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H4 Bulbs and Vibration
- Thread starter xjwmx
- Start date
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- Tags
- electrical
Classic
rackin' up the miles
The factory headlight bucket is pretty well rubber isolated and the only vibrations I see it dealing with are extremely low frequency near idle which have virtually no effect on it. On the subject of Vib-resistant, I know agm batteries are a common purchase but those are being seen in most modern bikes. My high beam filament is out so when i replace it.... In a few years if not longer I'll probably grab an h4.... As long as the price difference is a wash.
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blue900
XS650 Addict
I believe Mine is a regular H4 bulb, I'm on my second one in 5 or 6 years. The original didn't last all that long. But I have the bike running much smoother these days.
I was way scared of the dark before the upgrade! this was one of the first upgrades I did. Candle Power H4 is what I have.
If you ride in the dark a must have upgrade for me.
I was way scared of the dark before the upgrade! this was one of the first upgrades I did. Candle Power H4 is what I have.
If you ride in the dark a must have upgrade for me.
Skip
XS 650 Screwturner
Mine is probably 5-6 years old,no issues,now I am gonna jinx it...........also have a AGM Battery,4-5 years old, one of the best mods you can do to these old bikes in my opinion.
Punkskalar
Hugh's HandBuilt
Sync your carbs, and make sure your forks are setup properly, thats the only way I can keep an H$ in a new build...
I agree on the carb sync. getting both cylinders to pull evenly greatly reduces the vibes.
I also agree with Blue on the Candlepower headlight. It is much brighter than a standard bulb. and you can get very high output H4 bulbs. I also like the way the light shines on low beam. The light has a spot that shines up high and to the right. This lights up the side of the road better on low beam. This helps you see thing on the road side like people or critters.
Here's a pic of the lowbeam shing on the side of the trailer. See how it has the spot up and to the right.
One thing, be sure the wiring connections to the headlight and the swith contacts are in good shape. A weak connection can increase the current draw and the extra draw will be more than the charging system will like.
Converting the tail/brake lights and turns to LED's will help.
Leo
I also agree with Blue on the Candlepower headlight. It is much brighter than a standard bulb. and you can get very high output H4 bulbs. I also like the way the light shines on low beam. The light has a spot that shines up high and to the right. This lights up the side of the road better on low beam. This helps you see thing on the road side like people or critters.
Here's a pic of the lowbeam shing on the side of the trailer. See how it has the spot up and to the right.
One thing, be sure the wiring connections to the headlight and the swith contacts are in good shape. A weak connection can increase the current draw and the extra draw will be more than the charging system will like.
Converting the tail/brake lights and turns to LED's will help.
Leo
Attachments
Thanks for the responses. I bought from Candlepower what is supposed to be a mfgr's surplus Bosch shell that comes w/o a bulb. I was feeling my headlight bucket for vibration and I don't think it vibrates more than say an old pickup truck would...
How's that work? It's just one on at a time. Would one of the prongs on the bulb normally looked burned when the bulb dies?
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Punkskalar
Hugh's HandBuilt
I got a trick for deadening the vibrations in a headlight.... Go buy a large "dogbone" car washing sponge... Cut it in half. Make another cut so that the wiring can pass through it.. Stuff it in the headlight bucket, install headlight, and live happily ever after...
On any H-4 type bulb be very careful to not handle it with bare fingers, the oil on even clean hands will blow the bulb. Use a paper towel to handle the bulb.
I blew several bulbs untill I found a bad ground. The ground was intermittent. The power surges are what blew the bulbs.
Check your grounds. Also check all your connections in the headlight cicuits. Switch contacts too. An H-4 bulb draws more current than the stock bulb and will find any weak spots in the circuits.
Leo
I blew several bulbs untill I found a bad ground. The ground was intermittent. The power surges are what blew the bulbs.
Check your grounds. Also check all your connections in the headlight cicuits. Switch contacts too. An H-4 bulb draws more current than the stock bulb and will find any weak spots in the circuits.
Leo
I bought the H4 conversion from MikesXS and have been running it for 6 months-- no problems.
Like Leo said, only handle H4 bulbs with clean towels-- never with fingers or greasy gloves. Wash them in rubbing alcohol.
Like Leo said, only handle H4 bulbs with clean towels-- never with fingers or greasy gloves. Wash them in rubbing alcohol.
Prongs get burned from bad connections-- not blown bulbs.
Since this has come back to life, I bought a surplus Bosch shell made in Sweden, for $21. I put in a Phillips H4 bulb made in Germany, from Meijers. Phillips' standard version. So far no probs. Including parked bike falling over in parking lot from being backed into.
