Replacement high performance headlight bulbs

[Blackbird]

I made a post a while back (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=26322) about the benefits of fitting Xenon bulbs particularly for being seen in daylight by dozy cage drivers.

A friend recently bought some aftermarket 100W Xenon headlight bulbs for his Hayabusa through Trademe. They were Asian-made and upon fitting, he was bitterly disappointed with their performance. They were worse than his stock bulbs and it looks like he was ripped off so fair warning!

I sourced my 100W Xenon bulbs 18 months ago from the UK and they’ve been superb. I’ve just bought some more as spares from another UK source and the service is outstanding. The price quoted on their website includes airmail to NZ and they arrived within 5 days of ordering on line. They even tossed in a couple of little blue freebie bulbs. Their purpose is currently lost on me but might have something to do with those blue lights on Boy Racer cages!

Anyway, if anyone wants to buy 100W H7 Xenon bulbs, HID headlight kits and a whole lot more stuff from a company with great customer service, here’s their URL: http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/home.php

[Zapf]

This looks interesting... http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/product.php?productid=16762&cat=255&page=1

$30 bucks each!

[sAsLEX]

They even tossed in a couple of little blue freebie bulbs. Their purpose is currently lost on me but might have something to do with those blue lights on Boy Racer cages!


Could of got a air pressure metre that you might of actually used! http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/product.php?productid=16707&cat=705&page=1

[98tls]

nice....think i will get some,anything that helps me be seen by cars has to be good.

[The Stranger]

Ok, the lights on the GSXR are SHIT!
Worst lights of any bike I have had.

What I don't know is are they all the same fitment?
Like I don't see any options, so can I safely assume these will fit the GSXR?
and now for the next dumb question.

Are they replacement for both the high and low beam? i.e. do I need one or two bulbs?

[WickedOne]

I made a post a while back (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=26322) about the benefits of fitting Xenon bulbs particularly for being seen in daylight by dozy cage drivers.

A friend recently bought some aftermarket 100W Xenon headlight bulbs for his Hayabusa through Trademe. They were Asian-made and upon fitting, he was bitterly disappointed with their performance. They were worse than his stock bulbs and it looks like he was ripped off so fair warning!

I sourced my 100W Xenon bulbs 18 months ago from the UK and they’ve been superb. I’ve just bought some more as spares from another UK source and the service is outstanding. The price quoted on their website includes airmail to NZ and they arrived within 5 days of ordering on line. They even tossed in a couple of little blue freebie bulbs. Their purpose is currently lost on me but might have something to do with those blue lights on Boy Racer cages!

Anyway, if anyone wants to buy 100W H7 Xenon bulbs, HID headlight kits and a whole lot more stuff from a company with great customer service, here’s their URL: http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/home.php

Cheers for the info, how do you find them at night when it is raining?

[GR81]

yea, im in the market for some better bulbs... the ATNR's are proving this point to me every time! haha

CaN: http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/home.php?cat=266 <- i guess you need to work out which ones are which. workshop manul?

[Blackbird]

Cheers for the info, how do you find them at night when it is raining?

No problem at all, have done heaps of night riding in the wet. The raindrops do reflect the glare back a bit more, but not excessively so.

CaN - can't help you with your fitment size on the Gixxer. My mate's Busa has an H7 for dip and some weird right-angled thing for main beam. Maybe yours is the same. 100W upgrades are fine for the 'bird and 'busa but not necessarily for all bikes. A halogen bulb is marginally better in the dark, but nowhere as good as Xenon for being seen in daylight.

Geoff

[WickedOne]

No problem at all, have done heaps of night riding in the wet. The raindrops do reflect the glare back a bit more, but not excessively so.

CaN - can't help you with your fitment size on the Gixxer. My mate's Busa has an H7 for dip and some weird right-angled thing for main beam. Maybe yours is the same. 100W upgrades are fine for the 'bird and 'busa but not necessarily for all bikes. A halogen bulb is marginally better in the dark, but nowhere as good as Xenon for being seen in daylight.

Geoff

Cheers for that...

[Kendog]

Cheers for that...

If you do get one, I would be very interested in how it fits and turns out.

Cheers

[Blackbird]

If you do get one, I would be very interested in how it fits and turns out.

Cheers

Is it an H7 on the Hornet? On the Blackbird, there's a big plastic block which the wires go into and the block locates precisely into the headlamp opening. The bulb itself presses into the plastic block - all very easy to replace. The only no-no is to touch the bulb with your fingers as the oil and salt will reduce its life to single digit hours!

[Kendog]

Is it an H7 on the Hornet?

No idea really.

I have not looked seriously at replacing the bulb, but anything to make me more visible on the road gets my vote.

[Blackbird]

No idea really.

I have not looked seriously at replacing the bulb, but anything to make me more visible on the road gets my vote.

Your manual will tell you what spec it is. Even a Phillips Xenon 55W bulb from your local Repco store will make you more visible in daylight. A 100W bulb is incredible at night but illegal of course. And who is going to check????

[Ixion]

Your manual will tell you what spec it is. Even a Phillips Xenon 55W bulb from your local Repco store will make you more visible in daylight. A 100W bulb is incredible at night but illegal of course. And who is going to check????

Why? Nothing about it in the 2004 Road Rule. Only a problem if it dazzles.

Some countries do have maximum wattage limits, but I'm not aware of any in NZ. Correction as always is welcomed. (von Klunken has a 130/100 headlamp bulb)

[Kendog]

Your manual will tell you what spec it is. Even a Phillips Xenon 55W bulb from your local Repco store will make you more visible in daylight. A 100W bulb is incredible at night but illegal of course. And who is going to check????

The manual has this very help full description:

Headlight 12v 60/55W

So I am not much wiser

[Zapf]

No problem at all, have done heaps of night riding in the wet. The raindrops do reflect the glare back a bit more, but not excessively so.
Geoff

I tend to find lights with a more yellow bias is better for fog thou, even without going to hard out fog lights.

[Zapf]

If you do get one, I would be very interested in how it fits and turns out.

H4 for the Hornet... from top of my head. I'll be getting something from the Philips range locally I think.

[Zapf]

Ok, the lights on the GSXR are SHIT!
Worst lights of any bike I have had.

What I don't know is are they all the same fitment?
Like I don't see any options, so can I safely assume these will fit the GSXR?
and now for the next dumb question.

Are they replacement for both the high and low beam? i.e. do I need one or two bulbs?

CaN, I have had my 750 and I can agree to the same thing. The lights are shit not so much because of the bulb but design of the reflector inside the headlight, which is something you can't change. E.g the cut off of the low beam. Hence you can make it brighter but can't really change the beam patten, unless you mount some external spot lights (which is possible)

Look inside your headlight with the bike turned off, and you should be able to see the number of bulbs you need. To find out what model they are you really need to take them out to see.

[Kendog]

H4 for the Hornet... from top of my head. I'll be getting something from the Philips range locally I think.

Just have to go off topic here for a sec.

Holy shit those track day photos are fantastic :rockon:

What kind of camera do you have?
I just got a new camera and want to get into a bit of bike photography.

[Cajun]

i have noticed the wifes k4 1k headlight is heapers better than my k4 600 headlight, and thats with standard bulbs, mine is only slowly getting close, after putting a 100/130 in h4, and a 90/100(i think) in the h7

[Blackbird]

The sharp cutoff caused by reflector design is a real problem on a lot of sports-oriented bikes, it certainly is on the Blackbird and the Hayabusa. A brighter than standard bulb helps side illumination by giving a bit more "throw" but doesn't eliminate the problem. Forward illumination is no problem. Oh for a nice round headlight!

I only find the sharp cutoff a real problem night riding on really twisty roads where you're constantly changing angles of lean. I've noticed something with the Blackbird reflector design from entering a corner on the Thames coast road a bit too hot. The cutoff problem is at its worst at moderate angles of lean, but it improves the more you lean over. Now there's an interesting dilemma, hehe:innocent:

[OLD MAN BJ]

Hey Kendog,

Its an H4 bulb you need for the Hornet. I just replaced mine with a Hella plus 50. To be honest, I was a little dissapointed, maybe I was expecting too much. It is better, but its not the blue/white type. I was talking to an auto sparkie, and he told me that to get the best from them you need to wire them directly to the battery with a relay. He said that a 10% voltage drop is equal to a 30% light output drop. If I was doing it again, Id just get one of the Narva Arctic blue bulbs. No light increase, but better seen in traffic I think.

Hope this helps.

[Zapf]

Its an H4 bulb you need for the Hornet. I just replaced mine with a Hella plus 50. To be honest, I was a little dissapointed, maybe I was expecting too much. It is better, but its not the blue/white type.

If you wanted the Blue / white ones this will be the correct part number [XD1260/55BV-2] but again I personally like the +50 stuff, as the blue / white stuff gives out less light at night... and if you really want to be visible... attach a yellow spot light :)