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Headlight upgrade didn't pan out.


JackFlash

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I hate having to return parts.  Here's the deal.

 

While I was inquiring about tires at Iron Pony,

I also asked about upgrading my headlights.

The painless way was to install an LED headlight.

The one they showed me should pop right in

simply by attaching the proper adapter for my

bike, which I had a choice of four to use.  No

problem.  Today was a good day to do it.

 

There's a little wire spring clip that holds the

bulb in.  Works just fine for the stock bulb.

The LED has a little fan on it's backside, that

you have to fight to get the clip past to lock

it in place.  Okay, good.  Locked down.  Rats!

 

There's a bend in the clip that presses against

the fan and holds the LED out of the hole at an

angle.  Upgrade fail!  I know that if I try to bend

the clip to make it work, it will break.  Then I'll

be without a headlight and hard pressed to find

another clip sometime soon.  Plus, it will never

work right if I ever decide to put another stock

bulb in it's place.

 

I hate having to return parts.

 

.

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Check out the silverstar ultra bulbs and make sure your headlight is adjusted correctly. One person has done a projecter retrofit on the GS headlight so they could use an HID Xenon kit, but that's definitely a little labor/skill intensive (especially if you're getting rid of the bike soon). Another thought, you could wire up a relay directly to the battery to bypass the smaller gauge wire that usually supplies the headlight's current. 

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Stock bulbs are dim, and get dimmer with age. I also switched to basic Sylvania H4ST SilverStar replacements. Keep the old bulb (or spare bulb) with the bike in case you need it. The replacement won't last as long as a dim stock bulb. Mine's still working ok though.

 

The trick is finding the right bulb that fits. WalMart might have it.

I've seen motorcycle headlight bulbs there, but not mine (Honda).

 

edit: go here to select:

https://www.sylvania.com/en-us/applications/automotive-lighting-systems/Pages/lrgmain.aspx

Motorcycles are on the list.

 

I notice there is a new SilverStar Ultra. The basic SilverStar was the one available when I was buying.

I'll try the SilverStar Ultra next time.

 

edit again: wear gloves when handling/installing, otherwise they burn out early.

note: These type bulbs are rated for 150 hours life, a standard bulb is rated 1100 hours.

Edited by ReconRat
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oooooooooooo

 

I notice there is a new SilverStar Ultra. The basic SilverStar was the one available when I was buying.

I'll try the SilverStar Ultra next time.

 

edit again: wear gloves when handling/installing, otherwise they burn out early.

 

oooooooooooo

 

I use those SilverStar's in the car.  I make a point of cleaning them

off with alcohol before installation.  You never know if someone at

the factory has touched one before it was packaged.

 

.

Edited by JackFlash
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oooooooooooo

I notice there is a new SilverStar Ultra. The basic SilverStar was the one available when I was buying.

I'll try the SilverStar Ultra next time.

edit again: wear gloves when handling/installing, otherwise they burn out early.

oooooooooooo

I use those SilverStar's in the car. I make a point of cleaning them

off with alcohol before installation. You never know if someone at

the factory has touched one before it was packaged.

.

You are literally the first human to touch any modern mass produced lightbulb...or frozen pizza...or beer can...or cigarette...or most any consumer product.

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Be sure to wipe the bulb with rubbing alcohol before installing too, in the event someone before you handled the bulb without something between their hands and the bulb.  Also cleans any other dirt off that may create a hotspot that results in the bulb failing prematurely.

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I'm gonna go slow through the dragon, force you over the yellow line then follow you all the way to Georgia with my headlight.

Good luck with any of that.

1) I didn't even ride the dragon this year.

2) I'll be around you before you realize I'm even there.

3) What do you like to drink? I'll have one waiting for you in Georgia.

:D

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I swapped the LED for an HID bulb, today at Iron Pony.

When I get time I'll try to install it and see what I think

about it.

.

Unless you also got a ballast and wiring harness they did not sell you an HID bulb. They sold you a halogen bulb with xenon gas in it that will be a pretty color but no brighter than any other hhalogen.a true high intensity discharge bulb has no wire filament and uses a (you guessed it) high intensity discharge to excite the gas. This is achieved by using a ballast that supplies the initial high voltage burst to get the gas to change phases, then a steady lower current to maintain the conversion.

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Unless you also got a ballast and wiring harness they did not sell you an HID bulb. They sold you a halogen bulb with xenon gas in it that will be a pretty color but no brighter than any other hhalogen.a true high intensity discharge bulb has no wire filament and uses a (you guessed it) high intensity discharge to excite the gas. This is achieved by using a ballast that supplies the initial high voltage burst to get the gas to change phases, then a steady lower current to maintain the conversion.

 

I got the HID setup.  It has a ballist, a harness to hardwire to the battery,

the gas bulb, an inline fuse.....the whole sha-bang, I hope.

 

I'm questioning if the bulb adapter will fit the hole for the bulb.  I'll know

more when I get in the mood to try and install it.

 

Question though:  Does the ballist produce heat?  Does it need to be

installed against something that will help it to dissipate heat, a heat

sink of a sort?  It looks like that's it's design.

 

 

 

.

Edited by JackFlash
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Ballasts don't get hot but the bulbs do.

 

I guess I won't get a chance to find out.  The metal nose

of the bulb won't fit through the hole for me to get it installed.

I guess that's one of the drawbacks of having a GS 500.

 

I'll return it to I.P. tomorrow after work.  There's a PIAA bulb

and then there's the SilverStar.  I guess those are my options

for better light.

 

.

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Silver star does not give better light or brighter light. They don't last for shit in motorcycle or a car...6 months to a year tops in a bike.

Find a Philips dealer near you and purchase the vision plus in your size and rejoice in the brighter clean light. They are not covered in blue or purple tint, and properly contrast the things you want to see.

You can thank me later.

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