Headlight upgrade

[bmwcliff]

Looking for advice on upgrading the headlights on my Rockster[04]. I must be gettin old as I cant see down the road as well as I used to. Not sure which bulb it takes, I believe it is the H1, same funky deal as the GS. Any advice is appreciated. :dunno :newtoy :bliss

[bearsfolks]

Try a Sylvania Silver Star. I don't ride at night, but put one in my Roadster to be easier to see in daylight. Sure looks brighter ti me.

[bikerfish1100]

don't know if you have the same lighting system as my R11S, but if you really want more light, HID is the only way to go. i'd been running a PIAA Super White lo beam before, and thought it was great. little did i know.....
here's where i got mine. www.xenonfactory.com
Jason is a great guy, very easy to work with, and will give support after the sale.

[Emoto]

At 48 myself, I understand.

No need to go exotic. Look for a slightly higher wattage bulb and see how that suits you. If the stock headlight is 55w lowbeam and 60w highbeam, try a 55/80, that way your low beam will still not blind other drivers, but you'll get a nice boost on highbeam. I don't know if going all the way to 100w is ok for your lens or reflector, but you should be able to get away with an intermediate step.

I buy all my bulbs from these guys: http://www.rallylights.com/hella/bulbs.asp good service and decent prices. I have no affiliation with them.

If a higher wattage bulb doesn't work out for you, you can add auxilliary lights. Again, no need to go to exotic solutions, a simple set of driving or fog lights will do for 99% of most people's needs.

I put a set of these Hella FF50s on my R1200GS and they are great. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jhtml?id=0027887521564a&navAction=push&navCount=1&indexId=cat20133&podId=0027887&catalogCode=XE&parentId=cat20133&parentType=index&rid=&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fcatalog%2Fitem-link.jhtml.1_A&_DAV=MainCatcat21412&hasJS=true

I got a waterproof switch from a marine supply store to replace the one that comes with them. this is a screaming deal; I've seen the same lights elsewhere for $90.00. I have also owned the lovely and pricey PIAA lights and they are outstanding, but not really any better than the Hellas.

[cat0020]

Recently a fellow K12RS ridier received a HID conversion for his headlights, the difference is amazing, and it draws 1/3 to 1/2 less power from the battery... I wouldn't might getting myself some headlights that are bringhter and use less battery juice.

[dbrick]

It's worth noting that BMW's wiring and the handlebar switch carry the full headlight current, and are only adequate-to-marginal for the stock bulb. They are even less capable for a higher-wattage ones. You're increasing the risk of failure if you add a higher-wattage bulb to the stock wiring.

Were it my bike, if I wanted to draw more current, I'd install headlight relays. It isn't difficult: there are three articles here: http://www.ibmwr.org/ktech.shtml and one can buy very nice already-made-up kits here:
http://ebeaver.oberro.com/Home/Main/Products/products.html

[Cliffy777]

as one rockster riding cliff to another, let me advise you to seek the advise of the well-lit lorazepam. he had a thread here:
http://bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?t=3007&highlight=Lorazepam+lights

anyone who has ridden behind, in front of, or alongside loraz at night will tell you he had all the light you could ever need. his lights kept my back toasty warm one rainy night.......

[bikerfish1100]

depending upon how much coin you are willing to drop on more lights, i can tell you from direct experience that there is NOTHING that will even come close to HID! i ran a SuperWhite low beam along with PIAA 1100x driving lights, and thought that they wre the schitz! my PIAAs are switch wired to my hi beam circuit, so i can add them on when my hi is on, but will flash on/off when i dip lights to lo (so now i have lo, lo & hi, lo & hi & PIAA options). they just blew away my stock hi beam.
then i got in on a group buy with Pelican Parts members for HID from xenonfactory. until you experience HID, there is no easy way to describe it. other than to say that even in the darkest dark, these things are like having daylight at your fingertips. my PIAAs now? still running, and they do help. somewhat. but the HIDs are true retina burners (i've been told that the H7 hi throws the equivalent of a 300watt halogen bulb, yet only draws a fraction the current of a std 60watt)
check out the pics on the bottom of this page: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=184968&perpage=20&highlight=hid%20group%20buy&pagenumber=13

[Emoto]

Aren't HID lights like $400.00?

[username]

is HID the same as a xenon bulb? the blue ones i see in fancy cars?

[bikerfish1100]

xenonfactory gets around $500 for a 2 bulb/ballast complete setup of H1 (low) & H7 (hi). yes, they're pricey, but the light output can't be matched by any variety of halogen, whatsoever. and i've got friends running them for over 4 years with no replacement concerns, they draw less wattage (so are kinder to your battery and give more electrical reserve for other goodies).
for those who really want night vision that is unparalleled, they are the only option. like i stated before, it does depend upon how much coin you are willing to drop on more lights

[bikerfish1100]

yes, xenon are HID. i purchased the 4100k units, their light is the most pure, most white. jason also has available a 6000K option which has a bluer tint for those who prefer that look (but 4100 gives best/most light), as well as a 5000K which is kinda inbetween.
here's the link to their site, they have all the answers to your questions. i am not affiliated with them in any way- other than as a very happy customer.
http://www.polarionlighting.com/dealer.htm

[username]

i read something a long time ago - and i am not vouching for it's veracity but instead looking for objective comment - that said that the bluer headlamps made it difficult to judge surface irregularities, such as gravel and other hazards to motorcycles. the point of the article was that the lights threw a ton of light, made you super visible, but made things that were gravelly look not gravelly, and things that were not gravelly look gravelly, and as a result, made it a tad more dangerous for motorcycle use. (there was no argument that they punched a big hole in the dark...)

anybody else notice this? dont let the big bucks you spent on them cloud your judgement. ;)

[RebeccaV]

I use a Sylvania Siverstar bulb on my headlight and have had several comments by people that it really stands out and makes me more visible. I do notice some improvement in visibility - mainly because of the color of the light (it is more towards white than yellow) - but it is not a huge difference.

Lighting (to improve my vision, not my conspicuity) is something that I will be adding to my bike in 05 and it seems obvious that HID/Xenon is superior to Halogen in every way, especially after seeing it and riding with someone who has HID driving lights.

I hadn't been considering a headlight conversion though and am wondering what the advantage would be. It would seem a disadvantage because you would always have your HID on and IMHO HID is not appropriate for all driving situations (like when you have oncoming traffic). Am I looking at this the wrong way 'round? Thoughts?

[subvet]

Good suggestions from others who've replied already.

I would 1st do a headlight relay upgrade. This will get you as much "oomph" from your stock headlight as possible, and make an aftermarket replacement bulb that much better. It's relatively cheap also.

See this site for an evaluation.www.ebbo.org/headlamp_relays.php (http://www.ebbo.org/headlamp_relays.php)

Here's a site where you can purchase pre-made kits
http://ebeaver.oberro.com/Home/Main/main.html

Evaluate how well this works, then add additional lighting (ie: PIAA, Moto-lites, etc..) as needed.

(no affiliation with these sites, just a happy user)

[riderR1150GSAdv]

One comment I'd like to make is that the PIAA statement that their 55 W bulb gives as much light as brand X 80 W bulb is to say the least; nonsense.
Unless the laws of physics have somehow changed, 55 W remains 55 W. The only thing their bulbs offer is colorchange. By going to a higher Kelvin # you get bluer light but that does not result in more or better light output at all. This is why BMW, Mercedes, Audi etc have 4100 K HID lights as this color temp best aproaches that of day light.
A good inexpensive way to upgrade is the Sylvania route or the now apperantly illigal HID aftermarket conversion kit route. Not sure on that but it appears that the DOT is cracking down on the aftermarket sellers of such systems.

[bmwcliff]

Thanks for all the replys, found out that Advance Auto Parts is having big sale on Sylvania Silverstars, and a 5.00 rebate, so went that route right now for the Rockster and my Passat. So far seems somewhat brighter, will try reaiming though, and looking into Motolights. Was Motolights at the national Rally last year, and do they do installs on the spot? One other thing for those of you that use Mobil1, Pep Boys has a coupon in their "Cool Cars" calendar they sell at the register, buy 3 qts. and get 3 FREE, and the calendars are only 1.00. I bought 6 calendars today, used 1 coupon and already saved 14.00 app. since my wifes car was due an oil change anyhow. :nod

[manicmechanic]

Yes, MotoLights was at the National, and they do install on site. From my experience they're a good bunch of people.

[PhilScrivano]

Thanks for the all the information and links on this thread. I am in the process of installing a relay kit, driving lights, and upgrading my h/l beam bulb.

One of the information sites I located from this research stated that having the headlight on during starting decreases the life of the bulbs. Since I am in the process of adding a switch I am wondering if adding a second switch to turn off the entire light circuit would be beneficial.

My next step is to find some good switches. Any suggestions would be great.

Thanks,

Phil Scrivano

[trmptrmrk]

It's worth noting that BMW's wiring and the handlebar switch carry the full headlight current, and are only adequate-to-marginal for the stock bulb. They are even less capable for a higher-wattage ones. You're increasing the risk of failure if you add a higher-wattage bulb to the stock wiring.

Were it my bike, if I wanted to draw more current, I'd install headlight relays. It isn't difficult: there are three articles here: http://www.ibmwr.org/ktech.shtml and one can buy very nice already-made-up kits here:
http://ebeaver.oberro.com/Home/Main/Products/products.html

This really helped me:
http://airheads.org/index.php?Technical%20Tips+Relays%20FAQ%20and%20Te ch

I was wanting to put on aux lights on my airhead and a friend talked me into adding a relay and putting in a 55/100 watt bulb (rather than the 55/60 stock bulb) with 12 ga wiring... turns out it's a standard upgrade. It made a HUGE difference and cost very little money. I learned a ton.

[kbasa]

We've got Xenon bulbs in our Infiniti and they're nothing short of amazing. I'd love to have those things in my bikes. I haven't had any issues with strange lighting effects or any other issues. I just get clear, sunlight type lighting.

One thing you might want to consider is upgrading the wiring harness to the headlight. Jim Davis (who's email address isn't handy right now) builids a harness kit that provides heavier gauge wiring to the headlight and results in real increases in brightness. I think he only gets like $29 for them.

[BradfordBenn]

Jim's website is http://easternbeaver.com/ and his e-mail is jimdavis@jimdavis.oberro.com. He is also real active on the IBMWR list. :type

[username]

hmmmm, now i'm getting interested. the stock headlight on my r1150r sucks. i dont feel safe riding on it at night at all. it seems like there are lots of options for making it better, this is a good thread - thanks to everyone who is contributing.

[CHPBike]

My 99 RT calls for a H4 bulb. Is that the same as a 9003 or is there a difference?

:dunno

Scott

[sacken]

Although the connector and wattage are the same, the H4 is made specifically for motorcycles, according to the packaging. I'm guessing it's somewhat ruggedized.
I've been using the Silverstar H4 in my R1150RS for a few months now, and it's at least as bright as the PIAA replacement bulb I had, which burned out in just a few months.

[PhilScrivano]

I am in the process of the lighting upgrade discussed in this thread. I have an 80/100 H4, the wiring upgrade, two Hella 55 driving lights and 5 additional relays. All light wiring will be 12 gauge.

I am going to wire a direct circuit from the battery. Relay 1 will be to open the circuit once the bike has oil pressure. Relay 2 will turn on the driving lights with the high beam circuit. Relay 3 will be triggered by a switch that is powered by the low beam circuit. The purpose of this configuration is to flash my high beam to alert traffic with all the lights and to give a choice when on low beam. Relays 4 and 5 are part of the headlamp wiring upgrade and take the signal from the stock switch to operate high/low beam.

I just pulled the tank to begin the wiring. It dawned on me that I need to start the circuit with a fuse. Can someone tell me how to figure out the correct amperage for the fuse?

Phil Scrivano

[BradfordBenn]

Can someone tell me how to figure out the correct amperage for the fuse?

Sure thing Phil. I can go into the whole Ohm's Law thing, but in the simplest terms, Watts = Volts x Amps. I remember it as West Vigrinia. Solving for Amps you get Amps = Watts / Volts. That will give you the amount the devices will pull typically, then I go to the next logical size. :thumb

[PhilScrivano]

Thanks Brad for the equation.

I finished the project last night.

Here are the pictures:

http://rocknice.homeip.net/pictures/index.php?folder=/BMW/

Phil Scrivano

[MotoTrex]

Phil - what lifting work- stand is that you're using? I see Pep Boys, around here, has something similar for under $50.

[PhilScrivano]

My lift is from Costco. I found that some of the cheaper ones have to short of a pad for securing the bike. The pad on the Costco unit gives about 2" on each side of the bike. This is one of the best tools I have.

[username]

i'm resurrecting this thread.

i ordered a harness from jim davis today, and i'm hunting for a higher wattage bulb. (i also ordered one for a friend's 00 RT.) so we'll be putting those on as soon as they arrive, and we'll take some pics. hopefully they'll be useful to others. if i get time, i might go out and do before/after photos at night, like they do on the websites. that's a big if.

here is an interesting tidbit: when you order the harness, it appears on your credit card bill as "ebeaver." for those of you that share an account with a spouse, i recommend that you explain this charge BEFORE the bill arrives. :D

if anyone is aware of a sylvania siler star in something other than the 55/60 wattage for an H4 bulb, please post a link. i'm struggling to find one. in the meantime i picked up a 55/100 bulb from the folks at susquehanna motosports.

[username]

update: tonight i installed a 45L/65H sylvania silver star bulb. it is definitely whiter, and definitely brighter than the stock/normal bulb. the beam pattern seems to be better filled in, but i struggle to describe it properly. i did not take photos. i'm pleased. i also spent a bit of time getting the headlight aimed the way i want it. it used to be aimed too high. then it was aimed too low. i decided to get it dialed in just right this evening, and i did, but not before almost hitting a deer. that's a bit of an exaggeration, but i still scared the crap out of myself.

i was cruising on a divided 4 lane road in town. speed limit is 60mph. it's sorta suburban, sorta rural, really subural, but i dont think that's a word. (southbound on 360, south of 2222 for you fellow austinites.) i was thinking, "the low beam is still too low, i need to pull off and raise it, or else ride with the high beam on. but there are cars not too far in front of me, that might be rude. boy this sucks, i have less than a second of reaction time when something appears in the light thrown by the lowbeam. this is danger..." CRAP! there was a deer in the headlight! he was on the shoulder, right about on the white line. i was in the right lane. he was looking toward me, and seemed calm (he wasnt crouched/poised to leap, but standing straight up.) and he took one step toward the road. i reacted poorly, in my opinion, and squeezed the brake too quickly. (clearly i need to practice better panic stops!) and i swerved very weakly. in my opinion i shouldve been over in the left lane immediately. need to practice that too. he stopped, and i zipped by, and then i went all rubbery. dizam was that close. it was a big deer too. normally we have little texas deer, but this one's head was easily 5 feet off the ground.

so i went a few more miles, pulled off on a well-it parking area, and got the bulb lifted a bit more, and that was good. i also resolved to improve my training, as well as to not worry about being "rude" to motorists when my saftey is at stake. i'm also thinking of adding some lights to aim more off to the side of the road.

so that's my drama for the evening.

i've got a 55L/100H halogen bulb on it's way to me, as well as the headlight relay upgrade. that'll all go on friday or saturday, and i'll update this thread at that time with my impression.

[boofer]

Very handy
http://www.angelfire.com/pa/baconbacon/page2.html

[Burnszilla]

I put in a PIAA anti vibration bulb in my bike and it lasted a year and a half. I then installed the eastern beaver headlight relay.
After the PIAAdied I bought a 2 pack of Sylvania Silver Stars. The first one died after 2 months (both beams) and now the second one's high beam died after 1 month.
I don't know if my problem is the extra power at the headlight or that Sylvanias can't handle bumpy roads. I think it's the latter.

[brianfisk]

Over the winter I built a wiring harness with relays for the headlight. My cost $29, but got some free wire and connectors. I would bet that it would have been about $7 more if I had not had the freebies.
I am very happy with the upgrade. The light is much brighter and I am only using a 55/65 bulb. Every time I went for more bulb it did not last. This bulb has been in the bike on and off for 140,000 miles. I'll stay with it now.
Brian

[lorazepam]

I have 9 months with my silverstar bulb, and it is still going strong. I wonder why yours are going out so fast?

[username]

it's a home grown relay/harness? not to question the craftsmanship, but it may have a flaw? i guess you could ohm it out and wiggle it to see if youve got intermittent shorts? (that'd be a good name for a band.)

what size fuse did you use? (you did use a fuse, right?)

[MechanicSavant]

Home made harness here also , no fuse , I used a self reseting breaker also both relays are mounted w/connections facing down ,less chance of the relay filling w/h2o...long term testing to follow!!! :wave

[Bruce_C]

I just replaced my PIAA 55/60w type H4 lamp with a Sylvania Type 9003ST 55/60w. I e-mailed Sylvania to see if there was a difference between the two bulbs. I also asked if there was a difference in life expectancy and light pattern.
The Sylvania rep. e-mailed that the lamps were one in the same. She said that some motercycle manufacturers use the H4 designation and the automotive designation is #9003ST.
If anyone wants a copy of the Sylvania reply, just e-mail me and I will send it to you.
Bruce C
ps. I'll try it tonight to see if it is as claimed.

[Bruce_C]

Just got back from trying the #9003ST Sylvania Silverstar 55/60w after replacing a #H4 PIAA anti-vibration extreme white 55/60 lamp. I found the output and color of the Sylvania identical to the PIAA. No better, no worse. Plusses for the PIAA, it lasted for 25,000mi. and 2 years of use. A big minus, the PO of the bike paid a bay area BMW dealer $49.95 for it. I just paid $19.99 for the Sylvania at Autozone. Now to see how long it will last.
Bruce C

[Burnszilla]

it's a home grown relay/harness? not to question the craftsmanship, but it may have a flaw? i guess you could ohm it out and wiggle it to see if youve got intermittent shorts? (that'd be a good name for a band.)

what size fuse did you use? (you did use a fuse, right?)

Yes I have a fuse 20amp.
It's an eastern beaver headlight harness.

[Montauk]

http://www.chromeheads.org/discus/messages/9/210631.html?1142634780#POST130416

[Mr. Frank]

The two best standard wattage choices are the Philips Vision Plus and the European Osram Silverstar. The U.S. Sylvania Silverstar has a slight blue tint which actually reduces light output and increases heat which shortens life. The slight blue tint makes it appear brighter when you look at it, but it is less bright than the Osram and Philips bulbs.