PIAA Headlight bulbs

Lonerider59

Lonerider59

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I've been on the search for some brighter headlight bulbs without changing the whole system and I came upon these PIAA Ultra Bright bulbs. I'm not really concerned about night vision because I rarely ride at night but I think the brightness of these will draw attention during the day. I'm sure if you've seen cars with this new style of lights, they do stand out even during the day. I saw these same lights advertised from a popular auto parts store for $199/pr. These are a super bargain compared to that.

http://www.sportsimportsltd.com/pih4rebu.html
 
I don't buy into that whole "Because it's this color of light, the brightness is equal to this wattage" ... either it is a wattage, or it isn't... as anyone who has ever bought colored bulbs before can tell you, when you first get them and put them in, yeah, they look great... white and clear and wonderful.... I've never had a set that didn't fade after time, and look worse than standard bulbs.. ... so, the last time I needed bulbs, I got H4's from Hella. and you can get those in TRUE 100/80 watt bulbs... wattage is wattage... color is color... wattage won't change over time. http://www.autobarn.net/hellah4.html
 
Hi, I looked at the link for the PIAA bulbs and they are offering H4 and H3 halogen types. Quality should be good as this manufacturer has a good rep. I would stay away from bulbs whose main attraction is a different color to look cool at import shows.

The real problem with motorcycle lighting is car drivers don't get enough eye retina area lit up as with the widely separated car lights. This was in a British bike magazine last fall and they recommended auxiliary lights like some Harleys and scooters have.
 
For daylight visibility it is not so much the separation of the head light as what will attract the drivers vision to you so that you are seen.

Kisan Technologies is one of the companies that makes headlight modulators. The unit causes the healight to pulsate. It does not turn it off and on but changes the voltage to it from 100 to about 75%. This causes the eye to look at the light. It is not something that the person has to think about to do. When the eye sees this pulsating the brain tells it to look at it directly (Layman's terms there as I definately am no doctor).

http://www.kisantech.com/index.php

Check them out. They also have taillight modulators as well. That is big issues when stopped at traffic light.

They run about $169 for the FZ1
 
I think you missed the point when they say with the PIAA's 60/55=135/125 they are not insinuating that their bulbs are using additional power, I.E. watts, they are using the terms as a metaphor for the increase in luminous intensity. The newer "intense white" or "bright white" lights emit a shorter wavelenth of light that gives a sharper and deeper view of the road and appears to oncoming traffic as a non-yellow source. I can spot a vehicle with that type or perhaps a HID system coming from a heck of a long way down the road. For me it's not so much that I can't see the other traffic as much as the fact that the whiter light does stand out. It might be my sixty year old eyes, but after having my butt get bounched off motorcycle seats for forty-five years, when I have the opportunity to do something I think may be advantageous to my continued health, I'm going for it. As for wattage not changing, it can varry quite a bit on a bike as the battery ages and if the alternator developes a problem. If you put a multi-meter across your battery terminals you will see the voltage vary quite a bit from idle to a few grand and because voltage is half the equazion for watts, a variation in voltage equals a variation in power. A one volt drop in the electrical system can have a pretty large affect on any halogen bulb, no matter who makes it.
 
my question is have you run in to any problems in the wiring,sockets or headlamp assy with the extra heat/wattage . would hate to melt a socket or the headlamp?
 
Lonerider59 said:
I've been on the search for some brighter headlight bulbs without changing the whole system and I came upon these PIAA Ultra Bright bulbs. I'm not really concerned about night vision because I rarely ride at night but I think the brightness of these will draw attention during the day. I'm sure if you've seen cars with this new style of lights, they do stand out even during the day. I saw these same lights advertised from a popular auto parts store for $199/pr. These are a super bargain compared to that.

http://www.sportsimportsltd.com/pih4rebu.html
Click to expand...

the best choice is xenon kits!
 
So far they don't seem to run any hotter than a regular halogen. Of course, they run very hot in any form. Supposedly the PIAA's are supposed to be a bit cooler but I don't know how you could prove it witout some pretty sophisticated measurig equipment.
 
The Philips Xtreme series of bulbs are definitely the brightest option for stock wattage halogen. They are shorter lived than a factory bulb but most definitely put more light out on the road, unlike your blue tinted PIAA or eBay special bulbs.

I have been using them for quite some time and on half a dozen different bikes and I don't think anything else in stock wattage compares. The only way to do better is to beef up the wiring, add a relay and run higher wattage. Or run an LED or HID projector retrofit.
 
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