Yesterday i tried to change my headlight bulb for somehting a little brighter and also to learn how they come out.  I have always found that they blow at night in the middle of nowhere so i thought it a good idea i learnt how to do it.

I can get to the bulb, get the plug off the back and peel back the rubber boot but how the hell does the bulb come out.

I can't see any springs, clips or anything to move or flick or lever to get the thing out.

Also what is a good buld to put back in.  I have the standard H4 and i want somehting a bit better...any ideas please.

Mike

Mike:

Unless you put in a Bi-Xenon HID conversion kit (not sure if legal where you live), if you put in a more powerful H4 bulb I would put in a relay kit to avoid overheating your switch and wiring.

For that matter, putting a relay kit in may brighten you up, so I'd start with that, and see if you even need a higher wattage bulb.

Just a suggestion...

1. Philips X-TremeVision
2. Ring Xenomax
3. GE Megalight Ultra +120
4. Osram Nightbreaker plus

All available in 55/60w H4, so no need to upgrade with relay switching (but you could do that as well!)


Mike

Here's a pic of the retaining ring that dutchie mentioned, Mike 101


 

And +1 to the Philips X-TremeVision, mike d.

sidecar paul wrote:Here's a pic of the retaining ring that dutchie mentioned, Mike 101


 

And +1 to the Philips X-TremeVision, mike d.

Thats the beastie i have...thanks.

I'll have another play this weekend.

Cheers all for the info. Again lots of good help on here.

Mike

Mike you will find them quite easy to get out if you have seven fingers with 4 universal knuckles in each finger.
If you don't meet those parrameters then have a ready supply of bandaids

Nowdays I take the window away, no matter manual or electric, gives me more space to change the bulb from above.
Also a good chance to replace the little bulb, I'm already there.

Once you found your own trick to replace, it's as easy as placing panniers 

For that matter, putting a relay kit in may brighten you up, so I'd start with that, and see if you even need a higher wattage bulb.

I agree with this one, it can make a big difference. I just got some ceramic bulb connectors and even that made a difference.

RicK G wrote:Mike you will find them quite easy to get out if you have seven fingers with 4 universal knuckles in each finger.
If you don't meet those parrameters then have a ready supply of bandaids

The dexterity of a gynecologist helps,

Deff. "GYNECOLOGIST"..a person who can decorate his hallway from through the letter-box.

Wheeldigger wrote:Nowdays I take the window away, no matter manual or electric, gives me more space to change the bulb from above.
Also a good chance to replace the little bulb, I'm already there.

Once you found your own trick to replace, it's as easy as placing panniers 

Oh don't get me started on the panniers.  I have no idea how they went back on but they haven't fallen off yet so all's well.

Also the seem to have been made impossible to open in the dark with cold fingers.

Mike

Here, my problem is with an old bulb not putting out sufficient light, and so will try one of the newer 60/55 bulbs.* If the electrical wiring is underperforming and the new bulb doesn't help then I'll move up to an Eastern Beaver solution. But, don't mind me, I've got enough on my plate already for this winter and need to stay focused on the job(s) at hand. 

*Recommended from other threads:
1. Philips X-TremeVision (highly rated on this forum)
2. Ring Xenomax
3. GE Megalight Ultra +120
4. Osram Nightbreaker plus

If for no other reason, I'd do HL relays/beefed up wiring just to improve the switch longevity and get more voltage to the headlight.

I run high watt (130/90) cheapos from China (w/ 14 AWG wiring from relays) and they do amazingly well for $4 each.

A few of the K bikes I've purchased have had 60/55 Osram H4s which are noticeably better at night.

The factory wiring is wimpy and halogen technology from 1985 is a bit dated these days.  Kind of like walking in front of a horse with a candle.

They arent as bad as the old Lucas (prince of darkness) lights where you had to turn then on and off a few times to be able to tell if they were actually working.

+1 on Eastern Beaver Relays. It is heavy duty-plug and play.
When my bulb burns out I might try one of them new fangled LED bulbs. 

I bit the bullet and popped a very bright and white PIAA 'extreme white' globe into my RT. It and the 11.9" LED strip below the headlight brighten my passage through the darkness quite well. In comparo to the wimpy and yellowy output of the Osram halogen I can now see and am now seen. Doesn't mean the buggers don't still cut me off!

Why PIAA when they cost so much and are often so fragile? There's bennies to working in the biz. I'm not paying retail.

+1 on new relay kit. I ended up beefing up with an Eastern Beaver relay kit as well but it was because my headlight switch suffered the plastic meltdown and I could not go between low beam to high beam without the light cutting out. Unfortunately, when one is riding out on the open road and one or two seconds of total blackness before the high beam engages makes for some real adventurous riding.

Running the new relay kit, replacing a new H4 bulb, after figuring out how to remove the old bulb as described in the above reply on removal of the metal retaining ring, was hugely satisfying when I noticed the circuit really pumped up the light intensity to a noticeable difference even on low beam.

Good luck with the replacement.

Sunny