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Post by Bluefront on Jul 28, 2010 15:15:16 GMT -5
Had to make another thread on this topic......I've been looking to get a brighter headlight, brighter than the 35/35W OEM bulb. My system won't handle an HID kit (stator is too weak). So I started looking for a 35/35W Halogen bulb with the same base. Found one finally....locally. The guy who owns the little shop couldn't tell me where he got it (or what it fit). Cost $12. The writing is in Chinese, but maybe there's enough info on the label to find one online. This bulb is the middle photo of the three versions. The beam definitely has a blueish tint. And it's bright.....looks to be twice as bright as the 35/35W OEM bulb, maybe more. And it runs hotter. I hope not hot enough to melt the lens, but I'll find out soon enough I guess. I haven't even tried it at night yet, but I think my poor headlight problem is solved. This scoot runs the headlight off AC, and the voltage is regulated to about 12.2V max. This bulb won't be as bright as an HID kit.....but a bunch brighter than stock, for only $12. ;D
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Post by quicksilver on Jul 28, 2010 20:27:54 GMT -5
I have been using this bulb for the past 3 months now and found that it is brighter then stock. I forgot where I purchased it but it was on line. What I did was purchased several at one time since they are hard to fine.
As for being hot, I haven't tested it with the feel method. What I can tell you is that it does not or has not melted any plastic yet. If you search hard enough you can find it. I do remember that I got it from an Asian dealer.
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Post by philr54 on Jul 28, 2010 22:21:43 GMT -5
Scooter Assassins has the best price I could find. It took about a week to get them. Brighter and whiter light than stock. No melting/deforming on my Carino.
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Post by erictheviking666 on Jul 29, 2010 0:10:27 GMT -5
Scooter Assassins has the best price I could find. It took about a week to get them. Brighter and whiter light than stock. No melting/deforming on my Carino. Wow! Thanks for that link. I was just looking at one of those on bikebandit.com today. They wanted $39.99 plus shipping! Thats a hell of a mark-up. I was wondering how bright they really are and if it would melt my plastics. But from what you guys are saying I shouldn't have a problem.
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Post by Bluefront on Jul 29, 2010 6:29:57 GMT -5
Well I did a night-time test this morning at 3AM. Excellent. I'm not hesitant to ride anywhere at night with this bulb. You can actually see things in front of you, compared to the stupid OEM bulb. This is on my Xingyue 150, so I'm never going much over 50mph, and don't go on the interstates. But the beam is very similar in brightness to a single 55W halogen on my car.....so it seems. The temperature during the ride was 80 degrees....and a hand test on the lens was ok. I could leave my hand there without any pain. The big lens test will be day-time driving in 100 degree temps. Later..... If you can get one for $12 it's worth a try, if your current bulb looks like the bulb on the left in the first post.
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Post by turtle8 on Jul 30, 2010 23:16:24 GMT -5
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Post by Bluefront on Jul 31, 2010 5:05:55 GMT -5
Thanks for that link.....I always prefer to order stuff from the USA cause it will probably arrive sooner (hopefully). What amazes me is how little the local scooter dealers know about such things as these. I probably visited 6/7 scooter dealers, who knew nothing about this. I ended up spying the halogen bulb hanging on a wall rack with a bunch of other stuff. The shop owner knew nothing about the bulb.....
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Post by philr54 on Jul 31, 2010 8:11:36 GMT -5
I have since changed my sockets on my scooter to H4 sockets Details? Pics? Tutorial? PLEASE!
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Post by Bluefront on Jul 31, 2010 14:23:14 GMT -5
Well some bad news.....the lens didn't melt, but the socket did. This occurred within a 1/2 hour ride this morning at about 88 degrees. I was on the low beam, checking the lens by hand as I was riding along (never felt really hot). But some good news....maybe. I stopped in a local dealer and found a 35/35W halogen H4 bulb. It looks like it will fit in there. And I stopped at Advance Auto and found a heavy duty high-temperature H4 plug. So I think I'll be back in business. I'll have to rig up a way to hold the bulb securely to the lens....shouldn't be too hard. I'll post some photos if/when I get it on there. I still don't know about the lens though, since the socket failed so quickly. One thing after another.....
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Post by Bluefront on Aug 1, 2010 13:47:55 GMT -5
My conversion to a 35/35W H4 halogen bulb and socket went OK. I did a 40 mile road test this morning in 90 degree temps.....no problem. The socket holes on these scoots could look different from mine, so keep that in mind.....your install might be different. Here's what I used......the H4 bulb was purchased locally and the socket came from Advance Auto. Here's what the socket hole looks like in my Xingyue..... Here's the bulb just sitting in there. I bent the three tabs over to help hold the bulb to the socket hole. The arrow points to the top of the bulb....it must sit in this orientation when mounted. Your wire colors may be completely different from mine, but here's what mine look like with the new socket spliced into the headlight harness. I held the new socket to the housing by drilling four holes and using zip ties. No movement at all in the setup.....works good. Notice the vent holes drilled in the top of the housing (the hottest point). These holes don't penetrate the reflector...just the back (gray) part of the housing. I did not use either rubber wire seals. Convection airflow enters around the socket base and leaves through the upper vent holes. Doing a hand test today......the whole reflector runs a bunch cooler, about as cool as the OEM bulb. I shouldn't have any more melting. Here's what it looks like when mounted... Before you start a project like this, you should read this instruction page for an HID kit. It deals with heat issues, wiring, lens cleaning, etc. I'm going to find a Hella bulb somewhere to replace the Chinese bulb I'm using. I'm using a totally clear halogen bulb....supposed to be brighter than the blue-tinted versions. No night tests yet, but this should be a nice setup, and a more reliable connector.....compared to the OEM setup. Any questions? I think my headlight problem is really solved now.
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Post by turtle8 on Aug 1, 2010 14:08:40 GMT -5
Wow, Bluefront, my conversion wasn't near as complicated.
My Znen 7C came from the factory with BA20d bulbs that twist into sockets that look identical to the H4 bulb bases. I simply cut off the factory sockets and placed the H4 bulbs in their place with the factory springs holding them in. I then took some widened, female spade connectors, crimped them to my wires, and pushed them onto the bulbs' spades. Works fine with nothing melted. If I were to do it again, I would just buy those H4 harnesses you bought.
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Post by erictheviking666 on Aug 1, 2010 14:15:00 GMT -5
That's a nice set-up, but I already ordered one of the BA20D halogen replacements. I'm considering drilling some holes for cooling before I even install it, plus I ordered the all blue one. I hope maybe it might run a tad cooler maybe I won't melt any wires.
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Post by Bluefront on Aug 1, 2010 15:18:06 GMT -5
Couple more things.....if you ride in rain/snow very much, I'd recommend putting a small bead of red hi-temp silicone around the base of the H4 bulb, where it touches the housing. My setup is no longer water-tight, due to the vent holes, and the elimination of the rubber covers on the wire harness.
I did it like this to get the maximum airflow around the bulb base and connector....plus I don't need to ride in the rain ever. Should any water get in the lens somehow or other...I can deal with that later. This scoot is always parked in the garage at night so it doesn't ever get rained on. I worry more about melting now than moisture.
One other thing.....I usually run on the low beam, rarely on high. I think I'm going to run the AC voltage to the low-beam through a relay. This will extend the life of the high/low switch, and maybe make the light a little brighter. (read those instructions in the link) If I do that I'll post more photos. I also think I'm going to power the relay through a switch, so I can turn off the headlight on super-hot days when riding in town.
I just love all these wires..... ;D
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Post by erictheviking666 on Aug 1, 2010 15:24:11 GMT -5
Watch out for the cops! Around here they'll write you a ticket quick for no headlight be it day or night.
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Post by Eat Sleep Scooters on Aug 1, 2010 15:28:48 GMT -5
Wow now thats some nice rigging. I bet your day would have been awesome if you did all that work and blew the bulb out in 30 minutes. How can one make the electrical system powerful enough for an HID kit?
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Post by Bluefront on Aug 1, 2010 15:32:43 GMT -5
Full-time headlights for motorcycles is a law in Illinois (across the river), but not in Missouri.
To use an HID kit, your stator must put out enough DC voltage to keep the battery from going dead. My headlights on this Xingyue run off AC voltage, but the DC output of the stator is not enough to switch my headlights to DC......necessary for an HID kit. I'd have to get a new stator, flywheel, regulator, and the HID kit......plus a big bunch of wiring mods. Not worth the trouble for me.
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Post by erictheviking666 on Aug 1, 2010 15:36:02 GMT -5
Full-time headlights for motorcycles is a law in Illinois (across the river), but not in Missouri. Ahh, your lucky where your at!
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Post by philr54 on Aug 1, 2010 15:40:41 GMT -5
Bluefront, thanks for sharing. I have the same socket base on my Carino. If we still had bones....
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Post by Bluefront on Aug 1, 2010 18:15:22 GMT -5
What to do if the mods fail......it's always a possibility when you try something different. It's something you have to accept, and deal with if/when it happens. I knew there was a possibility of something melting because of the extra heat of a halogen bulb. So I searched around and found a few places that sold a lens housing for this scoot, complete with the wiring harness. They aren't cheap...... FWIW.....had I been able to install an HID kit, I'm sure the heat problem would have been more severe. That's another reason not to go HID. Really though.....if you have a light problem (not bright enough), probably the easiest solution would be to add some driving/fog lights, that would be used only occasionally. Like this......
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Post by Bluefront on Aug 4, 2010 2:23:17 GMT -5
FWIW.....the new H4 bulb setup survived the hottest day this year. I started a 60mile ride at 95 degrees, and finished at 103 degrees. The lens got plenty warm, but I could still hold my hand on it. The new connector looks to be unaffected. So I guess this setup is handling the heat ok. These H4 bulbs (also known as 9003) are difficult to find in the 35/35W version, although the higher watt models are all over. Here's the cheapest place I found........ Bikebandit. IMO.....the base of the H4 has a round steel plate close to the glass filiment section of the bulb, which shields the connector part of the bulb, from some of the heat off the filiments. Looks to be a better design than that bulb that melted on me. None-the-less.....converting to a halogen bulb with any base, from a standard bulb, adds a significant amount of heat to the setup. Keep that in mind as you do any mods to your own setup.
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Post by jeepsteve92xj on May 1, 2011 22:25:36 GMT -5
I modded to a H4 45/45 - which unfortunately has a black tip that creates a shadow on high beam though there is still 2X more light than the 25/25.
I didnt find a 'high temp' socket like yours, just a three prong like for a normal sealed beam. a few minutes of low speed riding didnt make the lens hot. I will probably ad some air flow holes
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Post by Hammerspur on May 2, 2011 19:17:19 GMT -5
I modded to a H4 45/45 - which unfortunately has a black tip that creates a shadow on high beam though there is still 2X more light than the 25/25. I didnt find a 'high temp' socket like yours, just a three prong like for a normal sealed beam. a few minutes of low speed riding didnt make the lens hot. I will probably ad some air flow holes Where did you get the 45/45W from? I may need to convert my E-Ton R4 headlight from BA20D to H4. Bluefront, it's very much like yours, plastic socket included. I have two BA20D halogens I bought to replace the 35W incandescent it came with. One is 35/35: scootrs.com/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=356But since the factory service manual states 50W as max for headlight I also picked up a 50/50W: www.asamotorcycleparts.com/index.php?app=gbu0&ns=prodshow&ref=lba126In truth I bought a pair of each since my brother has the same scooter.
Now I'm stuck with 4 bulbs I'm afraid to use after this experience: Well some bad news.....the lens didn't melt, but the socket did. This occurred within a 1/2 hour ride... "UGH!"
My conversion to a 35/35W H4 halogen bulb and socket went OK. I did a 40 mile road test this morning in 90 degree temps.....no problem. BF, how has the H4 setup worked over time, still intact, no meltdown?
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Post by Bluefront on May 2, 2011 19:42:40 GMT -5
No problems since the mod.....I've taken it apart several times to check the rear. You can obviously see the front through the lens. That H4-design bulb shields the connector from most of the heat, as compared to the OEM bulb. FWIW......I melted a headlight socket on my Ford the other day, and replaced it with my spare heavy-duty H4 socket (same as the scoot now). Too bad my scoot can't handle a 55/60 W bulb.
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Post by jeepsteve92xj on May 2, 2011 22:19:47 GMT -5
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Post by TERRA NUVO on May 3, 2011 1:26:19 GMT -5
gentlemen
research will show you that any bulb with a color tip will heat up a socket faster then a clear, burn out fast too.
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Post by Hammerspur on May 3, 2011 4:36:55 GMT -5
gentlemen research will show you that any bulb with a color tip will heat up a socket faster then a clear, burn out fast too. How about a plastic lens... maybe a colored tip (or better still a tip with the opaque coating) may help prevent a sharply focused hot spot in the center of the lens? www.bulbs.com/eSpec.aspx?ID=10646&Ref=10V+-+19V&RefId=328I found a place in Denmark with supposedly the correct B20 to H4 converter/adapter (for doing HID). $13 per pair I think but they haven't got back to me about payment - cc or possibly paypal. Thanks JSteve. I'm wondering does this adapter replace (eliminate) the cheesy plastic BA20D socket? Do you have a pic or a link?
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Post by jeepsteve92xj on May 3, 2011 7:45:20 GMT -5
I cant access the site from work so I will try to remember when I get home, but yes, it is steel and is suposed to make mounting an H4 in place of the B20d easy
The black tip is to eliminate the hotspot. The 35/35 on bikebandidt shows a black tip and is an Eiko brand like bulbster sells. -does Bluefronts 35/35 bulb have a black tip? Also the pictures of the 35/35 look shorter than the 45/45, so the focus may be better and the shadow NOT an issue in some headlight housings. *the trouble with bulbster is they dont answer the CONTACT US, and since I already had an order and email notices from them, I tried to use the REPLY to ask questions, but my messgae was immmedeatly and permenantly failed. Short of calling them on the phone to point out the communication problems, I don't have any other options.
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Post by jeepsteve92xj on May 3, 2011 20:07:13 GMT -5
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Post by Hammerspur on May 4, 2011 6:38:30 GMT -5
The adapter is the reverse of what we want - it adapts a B20d bulb to an H4 headlight Too bad, Thanks though!
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Post by Bluefront on May 4, 2011 7:22:27 GMT -5
^^^^^Yeah the halogen bulb I'm now using does look like this..... It's been in constant use while I'm riding for 5K+ miles. The lens and new connector have survived without any problem. I suppose that black tip does prevent a hot-spot on the lens......
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