Converting sealed beam

[Guest]

My headlight burnt out so....not with an aftermarket kit, but actually using the existing '80 GS450E headlight. I pried up the 6 tabs holding the existing sealed bulb in place. Using vise pliers, grabbed the base firmly and carefully pulled the bulb back and out while breaking the bulb itself since it does not fit through the opening from the back. Then shook all the broken pieces out. Aligned the new halogen bulb in the hole and using wire wrapped carefully securing the new bulb in place. Mounted the headlight back on the bike and tested. I think the original bulb is 35/50w and the new one is 55/60w. It throws more light and some more heat, but the lens was not hot to the touch.

[Steve]

How is the pattern on the road?

Or in the eyes of oncoming traffic?

.

[JEEPRUSTY]

really we must have pictures.

[kirkn]

My '82 450T had had the same thing done by the PO. JBWelded a 'normal' halogen bulb into where the stocker had been. He JBWelded it in upside down, however, so I had to rotate the lens ass'y within the trim ring by 180 degrees. Fit perfectly.

However, the light pattern out on the road was atrocious. Bright, sure, but unusably irregular and with a kind of 'hole' in the light right out where you'd want it while on low beam.

Worthless, except maybe to satisfy the letter of the law during daylight that a headlight be on...

So, I'll never know if the worthlessness was a result of a halogen bulb into a lens meant for standard, or because it was in there upside down.

I bought a stock replacement for $45 from Boulevard Suzuki. Perfect and done.

Kirk

[lurch12_2000]

My '82 450T had had the same thing done by the PO. JBWelded a 'normal' halogen bulb into where the stocker had been. He JBWelded it in upside down, however, so I had to rotate the lens ass'y within the trim ring by 180 degrees. Fit perfectly.

However, the light pattern out on the road was atrocious. Bright, sure, but unusably irregular and with a kind of 'hole' in the light right out where you'd want it while on low beam.

Worthless, except maybe to satisfy the letter of the law during daylight that a headlight be on...

So, I'll never know if the worthlessness was a result of a halogen bulb into a lens meant for standard, or because it was in there upside down.

I bought a stock replacement for $45 from Boulevard Suzuki. Perfect and done.

Kirk

Might defeat the purpose of converting by JBWeld'ing the bulb in place. The wire trick still holds good after 100+ miles of riding including lots of bumps and can be removed or swapped relatively easily. But I tested it out at night last night and agree that the light is much brighter, but not directed very far ahead of your path though. I used a halogen bulb from my scrap pile that only had high beam. I hadn't tried flipping it upside down yet, but I have another bulb to try. This is an expirement at this point and may be less than ideal at night but the standard old sealed one was pretty lame on the dark back roads around here too, so I don't want to spend $40+ on another standard headlight from the dealer. I'll keep messing with it at this point.

[lurch12_2000]

Pictures....the top is slightly clockwise from where I wrote GS450. I did have to use the dremmel with grinding wheel to widen the opening a little. It fit right in and rather than messing with bending the 6 tabs back I used the wire wrap to secure. I now have a good bulb with both hi/lo and oriented the bulb this way. I'll test the lighting tonight and report back.

[lurch12_2000]

My '82 450T had had the same thing done by the PO. JBWelded a 'normal' halogen bulb into where the stocker had been. He JBWelded it in upside down, however, so I had to rotate the lens ass'y within the trim ring by 180 degrees. Fit perfectly.

However, the light pattern out on the road was atrocious. Bright, sure, but unusably irregular and with a kind of 'hole' in the light right out where you'd want it while on low beam.

Worthless, except maybe to satisfy the letter of the law during daylight that a headlight be on...

So, I'll never know if the worthlessness was a result of a halogen bulb into a lens meant for standard, or because it was in there upside down.

I bought a stock replacement for $45 from Boulevard Suzuki. Perfect and done.

Kirk

Is your new one a 35/50w like the original? If so they don't cast much light ahead which is what I need for the pitch black curvy back roads of NH.

[Steve]

Is your new one a 35/50w like the original? If so they don't cast much light ahead which is what I need for the pitch black curvy back roads of NH.

The 35/50w bulbs were a "sealed beam only" item. Most of the replaceable halogen bulbs like the H4 (9003) that you used will be a 55/60w. For some reason, Honda specified a 45/45w bulb in a few of its bikes with dual headlights, and they had a different tab alignment, so you have to do some slight modification to put in the brighter bulbs.

It is also possible to get brighter bulbs, but the charging system on our bikes will not like them for very long. The brighter bulbs that I know of are 55/100w, 80/100w and 90/130w.

And, it's not just the number of watts that throws the light, it's the shape of the reflector, so simply sticking a brighter bulb in a crap reflector (or one not designed for that bulb) won't really help.

.

[lurch12_2000]

....And, it's not just the number of watts that throws the light, it's the shape of the reflector, so simply sticking a brighter bulb in a crap reflector (or one not designed for that bulb) won't really help.

.

Yes, we'll find out, but spending $45 for a "new" crap original one doesn't work for me. If this doesn't work then I'll get the conversion unit for $27 off Amazon that I did for my '78 GS750, but in a 6" version. Consider my time in this expirement as saving you and others the trouble of trying! Hasn't cost me anything except time which is what I have more than expendable $ for now.

[salty_monk]

Less than $25 to get the real McCoy..

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=Motorcycle+H4+light+7%22&_sacat=0&_odkw=Motorcycle+H4+light&_osacat=0

http://www.ebay.com/itm/7-H4-EURO-MOTORCYCLE-HEADLIGHT-/250897367552?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a6aa60200&vxp=mtr#ht_1954wt_1397

[Thumper88]

I used this on mine...

http://www.speedmotoco.com/product-p/smc-64313.htm

Lot's of room for wiring, and excellent beam pattern.

[lurch12_2000]

Tested the headlight setup on dark back roads last night, some with white/yellow lines and others with nothing but black. The low beam was bright, focused far ahead for good visibilty, and a significant improvement from the standard headlight. High beam was scattered, not far reaching and basically good for backup in case of low beam burnout or daylight visibility for cars, so overall worse than standard headlight hi-beam.
Conclusion:
If you have a H4 bulb($5 if not) laying about, then yes, it's worth the time to convert the standard over to H4 or H2, but if not then probably buying a conversion kit for $27 with bulb included is the better way to go.
Note:
Most of the link info posted by others list the 7" headlight. You would need the 6" version for these old GS450's...and some of those kits require mods of the back tabs to fit into the bucket and retainer ring too. I personnaly wouldn't spend $45 for a standard replacement headlight.

***H4 bulb orientation is key as my pics show!...and having a replacable bulb setup pays for itself every 10 years or so!!

[Thumper88]

The link I posted includes the housing...7" headlight...H4 bulb...couldn't be any easier. Low beam has a nice cutoff, high beam has a nice throw.

[lurch12_2000]

The link I posted includes the housing...7" headlight...H4 bulb...couldn't be any easier. Low beam has a nice cutoff, high beam has a nice throw.

oh, ok thanks. $59 shipped so I'll just use what I have for now.

[Steve]

..., it's worth the time to convert the standard over to H4 or H2, ...

No, not H2, that is a completely different bulb.
You might be confusing that a bit with HB2, which is a standard for the 9003 bulb, which is almost identical to the H4.

From Candlepower, click HERE to see the H4.

This is the H4 (also known as 9003/HB2)




This is the H2