uprate headlights

[Deleted account 190920002]

I do not want to go down the HID route but can anybody please recommend a halogen bulb that will improve on the std one . Rode back in dark last night and this bikes lights 1200 GS 2005 are certainly not as good as my old vstrom. I think ride did a review of some but as I still had the Strom with good lights then I chucked the mag away. Good ride up the borders today only saw one brave soul on the 697 we waved !!! Bought a heated jacket from a fellow UKGSer on the way to Manchester three weeks ago hey they are dogs thingies,

 

[Neil W]

Philips Extreme Vision H7 bulbs, they are very good and according to the blurb give 100% more light.
£32 a pair from Eurocarparts

 

[(RIP) orbit]

Been asked a few times before

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?162676-1200-GS-Front-Light-bulb&highlight=uprated+bulbs

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?2455-Uprated-Lights&highlight=uprated+bulbs

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showth...endation-for-dip-beam&highlight=uprated+bulbs

 

[Deleted account 190920002]

Thanks Neil that's the route I'll go down

 

[(RIP) Miff]

I do not want to go down the HID route

Why not?? It's the best solution.

I have twin 55w HIDs on my 2005 1200GS.

 

[Deleted account 190920002]

Miff I know it might seem a bit tight but I had to give up work to be a carer for the wife and I'm afraid money has certain priorities with me now especially at Christmas. Thanks for your comments though. The outlay on the heated jacket was money worth spending but the lights, well I can do without if need be. The old ones do work. I came down from my bro in Scotland they were OK just not as good as the old vstrom, everything else is hunky dory though well pleased with the old 1200.

 

[TLSgazza]

Miff I know it might seem a bit tight but I had to give up work to be a carer for the wife and I'm afraid money has certain priorities with me now especially at Christmas. Thanks for your comments though. The outlay on the heated jacket was money worth spending but the lights, well I can do without if need be. The old ones do work. I came down from my bro in Scotland they were OK just not as good as the old vstrom, everything else is hunky dory though well pleased with the old 1200.

You could get a 35 watt single hid upgrade for not much more than 2 high intensity halogens, it will give your low beam a heck of a lot more light, the bulb upgrade does make a difference but not as much.
Do what you need to do sir but if I was you and riding a fair bit at night in the winter then I would consider seeing how much I could pick up a cheap hid for.
Halfords are doing buy one get one free on their +120% bulbs, (i got some for my car H7's) but they are still around £30.00 for the 2

 

[Deleted account 190920002]

Gazza12adv
Could you please give me details exactly what I need to get the +120% bulbs. As I am not that close to a halfords branch but my daughter will be in Newcastle tommorow and if I had exact spec maybe halfods ref No, she would buy me set for my Bday Dec 6. Thanks guys for your help. Lucky me the other daughter bought me a torx set from machine mart for Bday.

 

[fizzer]

fishy ,i am only a few miles down the road from you in chester le street ,and we have a car spares place ,the ones we have in stock are xenonmax h7 rw1077 made by ring they give up to 100% more light on the road ,we sell them for 28.99 if you want some give me a shout and if you call down i will fit them for you.
must say i have had some in my bike for some sime ,they are brilliant seem to have lasted well.
cheers ian

 

[stonehenge]

Careful with the spring (thing that holds the bulb in place) retainer (little hook), they are very fragile!

 

[Tusky]

Careful with the spring (thing that holds the bulb in place) retainer (little hook), they are very fragile!

Very true...... I once had the assistance of a group of experienced fat fingered German GSers, as had left my glasses behind..... Took them nearly an hour to fit it !!!

Last time I changed the bulb I called on my wife with her long sleek fingers to hold it in place whilst I tightened the screw... Took 30 seconds

 

[Deleted account 190920002]

Thanks guys overwhelmed by your good comments fizzer Ian ,yep I will get in touch about getting to your outfit to fit exenonmax bulbs. I have an old friend who lives in Belmont so I could make it a days run from seahooses!

 

[Old Wobbly]

fishy ,i am only a few miles down the road from you in chester le street ,and we have a car spares place ,the ones we have in stock are xenonmax h7 rw1077 made by ring they give up to 100% more light on the road ,we sell them for 28.99 if you want some give me a shout and if you call down i will fit them for you.
must say i have had some in my bike for some sime ,they are brilliant seem to have lasted well.
cheers ian

Now that's what I call service and biker comradery - any chance you can pop down to Cambridge????

 

[Wapping]

.....they give up to 100% more light on the road.....

Up to 100% more light? What the hell does that mean?

Reminds me of....

Brian Fantana: They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time, it works every time.

Ron Burgundy: That doesn't make sense.

 

[Mr Bean]

I personally wouldn't bother with high power bulbs. Down the years I have tried many - H4's, H7's, H1's and H3's including both Bosch and Ring also lesser known brands. On two fits I added relays too so as not to put too much current through the switch/suffer voltage drop - none offered much benefit and most have failed much more regularly than the standard 55w units.

HID's on the other hand significantly better. I bought a pair of cheap ones (+ a pair for the car) for a seller on ebay for £50.00 per pair.

A few times a year one of the lights fails first time and i need to re-start the bike, but that is the only fault. The set in the car has always worked first time.

 

[fizzer]

Up to 100% more light? What the hell does that mean?

just what it says on the box mate

 

[Deleted account 190920002]

Fishy is slightly confused, but the hearts all in the right place as ma old Scottish grannie did say. Old Wobbly, same here if your ever in this neck of the woods

 

[(RIP) Miff]

Miff I know it might seem a bit tight but I had to give up work to be a carer for the wife and I'm afraid money has certain priorities with me now especially at Christmas. Thanks for your comments though.

I know exactly where you're coming from there. I lost my job, and set myself up as self employed, so I had a good 18 months with virtually no money coming in. I still kept my bikes, but didn't have any spare money to spend on them. I still don't have lots of money to spend, so most things are done on a budget.

The only reason I asked is because some people have odd ideas about HIDs.

 

[(RIP) orbit]

With cheap hids on the low beam make sure they do give a lampF canbus error

 

[Mr Bean]

With cheap hids on the low beam make sure they do give a lampF canbus error

Mine very rarely give an error message when one of the dipped fails to light - talking about my RT.

However, none of the 90/100w halogens I used down the years lasted more than a year, unlike the HID's which are more than two years old and still going strong.