Turning bulbs in headlight - did anyone actually try this?

[**sj**]

I've been running different bulbs for years...here's what I've found....whiter light looks brighter of course very helpful on a clear night BUT, in certain situations can be a negative...like blowing snow will reflect more making it difficult to see..SO IMHO..I've always liked the higher highbeam wattage headlight's that have the all weather coatings..helpful for sure..

as to making any bulb last ..in case anyone doesnt know...vibration is the main enemy...second to that improper handling...never touch the glass portion with your bare hands...the oils in your skin will cause a premature failure..

(Assuming transfer/ride height is set correctly)the high beam in the tree's/low's too low...
there are two different issues to the low beam -high beam variance....the flex in the lightpod bracket AND LIGHTPOD itself (which is aggravated more as the size of the windshield increases)and the poorly designed light refractors themselves.. obviously the refractor cant be changed ....the bracket can be stiffened....the pod is a crap design...someone with experience in plastics could cure...

there is very little difference in the filament layout from one bulb maker to another ...

I'd be curious to hear any results from turning the bulb?

 

[xcr5]

SJ - great points. My issue is definately not one from the flexing bracket as on my first trip we weren't driving that fast. Definately the refactors.

Anyone have the part# for the Silverstar ultras???

 

[**sj**]

SJ - great points. My issue is definately not one from the flexing bracket as on my first trip we weren't driving that fast. Definately the refactors.

Anyone have the part# for the Silverstar ultras???

just double checking you..your bolts are in bolting the side of the pod to the bracket right?

 

[xcr5]

Yep...

 

[Soldier'spapa]

Some have mentioned 9003 and some have mentioned H4. Both are right and either one will fit and work. The H4 is a bulb made for motorcycle use and, although it did not indicate on the package, I presume it would be designed for more vibration than the 9003"s see in automotive use. I installed the H4's in my Attak.

As far as locating "Ultra's" you simply need to find a retailer selling ultra's. The already mentioned #'s will apply to them as well.

 

[ReX]

Silverstars do not correct the problem with low vs high being too much of a change, nor do they fix the problem with the headlight pod flexing at high speeds.

Silverstars produce very close to the same amount of actual light, but the color is more towards the blue side of the spectrum (look more white) compared to a typical bulb. They give the impression of being brighter and some people find they let you see more clearly.

I've run them on some of my sleds (and cars) but when I do a comparison side by side on my sleds I can't see any significant improvement (unless you are looking for a "whiter" look). I actually found when riding many hours at night that the more standard, yellower bulb produces less eye strain. Higher wattage bulbs on the other hand do light up the trail better, but they can overload the electrical system.

 

[**sj**]

Silverstars do not correct the problem with low vs high being too much of a change, nor do they fix the problem with the headlight pod flexing at high speeds.

Silverstars produce very close to the same amount of actual light, but the color is more towards the blue side of the spectrum (look more white) compared to a typical bulb. They give the impression of being brighter and some people find they let you see more clearly.

I've run them on some of my sleds (and cars) but when I do a comparison side by side on my sleds I can't see any significant improvement (unless you are looking for a "whiter" look). I actually found when riding many hours at night that the more standard, yellower bulb produces less eye strain. Higher wattage bulbs on the other hand do light up the trail better, but they can overload the electrical system.

REX what experience do you know of a higher wattage bulb overloading ? in a fourstroke?

 

[yamapexer]

go to power bulbs .com. check out osram h4 silverstars. i bought them for 29.00$ cdn shipped to my door. they are a very white and much brighter lite. well worth the money

 

[ReX]

Silverstars do not correct the problem with low vs high being too much of a change, nor do they fix the problem with the headlight pod flexing at high speeds.

Silverstars produce very close to the same amount of actual light, but the color is more towards the blue side of the spectrum (look more white) compared to a typical bulb. They give the impression of being brighter and some people find they let you see more clearly.

I've run them on some of my sleds (and cars) but when I do a comparison side by side on my sleds I can't see any significant improvement (unless you are looking for a "whiter" look). I actually found when riding many hours at night that the more standard, yellower bulb produces less eye strain. Higher wattage bulbs on the other hand do light up the trail better, but they can overload the electrical system.

REX what experience do you know of a higher wattage bulb overloading ? in a fourstroke?

I haven't tried higher wattage bulbs for a very long time. The last sled I tried it in was my 1978 340 RV. It didn't have the power to drive the bulb and the light was very yellow except at very high rpms. Actually I might have tried in the 1990 Indy 650 too and it had the same problem.

There isn't much extra power available on most sleds, including the Yamaha 4-strokes - plus the headlight circuit is wired and fused for the stock bulbs. The safest (but not guaranteed to be trouble free by any means) way to try it is to install a relay, trigger the relay with the existing bulb circuit and power the relay through a fuse directly to the battery. Then monitor the battery voltage and see how low it gets when idling and cruising. The other option is to dig through the wiring system and see if you can get enough information to confirm higher wattage bulbs can be used safely (usually not enough information is readily available).

Basically I have no information on higher wattage bulbs for our sleds...

 

[**sj**]

just a hunch..if I was able to get away with a 100 watt highbeam on a 97 sx with 185 ? watt magneto..and of course the 300 watt units also....then we should be okay on the fourstrokes?

anyone else have specific info otherwise?

 

[xcr5]

bulbs

Sj and Rex, you beat me to my next question. Why not a higher watt bulb?
I stopped at Wally World today and found the Sylvania's. Question, they had other brands that claimed they were 50% brighter/whiter also and were about 1/2 the price. Are the Sylvania bulbs the cadilacs of bulbs or are others just as effective? Also searching the web there are Piia H4 bulbs that are big money but make big claims on performance - any history on those? Searching the web also produced several different companies marketing these "brighter/whiter" bulbs. So again are they all crap and the sylvania's are proven performers?

XCR5

 

[STILLCRP]

SILVER STARS

OWNERS MANUAL FOR BULB REPLACEMENT SAY'S
12V. 60/55 W SILVER STARS ARE 12 V 60/55 W
ON 07 ATTAK.BORED IN ILL.

 

[SRXSex]

130w

I put a set of 130 watt bulbs into the apex and set the headlight adjustment to its lowest setting and run the high beams only. When on comming traffic approaches I switch to low, but the head light is pointing 5 feet in front of me. I plan to reinforce the pod mount. Take a allen key and a phillips on the trail at night and do my final adjustments. Great sled but the headlight pod was designed by morons.

 

[**sj**]

yamaha has since the proaction start at least for sure I know spec'd 55/60 osram's ...h4's which are a great bulb..
other than the bulbs private labeled made in China...which I've ran and still have even though the machines have moved on...if handled right they all last...there is actually very little diff between one manufacturer and the next ...quality is a variable but you'll never notice unless you're comparing the top of the line to a chinese bulb...( I think the top piaa is xenon gas but actually you can get chinese bulbs in xenon as well?) as rex stated the color of the bulb is something that makes the biggest diff....white looks brighter but as I stated can be a negative .....
I bought some all weather bulb (chinese I'm sure)from blum enterprises (always at the snowshows)for like 25.00 ...a 55/100 and think they' are a good all around bulb....
I've never tried silverstars...but they look like copies of my chinese bulbs.

I might be concerned about going to a 130 watt bulb?

 

[MCApex44]

go to power bulbs .com. check out osram h4 silverstars. i bought them for 29.00$ cdn shipped to my door. they are a very white and much brighter lite. well worth the money

Thats what I did also...powerbulbs.com. Many of us here on the forum got the H4 from powerbulbs.