Best Headlight Replacement Bulbs??

Okay, I've decided to upgrade the Honda OEM 45w/45w headlight bulbs on my '06 ST1300A and I've read all the posts on this forum I can find about it more than once. I figure that I need to order a set of shims from CAS or somewhere for H4 bulbs. I have a couple of questions.

1. What is the difference between 9003, H4 and H4ST type bulbs?

2. And Most Importantly: What is the best bulb/brand to get considering I just want to light the night up better than my stock bulbs and still not have to replace the darn things every couple of months?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Bill - gonna get as many answers to this as hair on a dogs back - I used the Silverstars and loved them - they were an economical choice for me and a ton better than stock. As far as the difference in bulb mounts - the ones on the bike have the locating tabs in a different spot - I clipped the tabs off and installed them without shims - the bulb seats on a lip formed into it - and it worked just fine, in fact I sold the shims I had bought because someone had said they had to be used - Just my 2 cents
Mick

I also use the SilverStars and have no problems, I just like the differient lite
and they are easier for me to see and easier to adjust.

crinteastwood said:

Bill - gonna get as many answers to this as hair on a dogs back - I used the Silverstars and loved them - they were an economical choice for me and a ton better than stock. As far as the difference in bulb mounts - the ones on the bike have the locating tabs in a different spot - I clipped the tabs off and installed them without shims - the bulb seats on a lip formed into it - and it worked just fine, in fact I sold the shims I had bought because someone had said they had to be used - Just my 2 cents
Mick

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Thank you.
Did you use the H4ST bulbs? Clear or blue?
What wattage?

AVJohn said:

I also use the SilverStars and have no problems, I just like the differient lite
and they are easier for me to see and easier to adjust.

Click to expand...

Thank you.
Did you use the H4ST bulbs? Clear or blue?
What wattage?

I have the Osram Silverstars and all I did was file down one of the tabs just a little to get it to fit. No shim. Noticeably better lighting.
gonzo

I used off the shelf 9004's with the blue glass - I think 55/60w
Mick

ParkerBill said:

Thank you.
Did you use the H4ST bulbs? Clear or blue?
What wattage?


Thank you.
Did you use the H4ST bulbs? Clear or blue?
What wattage?

Click to expand...

I use the Clear, the blue is also nice..

I'm going to go with Daniel Stern's recomendation and use the 70/65W Osram Plus 50 H4 bulbs - a good compromise in light output vs. bulb life. Plus, I'll be using the Comagination relay style headlight modulator.

I know on my previous bike, upgrading the bulb beyond the stock wattage, ran the risk of meling parts of the harness, or causing other problems. Are we at risk doing the same on the ST?

I replaced the originals with the SilverStars and my left keeps burning out. So I replaced the left the the stock bulb and now have a stock in the left and a SilverStar on the right and to tell you the difference, I reall don't see much difference! I'm waiting to see if the left burns out again. :cus:

It's funny about the burnouts. My OEM bulbs burned out the left high beam a few times. Of course I got warrantee replacements, but what a bother. I think there is something about the ST that the left headlight gets more vibration or heat or something than the right side does.

So far (crossing my fingers, knocking on wood, dang that hurts) my Osram Silverstars still work.

gonzo

ST1300A said:

I'm going to go with Daniel Stern's recomendation and use the 70/65W Osram Plus 50 H4 bulbs - a good compromise in light output vs. bulb life. Plus, I'll be using the Comagination relay style headlight modulator.

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+1 Unbelievable!
I agree with AT1300A on this!!! For the ST1300 this is the best route to go BAR NONE! These bulbs will give the best life (much longer than a silverstar) and most light (more than a silverstar) for the money! As far as using the shims...no, you don't have to but: they sure help to ensure proper bulb alignment inside the headlamp housing re-guardless of the motorcycle you are using them on!!! (DAMHIK) Also, just going from a stock bulb to a standard automotive bulb raises the lumes significantly!

Stock bulb: 45 watt low beam / 45 watt high beam
VS
Standard Automotive bulb: 55 watt low beam (+10 watts) / 65 watt high beam (+20 watts)

The bulbs that ST1300a mention ARE safe from melting on the ST1300.

The ST1100 can use 80/100watt bulbs without any issues as well!!! I know cause I have them in my ST1100!

Hope that clears things up for you!!

Thank you all for the replies so far. I am still somewhat confused by the shim thing though--seems some say you need them with the H4s and some say you don't. I haven't pulled a stock bulb out yet or tried to put an H4 in so I'm curious. If they are needed to keep the bulb properly aligned then what keeps the bulbs properly aligned if you don't use them??

Again, thank you all for your replies.

I didn't notice if this was answered or not but I think the st is a ruggedized version of the bulb.

I always used the shims so I can't say what happens if you don't. They should make it easier to align the bulb particularly if you change them without removing any tupperware. Once they are properly aligned and the spring clip and connector are in place I can't see them moving even without the shim.

Here's my take.
I replaced the 45/45 stock bulbs with the Siver Stars. What a difference.
Really lit up the night........for a little while. Blew out the first bulb in just a few months.
I put the shims in. What a very necessary PITA.
So now I'm running stock Honda motorcycl H4 60/50 Watt bulbs. I still need the shims, but I'm hoing they won't burn out as quickly as the SilverStars, because changing out the bulbs is a very difficult proposition.

Actually I am suspicious of the shim because:

The shim actually spaces the bulb rearward in the amount of the thickness of the shim, in order for the wider tab to be away from its slot.

To me, this means that the radiated pattern toward the reflector assembly has been altered. The resulting beam will now not be properly focused.

gonzo

Hmm didn't think about the shim changing focus. Too much a PITA to pull one and see if there is a noticeable difference. I wouldn't think much, the shim is pretty thin in comparison to the the filament length

Okay, so if I understand what you guys are saying about the shims:

1. They only help to make sure the bulb is in correctly while you are installing the bulb, and

2. Once the bulb is clipped in without the shim it cannot come out of alignment.

3. The shim causes the bulb to be pushed rearward the thickness of the shim and possibly messes up proper beam focus. Is the loss of beam focus a proven/known fact?

Correct?

ParkerBill said:

Thank you all for the replies so far. I am still somewhat confused by the shim thing though--seems some say you need them with the H4s and some say you don't. I haven't pulled a stock bulb out yet or tried to put an H4 in so I'm curious. If they are needed to keep the bulb properly aligned then what keeps the bulbs properly aligned if you don't use them??

Again, thank you all for your replies.

Click to expand...

st1300r said:

I didn't notice if this was answered or not but I think the st is a ruggedized version of the bulb.

I always used the shims so I can't say what happens if you don't. They should make it easier to align the bulb particularly if you change them without removing any tupperware. Once they are properly aligned and the spring clip and connector are in place I can't see them moving even without the shim.

Click to expand...

Schavlan said:

Here's my take.
I replaced the 45/45 stock bulbs with the Siver Stars. What a difference.
Really lit up the night........for a little while. Blew out the first bulb in just a few months.
I put the shims in. What a very necessary PITA.
So now I'm running stock Honda motorcycl H4 60/50 Watt bulbs. I still need the shims, but I'm hoing they won't burn out as quickly as the SilverStars, because changing out the bulbs is a very difficult proposition.

Click to expand...

Gonzo said:

Actually I am suspicious of the shim because:

The shim actually spaces the bulb rearward in the amount of the thickness of the shim, in order for the wider tab to be away from its slot.

To me, this means that the radiated pattern toward the reflector assembly has been altered. The resulting beam will now not be properly focused.

gonzo

Click to expand...

Unbelievable!

Ok, here's the skinny! It is important to understand that the bulb is not projecting light directly out of the headlamp lens but rather backward into the reflective portion of the housing and THEN through the lens. With that in mind I see how a person could be concerned about a change in how the light is transfered out of the lens (Just as Gonzo eludes too!). How ever,the shim is so thin (only 20 gauge less than a 16th of an inch) that the bulb still protrudes well into the headlamp housing, well beyond anything that would effect the light being emmitted through the lens! In fact, so much so that there would be only a microscopic change in how the light is refracted inside the housing if at all and very likely impossible for the human eye to pick up on!!! The fact that the bulbs ARE seated further back in the housing makes such a miniscule difference that the signifigant wattage advantage of the automotive bulbs far outshines the OEM bulbs making them still a vast improvement over stock!

I guess what I'm saying is that while Gonzo makes a valid point, the humanly perceptible difference between shims or no shims is so minimal I doubt anyone could see it and it is still far better than stock 45/45watt bulbs either way you go!!

As for the shim being nessessary...when I installed automotive bulbs into my headlamp, I clipped the two offending tabs off as per other posts here @ ST-Owners.com. Then I slipped them into place. One bulb went right in, the other did too, I thought. But alass it was not! That offending bulb sent it's beam of light way too high and was hurting the eyes of traffic in front of me even on low beams! No matter how many times I fussed with it, I could not get it to rest properly in the housing! (A matter on not being able to manuver the bulb into place by feel and not being able to see if it was seated without removing the entire headlamp housing!) Now you might get your bulbs to pop right in and seat just fine but, the shim fits tightly around the bulb and replaces the two missing tabs but in the correct position. This makes getting the bulbs to seat properly a much easier prosses! In a nutshell, you can FEEL how much easier the bulbs are to get seated with the rings than without! They take away the guess work! It just that simple!! Again, they are NOT nessessary, just easier for most!!!

Just my experience and H.O.!:-D

Hey Tom, thank you for the complete explanation about the shims. Since I'm really not into removing tupperware, etc., unless I positively must(!!!), I guess I'll get the shims so I have a better chance of getting the bulbs in correctly without having to dismantle anything. Yeah, yeah, guys, just call me lazy, but hey, at 60 I'd rather be riding than playing with tupperware (I can play with the Tupperware when I get too friggin' old to ride!!).

To summarize what ya'll (I'm in the South now) said:

1. I really don't need the shims, but they help get the bulb in straight.

2. Any standard H4 bulb is going to be better than the stock 45/45 (makes sense to me!).

3. The Osram +50 70/65W is the most highly recommended bulb for both brightness increase and longevity.

4. Followed closely by the Silverstars.

Right? Thank you again. I know I'm :BDH: with this, but hey, with all the knowledge this web forum has I figured I should make use of it and get the lights right the first time!!