Headlight Bulb

[jbfla]

While waiting for the engine to warm up, and putting on my riding gear, I did a "walk-a-round" of the bike, looking for anything out of place.

I noticed the headlight was not on.

When I checked, the headlight switch was on high beam.

Switching to low beam made the headlight come on.

From 5,000 Miles at 8,000RPM:

"We had a few headlight bulbs fail. It's always the low beam that goes....when we replace these, we always use the 55/60 watt bulb."

In Detours thread on LED headlight bulbs,

http://www.chinariders.net/showthrea...t=16460&page=2

SpudRider posted about the higher wattage bulb damaging the reflector.

"I think we now have sufficient evidence from several independent reports; the heat from a 55/60W H4 bulb will damage the plastic reflector. "

http://www.chinariders.net/showpost....8&postcount=20


...."alternative facts"?


CSC Dude, has the higher wattage bulb damaged your headlight reflector?


I was thinking about putting in the higher watt bulb (I have one on the shelf) but don't want to damage the reflector.

I also considered the LED bulb that Detours posted about, but didn't want to cut the back of the headlight housing open for ventilation and to fit the heat sink.

What's left? The stock 35/35 watt bulb, which I discovered is mainly used in scooters.



I couldn't find one at Walmart or the local auto parts store, so I ordered one on- line.

FYI, I am not concerned about the light pattern or how far the light reach is.

I don't ride after dark, because of poor night vision.

I'm only concerned that on-coming vehicles see the bike, and that it is a legal requirement, in the US, that the headlight must be on while the bike is running.

As for being seen by other vehicles, I think one of my "defensive riding" habits contributed to the loss of the high beam.

Whenever I see a car waiting to pull out from a side street, or when I think an on-coming car is slowing down to turn in front of me, I flash the high beam several times.




I also wave at them. ...silently thanking them for not killing me.

I think the heating and cooling of the high beam filament, caused by regularly flashing the high beams, contributed to the demise of the bulb.

Now to install the bulb:

(I may have missed it, but could not find the procedure on the CSC website or the Maintenance CD)

Unbolt the headlight module:



Disconnect the headlight module from the wiring harness:



Open headlight shell:



Wiggle off the bulb socket.

Then remove the rubber cover.

I pulled back the rubber connector first...trying to figure out how it was put together.



Twist the mounting ring counter clockwise and remove bulb:



When replacing the bulb, be sure not to touch the glass with your fingers.

The oil from your fingers will be left on the glass, and cause a "hot spot" that will shorten the life of the bulb.





Putting the bulb and mounting ring back together is a bit "fiddly". It only goes together one way.

Get the bulb lined up in the reflector first, then twist the mounting ring clockwise to lock the bulb in place.

jb

[Jay In Milpitas]

Thank you for sharing that. You do great pictures with notes & arrows.

I don't have the talent, knowledge, or equipment to do that stuff. I do have the software for Windows 98 somewhere, but have never tried to install it in my Commodore 64. It was rough enough to modify it to take the 95 software, kind of like mounting Gold Wing luggage on a Hodaka Ace.

[rjmorel]

JB, for what it's worth , I have been running 55/65 bulb for some time and all I did was take a 1/2" drill and drill 3 or 4 cooling holes above and below where the bulb goes into the shell. And maybe some smaller holes on top and bottom of the reflecter if my memory is working right to allow air to circulate. I havn't noticed any melting of headlight reflector or shell. I usually ride with low beam on so maybe it's not getting that hot. rj

[GSC]

Your post is so timely, thank you.
I just changed bulbs, and yes at 5k miles on my 2015.5 RX-3, with H4 on shelf from CSC. No mileage yet on new bulb.
I did notice that 2 of the 9 screws are longer and belong back in same spots.

Also and important, 2 very small ears on H4 bulb need to be flattened with needle nose as they don't line up with recesses made for OEM bulb. Without doing that easy task I noticed new H4 is not flush in reflector recess and perhaps slightly tilt bulb upward, maybe causing others melt problem?

Your info and pics are fabulous.
Until we hear from CSCDude I think I'll just run on low beam.
? 2015 reflector vs. 2015.5 make any difference on melting problem? Slight difference in reflector I think.

The biggest drag of this is I bought my 55/60 H4 from CSC some months ago and now, If I understand correctly its gonna MELT my reflector?

[woodlandsprite]

Originally Posted by GSC

The biggest drag of this is I bought my 55/60 H4 from CSC some months ago and now, If I understand correctly its gonna MELT my reflector?

well. Melt is relative - my original 2015 reflector has some small amount of bubbling above the bulb. I do not have the 2015.5 housing/reflector. I also live in the desert where ambient temperatures are generally higher than elsewhere in the country.

[CSaddict]

I cut the entire back off my housing to cool the bulb. There is no melting or discoloration as of yet.

The install is on my blog: https://www.facebook.com/My-CSC-Zong...0302595973417/

[ElectricCircus]

Hi guys.

Months ago I´ve purchased a 30W H4 LED lamp that it´s tail seems to be shorter than other models/generations: it fitted in place without needing to cut the headlight back cover.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...0?ie=UTF8&th=1

Rode 3000mi with it, 30% at gravel/unpaved roads, at performed without issues.

Regards,

Juan Carlos.

[jbfla]

Originally Posted by ElectricCircus

Hi guys.

Months ago I´ve purchased a 30W H4 LED lamp that it´s tail seems to be shorter than other models/generations: it fitted in place without needing to cut the headlight back cover.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...0?ie=UTF8&th=1

Rode 3000mi with it, 30% at gravel/unpaved roads, at performed without issues.

Regards,

Juan Carlos.

Juan Carlos,

Doesn't the heat sink need air circulation to keep cool and prolong the life of the LED?


EDIT:

I was reading the specs of the LED you posted.

It has a built-in cooling fan:

" Higher Durability. ...... Integration of Built-in cooling fan (7,000RPM) for FASTER heat dissipation, 30% cooler than standard, ensuring secure temp range and last long lifespan up to 30,000hrs;"

Perhaps that is why it is not necessary to cut any holes in the headlight shell.

jb

[Azhule]

When you get a chance can you post up some pics of how that MicTuning LED beam looks?

It sounds like a great option for my night time riding... even if I find a way to mount all the HID gear I have sitting around onto the Mrs. China Bike, then find a way to not melt the lens/cheap plastic backing... I will still need another 2,500+ lumens to get up to that "MicTuning LED" off amazon...

Hell... for $50 a pair it might just be worth the gamble* to run LEDs

* Gamble of an early LED/Driver failure, or maybe from poor/cold soldering points leading to a failure when riding off road

[ElectricCircus]

jbfla:


I agree with you: proper ventilation would be better from the LED lifespan point of view.
However the region where I live is very dusty (fine clay mostly). I think a higher exposure to the environment will affect the lamp´s cooling fan.
Rode around 2500mi so far, facing mostly a hot Summer climate of up to 108°F and a 42°F cold situation at the mountains: the lamp still works perfectly.


Perhaps the optimal LED lamp for our bikes would be one of those that have a couple of laces made with metallic (thinned copper) on the back as heat dissipation device. With these ones a small hole (let´s say, 1-inch) at the headlight cover will be enough to let the braid go out and become in contact with almost open air.

[ElectricCircus]

Originally Posted by Azhule

When you get a chance can you post up some pics of how that MicTuning LED beam looks?

It sounds like a great option for my night time riding... even if I find a way to mount all the HID gear I have sitting around onto the Mrs. China Bike, then find a way to not melt the lens/cheap plastic backing... I will still need another 2,500+ lumens to get up to that "MicTuning LED" off amazon...

Hell... for $50 a pair it might just be worth the gamble* to run LEDs

* Gamble of an early LED/Driver failure, or maybe from poor/cold soldering points leading to a failure when riding off road

Sure!
Right now don´t have a video at hand, but I will look for it tonight.

In the meantime, if you are concerned about how it will cope with the offroad riding let me tell you I´ve rode around 300mi offroad plus some 2000 over paved roads with this lamp, and it´s still alive:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src=" " frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

However the vibration broke one of the brackets for the auxiliary 18W floodlights.

[2LZ]

Holy crap! My contact lenses got scratchy just watching that!

[ElectricCircus]

Originally Posted by Azhule

When you get a chance can you post up some pics of how that MicTuning LED beam looks?

Got it:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src=" " frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The color of the light is very White, matching the last part of the video.
As long as the H4 improved a lot the illumination to the mid and far part of the road but no the closest, I´ve decided to attach a couple of 18W floodlights aimed 3 feet ahead.

[2LZ]

No carving holes, I like that idea. We don't ride at night much, just if we get stuck somewhere too late but it would be nice to have. Plus a twin pack and two RX3's, the math adds up!

[woodlandsprite]

oh - thanks for posting this - I had been looking at that LED that you purchased as a possible option - do you know which headlamp/reflector you have in your bike? I recall reading that the 2015.5 style reflector throws the light a bit better than the 2015.0 style