Headlights! Headlights!

**HungusMaximist** · 16th June 2007, 14:05

I like to gather some past experiences from fellow bikers who enjoy fiddling with their head light bulbs.

I've recently purchased myself a Phillips 55/60 'Crystal Vision', halogen bulb after some debate with the counter-clerk at Repco over what's good on the market. We discussed that whiter bulbs are brighter and are good for city riding becuase it reduced the glare from streetlights. There also the PLUS 50 bulbs that Narva and Phillips make, that gave the normal yellow light but with more brightness and distance. It's said that if you use the plus 50, it's good in the sense if you do alot of night riding around the country where there isn't a lot of streetlights.

In comparision between the two product in quality, the clerk mentioned phillips stood out better.

Your views?
Where do you buy yours and what do you buy?
Do you prefer the brighter white over the conventional yellow?

Btw: The the 'crystal vision' bulb I bought apparently retails at 80 bucks but the counter-clerk was able to do me for 45 bucks. Phillips 'blue vision' retails around $32 but is (apparently) less bright and doesn't have a blue tinge, when viewed at a certain angle than the crystal vision.

**HungusMaximist** · 16th June 2007, 14:15

On the note of increasing brightness - I've got old styled head light glass that's all layered inside with lines and on high beam the layered glass some how sprays the light at the corners with little lines.

The Repco sales clerk said that I changed it to a clear one it can drastically increase my head light brightness. This sound true enough, yes ?

**johnnyflash** · 16th June 2007, 14:25

My mates and I have had this discussion many times, tried the blue's & yellows and all, but the end result always was that we fittted seperate spotlights/driving lights, ensuring they were the long distance focus lenses and stuck 100watt lamps in em..., aint bought any for a couple years now but their are many versions on the market, but most importantly Ive found is aligning em properly. Personally, ive found the blue/white versions seemed to blow a lot easier so Ive stuck with yellow std as it suited my eyes better, others decided to use the blue or whiter variety as it suited them better. might have something to do with ones eyesight and how it reacts in various types of light, and in my case Im and old beggar so my sight aint 20/20 hehheh... Best to talk to some ligh specialists, even if you dont end up buying their brand, eg Lucas... etc..

**Blackbird** · 16th June 2007, 16:37

I have twin 100W Xenon lamps - see thread: http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...non+headlights for the safety angle.

**FROSTY:Me** · 16th June 2007, 17:16

Originally Posted by HungusMaximist

On the note of increasing brightness - I've got old styled head light glass that's all layered inside with lines and on high beam the layered glass some how sprays the light at the corners with little lines.

The Repco sales clerk said that I changed it to a clear one it can drastically increase my head light brightness. This sound true enough, yes ?

No dude it wont help--The construction of lenses have changed over the last few years--what ya can do is fit a COMPLETE headlight reftlector/glass

**The Stranger:Me** · 16th June 2007, 17:31

I recently replaced my GSXR bulbs with Philips 50% brighter bulbs from Repco.
The output is greater alright, but the shape of the beam is still shit so you wind up with the road 15m ahead well lit and a pencil beam down the middle when on full beam, but nothing if you happen to go around a corner.

In short though, they have definately helped, but not cured the real problem.

**Pancakes** · 30th June 2007, 22:50

Bike wiring can be lighter than ideal to keep weight etc down (the wiring goes through the switches on the bar etc, not ideal) and the first port'o'call would be a 50+ or brighter bulb AND run new heavier gauge cable from the battery direct to the bulb, two relays in the middle and use the old power cables as the switch sense for the relays, always fuse things too ok. If your going up to 65w you can probably wire high beam to be both together when factory is normally one or the other filament. Over 65w may start to melt you purdy machine. Failing that go H.I.D lights, had some of these swapped into an ex club rally car I used to drive and it was amazing! You will get a noticable 3X more light with about 35w draw. Lots of drawbacks though, no hi/lo beam, you need a HID bulb that moves, there are more parts too, a ballast unit which has capacitors for initial startup and power conditioners for normal running. Anywhere from 3 to 20 second startup depending on the model too. Worth looking into tho, I'm going to do a new harness and relays on mine (already have Narva 50+ bulb) and will post how that goes while I'm looking around for a good and reasonably priced HID setup.

**bounce** · 30th June 2007, 23:07

Originally Posted by HungusMaximist

Where do you buy yours and what do you buy?
Do you prefer the brighter white over the conventional yellow?

I found a PIAA Plasma GTX on trademe which is ultra white with a kind of purple low beam. My figuring was to get something that would be eye catching in the day time. Wish I could say that it works wonders but no, I still have to react and avoid other drivers on a daily basis

**Pancakes** · 1st July 2007, 21:53

Originally Posted by bounce

I found a PIAA Plasma GTX on trademe which is ultra white with a kind of purple low beam. My figuring was to get something that would be eye catching in the day time. Wish I could say that it works wonders but no, I still have to react and avoid other drivers on a daily basis

I'll post how my relay goes with upping the power to standard bulbs once I've made it, hope to have it on by this ATNR, we'll see I suppose. Depends on how much time I find up my sleeve (or how much sleeve my wife gives me this week?)

You'll always have to dodge drivers, most of them are trying to see you as hard as this guy!

**Pancakes** · 4th July 2007, 20:59

Well I made the new loom yesterday and there is maybe 20% more noticable light, I don't have a multimeter so I can't say accurately how much more power is getting through but my lights now get to the end of a straight (Kauri Rd by the golf course WarlockNZ, just past your place) when they used to get maybe two thirds of the way. I have raised my light by a few degrees to use the extra distance available. Still not the light that I'd like tho so I'm going to try the 130/100 H4 available from Narva, still glad I made the new loom cos now If I pay for a new bulb I'll get to use it's full potential.

Tank off, Airbox off and testing the factory plug that I used for the switch sense for the relays.

**Pancakes** · 4th July 2007, 21:08

The bits to make the loom out of,

The gap between the head/steerer tube and the airbox where I mounted it,

The spade connectors to plug into the factory plug as switch senses for the relays.

(I could have cut the wires and joined them to the sense wires but wanted to make a system I could just un-plug if I wanted to).

**Pancakes** · 4th July 2007, 21:15

The loom and again taped up, The battery connections in place.

**Pancakes** · 4th July 2007, 21:22

The wiring and relays in place,

The relays, Don't hassle my soldering ok! I was using an old shitty iron that never really got hot enough and I was runnning out of solder so was using old odds and ends.

In place with the airbox back on, yeah, I like cable ties.