High power headligh replacement bulb for C10

[Uded2me]

d e a d

[RFH87_Connie]

...and a 55w 4300k bi-xenon H4 kit... 

Do this one unless you know it gave you troubles.  Maybe just hook it up without mounting everything to see if works right if you haven't already done that.

[B.D.F.]

Good info. and I agree with almost all of it. One thing though- while HID's are always listed as "35 watts" or "55 watts", they actually use a bit more power. My 35 watt HIDs use 42 watts; the ballast consumes some power along the way.

Just curious but are some of you guys using a Hi / Lo HID in a single headlight, stock C-10? If so, you may want to re-think that idea. One ballast and one lamp (burner) provide the light for both the Hi and Lo beams.... if (when actually) one of those fails, it will leave the bike with no forward lighting. Stock H4 lamps have two filaments and that is a major consideration; the odds of both filaments failing at the same time are really very high but one lamp failing is not much of a surprise. So using a bi- xenon HID setup in a single headlight vehicle is an inherently bad idea IMO- when the headlight fails, it very well could be on a vehicle doing 70 MPH + down the road and suddenly lose all forward lighting. 

Brian

Just a little info to add about HIDs.  If you get something near the 6000k color range (temp) it will be blue when seen from other drivers (although you will see it as whiteish while driving).  Try to keep close to 4200k or 4300k for true "daylight" color.  Someplaces say their product is "perfect daylight" at 5000k which is actually heading to the blue realm.  I will say that LEDs have a super long life span according to the manufacturers.  A standard H4 puts out 1100-1500 lumens and draws 55-60 watts to do so.  Here are the specs of the HID kit (taken from VVME) I run which is only 35w and produces 3200 lumens at 4300k - you do the math:

[RFH87_Connie]

I have the single beam HID and ironically have the auto-switching dohicky things on both of my C10s - not that it would work with the HID.  I do carry a spare HID components and a stock bulb buried in the cubby holes.  I have had bulbs go totally out a few times over the years and it wasn't that alarming, as it has always happened in town on a straight section of road.  I do still think about it but can't seem to trade off the available light from this mod.  I've had fogs that were always on hooked to my low beams, but don't currently.  I need to hook them up again.  They give a little extra noticeability and a back-up light source.  I've been looking at LEDs and HIDs for this purpose also, but they are kind of pricey for DOT approved lights (VA is pretty tough on inspection for this if not marked "DOT" or "SAE" on the lens).

[Outback_Jon]

The bulbs in the GENSSI kits are identical; the difference is the plastic adapter ring.  On my truck the low beam LED was on the left side and the high beam on the right, which is horribly stupid since the reflectors are not symmetrical.  If you stood off the road on the passenger side when I had the low beams on, it was clear that the passenger half of each housing was dark and the driver half was bright.

That sounds like they were incorrectly assembled.  (Not your installation, the mounting of the adapter ring)  Left/right makes no sense on any headlight setup that I've ever seen.  And assuming they are the same LED unit as my H4, there are only two screws that hold the ring onto the LED, so I can't imagine a way to incorrectly assemble it. 

Well, I was motivated enough to go out and take a short ride to get a pic, but when I asked my daughter about borrowing her camera she told me both the batteries were dead.  And that she found her charger the other day.  But she didn't bother to connect those particular items together in a way that would make her camera useful.     But I think I'll take my old digital camera out and get some shots. 

[Outback_Jon]

Just curious but are some of you guys using a Hi / Lo HID in a single headlight, stock C-10? If so, you may want to re-think that idea. One ballast and one lamp (burner) provide the light for both the Hi and Lo beams.... if (when actually) one of those fails, it will leave the bike with no forward lighting.

Had that happen with one of my HIDs.  But, since I have a ridiculous amount of auxiliary lighting, (2 x 27W LED spotlights on the tip-over bars) I didn't even notice until the next day.  I was on the highway, and with traffic had been on my low beam anyway.  But my LED spotlights took up the slack, and since I have them aimed pretty much right where the low beam hits, I never noticed.  They got me home in the dark that morning just fine, too.  I just adjusted the right side one up a bit higher and turned it a bit to the right so it would give me better light (less traffic at that time) and wouldn't be in anyone's eyes.

[Outback_Jon]

OK, here's 4 pics for you all.  I didn't bother to run out to somewhere with a blank wall, so I just turned the bike and pointed it at the house.  The bike was on the centerstand, so the headlight aiming is a bit lower than actual.  The front of the bike was right about 50 feet from the side of the house.  I'll throw the old camera in the bike and get a couple of shots against a blank wall on my way home from work tomorrow night.

Haven't had any noticeable flashes from anyone, so I'm guessing the aim and focus is pretty good.  (I get very rare, occasional ones, but no more than when I had the standard H4 in there.)

1) Side of house with no motorcycle lights.
2) Low beam GENSSI LED.
3) High beam GENSSI LED.
4) High beam GENSSI LED + (2) 27W LED spotlights on tip-over bars.

[connie_rider]

Certainly looks like a lot of good clear light!

Ride safe, Ted

[B.D.F.]

Yep, any type of auxillary lighting will do fine in a pinch. I was only speaking about a stock motorcycle with one headlight and no other form of lighting- when that headlight goes out the bike and rider are suddenly plunged (Easy Boys!) into a very risky situation.

But if a bike has another kind of forward lighting then I would not hesitate to use a single element type of light in the headlight (HID).

Brian

Had that happen with one of my HIDs.  But, since I have a ridiculous amount of auxiliary lighting, (2 x 27W LED spotlights on the tip-over bars) I didn't even notice until the next day.  I was on the highway, and with traffic had been on my low beam anyway.  But my LED spotlights took up the slack, and since I have them aimed pretty much right where the low beam hits, I never noticed.  They got me home in the dark that morning just fine, too.  I just adjusted the right side one up a bit higher and turned it a bit to the right so it would give me better light (less traffic at that time) and wouldn't be in anyone's eyes.

[George R. Young]

. . . Just curious but are some of you guys using a Hi / Lo HID in a single headlight, stock C-10? If so, you may want to re-think that idea. One ballast and one lamp (burner) provide the light for both the Hi and Lo beams.... if (when actually) one of those fails, it will leave the bike with no forward lighting. Stock H4 lamps have two filaments and that is a major consideration; the odds of both filaments failing at the same time are really very high but one lamp failing is not much of a surprise. So using a bi- xenon HID setup in a single headlight vehicle is an inherently bad idea IMO- when the headlight fails, it very well could be on a vehicle doing 70 MPH + down the road and suddenly lose all forward lighting. 

Brian

What you say is true, but our C10s have another headlight killer, the headlight relay in the J-Box. If it goes out, it doesn't matter whether you have 1 filament or 2 in your headlight bulb. And our J-Box doesn't have a tremendous reliability rating.

And yes, I use a bi-xenon HID setup.

[B.D.F.]

Yep, I understand what you are saying. But a junction box failure is a failure and the mfg. was not planning on that happening. Lamps of all types, on the other hand, do have a lifespan and so a headlight outage is something that is planned and there is a contingency in place for it. I do not believe there is a vehicle that has been DOT approved that is dependent on a single light source for main vehicle lighting.

I have not owned a C-10 but if outright headlight failure is a problem then I would add some type of aux. lighting.... just in case. It does not have to be expensive or even particularly good lighting- aux. driving lights from  a big box store would do for me but I would have to have absolute confidence that I could maintain forward lighting on any vehicle I drove at night.

Brian

What you say is true, but our C10s have another headlight killer, the headlight relay in the J-Box. If it goes out, it doesn't matter whether you have 1 filament or 2 in your headlight bulb. And our J-Box doesn't have a tremendous reliability rating.

And yes, I use a bi-xenon HID setup.

[MAN OF BLUES]

Just posting a bit buzzed, some good lithuanian 12% beer the cause, but unless you segregate the actual conni headlight from the percieved aux lighting its moot... with the bike running, pull up on the key, and do a quick left/right/left twist on it, its tough to describe, but it works. 100% to isolate the lighting circuit from the equation (thanks poppa Guy B Young II) then the bike will be running without lights... and we can see actually what the adder is.. and if it don't add.... as I can't see in your picss, well.. its a toss.

[MAN OF BLUES]

I'm just tootired,and trying to relax on the porch, to post the comparo pics of Murphes lights, stock, and the 80/100 NAPA bulbs right now... let's just say, the NAPA bulbs are in my tank bag....

Oh, I'll add I'm still running the lamps delivererd on my bike from 07-07-2007.....

[Outback_Jon]

Stopped and got a couple of shots against a wall on my way home tonight.  Bike was 20 feet from the wall.

1) GENSSI LED on low beam
2) GENSSI LED on high beam
3) GENSSI LED + 2 x 27W LED flood lights

So, the GENSSI makes a pretty good cutoff line in the C10 headlight housing.  When I'm behind cars, it is slightly lower than the headlights on my car with modern projector style low-beam headlights.  I could (and should) probably adjust the headlight up a little without causing any problems for other drivers.

[bbroj]

Jon, I like the look, as well as the idea of not having a single point of failure at the bulb. The high beam looks a little dim in the pic compared to the low beam, what does your rider seat view tell you as compared to stock or a good halogen (Silverstar etc.) replacement? The cutoff lines look clear, especially by comparison to other pics posted in this thread. I am familiar with your passion for good lighting and am considering an upgrade, so your opinion is valued.

[Outback_Jon]

It is quite difficult to judge the high beam compared to a standard H4.  Simply because the low beam stays on.  The added light in the foreground makes the high beam seem dimmer than it should.  But really it is quite adequate. 

I'd have to say it is at least comparable to a standard halogen.  I noticed previously that I thought my halogen H4 seemed dim since I run my LED driving lights all the time.  When I shut them off, almost any headlight seems dim.

Since I've had my LED driving lights, I've noticed that I ride much more relaxed at night.  I'm still looking for hazards like the overgrown forest rats that infest this area, but the extremely well lit foreground allows me to concentrate more on hazards that are a bit further off.  The added close-in light lets me identify potholes and other road abnormalities much easier.  Now, with the LED headlight, if I were to turn my driving lights off, the added close-in light is still there.

[Uded2me]

d e a d

[timsatx]

I am thinking about re-installing my HID's. I had a problem before that I think was ground related. I would probably do it different this time. One thing I noticed at VVME is that the bulbs are only 35 watt. I am pretty sure that before I got 55 watters from them, but after searching it could well be that I got mine from DDM as they have the 55 watt Bi-Xenon. With our reflectors it has a nice cutoff line on low, and then when you go to hi beam, man does it light up the road.

[RFH87_Connie]

Here is the 55w link:

http://www.vvme.com/hid-headlights/bi-xenon-hid-conversion-kit/h4-3-9003-bi-xenon-hid-kit/12v-50-55w-h4-3-9003-bi-xenon-hid-conversion-kit