100/80 Watt H4 headlamp

Anyone have experience upgrading their 60/55 watt bulb to 100/80 watts? Voltage,regulator issues? Heat output on the headlamp housing/lens?



Yes, I understand its for off-road use only.

 

I could see problems using it on 2nd gen bikes, I don't think the alternators on these bikes have a lot of headroom to allow it.
If you do a lot of city riding it could result in more drained batteries.
If you need more light you might want to look towards a 60 Watt HID projector setup.

 

The 86 VFR750 AC Generator outputs 300 Watts @ 5000rpm

Stock accessories draw:

8W - tailights
27W- brake lights
16W- front running lights
27W- turn signals
12W- Ign. system
20W- fuel pump
Dash guages, rad fan, and other items draw only a few more watts. Considering the brake and turn lights are only on for a few seconds, plenty of reserve capacity remains. Asume the battery is up to charge and not requiring extra load.

HID's are nice, I drove a members bike that had then. But they are expensive versus a bulb. And there are mounting and alignment issues due to the cramped space in the VFR headlight bucket.

Basically, I'm looking at a $10 bulb that nearly doubles the factory output. Plus its a plug-in mod with no wiring harness or electrical connection modifications to go wrong.

Im more concerned if the higher wattage bulb puts out too much heat for the factory bucket/lens.

 

Check Ebay....i got some sweet Super Yellow H4's for my 4th gen. They are alot bright than stock. Unfortunitly they put out alot of heat and draw alot of power.

I'll be going HID in the future. I miss them on my old 1st and 2nd gens.

 

I ran a 80/100w years back on my 1st gen. With prolonged use I started to melt the RR connector. I cut the connector out and soldered the wires together. Seemed to work seeing they are still that way today.

The biggest downside was the guys I rode with always complained of seeing that bright of a light in there mirrors whether day or night(worse). No one would ride in front of me. One thing to think about is bright lights are nice. But I've been blinded during the day even by some of the bikes that run super bright lights. Might just spook someone to close their eyes and then hit you.

I have been using a 65/100 since.

 

Four years ago, I put in a Phillips X-treame Power bulb. They are bright, DOT, and last.


From X-treme Power
X-treme Power
Introducing the new world champion in high performance headlamp upgrades. Philips X-treme Power bulbs deliver up to an astounding 80% more light than standard halogens, yet they’re DOT legal and come with the same quality and performance we put into the lighting we sell to OEMs around the world. X-treme Power is a new “must-have” for tuners and high performance drivers.

 

rusted root
The ignition system only draws one amp? I am surprised.

 

Well, 1 Amp X 12 Volts DC battery = 12 Watts, if I have the math correct. But come to think of it, isnt the fuse a 30A for the Main?

In any event, I was quoting specs from a magazine article I found on the VFR750, but it was trying to explain how adding an electronic heat vest that only drew 55watts was well within the charging systems limits.

 

Didnt want to start a new thread for this next question. But what do you guys reccomend for headlight alignment procedure?