[Guest]

A couple of weeks ago I removed my headlight buckets for powder-coating. I replaced the H4 bulbs with Sylvania Silverstar bulbs/lamps - part number H4ST. I finally ran them at night this weekend.

I have used the Silverstars in my trucks and cars before with great results, but on the Speed Triple the difference was amazing!

Walmart had them in stock, as did several local auto parts stores. This is well worth doing, they are brighter in daylight and really improve night vision. And they are DOT legal.

These are sold as OSRAM Silverstars overseas, but they don't seem to have the slight blue tint on the bulbs available in the US.

 

[Avi8or]

I'm using Philips Blue Vision or something named similar. A worthwhile improvement.

 

[kuhlka]

Be wary of your Silverstars exploding though if you're popping wheelies. I've had one go while riding in the late afternoon and had to make due with one headlight on the way home that night. I've since switched to PIAA anti-vibration bulbs which seem to handle the bumps so far so good.

 

[Guest]

I hadn't though about them being fragile. The ones in my F250 HAVE been fragile too.

 

[Guest]

Hey Kuhlka, do you have a part number on those PIAA's ???

 

[kuhlka]

I'd have to check, but I think they're Xtreme White Plus;

http://www.piaa.com/Bulbs/Bulbs-H4.html

 

[Guest]

Thanks kuhlka.

 

[Guest]

I just received the PIAAs from Amazon.com for $60.75 with free shipping and they are fantastic! So bright. Thanks for the info.

 

[catenaccio]

+1 on the Silverstars!

 

[DocPup]

anyone ever install an HID on their S3???

 

[crashmasterd]

anyone ever install an HID on their S3???

A number of people for that other site have done so. I don't know if anyone here has. It's not difficult other than finding a place for the ballast. 2005+ bikes have NO storage space.

 

[DocPup]

yea...thats what I was wondering...where to hide'm :-\

 

[Guest]

I read a fairly convincing <a href="http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/conversions.html">article</a> that said pretty much all aftermarket HID conversion kits aren't really much good.

On that subject has anyone tried different headlight units on their S3? I saw some that looked really good from a custom (Harley type) website a little while ago and the place that did the article above also sells some units they say are good. Not that there's really anything wrong with the stock units but if a big improvement can be had for not too much cash why not. You can never have too much visibility at night in my opinion.

Phil

 

[Guest]

Bugger. That link obviously didn't work. Does this site support html in messages?

Phil

 

[dr_gallup]

That link worked for me and I found the info really well written and informative. I confirms what I have always thought, the blue tinted bulbs are pure marketing BS designed to separate fools from their money. (Not that I'm calling any one on this board a fool.)

For those that don't want to read the whole thing here is the most relevant part:

"Osram, the well-established German lampmaker, sells a line of automotive bulbs they call "Silver Star". These are Osram's top-of-the-range headlamp bulbs, equivalent to Narva RangePower+50, GE Night Hawk, Philips VisionPlus, and Tungsram Megalight Premium. They produce the maximum legal amount of light while staying within legal power consumption limits. They have colorless clear glass.

Osram bought the well-established American lampmaker Sylvania in the early 1990s, so Osram is now Sylvania's parent company. Sylvania also sells a line of automotive bulbs they call "Silver Star", but it's not the same product. The Sylvania Silver Stars have blue glass. Light output is of legal levels, but as with all blue-filtered bulbs, you do not get more light from them. The Sylvania SilverStar bulbs have a very short lifetime, because the filament is overdriven to get a legal amount of light despite the blue glass."

 

[Devious2xs]

Danial Stern is one of the best sources for straight talk about vehicle lighting I have ever dealt with. I have had a few conversations with him in the past year.

It seems that the eye is best able to detect light in the white on slightly yellow spectrum at night - 4200 K to 4500 K. Anything more blue (higher temperature Kelvin output) than this starts to diminish the eye's ability to see at night using the rods in the eye.

In my experiences with the Silverstar bulbs, they do not last long in bikes or in my truck. At the beginning of the year, I switched my bike, and truck to Osram +50 bulbs. On one of my cars, I mounted a low beam HID system (4500 K) and Osram 65w ultra high output high beam bulbs.

The problem with HID as a high beam is that it takes a few moments for it to warm up and produce full output. This makes using HID as a high beam a bad choice.

 

[rbrsddn]

I've got a pair of Raybrig Whitesonic bulbs in my S3, and they are very bright, and have been in for at least 2 years.

 

[cwb4tx]

Has anyone used those Krypton bulbs yet? I guess they are another "blue" bulb? I ordered a set just to try them out...

C-Dub