. It's only necessary when upgrading to a higher wattage bulb. I haven't seen any tests that prove installing a relay for factory wattage bulbs increases anything. Theoretically it should, but I don't know if the real world benefit is worth the cost.

- Anthony

[Arbreacames]

With its dedicated wires, a relay reduces losses so the voltage at the bulb is higher. On my 1988 Honda Hawk 650GT, the relay increased the voltage at the bulb by a whopping 1.5V, which is a huge difference. On my R, the voltage increase was much smaller: only 0.5V, undoubtedly due to a better harness. That voltage increase corresponds roughly to an 8% increase in power (13/12.5)^2, so a 55W bulb would appear as a 60W bulb. The cost of a relay is fairly low, so even that small voltage increase might justify the investement on a relay.
I run a 55/100W bulb because I don't like to run a high wattage bulb continuously during the day.

[rdsmith3]

I run a 55/100W bulb because I don't like to run a high wattage bulb continuously during the day.

Yeah, I definitely am concerned about that. On the one hand, the stock low beam is pathetic, and that is what is on most of the time. So improving that from a 55W to a 90W was a huge improvement in every day, usable lighting. The Roadster's headlight shell gets lots of airflow and is not insulated by any fairing, so cooling should be fine. OTOH, in my commute, I sometimes get stuck in stop and go traffic in the heat. Now there is no airflow. I believe multiple, prolonged periods in traffic on hot days cooked my headlight socket last year (see pic).

So I am planning to run the 90/100 until the heat of summer, then I will switch to a 55/60 or a 55/100 in the hot months (and the days are longer, too).

[stilldking]

Quick question... If I was to install a 55/100 watt bulb, would you recommend upgrading the socket to handle the higher wattage and heat?

I was thinking something like this.
http://www.jcwhitney.com/webapp/wcs/sto ... ogId=10101

Thanks
JC

[Beemeridian]

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