Which Silverstar bulb should I buy?

[IndyKTM]

I have seen some mention on here about this bulb and that it put out a brighter light than the stocker.....My queastion is, what is the Silverstar part#?

[D Futch]

I think it is H-4

[bigwonton]

You'll want to look for H4 +30% or +50% bulbs.

Daniel Stern Lighting: Bulb Types (http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/bulb_types/bulb_types.html)

Click on the link above to see what the lumen differences are between the bulb types.


Other assorted reading:

Plus 30 and Plus 50 (http://www.narva.com.au/Globes_Performance_1.html)

Bulb Test: H4 Plus 30 Per Cent (http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/products/products/203961/bulb_test_h4_plus_30_per_cent.html)

[turbo chicken]

Nice... will it ever stop. My "bike list" keeps growing. Since i ride early morning while it is still dark. This may be a worth while adjustment.

any recommendations on which percentage to get?

While i'm at it I may as well add....
-bulb 30 or 50%
-headlight/tail-light modulator
-Reflective sticker for the back of my helmet, tailbag, jacket

perhaps i should prioritize this over the windshield or raingear... SAFETY ROCKS! :rawk:

[jonathan180iq]

I just finished swapping out my taillight from an 1157 bulb to a 2397. It has a lower light output as a running light by 1 candlepower and a higher brake light output by 8 candlepower when the brakes on are.
It also draws less power when not in brake mode than the 1157 bulb.

I'll throw in a photo of the difference this afternoon.

While on the topic, I found some LED replacement bulbs for the instrument cluster lighting that I may try out.

I'll have to look into these new headlight bulbs as well.

[Easy Rider]

any recommendations on which percentage to get?


Stay as close to the stock rating as possible.
There have been reports of sockets overheating and lenses melting with higher wattage bulbs.
Don't remember what kind of bike it was though......not that it makes much difference.

[bigwonton]

These are the bulbs I used:

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j88/Engineer303/bike/osramh4plus50.jpg

You can see the bulb that came with the bike on the left and the H4 Plus 50% on the right.

[Easy Rider]

[quote="turbo chicken":kpjg8i1p]any recommendations on which percentage to get?


Stay as close to the stock rating as possible.
[/quote:kpjg8i1p]

:oops: Should have looked first! Since the wattage is the same as stock on both, either one should work fine. I'd expect there to be a fairly signigicant difference in price. If you can afford it, I'd go +50; not much difference in the +30.

[Badbob]

I used these for awhile and really liked the light output. However, there is a downside. Silverstar bulbs are expensive and they don't last very long. If you use one be sure to carry a spare and know how to change it on the side of the road. Been there done that.

I quit using them after the second one blew on me in less than six months.

[bigwonton]

I used these for awhile and really liked the light output. However, there is a downside. Silverstar bulbs are expensive and they don't last very long. If you use one be sure to carry a spare and know how to change it on the side of the road. Been there done that.

I quit using them after the second one blew on me in less than six months.

I guess there's no such thing as a free lunch. Haven't had mine long enough yet to get a good feel as to how long they last.

One thing I was kind of dismayed to see was how small of a gauge the stock headlamp wires are.