Brightest halogen bulb?
- Thread starter FZ8Panda
- Start date
alexk
Weekend Rider
Short answer:
Long answer:
OK... so it wasn't so long afterall. =p
There aren't any drop-in replacements that are appreciably brighter. Do check your aim, though - you may find you're rediculously high, which will make the light seem a lot dimmer.
Rabbitman does a great HID retrofit service, and that will be a LOT brighter. His main thread can be found here, but feel free to toss him a message directly.
Rabbitman does a great HID retrofit service, and that will be a LOT brighter. His main thread can be found here, but feel free to toss him a message directly.
Long answer:
It's tough to eke out any more luminosity from a Halogen bulb at the same wattage. There are a few that do, and they do so at the expense of durability. I had one of those, and found the stock bulb to be of about the same brightness.
Even if you can find an overwattage bulb (stock is 55 low 60 high), you won't want to use it - the extra wattage can cook wiring, fuses, and even reflectors.
Whatever you choose to replace your bulb, though... make sure it's not a tinted halogen. The glass on the bulb should be CLEAR. Anything else, and you're reducing the light output with the tint, and that gets translated into more heat - a lose-lose proposition.
Even if you can find an overwattage bulb (stock is 55 low 60 high), you won't want to use it - the extra wattage can cook wiring, fuses, and even reflectors.
Whatever you choose to replace your bulb, though... make sure it's not a tinted halogen. The glass on the bulb should be CLEAR. Anything else, and you're reducing the light output with the tint, and that gets translated into more heat - a lose-lose proposition.
OK... so it wasn't so long afterall. =p
You put the nail into the board and hit it with a hammer.
There's no bulb that can do what a retrofit can do. trust
FZ8Panda
Member
Thanks for the input fellas. Guess I will have to check if my headlight is aligned properly too. Rabbitman's retrofit looks uber nice but I just don't have the money for it right now. Guess it will be my next mod when I have the funds. Btw, where are the alignment screws for the headlight?
alexk
Weekend Rider
The vertical alignment "bolt" is on the back, left side of the bike. You can access it with a ring spanner while off the bike (point the wheel straight ahead). No need to take apart the headlight assembly.
From page 7-34 of the owner's manual:
It's a metric bolt head made of grey plastic. I don't recall what size, alas (and my garage is too much of a mess to have the time to find and check my ring spanners)
I recommend adjusting it in a parking lot at night. You want the top of the low beam (while on the bike) to light up license plates, but be too low to hit rear view mirrors from ~30 feet away. Technically that's a bit too high, but I think it's a worthwhile tradeoff between vision+safety and courtesy.
Adjust it a little, then hop on the bike, bounce a little, then adjust again as needed. It took quite a few turns to bring it to the right height from the factor treetop illuminator. =p
From page 7-34 of the owner's manual:
It's a metric bolt head made of grey plastic. I don't recall what size, alas (and my garage is too much of a mess to have the time to find and check my ring spanners)
I recommend adjusting it in a parking lot at night. You want the top of the low beam (while on the bike) to light up license plates, but be too low to hit rear view mirrors from ~30 feet away. Technically that's a bit too high, but I think it's a worthwhile tradeoff between vision+safety and courtesy.
Adjust it a little, then hop on the bike, bounce a little, then adjust again as needed. It took quite a few turns to bring it to the right height from the factor treetop illuminator. =p
Yeah my aim brand new was way off. Needed to be lowered by quite a lot.
FZ8Panda
Member
The vertical alignment "bolt" is on the back, left side of the bike. You can access it with a ring spanner while off the bike (point the wheel straight ahead). No need to take apart the headlight assembly.
From page 7-34 of the owner's manual:
It's a metric bolt head made of grey plastic. I don't recall what size, alas (and my garage is too much of a mess to have the time to find and check my ring spanners)
I recommend adjusting it in a parking lot at night. You want the top of the low beam (while on the bike) to light up license plates, but be too low to hit rear view mirrors from ~30 feet away. Technically that's a bit too high, but I think it's a worthwhile tradeoff between vision+safety and courtesy.
Adjust it a little, then hop on the bike, bounce a little, then adjust again as needed. It took quite a few turns to bring it to the right height from the factor treetop illuminator. =p
Awesome. Thanks for the detailed explanation.
