Headlight bulbs

[Mike Bee_imp]

I agree with the poor light on the CB1100 and the first thing I did replace the bulb with a Phillips Extreme Power/Vision,still 55/60 watts but much better.They are made in Germany .I live close to the Blue Ridge Parkway and with its many tunnels good light is important as my normal glasses get dark in the sun but too dark for the tunnels.

My impression of the stock bulb was that it seemed ok, but I'm all for brighter is better. I bought an H4 PIAA Xtreme White Plus 60/55W from Amazon.com (of all places) as they had the best price - $50 and free shipping. I like the idea that it is an anti-vibration bulb and may last longer than bulbs made for autos.

The Bee

[FUZZY_imp]

I agree with the poor light on the CB1100 and the first thing I did replace the bulb with a Phillips Extreme Power/Vision,still 55/60 watts but much better.They are made in Germany .I live close to the Blue Ridge Parkway and with its many tunnels good light is important as my normal glasses get dark in the sun but too dark for the tunnels.

My impression of the stock bulb was that it seemed ok, but I'm all for brighter is better. I bought an H4 PIAA Xtreme White Plus 60/55W from Amazon.com (of all places) as they had the best price - $50 and free shipping. I like the idea that it is an anti-vibration bulb and may last longer than bulbs made for autos.

The Bee

My impression of the stock bulb was that it seemed ok, but I'm all for brighter is better. I bought an H4 PIAA Xtreme White Plus 60/55W from Amazon.com (of all places) as they had the best price - $50 and free shipping. I like the idea that it is an anti-vibration bulb and may last longer than bulbs made for autos.

The Bee FWIW. Great bulb when it burns but keep stocker handy. PIAA bulbs in fogs on truck & 4 on light bar. Cheap made crap that's way over priced. I had a pair on another truck bull bar with same results. I'll be changing all those for LED. Haven't decided on CB yet. Good luck.

[Mike Bee_imp]

Hmm, I've previously had good luck using a PIAA bulb on my Harley. Used the Sylvania Silver Lights on my car which was a modest improvement too. An LED bulb sounds like an interesting idea as well. When I ride during daylight hours, I use the high beam so Fred & Ethel Grope can better see me. When that filament burns out, I still have a functioning low beam as a back up. Sorry to hear of your bad experience with PIAA...

The Bee

[OldF7Guy_imp]

Seems to me the best solution for better lighting is LED. The aftermarket is starting to catch on as technology marches forward. I know there are some pretty good options for HD bikes but are pricy as all get out. That price is starting to come down some though.

I ran a 100/80 watt bulb in place of the 60/55 watt in my Sportster for years and it made fairly decent improvement. Enough that I never changed back. I did burn up several connectors because I was over taxing them. That was the price I paid for better lighting.

[The Spaceman_imp]

My factory bulb burned out today. The low-beam went first, so I finished my ride on the high-beam. Both beams had failed by the time I started to replace it. Super-easy changeout on this bike, especially compared to the VStrom where the bulbs are buried up in the cowling.

BTW: I noticed Sylvania SilverStar bulbs were mentioned earlier. I tried those on my Vee twice. They have a terrific light; noticeably whiter and brighter (and with 10% few cavities) than standard bulbs, but two sets failed very quickly. Maybe it was the Vee but I don't think so. Phillips' Motobulbs are just as bright and are heavy-duty rated for motorcycle use, and they lasted 2 years and were still working when I sold the Vee. Spaceman recommended.

[HikerToo_imp]

which Phillips' Motobulb does our CB take? Any links to one would be appreciated.

[The Spaceman_imp]

which Phillips' Motobulb does our CB take? Any links to one would be appreciated.

It's an H-4 bulb, which is great because there's a zillion options. In the Motobulb line you could go with the BlueVision, the X-tremeVision, the CrystalVision, or the CityVision. I installed the CrystalVision because it looks like a Zenon bulb; super white.

You can buy these bulbs in lots of places; Cycle Gear carries them, Amazon, various m/c parts places online, etc.

[White Dog_imp]

There are some CB1100ers switching to the PIAA H4 which is claimed to be the top of the mountain. I was all set to buy one off ebay this morning but the "non-compatibility" for the 2014 CB1100 made me step back. So, I plugged in 2013 in the compatibility chart and got the same "Non-compatibility" answer. So my question is will the PIAA bulb work and it is it superior to the NAPA 9003 White light bulb?
As a side note, the OEM bulb on my 2002 VT1100C was so lame that I replaced it for a short time with the NAPA bulb, then went with the HID 6000K set up. Quickly learned that on coming drivers did not like the high beam shinning in their face and I thought to myself, point well made-I have been seen.
When the time comes to replace the CB bulb I'll try the NAPA one. It is a 60/55 watt bulb. The mounting looks the same as the H4 bulb.

[Randy B]

A 9003 is an H4 bulb.

[JustPassinThru_imp]

Hmm, I've previously had good luck using a PIAA bulb on my Harley. Used the Sylvania Silver Lights on my car which was a modest improvement too. An LED bulb sounds like an interesting idea as well. When I ride during daylight hours, I use the high beam so Fred & Ethel Grope can better see me. When that filament burns out, I still have a functioning low beam as a back up. Sorry to hear of your bad experience with PIAA...

The Bee

VERY interesting - but don't pull the trigger yet. LED aftermarket bulbs are more "show" lights than they are usable light.

Someone over at the ADV board bought several and compared them on an aiming wall, against stock halogen H4s. While the good ones throw more light, it's not aimed as well. Partly because of the position of the diodes to the reflectors, which are not the same as the filaments in the OEM bulbs; and also because of the nature of the light source - not one filament but a bank of diodes.

I bought one for a different reason - my BMW R1100RT would overheat at our long in-town stoplights here on hot days. The simple solution is to kill the engine while the light makes its way through the five-minute cycle (no joke) - but the headlight on, after doing this many times, would knock the battery down. Turning the key off is both a pain and also kills turn signals and brake light.

SO...since I seldom ride after dark...I bought a Chinese 4 watt H4 base LED. Now, as an indicator; a display of the headlight being on...it was fine. As actual light at night, it was about as effective as a scooter headlight. And not aimed. It had the three-prong H4 base; but it shows no difference, HI and LO beam. The only thing that changes is the hi-beam indicator goes on.

On the BMW, replacing the headlight bulb was easy. So I just took the regular halogen bulb with me, wrapped in bubble wrap...figured if I got caught out after sundown, I could change it out.

Since then, I sold the BMW and bought my in-town scoot, the Eliminator 125. Put that halogen bulb in there; and for some of the same reasons. In this case, it's because the charging system is marginal and it's sometimes hard to start...no point in drawing down the battery with a high-current headlamp.

Popping it in the Kawasaki housing, exact same thing. It's fine as a running light; not so good as light to run by. It's adequate for up to about 35 mph but no faster. BUT it throws bright glare into oncoming drivers' vision.

So, my advice would be to stay away from the LED stuff for the time being - unless it's OEM and designed in.