Headlamp bulb heat

[Gecko]

Anyone know what the heat difference might be between a 55/60w halogen bulb and a 100/90w bulb ? I've got the 55/60w fitted in a Touratech twin headlamp unit with no problems but I'm wondering if the 100/90w will be lots hotter thus maybe melting the plastic lens....

 

[Gecko]

Second question same subject:

Would a Hella FF50 auxilliary lamp cope with a 100/90w bulb ?

 

[BTBR]

Personally mate, I would not fit the higher wattage bulbs to either, to much heat generated 'could' cause a meltdown down situation!!

BTBR

 

[wessie]

It's not the plastic lens I'd be concerned about but the wiring. Copper is expensive. If BMW have designed the circuit for 60W max then they will have done the maths to ensure enough conductor for that amount of power and not much extra.

IIRC Honda fitted a lower wattage bulb to Spanish CBR600 and therefore a thinner wire which probably saved 85p per bike. When sales went mad over here in the mid 90s, Motorcycle City bought a load of Spanish spec bikes to meet demand. They changed the headlamp units to UK spec. Next thing, several bikes went up in smoke as the wiring looms burnt out due to the extra current drawn in the thinner harness.

If you decide to go ahead I'd recommend that you fit an extra feed to the headlamp via a relay.

 

[Gecko]

Interesting thoughts Guys.....Thanks - I didn't sleep a wink last night
.....but having said that, if the wiring to the headlamp isn't enough to cope with the current being drawn by the bulb wouldn't a fuse just 'pop' before anything else untoward could happen. If it's trying to draw too much current I would expect this to be the first warning of anything going wrong......?

 

[Gecko]

So tonight, armed with a large fire extinguisher, flame resistant underpants and a bottle or red wine I set to and fitted just one of the new 100/90w bulbs.

I fired it up and lost my retinas

I thought I'd try one to start with and see how much hotter it was getting whilst closely monitoring the fuses and the wiring loom

The existing 55/60w was fine but noticeably dimmer that the new super retina burning 100/90w cousin.

I touched my finger on the plastic lens in front of the original bulb and it was warm but not excessively so. As I was doing this my arm passed in front of the new bulb which was illuminating the west German border and areas of the Rhine and Ruhr 300 km away, I saw my arm hair sizzle and burn at a distance of 6 inches in front of the lens glass

I tried the wet finger test and touched the lens plastic glass....... kind of sums it up - these bulbs burn about 750% hotter than the 55/60w bulbs. The lens plastic was unbearably hot - too hot to touch whilst the 55/60w was just warm.

Moral of the story - these bulbs would be good for making toast on a cold winter morning and they zap enough power to illuminate the dark side of the moon but are a bit too clever for the Touratech twin headlamp units.

 

[BTBR]

We told you so...........but you would'nt listen would you?

BTBR

 

[Gecko]

I know ...I know but I had bought em so I had to try didn't I

 

[Fanum]

We told you so...........but you would'nt listen would you?

BTBR

Course he wouldn't...he's a bloke isn't he!!!

It's no different from telling a 10 yr old boy not to touch a fire.....first thing he'll do when your back's turned is poke it with a stick.....

Gecko