Headlight Bulb Out,Time to look for replacments!

mznyc

mznyc

Joined
Aug 10, 2008
Messages
166
Location
New York
Bike
1993 ST1100
Haven't had to replace a bulb in years and wondered what you guys are using.Planning on changing both while I'm in there and finally install a fuse box for accessories.I have the 40amp alt upgrade so can afford a few watts.Don't want LED's,adaptors or shims,plug and play,...just bright,white light.Maybe Osram +50 70/65W?... Oh and the fix the rear turn signal wires that the mice chewed through over the winter!!
 
I like and use the oem Honda factory bulbs. Last a long time as I have changed one in 19 years. About the bright white light bulbs.....they are brighter but they don't last as the brighter the light the shorter the life.
 
You said that you do not want LED. If you want plug and play (i.e. no shims) this is the only bulb I am aware of, other then the Honda OEM, that you can just plug in. That is IF you order them with the optional H6M base* which is the same base as the Honda OEM bulbs. You will get the added benefits of consuming much less power, which will leave you even more Watts available for your accessories, and the white light that you mentioned.

* H6M is what they are listed as on the cyclops website. I am not certain that that is the correct designation for this base.

Cyclops 10.0 H4 LED headlight bulb
 
Last edited:
An H7 bulb and a 9003 bulb are two different bulbs. The H7 will not fit in an ST1100 headlamp housing. The H4 and the 9003 are for all intents and purposes the same bulb. The headlamp connector on the ST1100 has the same configuration for the prongs as what are on a H4/9003 bulb. The base required for the ST1100 is different. The two lower locating tabs on the base are not in the same position as a standard automobile H4/9003 bulb. This is why you can use the H4/9003 bulb but you have to cut off the two lower tabs and use the shims to hold the bulb in place in the ST1100 headlamp fixture.

All of the above is the same for the ST1300 except that no shims are required to keep the H4/9003 bulbs in place.
 
Andrew Shadow said:
The H4 and the 9003 are for all intents and purposes the same bulb.
Click to expand...
I meant to type H4. (Honestly!
happyyes.gif
)

The headlamp connector on the ST1100 has the same configuration for the prongs as what are on a H4/9003 bulb. The base required for the ST1100 is different.
Click to expand...
This is confusing to me. :oops:

The two lower locating tabs on the base are not in the same position as a standard automobile H4/9003 bulb. This is why you can use the H4/9003 bulb but you have to cut off the two lower tabs and use the shims to hold the bulb in place in the ST1100 headlamp fixture.
Click to expand...
So, what connects the H6M bulb's base and two contacts to the bike's H4 socket's three prong holes???
what.gif
 
Larry Fine said:
This is confusing to me.
Click to expand...
The headlamp electrical connector is the same configuration for both the 45/45W OEM bulb and any H4 configuration bulb. Ignore all that.

Since the bottom two tabs of the 45/45W OEM bulb are in different locations than the more popular H4 bulbs H4s are not plug and play. They require the two lower tabs cut off and shims used.

mznyc said:
Haven't had to replace a bulb in years and wondered what you guys are using
Click to expand...
You're stuck with factory 45/45W bulbs. Get thee to a Honda dealer or find an online source that may give a better price.

Seriously a quick simple mod of an H4 55/60W and a set of shims will make daytime conspicuity much more effective and nighttime riding much more pleasant and safer.

But if you insist on plug and play...
 
Osram do an ultra life H4, I've got them in my EU spec H4 headlight. Too early to say too much on longevity but they're plenty bright enough. Mine are 60 55's.
Don't know if they do a base to fit straight into yours without shims. We avoided that horror over here.
Upt'North.
 
Upt' North said:
We avoided that horror over here.
Click to expand...
I envy you. Getting just about any common H4 is much cheaper than the 45/45W bulb. When I went to LEDs I gave my modded 55/60Ws to my ST buddy who rides through a dark canyon (twice) every night. He said the 'new' bulbs were so much brighter.
 
ST Gui said:
I envy you. Getting just about any common H4 is much cheaper than the 45/45W bulb. When I went to LEDs I gave my modded 55/60Ws to my ST buddy who rides through a dark canyon (twice) every night. He said the 'new' bulbs were so much brighter.
Click to expand...
I bet that envy doesn't extend as far as enjoying watching the sleet fall for the next 24 hours. Come on spring.
But yes I wonder if that's why there so much light farkling going on over there, my 55 60's are plenty bright enough but I do hope these Ultra Life's do what they say on the tin. Last!
Upt'North.
 
mznyc said:
...Don't want LED's, adaptors or shims...j
Click to expand...

I would seriously rethink that. LEDs are so superior to the stock bulbs, it's not even a fair fight. With the shims (there are no adapters), they are practically plug and play. Plus, they'll probably last longer than you'll own the bike. You'll gain a LOT more visibility to others and reduce the chances of someone pulling out in front of you. It's a win-win and they're not hard to install, especially on a non-ABS ST11.
 
Larry Fine said:
So, what connects the H6M bulb's base and two contacts to the bike's H4 socket's three prong holes???
Click to expand...
Nothing to do with the electrical connector. All H4 bulbs have the same three-prong electrical connector as the Honda OEM bulbs and will plug directly in to the bike's headlamp electrical connector on the ST1100 & 1300. The difference between the H4 and the Honda OEM is the metal base that the bulbs are attached to. The locating tabs, or indexing tabs if you will, are the three tabs on the metal base that the bulb is attached to. These orient the bulb to the correct position in the headlamp housing. These are the three tabs located at 12 o'clock and roughly 5 & 7 o'clock. The two lower tabs on a H4 bulb base are not located at the same position as the tabs on the base of a Honda OEM bulb. Neither are the cut-outs in the headlamp housing that these tabs fit in to. As a result the two lower tabs on the H4 bulb will not fit in to the mating slots in the headlamp housing. You need to cut off the two lower tabs. In the case of the ST1100 you then need adapter rings (often referred to as shims) with the correctly located lower tabs to hold the bulb firmly in place. Without the adapter rings the bulb will not remain where it is supposed to and the light beam will be all over the place. On the ST1300 you do not need the adapter rings. The headlamp housing is designed slightly differently and the bulbs will sit correctly in place just fine.

I agree with Spiderman. The bulbs that he linked to in post # 14 above are by far your best option even though you will need the adapter rings. I only linked to the Cyclops in post # 4 above because you said that you did not want to use adapters or shims. These Cyclops bulbs can be ordered with the correct base to fit the ST1100 & 1300. If ordered they will have the two lower tabs correctly located to be installed directly in to the headlamp housing with no adapters needed.
 
I haven’t read every post closely, but to satisfy your original requirements, buy and install a Euro headlight module. BTDT

I’ve got the Honda part number somewheres in my archives... Haven’t checked availability at David SilverSpares in a long time.

You want continental Euro, not UK.

John
 
If you can not find the shims you can make it by placing a thin 20 ga wire (paper clip) across the two bottom slots on the headlight.
 
spiderman302 said:
If you can not find the shims you can make it by placing a thin 20 ga wire (paper clip) across the two bottom slots on the headlight.
Click to expand...
When I had my ST1100's I just cut the centre out of the Honda OEM bulbs that I removed. I filed the remaining ring with the tabs on it to make adapters out of them that were the same as the ones that you buy. Since I was never intending to reinstall the Honda bulbs I figured I might as well scavenge them for adapters instead of paying for them.
 
Andrew Shadow said:
Nothing to do with the electrical connector. All H4 bulbs have the same three-prong electrical connector as the Honda OEM bulbs and will plug directly in to the bike's headlamp electrical connector on the ST1100 & 1300.
Click to expand...
This is what I'm seeing for H6M bulbs, and is why I asked:

images
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom