As an option to just breaking off the tabs...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/H4-Bulb-Adapter-Rings-Honda-ST1100-ST1300-ST-1100-1300/362490852235
https://www.ebay.com/itm/H4-Bulb-Adapter-Rings-Honda-ST1100-ST1300-ST-1100-1300/362490852235
ST GuiThe ST1100 relies on all three tabs to support the bulb something like some overhead light fixtures need all three screws to keep the glass from falling. Those adapter rings aka shims provide that support in the proper orientation, after the lower H4 tabs are sorted.
The ST1300 has a rim in the headlight shells that supports the base of the bulb not the tabs. The tabs are only for orientation and keeping the 'wrong' bulb from being inserted. So only the top tab is needed.
This is a source of constant confusion especially when some country's STs use the more popular H4 bulbs from the factory and don't even need any tabs cut or bent.
The post above covered the bases. For the 1300 you'd cut the two bottom tabs of an H-4 the same as you would for the 1100 but you don't need the shims or adapters. The 1300's headlight assembly supports the bulb where the 1100's assembly needs the shims.a couple of questions about the 1300.
st11ray,You can use regular automotive H4's but you have to break off the 2 bottom tabs. If you are changing them, go for LED F2's.
The best way to fix the dash problem is to send the dash to blueguages.com
ST GuiThe post above covered the bases. For the 1300 you'd cut the two bottom tabs of an H-4 the same as you would for the 1100 but you don't need the shims or adapters. The 1300's headlight assembly supports the bulb where the 1100's assembly needs the shims.
There are a few threads here by members who've had bluegauges replace the LEDs in the speedo and tach and mod the LCD panel (Temp/Miles/Clock) and are very satisfied with the results. The mod for the meters and the LCD panel are two separate procedures so if you're happy with the meters the LCD panel can be done for ~$80 last I heard.
st11ray,
thanks for that info——-I’ll check blue gauges.com out.
I can’t understand how Honda got the dash lights so wrong, its very difficult to see anything to the right of the speedometer except at night.
Regards,
Graham Watson
OboSurface mount LED's have changed a lot in around 20 years.
Graham:my ST1300 LCD gauges which I can hardly read except at night.
Obo
I know diddley squat about LED’s, LCD’ s etc.
What I DO know is that I am very satisfied with bulbs that I can change when they blow and my ST1100 gauges are easy to read in daylight and at night as opposed to my ST1300 LCD gauges which I can hardly read except at night.
I won’t get into an argument about how good LED’s are but as an example, in the 20 yrs I have owned my 187,000 mile ST1100, the only bulbs I have replaced are both headlight bulbs (twice) and the bulb in the clock (twice)———all other bulbs are original which I personally think is wonderful seeing that the bulbs are constantly lit when the engine is running.
Regards,
Graham Watson
Graham:
Not having any idea of the condition of your eyesight, I just wanted to make a suggestion based on my own experience with this same issue. The Bluegauges fix is a great improvement regardless of how good or bad anyone's eyesight is. I am just suggesting a little experimenting to see if that is money you really need to spend.
When I first got my ST1300 I had the same question about the LCD display. I asked about it in this thread- What's the deal with the digital display?
Because of that thread I was intending to send my display to Bluegauges for modification. For various reasons I never ended up doing anything about it. At the time I did not wear corrective eye glasses because I didn't need them, or so I thought. This was back in 2012. I had no difficulties reading, etc.. I was still able to see my GPS screen just fine so it never dawned on me that my eyesight could be the issue.
A few years after that I started needing cheaters to read at normal distances. A while after that I got my first pair of corrective eye glasses. Between these two types of glasses, low and behold I discovered that most of the problem with my inability to see the LCD display clearly was not the fault of the LCD display, but rather my unknown to me normally deteriorating eyesight due to age. When I have either the cheaters or the prescription glasses on, I can see the display perfectly fine even in daylight.
Later on I read that the average person needs corrective lenses, based on eye test standards, as many as five years before they actually realize it. This was the case with me. I still only need glasses for reading so to solve my problem I bought a pair of sunglasses that have the magnifier lenses in the bottom half and I can see the display just fine.
If you don't normally ride with glasses, do some experimenting just to see what the result will be.
If you wear sunglasses, prescription or not, many people have reported that polarized sunglasses make the display much harder to see. If your sunglasses are polarized, try another pair that are not.
A little experimenting might yield that the display might work well enough for you as is. This is the case for me.
If not, and none of that makes any difference, or not enough of a difference, Bluegauges will still be there.
Reading glasses/cheaters, the exact same thing. I often hear them referred to as cheaters, I guess because people who use them are cheating instead of getting proper corrective lenses.I can’t say I know what cheaters are but a few years ago, I noticed that I couldn‘t read things that were close up so I went to a Dollar store and bought some reading glasses and use them a great deal when ( typing this letter for example) and reading the paper etc.