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stirlinggaz
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PostPosted: 19:23 - 14 Jun 2008    Post subject: WEIRD BULBS Reply with quote

hi all,
looking to replace the headlight bulbs in my chinky 4t,
as they are very dull.
but never seen these type before,
marked with chinese writing (very helpful) & 18w/18w, no wonder there not so bright.
looking to replace with something alomg the lines of 35/35w, if the bike will take it!
these bulbs are about 6cm long,
with 2 prongs to hold them in.
look similar to H4 bulbs but without the large base.
any ideas on where i could get replacements or adapt to take normal type h4 or h7 bulbs?
cheers,
GAZ
EDIT :just had a look at a H4 bulb i had spare,
& it fits in space.
so if i remove bulb holder i am left with 3 bare wires which, in theory, all i need to do is connect to the H4 bulb & im pretty much sorted.
so, on a H4 bulb, which of the 3 prongs do what?
ie low beam,high beam etc.
any advice welcome.
i reckon i could bodge a conversion here! as the size of the old bulb & holder is approx same size as a H4 bulb,
& its easier to replace H4's than these chinese ones,
& who knows they might be brighter! (seing as there almost double the wattage, heres hoping i dont fry the wiring/regulator! lol)


Last edited by stirlinggaz on 19:55 - 14 Jun 2008; edited 1 time in total
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Itchy
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PostPosted: 19:26 - 14 Jun 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cut off the connector to the bulb and solder in a normal one? ,
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Stelmer
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PostPosted: 19:37 - 14 Jun 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote

Take the old bulb to Halfrauds and try match it up to the ones in their bike it range or do the same at a bike shop.
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tatters
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PostPosted: 19:45 - 14 Jun 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote

you can buy h4 sockets off ebay for around 3 pounds should.nt be to hard to fit a 35/55 watt lamp in posesion and then its one common wire and a low and high beam wire.
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stirlinggaz
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PostPosted: 20:20 - 14 Jun 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote

tatters wrote:
you can buy h4 sockets off ebay for around 3 pounds should.nt be to hard to fit a 35/55 watt lamp in posesion and then its one common wire and a low and high beam wire.

hi,
shouldnt need a bulb holder as it fits straight in,
with wire clip to hold it in place,
just need to fit spade connecters to the wires & clip onto bulb.
but dunno which wire does what?
trial & error?
unless someone knows which connecter does what on a H4 bulb? (theres only 3, so presuming 1 for high beam, 1 for low beam & 1 for common,rite?)
cheers,
GAZ
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stinkwheel
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PostPosted: 20:30 - 14 Jun 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is it a simple round headlight?

If so, you might be as well just getting a CG125 lens insert from a breakers, then it'll take standard bulbs and the reflector will be set up for them.

A brand new, entire headlight for a CG costs under £30 so a second hand insert ought to be cheap as chips.
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toolhonda
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PostPosted: 09:52 - 15 Jun 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think the bulb is a BA20D connection.

Walk in to your local Halfords and find the Motorcycle section.

Have a look for Halfords part number 417.
Its called Motorcycle Bulb 12v 35/35w

On the back it says BA20D and Halogen.

Price is £5.99

They also sell a non Halogen version for less (not as good).
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stirlinggaz
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PostPosted: 10:44 - 15 Jun 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote

stinkwheel wrote:
Is it a simple round headlight?

If so, you might be as well just getting a CG125 lens insert from a breakers, then it'll take standard bulbs and the reflector will be set up for them.

A brand new, entire headlight for a CG costs under £30 so a second hand insert ought to be cheap as chips.

Hi,
no, its a twin headlight, curved type.
holes for bulbs can take a H4 no problem though, without any modification,just wiring.
& as i happen to have a couple of H4 bulbs lying around,
that was why i was asking about wiring/soldering.
surely 18w headlights arent legal?
cheers,
GAZ
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stinkwheel
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PostPosted: 11:24 - 15 Jun 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote

stirlinggaz wrote:

Hi,
no, its a twin headlight, curved type.
holes for bulbs can take a H4 no problem though, without any modification,just wiring.
& as i happen to have a couple of H4 bulbs lying around,
that was why i was asking about wiring/soldering.
surely 18w headlights arent legal?
cheers,
GAZ


I should mention that doubling the wattage of the bulb you use is liable to overload and melt wiring. Check the wires are meaty enough to do the job before you stick a vastly bigger bulb in. Knowing the Chinese build ethos, they will probably have used the bare minimum spec wire they can get away with.

I should also mention that if your bike has a direct lighting system (if the lights only work with the engine running) then upping the wattage will most likely make the lights dimmer, not brighter
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.
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toolhonda
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PostPosted: 17:34 - 15 Jun 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote

The bulb in the picture is Halogen design.
So 18 Watts could be equal to 25 watts non Halogen?

The early Honda CG125 bikes were 25 watts non Halogen but only 6 volts (which is worse than 12 volts 25 watts!)
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stinkwheel
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PostPosted: 21:44 - 15 Jun 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote

toolhonda wrote:
The bulb in the picture is Halogen design.
So 18 Watts could be equal to 25 watts non Halogen?

The early Honda CG125 bikes were 25 watts non Halogen but only 6 volts (which is worse than 12 volts 25 watts!)


A watt is a watt. It has nothing to do with the brightness. It is a measure of the current the bulb draws over time. Essentially how much electricity it uses.

A halogen bulb will give a higher light output for a given wattage than a standard, tungsten filament bulb. However an 18W bulb is still an 18W bulb and draws the same amount of power, no matter what the design of it is
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.
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andys675
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PostPosted: 22:37 - 15 Jun 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote

looks like a bosch bulb fitting to me, with the tungsten upgrade
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stirlinggaz
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PostPosted: 23:44 - 15 Jun 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote

stinkwheel wrote:
stirlinggaz wrote:

Hi,
no, its a twin headlight, curved type.
holes for bulbs can take a H4 no problem though, without any modification,just wiring.
& as i happen to have a couple of H4 bulbs lying around,
that was why i was asking about wiring/soldering.
surely 18w headlights arent legal?
cheers,
GAZ


I should mention that doubling the wattage of the bulb you use is liable to overload and melt wiring. Check the wires are meaty enough to do the job before you stick a vastly bigger bulb in. Knowing the Chinese build ethos, they will probably have used the bare minimum spec wire they can get away with.

I should also mention that if your bike has a direct lighting system (if the lights only work with the engine running) then upping the wattage will most likely make the lights dimmer, not brighter

hi,
lights work, even when engines not running.
upon further inspection,
wiring looks very thin,
so i would just rip it out & use some better stuff,
more worried about damaging regulator/coil or anything else serious!
will have a look in halfrauds, to see if the bulb mentioned earlier is the correct fitting, if it is, 35w would be a bit better than 18w, surely?.
cheers,
GAZ
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Polo
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PostPosted: 07:19 - 16 Jun 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another vote for the BA20D bulb.

Did you ever change a bulb in the NSR you had? Looks exactly like that, just less blurry. Thumbs Up
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stirlinggaz
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PostPosted: 07:36 - 16 Jun 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote

Minty wrote:
Another vote for the BA20D bulb.

Did you ever change a bulb in the NSR you had? Looks exactly like that, just less blurry. Thumbs Up

hi,
nope, never had to change a bulb in the NS125,didnt have it that long!
thanks though, will look out for a 35W BA20D & compare,
cheers,
GAZ
edit - just had a look on-line & you guys are right (as usual),
it is a BA20D, just its the halogen type,
thats what confused me,
as its not the normal bulb shape,(shaped like a household light bulb, only smaller, lol)
didnt know they done these bosch bulbs, with the same fitting but halogen type, therefore glass/bulb part is a different shape. (longer & thinner, not the normal light bulb shape)
cheers,
GAZ
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toolhonda
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PostPosted: 10:57 - 16 Jun 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote

I went in to several Motorcycle shops for a BA20D (Bosch) 35w 12v halogen bulb.

Several shops had no BA20D.
Some had a non Halogen BA20D.
And only one had a Halogen BA20D.

Then I found Halfords sell the Halogen and non Halogen BA20D.

My old bulb was a non Halogen and I was desperate for the Halogen upgrade.

The 35w Halogen bulb was a big upgrade in light terms.
But its still pretty useless on high beam.

Whats the size of the headlight?
I bet its undersized, if so putting a full sized headlight on it will improve the light output (even with the same bulb in).
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stinkwheel
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PostPosted: 11:38 - 16 Jun 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote

2x 18W @ 12V = 3A

2x 35W @ 12V = 5.8A

To be honest, most cable should be able to cope with that. You might want to check there are at least 14 strands. If there is a seperate lighting fuse, you might need a more powerful one.

If you are concerned about excessive power draw, replace the stop and tail light and the sidelight with LED bulbs (draw almost nothing). Or maybe even just use one 35W and one 18W.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.
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toolhonda
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PostPosted: 11:41 - 16 Jun 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would be worried about overloading the bikes generator / alternator especially since it’s a Chinese bike.

So I would only go up to a 35w bulb.
Upgrade the wiring of course.

Make sure you have a on / off switch for at least the headlight.
If you have not got one its easy to fit one.
Keep the light off during the day and on at night.

Make sure the light is always off when trying to start the engine.

When the headlight is on and your idling at traffic lights the bike might not generate enough power so the battery will be used a bit.
Hopefully when you get the engine revs up it will manage and may even recharge the battery.
Of course light off = battery will recharge at least when the engine revs are up.
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stirlinggaz
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PostPosted: 12:04 - 16 Jun 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote

stinkwheel wrote:
2x 18W @ 12V = 3A

2x 35W @ 12V = 5.8A

To be honest, most cable should be able to cope with that. You might want to check there are at least 14 strands. If there is a seperate lighting fuse, you might need a more powerful one.

If you are concerned about excessive power draw, replace the stop and tail light and the sidelight with LED bulbs (draw almost nothing). Or maybe even just use one 35W and one 18W.

hi,
wiring is pretty thin,(i mean real thin, like door bell wire!)
would be surprised if it coped with that bit extra!
good idea about leds though,
will look into that, dunno what bulbs are in the back!
no seperate fuse for lights, bike only has a 10amp fuse down at the battery.
cheers,
GAZ
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stirlinggaz
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PostPosted: 12:09 - 16 Jun 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote

toolhonda wrote:
I would be worried about overloading the bikes generator / alternator especially since it’s a Chinese bike.

So I would only go up to a 35w bulb.
Upgrade the wiring of course.

Make sure you have a on / off switch for at least the headlight.
If you have not got one its easy to fit one.
Keep the light off during the day and on at night.

Make sure the light is always off when trying to start the engine.

When the headlight is on and your idling at traffic lights the bike might not generate enough power so the battery will be used a bit.
Hopefully when you get the engine revs up it will manage and may even recharge the battery.
Of course light off = battery will recharge at least when the engine revs are up.

hi,
im able to switch headlights on & off.
but there a little centre light which isnt,
so it comes on when you turn the key,
but its only about 5w!
will replace with led.
so i should be ok upgrading to 35/35w,then?
(as well as replacing the wiring for something a bit more substantial)
cheers,
GAZ
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stinkwheel
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PostPosted: 12:41 - 16 Jun 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think running two 35w bulbs could be chancing your luck a bit.

All depends on the charge rate of the alternator I suppose.

You can get a bit of a clue from the size of the battery. There will be a number in the battery code which is the amp/hour rating. Basically the charging system should be comfortable putting out up to this level of current. Beyond that and you're discharging your battery.

So. If it has an 8Ah battery, you ought to be ok. If it has a 4Ah battery you are going to cause problems.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.
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toolhonda
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PostPosted: 12:41 - 16 Jun 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote

35 watts should be ok if you follow my last post.

Your description of the wiring sounds like 1 amp.
12 volts x 1 amp = 12 watts.
So the wiring is already in trouble at 18 watts.
12 volts x 3 amp = 36 watts.
Never use 1 amp cable with 3 amps going through it!

Only things I can think of that could go wrong is the bikes fuse is not big enough (put a bigger one in if it blows).

The light on and off switch (I wonder how many amps it can handle?).
If it overheats and brakes replace it with a universal handlebar mounted 4 amp switch or larger.

Overloading the bikes generator / alternator should do no harm.
All that will happen is the battery is drained so needs to be recharged.
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toolhonda
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PostPosted: 13:08 - 16 Jun 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote

I forgot about its a twin headlight.

Have a look at what happens when the headlight is switched on.

Now switch it from low to high beam.

When we say 35w bulb, its actually says 35w/35w
Because its actually 2 bulbs in one.
One is for low beam.
One is for high beam.
Only one is on at any one time.
Another example of a bulb is 65w/55w = 65w high beam, 55w low beam.

Some twin headlights only have one headlight on when on low beam.
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stirlinggaz
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PostPosted: 20:14 - 18 Jun 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote

stinkwheel wrote:
I think running two 35w bulbs could be chancing your luck a bit.

All depends on the charge rate of the alternator I suppose.

You can get a bit of a clue from the size of the battery. There will be a number in the battery code which is the amp/hour rating. Basically the charging system should be comfortable putting out up to this level of current. Beyond that and you're discharging your battery.

So. If it has an 8Ah battery, you ought to be ok. If it has a 4Ah battery you are going to cause problems.

hi,
its only a 4amp battery.
both headlights are on at same sime.
both bulbs are twin filament (normal & full beam) 18w/18w
& as battery drains very quickly as it is (& i dont think the battery is at fault, its a yausa, about a year old) i think i might give it a miss.
electrics are bad enough,
just had to replace starter solenoid.
now it wont start due to dodgy carb!
bikes scrap!
cheers,
GAZ
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toolhonda
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PostPosted: 21:02 - 18 Jun 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote

Next time make sure you do not buy a bike made in China.
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