Bulb Upgrade(or replacement)
 

So turn up to the meet last Wednesday and Luckypants informs me that one of my headlights is off :( I thought summit was up because it kept flickering on late after turning off full beams, but didnt think it was the bulb.

Mike told me to get uprated Phillips bulbs off net from powerbulbs. Woulda got them but due to postal strikes etc i thought better of it(they prob wouldnt have sent it via royal mail i know) and the fact i ride 5 miles every night at 2 in the morning usually i decided it was best to get it done quick.

HG £8.99 each Phillips, same sorta thing as Mike recommended, but theyre Orange :evil: :D :smt026

By god do you notice how sh1te the standard bulbs are. Bit of a weird one getting them in and out but once ya know how its blummin easy :thumleft: Happily come and help people fit them if they need it doing. All it is, turn bars to right if your going at left one(vice versa), hand over top of yoke, under dash, get to wiring connector, pull that out, remove dust cover, pull the paper clip spring like thing towars the tank from the top of it and pull ya bulb out. New ones in so that the connector will line back up as before, make sure the paper clip thingy is out all way or it make's things difficult, and then do the process to removing but reversed. That was on a 99 curvey S. Might be different on P****ys or Nekkids.

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I REALLY need to do this........I was following a VFR home on saturday night down a stretch of road with no lights.

It became apparent how crap my headlight were when the vfr went around a tight corner ahead leaving me in darkness wondering where the hell the corner was.

The headlights must have been lighting up maybe 7 - 8 cat eyes. DANGEROUS lol

Do upgraded bulbs from the likes of halfords fit in bikes?

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All you need to know is H4 bulbs. The ones Luckypants recommended are actually car bulbs, i never looked in Halfords but maybe u might be able to get some. I'll try and get hold off the site off Mike to stick on here.

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Re: Bulb Upgrade(or replacement)
 

Greame, you got a pointy so best check what type bulbs you need. not sure if they are H4 in a pointy.

Them philips extreme are awesome and you WILL see a big improvement.

I know what you mean about VFR lights though, do not feel the need to upgrade the bulbs in my bike. Main beam is awesome. Will fit the better bulbs when these blow.

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I have been using a Piaa H4 like the one here. By far the best bulb I have ever used. I ride nights here in the Northern California Mtns and we have a lot of 4 legged critters about and I need to see them in advance so I can dodge them. This is the best, and I have tried many different types. Spend the money you won't be sorry. H4 is used in all SV's, S models and nakeds all years.
http://www.ridegear.com/rg/item/F-41...4-fcb9ca457e70

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apart from EURO models which have H7 high beam, H4 low beam.

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Really! Not here in the states. Bummer... Piaa makes them in H7 also. But H4 is Hi/Lo???

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Yep, some continental euro bikes have one projector headlight for reasons unknown...

Some people say that bike bulbs are designed to be more resistant to vibrations, and that car bulbs won't last as long... But my silverstars are just standard issue and they're 25000 or so miles and 4 crashes old so I'm not exactly convinced on that one.

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yes. i bought halfords laser blue blubs

really good and match the girly baby blue colour of the bike

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Are you sure about that.

I didn't think there was any H4 bulb in the Euro ones. Anyone else able confirm the bulbs used in the Euro headlight?


Ben

Re: Bulb Upgrade(or replacement)
 

Just fitted Philips Extreme's (H4's) to my K6. So easy to fit (if you've got small hands like me!) and made a noticable difference, much whiter light off these compared to standard. Well recommended.

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Could be right, on the TL it has an H1 for high and one for low, but diffrent people have said that it varies around europe with some having a H1/H4 or H1/H3 config, realy confusing. Mabey it goes the same on the SV too.

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Yep the Phillips extreme are good. Fitted them in my car , or the equivalent Phillips back in 2004. They do make a difference, especially with the refection back from shiney objects like road markers and cats eyes.
Worth the money. Will be upgrading my bikes lights soon. ALSO, thinking about updating the little 'pilot' light on the S curvey too, to an LED, or possibly a couple of LEDs.

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BMW F800 has two H7's but when the high beams are switched on the dips remain on too....good thinking!
I had a 100/160 H4 in the Honda thou many moons ago.....now that was a good headlight. Properly adjusted it never bothered anyone either i.e. (didn't get anyone flashing me to dip).
Tell you what though, if anyone left their lights on full beam one quick burst of 160 watts and they soon got the incentive hehehehe!

Illegal / legal ... two H4's in tandem are 110 watts or a BMW 7 series with 220 watts. I don't get it?? Truck lights for instance .... 24v 70-75w ?????

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Got a set of blue side lights free when i bought my H4's, even match the colour of my bike :-)

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Why couldn't they have just kept it simple :rolleyes: hehe


Ben

Re: Bulb Upgrade(or replacement)
 

Got h4's as my main lights on my k6 uk model, off ebay ( they were described as xenon bulbs for a corsa but h4's none the less...) and got a set of "White" LED 501's (the little side lights)....

total inc posting was around £12 and they chucked in a pair of xenon 501's too!

Shop i got it from is called "CARPARTS BULBS and STYLING" on ebay. Though they are all car bulbs... not had a probs with installing them or using them soo far...

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Yep - H4 Philips Extreme for me too from Powerbulbs with free Philips blue vision side lights on my K3.

Leave at least an hour to fit them 55 mins for the first side and then 5 mins for the second side once you know how to do it!!!

Oh yeah and don't get them delivered to work and then attempt the whole process in a double cuffed shirt, just because you are sad and can't wait, of course I would never do that!!!:smt053

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What are they....glow in the dark jeans?? ;)

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Changed z to x.... xenon bulbs... have a whiter light then standard argon bulbs ( prob seen them with a slight "blue" glow on some cars)... and 501's are the number for the type of bulb... same as h4 for the main+ beam 501's are the sidelights.

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Hey guys,

Just wondering if anyone has experience with bulbs and MOT's? how you do replacement bulbs fair? Looking to change mine, and like the look of the PIAA Extreme White bulbs, but they say they "NOT ROAD LEGAL OR E MARKED"....

Would this cause her to fail forthcoming MOT's?

Cheers,
Al.

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Don't bother with those PIAA bulbs, you will get just as good results from the Phillips Extreme power or Osram Nightbreaker bulbs which are 'E' marked.

However, in regards to your MOT query, I'm yet to hear of a tester taking your bulbs out to check they are 'E' marked. As long as your headlamps are properly lined up, so they are not dazzling anyone it will pass.

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Brilliant - off I go for the Philips Extreme then!

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:smt046

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Blimey that's some dazzling humour there!

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Why not? If I had seen that link above for PIAA from the states for about the same price as Xtremes I might have gone for them. I like the sound of 60W/55W = 135W/125W whatever that means? :roll: Also do you notice they offer free shipping above $49 but these are on sale $1 off to get them $48.95 :smt043

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Another vote for Phillips Xtreme powers here.

I had Osram Silverstars in the car, which were a good improvement over the original Osram lamps, and have now fitted the Phillips Xtreme powers, and they are another step up again.

(Silverstars now move into the SV :cool: )

....and also a vote for http://www.powerbulbs.com/ , definitely a trusted supplier.

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u need HIDs if you realy want powerfull lights its about £100 for two lights and the ballast

of cource illegal if you fit them i think, but u get bright bulbs... and then ull get the bluey lights like on lexus cars!!!

the H4s will b ok not that much differnce tho....

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As long as I can see where I'm going that's ok by me.
Don't like the Mr Blobby headlamps which shine a blob of light here and another blob of light over there. Much prefer the rectangular slab of light offered by many of todays bikes.

I have read comments from people who don't like the SV standard bulbs/lights! I find them remarkably good but then 80% of my riding was done on 70's and 80's machinery where the headlights were rated in candle power not watts! :(

Thats more easily said than done....my dips were spot on then rear suspension sag got the better of me on my first dark sortie with the wife as pillion. Her extra weight pointed the dipped beams in everyones eyes....not good.
60 seconds with a C-spanner and the sag has gone and so has the problem.

Maybe this is why so many bikers riding 2-up cause dazzle....they have saggy rear ends!!:smt081

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Rhythm, as long as your wife doesn't have a saggy rear end that is all that matters!

A set of Phillips Extreme, over here (that is a pair) in NZ cost about $80.
Sounds a lot doesn't it. But if you bring in the exchange rate it isn't too bad. thats, 2Pound 80 or so to our Dollar.
which equates into 29 quid or so. What did you guys pay?

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Hehehehe... her rear is under strict orders not to get too saggy!! ;)

I think it's a bit flippin steep for a pair of bulbs! A couple of years ago I priced a couple of spare 60/55w halogen bulbs for the car and they were only about £6 each.
At least the longevity of bulbs is better than it used to be to compensate.

Are there any lumens measurements to show how much brighter these "brighter" bulbs really are cos a slight shift in the colour spectrum can be very deceiving you know! ;)

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Indeed this is how PIAA make thier Extreme White bulbs appear brighter, by applying a dichroic filter to the bulb to change the light spectrum.

In terms of tests of the brighter bulbs, Auto Express do test these. Here is a link to thier +50% test and they made the Philips X-treme their product of the year 2007 I cannot vouch for the veracity of thier tests, but my X-treme Power bulbs definitely seem to have better range and periphery illumination than the +50% Osram silver Stars they replaced on my car. The Silver Stars were a definite improvement on stock. I live up a dark road and use my main beam a lot.

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I'm using the Halfords Super Brilliance (which won the +50% test) in my Speed Triple. To be honest, I didn't notice any difference between them and the OEM bulbs. With a SB in one headlight and OEM in the other, both lights appeared to be equally bright. I think that Triumph must be using pretty good OEM bulbs, as they were dazzling.

I was thinking of replacing the Super Brilliance with the Philips X-treme power, but having seen how well the Halfords bulbs did in the test, I'll be keeping them in until one blows, then replace them with X-tremes.

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After alot of indecisions on what bulbs to fit to my pointy, I Ordered a pair of Phillips
Ex-Treme power bulbs from the Powerbulbs website on Sunday night
( you also get free sidelight bulbs and p&p) .
They arrived this morning, so after work i thought i'd fit them ( in the dark ) it only took 15 minutes and that included a coffee break , and the results are instantanious i can now see where i am going and you can also blind the old ****s on the road with them.
As you can tell I Highly recommend the company and the bulbs.

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Really helpful thread this one so thanks to all that have put in the two pence :thumbsup: - i must confess to having been told to buy the Phillips Extreme ones (by the ever knowledgeable Jester666 - our lovely SoHo Mod - well one of 'em :grin: ) but i was curious to see that manufacturers make bulbs that are more resistant to vibrations ..... "hmmmmm" i said to myself "seems like a good idea"

Before becoming a Biker :thumbsup: i did notice that a LOT of bikes had one head-light out. Putting two and two together, vibrations, V-Twin, headlamps out - A-HA - i though i had had a revelation..... so started to look and see what was available - a few threads later i noticed some folk stating that the vibration weren't causing an issues..... Is this Sound Advise ???? I mean I'm sure you all know what you're talking about, i just wanted to ask the question outright !!

I think i am settled on the Phillips Extreme ones mentioned rather a lot this thread so am off to buy some at lunch time - I'll make sure that I roll the double cuffs on my shirt back before changing them over too (i could easily see myself forgetting to do that - LOL)

One thing remains - how the HELL to i actually get the bulb out !!!! I know its mentioned in the first post of this thread, however after attempting a practice run i could not remove the bugger - and the Irony of all this: one of my headlights is no no working. Must not have reconnected the wires securely enough as it was on before i left this morning - must have vibrated free !!

cheers all

Mike
(J-Hammer)

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You got a haynes mate? Its in there.

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But still that doesnt explain very easy

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I've also just got myself some new h4 bulbs which came with free sidelights, I've got the instructions on how to change the headlights over from here but cant find any instructions on how to change the sidelight bulbs....can someone point me in the right direction?? by the way its for a pointy...

Cheers

Re: Bulb Upgrade(or replacement)
 

I had planned to pick one up as my local Halfords had one for £20 - seemed a fair price and i'm sure it will get some use :-)

So come on then Plowsie - share you Skillz man :thumbsup: