Bulbs

[100WattWarlock]

Thinking of putting some new bulbs into the lights of my 1150 GSA, I wanted to get some Xenon bulbs, and have found a place that does a good deal.

BUT

do I have to get anything else? Or is it just a case of exchanging the current bulbs for these the new ones?

Ta

 

[Kropotkin]

Xenon bulbs only work in a xenon headlight unit (something about heat, a current transformer, and electrical gubbins). Touratech do one, as do Wunderlich, and I'm sure others. The conversion is not cheap. In any way, shape or form.

I'm sure that someone with more than the 1% of a clue which I have will be able to inform you more fully, but in short, the xenon bulbs on their own are of no use to you.

 

[100WattWarlock]

These were the ones I was going to get, they say Xenon, but they also say H1, which is the same name used for the standard bulbs on the GSA, so my guess is these aren't "real" Xenon bulbs, but are marketed as something similar.

http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/h1_bulbs.htm

 

[GlynnJ]

Kropotkin is referring to Xenon HID lights which are the brilliant white ones you see on BWM & Merc cars (and others). They are the dog's bx, but around £250 for your bike and that is for one (usually dip beam).

The bulbs you have found will make little difference to the light output of the std headlamp. I use Philips Vision Plus and they are a little better, but not good enough.

For REAL light output, you need to talk to bigtrailbikerider or follow various threads on this site to get set up with auxilliary lights. Try: http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=37256&highlight=FF50.

I fitted my own but, despite it seeming to be a simple job, took 2 days and a lot of anguish.

Bear in mind that even with 330 Watts, cars still pull out on you!

Glynn

 

[finglonga]

Don't bother with the bulbs its not the bulb at fault its the crap design of the light unit.

See above post.

Totally agree including people still puling out on you . I fitted Hella ff50's, DE fogs, autoswitch and an MIGsel lightbar for less than the price of one HID light. IMO I don't think you need more, as at night there is more than enough light with the above set up.

As GlynnJ said its a bit of a fiddle to fit them but worth it or give BTBR a call and he will do it for you.

 

[Fanum]

The bulbs you have found will make little difference to the light output of the std headlamp

I think Glynn's right there 100WW......the fact that the headlights are pants is down to the design of the reflectors inside the lamp unit, which only throw around 50% of the light forwards in a useful pattern.

That means you'll never get the full benefit of having brighter bilbs....if you put some in that are 20% brighter, you'll still only get a 10% improvement if that.

There have been a couple of very good threads over on Advrider about modding the relectors, with moderate to good results, but aux lights are the cheapest and simplest way forwards for better night vision.