Headlight Bulbs - What's in your bucket?
Your new Nomad comes with a Phillips +30 bulb in it, PN#12342. This isn't a bad bulb, but there are better solutions out there.
I have tried so many bulbs, blue ones, yellow ones, Silverstars, Osrams, PIAA, and my favorite of the DOT compliant H4 series, Osram Silverstar Plus 50. They are 60/55W bulbs and it rates closely with the GE Megalicht +50 or Phillips Vision Plus bulb. You can not go wrong any of these bulbs. The H4 +50 bulbs from the big four reputable European bulb makers (Philips VisionPlus, Osram SilverStar (not the H4ST), Narva RangePower+50, Tungsram Megalicht) are functionally identical. When 10 samples of each are put through photometric, optical comparator and life tests, there's a very narrow range of performance and life differences, and those differences are randomized among the four brands. If you are wondering is it really 50% brighter, I will tell you sort of. These lamps provide up to 50% more light on the road ahead at a distance of 50 to 100 m and longer illumination up to 20 m. The way manufacturers compute the +50 value isn't how the average person would think it would be done. Its not an all out 50% more light in the whole beam pattern. Nope it is more concentrated than that. If fact it refers to the area of the beam where the light is the brightest and how much further down the road it goes. That area is to the right of the center of the beam. It's the area of the road ahead at a distance of 50 to 100 m and longer illumination up to 20 m. that gets the extra light not the area to the left or right of you or even directly in front of you, it's the area ahead of you. So if your testing bulbs in your garage on the garage door trying to figure out which bulb is brighter, your not going to really be able to discern the enhanced beam pattern well at all.
Here is a link to an document which shows a comparison between a standard H4 and a H4+50 bulb. http://www.candlepowerinc.com/pdfs/SBL_Headlamp.pdf +60 bulbs are the best output you are going to get in a "DOT stamped bulb" solution.
I like as much light as I can get and I will not put a colored bulb in the headlight. Color is a coating and a coating stops a degree of light from passing through the bulb glass. So the easiest way to efficiently, and cost effectively put more light on the road is to buy a $19 bulb like me, or cheaper where ever you find it, or rewire your bike, upgrade all switches and relays in the light circuit to include the H4 plug in the bucket and go buy a 130/100w bulb or, lastly in the order of expense, buy a light bar for $250.00+. Or you can look at my light bar page and get out for under $100 and go that route. Which I would recommend since the light bar circuit has it own wiring harness, relay and an in-line fuse to the battery.
I buy my bulbs from Daniel Stern. Go read about blue bulbs, please. Go to his website read, learn and implement with knowledge rather than guesswork or a false sense of security. You just may be saving a life, which might be your own. Daniel can talk your head off and make you dizzy with the knowledge he processes. He is consistent and responsive with his business and is a good guy in general.
Daniel's H4 bulbs for sale.... http://www.danielsternlighting.com/products/products.html
General H4 Information
These 2-filament bulbs with P43t base are for high/low beam headlamps and are considered the "stock" bulb for motorcycles 9 out of 10 times. The H4 was the world's first 2-filament halogen automotive bulb. It was introduced in Europe in 1971, and was used in many millions of European and Japanese headlamps starting in that year, but wasn't legalized in the US (where it was designated HB2 or 9003) until over two decades later, in 1992! The bulbs are not coated with blue, yellow or purple in any shape or form. They are the best technology in a legal format which meet OEM specs as well as Government Regulations.
One other thing to consider is that most of these bulbs are developed for automobile headlights and the patterns under optimal conditions are probably tested in a cars reflector bucket. I would be really surprised if any of these companies actually pop one of their bulbs in a motorcycle reflector as part of the performance testing and acceptance process. As you know the pattern of light produced a motorcycle, is not the same pattern produced by your cars headlights. Totally different characteristics and properties. All you have to do is look at the two patterns side by side in the garage. Cover up one of the auto's headlamps with a towel so you see the true variance between the car and motorcycle pattern So that being the case, If the car reflector pattern is used as the basis of the marketing literature and technical specs, are they even relevant for a motorcycle headlight reflector???? What do you think?
My voltage, at the H4 plug, with the low beam on, is +14.1v. So look carefully at the "Tc" numbers when cross referencing bulbs. The life expectancy shortens as the voltage goes up.
Here are my "picks" ..... keep in mind A regular 60/55w H4 bulb roughly outputs 1650/1000 lumen.
Tc is the hour figure at which 63.2% of tested bulbs have failed.
I tested these in an unlit construction area, a cooperative group of 7 deer participated in this event who were attempting to bed down for the night approximately 300 ft from the road. However, no animals were either hurt or endangered in these trials.
So that being the case, I have developed the "deer eye" scale of reflection. LOL. For use with the High Beam Only, It's a 1-10 scale for 100 yard usage where 1 is no eye reflection and 10 is glowing like the living dead. So then DE1= No Reflection and DE10 is the glowing zombie eyes.
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BULBS - I like
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| 1895/1150 lumen | GE Megalicht +50 60/55w H4 P43t. Tc unknown. DOT | Nice and bright, excellent low and high beam. I definitely what to check out a the +60 version. Of all the DOT compliant bulbs I have tried, I like this one the best. DE7 |
| 1650/1000 lumen |
Osram Silverstar Plus 50 - Which is a 64193SVS H4 +50 P43t, not the same as Sylvania Silverstar H4ST. Tc life rating of 350/250 hours (high/low beam) at 13.2v. DOT |
Nice and bright, excellent low and high beam. DE7 |
| 2000/1300 lumen |
The Osram PN#64205 70/65w H4 P43t. Tc life rating of 100/200 hours (high/low beam) at 13.2v So at 14.0 volts, Tc is going to be shorter. NON-DOT |
The Osram PN#64205 is a 70/65w. This is a H4 P43t bulb rated at a 72/65W. The DOT regulations say a legal H4 can consume up to 72/65w. The nominal rating remains 60/55w, however it is not DOT stamped.... go figure. Excellent light pattern. It is brighter than the GE Megalight+50 and is a good compromise for a lower wattage bulb and the higher ones. Produces a higher light than the other +50 bulbs. After final "night time" comparisons, this bulb is closer, in visual output, to the Napa 100/80w bulb than I originally thought. I want every lumen I can get. DE8 |
| 2900/1700 lumen est. | NAPA Wagoner 1215 - 100/80w bulb H4 P43t. Tc unknown. Estimated Tc 100/200hr. NON-DOT | For $11 it rocks. Bright pattern. Heat is a concern to some and not others. Good light output. For a higher watt bulb, I like this one a lot. Unfortunately, since I have heard good and bad regarding excessive heat in Nomads from individuals, I have elected not to use it. <frown> DE10 |
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BULBS - I didn't like |
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| 1500/ 910 lumen |
Sylvania H4ST bulb 60/55w H4 P43t Tc life rating of 50/100 hours (high/low beam) at ??.?2v. Tc info comes from Sylvania's web site. DOT |
Blue tinted bulb, less output, color shift to 4000k gives illusion of more light. Poor light distribution pattern. Less output and brightness than the +50 bulbs. DE6 |
| unknown |
APC H4 Ultra White/Plasma 60/55 Watt Halogen Bulb P43t Tc unknown. DOT? |
Trash blue bulb low output, color shift to 4000k+ gives illusion of more light. No deer that night, sorry. |
| 1650/1000 lumen est | Phillips VisionPlus +50 Bulb 60/55W H4 P43t. Tc unknown. DOT | Didn't work well for me, light seemed unfocused, and a slight blue tint, I just wasn't impressed. Picky Kawasaki reflector? DE6 |
| 2900/1700 lumen | Narva 100/90w H4 P43t. Tc unknown NON-DOT |
My H4 plug in my bucket started melting when I ran this. Estimated Tc 100/200hr.
(Estimating a DE12..LOL.. melted my plug, tossed it after 1 day of operation.) |
| unknown |
Hella H4 Bulb, 12V, 80/70W, Yellow Star H4 P43t Tc unknown and don't care. NON-DOT |
Smokin crack that day, don't waste your
time, yellow isn't the word for it..it's more like "YELLOW"
The deer laughed at this one, I could hear them. DE1 |
Now, looking over these results, which one would you rather:
(a) Buy and drive with?
(b) Sell?
The answer to (a) depends on how well you want to see versus how often to
change the bulb. If you want the best possible seeing, you pick the
Plus-50. If you don't care as long as it works and you don't want to
hassle with it, you pick the long life.
The answer to (b) is determined by how rich your company's shareholders
want you to be, and is obvious: You want to sell the bulb with the
shortest lifespan, highest "promotability" and highest price. Make no
mistake, it's about the numbers and the bottom line.
www.1stautobulbs.com