• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

1977 GS750 H4/H5/HID headlight conversions???

Chuck78

Chuck78

Forum Sage
Past Site Supporter
My low beam burnt out on my 77 GS750, so I went to the Rice Paddy, our local vintage japanese motorcycle salvage and parts yard, and found an H5 headlight that was laying on the ground next to a totalled 81-83 GS. Although the lens was almost flat as opposed to curved out (I like the curved aesthetic better), it has the removable Halogen bulb. I swapped it into my bike and it fit perfect!
Before going there I looked up headlight conversions on here and noticed that most people mention either H4 or HID conversions. I just watched a YouTube vid of 5K 35W halogen to 35W HID night driving in a Silverado. The HID were MUCH brighter at the same power! Wow.

Now that I can just remove the bulb from the housing, what other bulbs should I be looking into in order to get more visibility? I'm more concerned about being seen by motorists, but my added visibility is a bonus. What is the difference between an H4 and H5, and then to an HID, and can I just stick HID bulbs into my new used lens???



Moderators, I tried searching here but the search feature aggravates me with not being able to search two or three digit words/#'s - "H5 conversion" search results bring up only "conversion" and no threads in the top results with H5 in them!!! Is this something that can be changed?
 
I had never heard of an H5 bulb, until you mentioned it.

Did a quick search on Google, apparently the H5 was a special lamp assembly made for Porsches.

Stick with the H4 bulb in the stock 55/60 watt rating, you will see well and be seen just fine.
icon_thumbsup.gif


.
 
So do the HID style require a ballast to operate? Or are they just different bulbs? I saw a kit which included a ballast, so I wondered.
 
One problem with using an HID kit in a reflector designed for a halogen bulb is that the light is not being produced in the same location, so will be off-focus, possibly distorting the pattern projected on the road.

The filament in a halogen bulb is supported between two wires and basically is a straight line between them. The HID bulbs use an arc of ionized gas between two terminals to provide the light. The arc is not a straight line, like the filament, so the light that is produced is not in the focal spot for the reflector.

Sure, you might be able to see a lot better because it is a better source, but with the out-of-focus beam, you might also be glaring into the eyes of oncoming traffic. There are lights available (but they are not cheap) that use proper reflectors for the HID bulbs. I don't think they are very easy to install in our bikes, though.

.
 
Steve said:
I had never heard of an H5 bulb, until you mentioned it.
Did a quick search on Google, apparently the H5 was a special lamp assembly made for Porsches.
.
Click to expand...

I just went out to look at the lens, and it says on it:

6
H
5

on the left, vertically like that, and on the right, Motor Cycle Halogen. The brand name logo in the center is Koito.

ebay and another few internet sources say it was from 2000-ish Suzuki VZ800 Marauder

Like I said, I found it sitting right next to a wrecked 81-83 GS650G in the junkyard, appearing to have come off of that bike. I would speculate that it was an upgrade that the previous owner had done.
 
Last edited:
H5 has a low flat pattern that is not at all optimal for a motorcycle. The H4 has a superior pattern that extends ahead as well as low.
 
Well, darnit... That was the only lens I could find used there that took the seperate halogen bulbs... The lenses sell for $45+ on ebay, and I have a working headlight now for $25, so it wasn't too bad of a deal
 
It might be fine for the kind of riding you do and inspections, but here in deer dodging country it would be dangerous if not possibly fatal. The more light the better.
 
OldVet66 said:
H5 has a low flat pattern that is not at all optimal for a motorcycle. The H4 has a superior pattern that extends ahead as well as low.
Click to expand...
Still have not seen an example of an H5, but "H4" is the designation for the BULB, not the reflector, and the bulb does not determine the pattern.

.
 
My low beam burnt out on my 77 GS750, so I went to the Rice Paddy, our local vintage japanese motorcycle salvage and parts yard, and found an H5 headlight that was laying on the ground
Click to expand...
From what he said I got the impression he was using a H5 reflector.
 
Yes, no idea what bulb is but it works! Not nearly as bright as my buddy's 82 KZ650CSR side by side thpugh.
The reflector lens assembly says 6H5 molded into the glass. Can I still put in an H4 bulb?

From what I gather, an HID bulb conversion in my H5 lens will appear very bright to me when riding, but the focus pattern will be off & scatter light all over, blinding oncoming traffic & deer??

I looked up my $25 lens & bucket assy., & see it on ebay for $45, but sounds like an h4 or hid-specific reflector would be best. Maybe i'll just start with a bulb upgrade
 
Maybe this 6H5 lens was very common on many years Suzuki's as I found one on ebay off of a much newer Suzuki mentioned above, and was not an ugrade to the GS650G as I thought? I had thought that the 650 was exclusively shaft drive, but apparently there exist some rare GS650E chain drive models. Found one on ebay, noticed the reflector lens was the same as I found laying in the junkyard next to a GS650G

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/261104557106
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

ukjules
LED H4 headlight bulbs - bizzare workings
Replies
11
Views
211
rphillips
R
ukjules
H4 headlight wiring (high and low beam switched ?)
Replies
16
Views
846
Gorminrider
G
free99
Headlight coverage
Replies
12
Views
2K
Gorminrider
G
R
Truck-Lite 27270c Daytime Running Light
Replies
12
Views
794
Guest
G
F
Issues with a HID conversion kit
Replies
1
Views
465
posplayr
posplayr
Back
Top