H4 Headlight bulb replacement instructions for ST1100

One quick note about the H4 adapter rings. The first time that I used them to replace the Honda original bulbs, I had all of the plastic off the bike, removed the headlight assembly and it was a piece of cake. This past fall I had a bulb fail and just needed to get it replaced. I followed one of the threads on the forum and was able to get the bulb out easily enough through the top near the steering head, however, when I went to put it back in, the adapter plate wouldn't stay attached to the bulb long enough to get it into position and I was having a hell of a time. (My adapters may not grip the bulb assembly as tight as others.) Then I remember how I keep the exhaust gaskets in my Yamaha V-Star 1100. So I put a tiny dab of high-temp RTV on the adapter ring. It held to the H4 bulb long enough to into the proper position. Clamped it it. Problem solved.
 
OK. It is done :)

Thanks to everyone on this thread. I will say that I don't know how anyone can do it with removing stuff. My hands are way to big and my joints just don't go that way. Anyway, I ordered the LEDs from Cindy (great service) and spacers off eBay. I then printed out the instructions for removing the headlight. Pretty easy, just time consuming. And I got to see how it comes apart. Put the lights in, tested and then reassembled. Two hours and that includes going back a couple of times to correct a mistake. I also put the police light mounts on, after painting them.

All in all, a great afternoon. BTW, how do I get an account at my-mc.com
 
Will h4bulbs work without shims? If the tabs have to be removed and flattened, can they work without the shims?
I am just curious, I need to upgrade, just started looking and was curious. Bro in law changed them on his 1998 Valk and just cut a tab or so, I was just curious what you experts thought, can it work?
I just had the top plastics off last week installing a horn(Stebel Nautilus) up there and will go that route, I have huge hands and know I need all the help I can get!
Thanks for all the valuable help here, I am not trying to be funny, just asking out of curiosity.
 
Get the shims, it's much easier to use the shims. And they are cheap, even I can afford them. And they can be re-used.

BTW, the first step when replacing the bulbs, is to check the new bulbs to make sure they are good. You could either check the resistance of both filaments or apply 12 volts to see if they both filament are good. You don't to find out that they are bad after you go through the installation of a faulty "new" bulb.
 
Well, I went Rogue and installed h4 bulbs without shims or any bending. They worked great! Not sure what happened, I went in from the top, I have a light bar so the bottom is not possible for me. I could not see the hole, but I wiggled and twisted until the bulbs dropped into their happy places and they worked great! I did a before and after with a spot of tape on the wall, when I was done it was the same height, just a whole lot more light. I guess it's likely a PO had maybe done the mod with removing and grinding away plastic, not sure, but it had stock bulbs when I pulled them out.
Today was 1st ride in the dark and I am super pleased! I went with mid grade Sylvania bulbs, couldn't spend the big bucks at the time, but I am super pleased with output and quality!

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
I know this is an old post but...

I am doing the H4 conversion on my 99 ST1100. When I went to take out the old bulbs, they were actually H4 bulbs! They are old though and new ones would be recommended anyway. HOWEVER, I noticed that the last person that install the bulbs just cut a slot for the H4 conversion instead of purchasing shims (goes to show you the last time I changed the bulbs - purchased it in 2008 and still has the same bulbs). Now I don't need shims...???...!!! Is there a down side to this type of H4 conversion (cutting instead of purchasing shims)?

Just wondering.
 
dualsportdave said:
I know this is an old post but...

I am doing the H4 conversion on my 99 ST1100. When I went to take out the old bulbs, they were actually H4 bulbs! They are old though and new ones would be recommended anyway. HOWEVER, I noticed that the last person that install the bulbs just cut a slot for the H4 conversion instead of purchasing shims (goes to show you the last time I changed the bulbs - purchased it in 2008 and still has the same bulbs). Now I don't need shims...???...!!! Is there a down side to this type of H4 conversion (cutting instead of purchasing shims)?

Just wondering.
Click to expand...

Actually, that is probably better since the bulb is sitting exactly where it is supposed to be in the housing, rather than raised slightly out by the shim process, although I'm sure the difference would be negligible.
 
Thank you for the input. I looked at it closer and there is a slight rotational difference (about 2 degrees difference). Shouldn't make THAT big of a difference.

Thank you.
 
Hi, the retaining wire fell out. is it easier to remove the entire headlight housing and install the lights? Also I'm installing motoleds do the heatsinkfan sticks out a bit that is why the retaining wire fell off.

Thanks in advance.
 
I just removed the headlight assemblies on all three of my ST1100s to replace the headlight bulbs with the Evitek G6 leds. It takes me about 1 hour to get the assembly out (doing this by memory - ;-)) -
1. Remove saddlebags.
2. Remove the seat.
3. Remove both side panels.
4. Remove Tank cover.
5. Remove both side pockets
6. Remove Windshield.
7. Remove Black Garnish.
8. Remove Gray headlight cover.
9. Remove (or loosen) upper left fairing
10. Remove (or loosen) upper right fairing
11. Unplug the headlight connections.
12. Remove headlight.

A couple of bewares/suggestions -

Get a bunch of small jars/containers so you can 'group' the fasteners by area. Makes reassembly a lot quicker.
There is a bolt up in the 'head' of each upper fairing that attaches the fairing to the bottom of the headlight assembly.
They are a royal pain to remove and to get to unless you have long extensions. Once I get them out, I do not put them back and
have ridden thousands of miles without them!
With the headlights out, you can adjust the wire bail so it seats properly and does not touch the fan.
 
Just got the last of my three ST1100s changed to the LED headlights. I had a little 'bodywork' repair to do on this one as I found out Honda no longer makes the upper left and right fairing for the ST1100. At least I can't find any new ones anywhere. :(
 
ST Gui said:
The legal implications are that the light is illegal for on the road use as it is not approved by the DOT in any application. A lot of people wouldn't/won't let that stop them.

The purpose of legal limitations is safety. Others will disagree. So be it. If everybody used good judgment there would be a lot fewer rules. But here we are.

We all want all the light we need. The problem is we aren't the only one's one the road. Any change in lighting should put neither you or another driver (yeah I said it) or rider at risk.

So you don't want to change to a system that gives you less light than you already have. You need to see where you're going and what might be in your way.

OTOH too much light can put both you and others at risk. Ride down a dark road and turn on the 1.21GW of light. You can see for miles and miles and miles. Animals that don't flee are vaporized. Turn off that aux lighting and you're temporarily blind or at best seeing purple everywhere. And you may be blinding other drivers to the point of harm. Maybe.

So if you step outside the boundaries of legality at least use your new-found power for good instead of evil. Using good judgement is much better than the screw them I'm on a motorcycle and it's the survival of the fittest mantra.

Whatever you decide remember the most important inflexible rule-- post pics. It's always nice to see how someone has accomplished their goal.
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What a load of old cobblers...

I thought this was a website to help others, not to preach their 'visions of right or wrongs' as they see it...

Any improvement in the 'see or be seen rules' must be a bonus and an improvement for all... Apart from those who talk through their noses, and think they know best...

Some improvements may not as yet, have the full support of the relevant authorities, but the ridiculous preaching of the rules, doesn't always promote road safety...

As a Black Rat, I will always promote road safety over some possibly outdated 'rules' that simply do not apply in modern times.


BR.
 
BlackRat! said:
I thought this was a website to help others, not to preach their 'visions of right or wrongs' as they see it..
Click to expand...


I said in that post some people won't like what I said. Apparently you're one of them and frankly I don't a rat's ass. My post was fully about safety which you profess to promote.

What "rules" outdated or otherwise did I list that "restrict" your "vision rights" and that weren't about the safety of all concerned? If you expected to come to an online forum and not see anyone post opinions you must be new to the internet and are going to be sorely disappointed. You may want to manage your expectations. Or not.

What you took away is not what I posted. That says more about you than it does about me. If you care to discuss my post point by point I'm around from time to time. If you just want to lip off and insult me I'll take a pass.

The OP was over 10yrs old but I stand by what it said now as much as when I wrote it. We are not the only ones on the road so for the sake of our safety and that of others we should operate in a safe manner - rules or no rules. What's so hard to understand. If that's preaching - ok. In context I don't see much difference between it and promoting. If you don't like it... I addressed that already.
 
BlackRat! said:
I thought this was a website to help others, not to preach their 'visions of right or wrongs' as they see it...
Any improvement in the 'see or be seen rules' must be a bonus and an improvement for all... Apart from those who talk through their noses, and think they know best...
Click to expand...
Wow... kong-rats on making quite a first impression...

You might also have a peak on this POV though:

Its just too much light... | Motorcycle Safety

I've to agree wholeheartedly... Its one thing in a car where you might only hit something, but on a motorcycle when even the road surface itself is the first source of danger... everything drowns in glaring "whiteout"... Despite enjoying such tremendously in previous years, I've started to...
www.st-owners.com www.st-owners.com
 
It's not about "my/our rules" vs "your rules" or "our standards" vs "UK standards". It's about whatever you do – within applicable rules or not – there are other people on the road and their safety is no less important. I've didn't say don't put off road or illegal lights on a bike. I'll say that for the safety of others they shouldn't be used in the face of other traffic. I didn't you shouldn't pushing boundaries. But the safety of oneself and others should be a consideration. If that's going too far then I question the UK definition of safety.

For example - putting light where it does good and not where it doesn't gets knickers in a twist? It's about other's inferring not my implying. Because I didn't.

Another example – one member here has mentioned a couple of times driving above 35mph is overdriving factory incan lights. Many of us (myself included) have put LED bulbs in our factory headlight shells. They're much brighter than factor ST bulbs. NOBODY that I can recall has suggested using these lights in a manner that blinds others is a good thing even if it increases our conspicuity and visibility. It's that whole safety thing.

That member has done extensive research on using LED bulbs on STs and has commented on what bulbs place light where based on his experience. As I read his posts it's about better illumination with safety as an obvious consideration.

To my knowledge none of our moves to LED headlight bulbs is DOT legal. But many of us are concerned about suitable beam patterns and proper alignment of the bulbs in the shell and proper headlight adjustment. Why? Safety for ourself and others. Presumably.

I'm aware my headlights aren't legal. Same for my LED strobe brake light. But operating them in a responsible manner gives me greater conspicuity and visibility without jeopardizing my and other rider'/drivers' safety. And it should help prevent me from getting a ticket.

And if I get a ticket I accept responsibility. Man up. Line 3. Press hard - three copies.

Speaking of context there are four pages of posts that also provide context. And opinions. Imagine that. I'm always open to edification when someone has constructive info to impart. I may not always agree but discussion is welcome. Blather not so much.
 
On this side of the pond, states often 'delegate' safety inspections to private garages and shops with little supervision.
All of a sudden they become 'profit centers' as they 'discover' repairs that 'must be done' in order to pass inspection.
Personal case in point -
I had 1957 Chevy that I was restoring and it looked a little rough (due for a paint job) but was in excellent mechanical condition.
I was a pretty good wrench in those days including building engines, etc. and was going through it completely.
In a restoration, the body work/paint is one of the last things you do.
I had just completely rebuilt the front end - all new upgraded components, shocks, etc. up to better than new condition.
Needing a safety sticker to get the car on the military base where I was stationed, I took it to such a place.
The 'mechanic' put the car up on the rack, grabbed the right front wheel and tried to shake it - it didn't move much since it was brand new.
He then told me that the 'whole front end was shot and it needed to be rebuilt', never looking at the brand new components staring at him.
I thanked him for that piece of information and told him to get my car down as I would not be needing his 'services'.
After my car was off the rack, there were a few choice words that I shared with him about his business practices that I will not repeat here. :)
I've got no issue with true vehicle inspections for safety but unfortunately over here they often turn into money grabs.
 
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