Abysmal headlight performance -- need upgrade!

[bwringer]

I use a Sylvania Silverstar, and I'll happily accept shorter bulb life and the doubled cost in exchange for the incredible flood of bright white light that keeps me alive...

[focus frenzy]

I use a Sylvania Silverstar, and I'll happily accept shorter bulb life and the doubled cost in exchange for the incredible flood of bright white light that keeps me alive...

OH YEA!!
great having a headlight so bright it blinds the bugs and they cant home in on you.
also with the silverstar I can come up on left lane parkers during the daytime and line up to their left and the glare they get in their mirror snaps them out of their coma and they get over, they never did that with the old headlight and wiring!! (and this is just using the low beam!!!)

you are lucky Earl if you only have a 2 tenths voltage drop at the headlight, I had a 1.5 volt drop that cleaning contacts and connections could not get rid of.

bulbs last substantialy longer at 13.5 volts than they do at 14.5 volts
with my car I have never seen voltage over 14.2 volts but the silverstars never lasted more than about a year, and in 4 years the only other bulbs I have had to replace are the licence plate lights and one front turnsignal bulb.

the PIAA ION bulb is even better than the silver star but it is very expensive and definatly wont last any longer.

[earlfor]

Just wait until I get the quarter fairing molded and installed for the 1150 that will sport dual headlight silverstars. That ought to wake up the cagers. LOL

Earl

[quote="focus frenzy"]
OH YEA!!
great having a headlight so bright it blinds the bugs and they cant home in on you.
also with the silverstar I can come up on left lane parkers during the daytime and line up to their left and the glare they get in their mirror snaps them out of their coma and they get over, they never did that with the old headlight and wiring!! (and this is just using the low beam!!!)

[IanFrancisco]

It'll not only wake 'em up it'll have 'em reaching for their gun to extinguish the source of their irritation - well, hopefully not. I know I get hot under the collar when these guys in their 4x4s come up behind me with their blazing lights right at mirror level, but, I don't carry a gun so I guess we can all live with that. People don't pull out in front of me as much when I run the H4 lo beams during the day. When I was having charging problems I was riding without the lights, they're switchable on my bike, and had two close calls with comatose cagers just not seeing me.

[Mr. Jiggles]

I use a Sylvania Silverstar, and I'll happily accept shorter bulb life and the doubled cost in exchange for the incredible flood of bright white light that keeps me alive...

OH YEA!!
great having a headlight so bright it blinds the bugs and they cant home in on you.
also with the silverstar I can come up on left lane parkers during the daytime and line up to their left and the glare they get in their mirror snaps them out of their coma and they get over, they never did that with the old headlight and wiring!! (and this is just using the low beam!!!)

you are lucky Earl if you only have a 2 tenths voltage drop at the headlight, I had a 1.5 volt drop that cleaning contacts and connections could not get rid of.

Might that be where the tractor battery comes in???

Sorry Earl, I couldn't resist. But I am happy that you made it home OK.

[jtcrespo]

I've had a few too many run-ins with Afternoon Cage Zombies, so I run my Silverstar on bright during the day now. Haven't had much of a problem since I started.

Now if I could get one for each side and the rear I would be set.

[earlfor]

Nah, the bike is back to a normal battery. :-) In case you do cook your charging system a long way from home and dont have the option of waiting two weeks for parts, a 285 amp garden tractor battery piggybacked to the bike battery will run the bike with normal use of all lighting and electric start for about 30 hours continuous. :-) Then stop at a rest stop, pull out your battery charger and you can cross the country that way if you have to. :-)

Earl

Might that be where the tractor battery comes in???

Sorry Earl, I couldn't resist. But I am happy that you made it home OK.

[Billy Ricks]

This is what I'm considering. http://www.austreetfighter.com.au/scart/html/172.html About $390 US. The big GS headlight is pretty good too. Close to 9" and puts out a huge, clear beam. You can sometimes pick them up cheap on Ebay. They were used on '83 and up GS1100E and 1150E models as well as the '85 700E.

[dpep]

Nah, the bike is back to a normal battery. :-) In case you do cook your charging system a long way from home and dont have the option of waiting two weeks for parts, a 285 amp garden tractor battery piggybacked to the bike battery will run the bike with normal use of all lighting and electric start for about 30 hours continuous. :-) Then stop at a rest stop, pull out your battery charger and you can cross the country that way if you have to. :-)

Earl

I had a stator go out on me in the Arizona desert a couple hundred miles short of Las Vegas. That experience really taught me to appreciate a charge meter. The bike happened to have one and I was in a small settlement of a few houses where I was able to rent a battery charger from a guy. After getting it juiced I disconnected the headdlight and headed up the road and kept my eye on the meter. I found that right at 60 mph indicated in 5th gear the needle would just barely hang around the bottom of the green. I met up with a friend on a new Gold Wing in Kingman, AZ and followed him into LV at 60mph using his lighting. It was dark by the time we got to the hotel garage and I was never so glad to see a lighted parking ramp in my life. But I had managed to make it most of the way from Phoenix on that one charge.

I learned that a stator doesn't always go out completely; it might actually be putting out some charge, different levels at different rpm. Being able to determine that is real helpful in such situations. I think a meter would make a real sensible addition to any GS.

[dpep]

My 850 headlight was so dim I did not consider it safe to ride at night. A headlight relay and a Silverstar sealed beam changed all that, I ride with confidence at night now though I will say that the stock headlight on the Honda Nighthawk is still noticably brighter.

I bought my Silverstar at Discount Auto a couple of years ago at least. I'm sure it is an automotive model.

They cost a little more, but I prefer using the sealed beams. If I am out on the road I can find a ready replacement at just about any gas station or WalMart. And they are easier to swap out at night in a parking lot.

[Billy Ricks]

This is one of the big ones.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4556859199&category=35594&sspagename=WDVW

[earlfor]

I carry a spare silverstar h4 in my kit always, flashlight too. :-)

Earl

They cost a little more, but I prefer using the sealed beams. If I am out on the road I can find a ready replacement at just about any gas station or WalMart. And they are easier to swap out at night in a parking lot.

[earlfor]

I really like the 8" headlight. I think it puts out about 30% more light than a 7" with the same bulb.

Earl

This is one of the big ones.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...spagename=WDVW