80/100w halogen upgrade

[heath_AU]

Hi All.

I have reconsidered my plan to go all out and upgrade to HID (for now at least) but instead I have opted to get me a 100/80w halogen bulb for my imminent road trip from brisbane to hobart in july.

Here is the item http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/260517559172

The bulb is NOT one of those crap blue shaded ones, just a plain clear one from the UK. Apart from being non-approved for use on Aust roads (and dont panic, i only plan on keeping it on lo-beam) does anyone know of any issues i may have? (eg. heat, power supply failure, etc)

BTW I also plan on installing a slightly heavier fuse.

Cheers.
: )

 

[red06]

use the recommended wattage what yamaha recommends or you can melt wires , lenses, plastics

 

[heath_AU]

Thanks red. I am aware that is the best PC advice however I was asking if anyone has any actual experience with this?

In other words have you personally witnessed a similar bulb being installed and did you also actually witness melting wires/lenses?

And for the record lenses rarely melt while the bike is in motion. (Due to the increased air flow)
Only a fool would have a bike sit there on high beam for great lengths of time.

Oh and Red, since you are new here I should point out this thread has been created under Mods. Its generally regarded that threads here are from punters who have deemed to go against the "only use stock parts" advice.

Cheers.

 

[Wolfman]

Hi All.

I have reconsidered my plan to go all out and upgrade to HID (for now at least) but instead I have opted to get me a 100/80w halogen bulb for my imminent road trip from brisbane to hobart in july.

Here is the item 12 volt 100/80W H4 Halogen Bulb on eBay (end time 01-Jun-10 21:04:41 BST)

The bulb is NOT one of those crap blue shaded ones, just a plain clear one from the UK. Apart from being non-approved for use on Aust roads (and dont panic, i only plan on keeping it on lo-beam) does anyone know of any issues i may have? (eg. heat, power supply failure, etc)

BTW I also plan on installing a slightly heavier fuse.

Cheers.
: )

I would be interested to see whether it's ok to do...i have been thinking about upping the wattage in my new H3 headlight's i am about to get...

I like to tour when i get the chance...not often enough, and do seem to end up riding a fair bit at night too....And i want to be able to see those Roo's as early as possible!!!

:thumbup:

 

[texcollect]

Many years ago I upgraded my car headlights from 55/60 to 90/100. My car suffered no ill effects. These were in addition to 2x100w Cibie Orscar+ spot lights. Some people used to flash me when my lights were dipped, but soon shut up when I flashed the "Brights".

Someone once told me drive within what you can see so rather than slow down I made my lights brighter.

 

[sabre]

No advice for you, but would like to hear your results should you do this.

 

[champion221elite]

I would caution against putting a higher wattage halogen bulb in your FZ6. As an example, my old 2003 Yamaha XT 225 had an 80/100 watt H4 bulb in the housing when I bought it. The light was bright, however it drew too much power and started melting wires.

I removed the 80/100 watt bulb and replaced it with a standard 55/60 watt H4 bulb and the melting wire problem went away.

 

[RJ2112]

Hi All.

I have reconsidered my plan to go all out and upgrade to HID (for now at least) but instead I have opted to get me a 100/80w halogen bulb for my imminent road trip from brisbane to hobart in july.

Here is the item 12 volt 100/80W H4 Halogen Bulb on eBay (end time 01-Jun-10 21:04:41 BST)

The bulb is NOT one of those crap blue shaded ones, just a plain clear one from the UK. Apart from being non-approved for use on Aust roads (and dont panic, i only plan on keeping it on lo-beam) does anyone know of any issues i may have? (eg. heat, power supply failure, etc)

BTW I also plan on installing a slightly heavier fuse.

Cheers.
: )

If you are running a single 80/100 (naked bike).... I've done that before on different motorcycles with no ill effects.

If you have the fairing, with two bulbs, and plan on lighting them both on low beam at 80 watts, you will exceed the OEM rating for the high beam setting. (55 + 55 OEM vs. 80 + 80 upgraded) This, I would caution against. That's more 'draw' than the system can sustain for long term use. If you were on the road for hours, you'd drain your battery eventually.

Better, to go the HID route, and consume less current and get more light than you would with the 'hotter' halogen. The HID will not melt the housing, either.

 

[yamahaha]

my bike has super bright bulbs that attach to the front forks kinda like fog lights. they look mean and help alot. i dont even know what kind they are as they were already on my bike but im sure you can find some on ebay.

 

[abacall]

I'm always glad to hear people looking for alternatives to HID. I can't wait until that fad eventually dies, it's such a bad idea,
As for 80/100, I ran one on the H4 side and did notice a VERY hot lens. However, I had no melted wires, no melted lenses, and no problems with charging. I also ran them all summer long in Utah (100+* days) and long trips.
HOWEVER, I would strongly recommend that you only do this on one side not both as the draw and added heat from both will cause you problems.

Also, TBH, I replaced it with a stock wattage but high quality OSRAM +55 bulb and noticed very little diminished output. You know, the whole quality over quantity thing.

My advice, get auxiliary lighting for what you want. If you're looking for long distance light, get a pencil beam light. Wide pattern for off-road viewing, fog lights. The Hella Micro DE is a great auxiliary light. My dream setup was 2 Hella DEs, one pencil, one fog. Fog mounted on the right side to view off road wildlife, pencil beam on the left (mounted under front fairing). Wire a switch to operate the three additional lamps (including the H7 side) and be able to toggle between the three with the H4 always on. This way I am always drawing lowest amount of current and getting optimal lighting for my situation. The pencil and fogs have the same housing too, so no weird looking lights.

 

[RJ2112]

I'm always glad to hear people looking for alternatives to HID. I can't wait until that fad eventually dies, it's such a bad idea,
..........

Not trying to be contentious; but why is HID a bad idea, in your opinion?

I'm not jazzed about the high voltage circuit, but that's easily contained. Neither am I jazzed about cheap knock off kits out of China.... you get what you pay for. 3X the light output, with less power consumption, and less heat generated? How is that a bad thing?

 

[marklar45]

Really, whats bad about HID I got an expensive kit ($300) and am extremely pleased with the results. Now if your talking about HID bare bulbs with no projectors then I agree because they have way to much glare and are a hazard to other drivers.

 

[mxgolf]

I've got PIAA and Nokka bulbs. Yellow and Blue. I have had no problems with my 07 FZ. I think the yellow is not leagal but no problems so far. I want people to see me.

 

[abacall]

Not trying to be contentious; but why is HID a bad idea, in your opinion?

I'm not jazzed about the high voltage circuit, but that's easily contained. Neither am I jazzed about cheap knock off kits out of China.... you get what you pay for. 3X the light output, with less power consumption, and less heat generated? How is that a bad thing?

Not contentious, I'm glad to share what I have learned with others.
I know it sounds good, and sometimes it even looks good, but there are so many things are wrong with sticking a "kit" in the reflector.
Improper bulb alignment, large amounts of glare, perceived brightness leading to loss of visual acuity, scattered light, color bleed, loss of depth perception and slower reaction time due to improper illumination.
It's not the amount of light you get, it's how it is used. That is why a 55W bulb (properly mounted) can outperform a HID kit.

Read here for more information and scientific research backed results...
I know it's along read, but you will be glad you read it.

Really, whats bad about HID I got an expensive kit ($300) and am extremely pleased with the results. Now if your talking about HID bare bulbs with no projectors then I agree because they have way to much glare and are a hazard to other drivers.

Exactly. HIDs are awesome when they are put in the proper housing. My gripe is with HID "kits" in reflector housings.
Too many people do this and think the results are great because they perceive a huge amount of light. That light is so scattered it causes more problems than it solves. I have seen beam patterns from the H4 side look ok, but it's FAR from optimal.

 

[CMH]

I know I'm a few days behind on this but I was talking to my mechanic about this tonight and he has been using 80/100 watts in his bikes for years but, BUT he does mostly ride big bikes with one bulb and he said in his opinion he would only do the H4 side for the better high beam visibility when needed and leave the H7 side to the recommended wattage. he said with that one bulb on high, he can see the markers on the side of the road lit up for miles on a straight road, and unfortunately here in Arizona, we've got 90% straight roads.