Headlight bulbs

[groundhog]

Just for information. I had a headlight bulb blow the other day, and before I got round to replacing the bulb the other one blew a day later. I suspected (this being my first bike with twin headlights) that if one goes, maybe it overloads the other. I checked with the dealer and the mechanic confirmed this. So if you have one bulb blow get a replacement fitted asap ! I now carry a spare.

 

[OldRider]

Please have the mechanic explain how this is. The bulb draws from the electrical system. When one bulb blows, the other bulb doesn't get the volts/amps the first bulb gave up.

 

[SilverBullet]

Please have the mechanic explain how this is. The bulb draws from the electrical system. When one bulb blows, the other bulb doesn't get the volts/amps the first bulb gave up.

^
exactly
Dealers can be notorious for spinning tales same as you can read on the internet.

Early on I replaced both my bulbs with Bosch Off Road 65W. 6 months later one burnt out so I put my stock bulb back in. Next ride, one week later the other one burnt out so fitted my other stock bulb again (good thing I saved them). Bulbs can have predictable life I guess. Stock bulbs still burning 1 year later.

_

 

[taskmaster86]

My S10 is barely a year old and I have been through 1 and a half pairs of bulbs. I bought the led headlight kit from cylcops adv lighting and will never have to even think about them for the life of the bike. That alone is worth it to me, nevermind the fact that they are much brighter, whiter and a better pattern than standard bulbs.... Highly recommended.

 

[Brick]

I replaced the battery in my2012 and my 2014ES in two years each... not a problem.

/////////////1

 

[trikepilot]

Just for information. I had a headlight bulb blow the other day, and before I got round to replacing the bulb the other one blew a day later. I suspected (this being my first bike with twin headlights) that if one goes, maybe it overloads the other. I checked with the dealer and the mechanic confirmed this. So if you have one bulb blow get a replacement fitted asap ! I now carry a spare.

Total bullshit. Recently ran for a good while with one headlight bulb without issue. Does he fix it with fairy dust?

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[Jeff Milleman]

Don't know about a life warranty !! but the Cyclops Led bulbs are much better ! no problems so far !! They are worth the $$.!!

 

[groundhog]

Okay okay I've got the message !! It seemed to make sense to me but I'm no electrical genius. Will you experts then explain why I go a year and a half with no bulbs going, then one goes, followed by the other the very next day ! More than a slight coincidence don't you think ! Logic tells me there has to be some connection between the two.
And no need for the sarcasm I was just trying to be helpful !

 

[Dogdaze]

While I agree with what has been mentioned, there is an element of more 'juice' going to the working bulb. I noticed this years ago when I was changing out bulbs in a car while they were on, when one bulb was disconnected the other burned brighter, did the same for the other side. Enough power to burn the bulb? I cannot comment as we never got to that stage.

 

[taskmaster86]

Don't know about a life warranty !! but the Cyclops Led bulbs are much better ! no problems so far !! They are worth the $$.!!

Crap, you are right. Actual warranty period is 1 year, "tech support" is lifetime......

 

[Squibb]

Seems strange for two to blow in quick succession. I had to smile at the tech guys BS though - another happy customer.

I wonder if the OP is seeing the headlights flare brighter as the revs pick up off the tick-over. If the battery is in poor condition &/or the reg/rec is failing, lights will sometimes flare bright, until the voltage stabilises. Not something that I have experienced with the S10, but not uncommon with some older Hondas for instance. Apart from the flare, the bulbs usually have a blackened appearance when blown.

Just a thought. If anything like this is being experienced, just get a good sparks, with a multi-meter to check out the system. Shouldn't take more than a few minutes. Make sure the battery terminals are clean & tightened correctly too - a few of us have found the neg connection slightly loose, which can produce some strange symptoms.

Ride Safe ......................... KEN

 

[WJBertrand]

Okay okay I've got the message !! It seemed to make sense to me but I'm no electrical genius. Will you experts then explain why I go a year and a half with no bulbs going, then one goes, followed by the other the very next day ! More than a slight coincidence don't you think ! Logic tells me there has to be some connection between the two.
And no need for the sarcasm I was just trying to be helpful !

This has been my experience with bulbs on all sorts of bikes and cars. The explanation is simply that both bulbs were the same age and reached their expected maximum hours lifetime at the roughly same time. It's not more complicated than that.

I had an old Toyota Truck with sealed beam headlights. Every 60K or so one would blow out. I had that truck for 18 years and 280,000+ miles. There was a lot of disassembly of the front grill, signal lights and bezels to replace the lights. I was pretty annoyed after replacing one of them to find the other one burnt out seemingly a few days later. After the second time that happened, I just changed them together.

 

[HeliMark]

Correct me if I am wrong, but the bulbs will take whatever they can get within the limits of what they were designed for, and an adequate supply of juice. As long as you are under the amp limit of the fuse, this bike will provide whatever the bulb(s) want. So my reasoning is, after a loss of a bulb the other (it should be close if put in the same time) may go soon as it may initially get that .0000* more due to the other being out when initially turned on, which may be enough to push it over the edge. Also I would think the vibrations or rough road would affect them simultaneously, giving them similar life.

The one bulb out and now the other being brighter would be to me, either perception, or the electrical system is not providing what is really needed with both on.

Mark

 

[OldRider]

Oh boy !!!!! ::010::

 

[groundhog]

You should watch your head mate, could get a nasty bruise doing that

 

[Gigitt]

Halogen bulbs use a coiled filament that glows to produce light.
Your 55W H7 bulbs have a fixed resistance when new - and that is the filament resistance. it does not change and brightness does not change. It will always draw 55 W of power at 13.8VDV.

The Halogen filament bounces around and vibrates with every bump.
Over time the filament will weaken due to heat cycles, if the filament compresses like a spring from vibration etc and coils touch then you have shorted the coil and the filament will weld together and now the resistance will be less and the bulb will be brighter - filament will burn hotter and shortly melt and you blow a bulb. This is why you see brighter light output and shorlty after the bulb blows.

Why a twin headlight like the S10 blow 2 bulbs close together - because both bulbs have endures the same conditions - both always on and vibrating.

other cars/bike with dual headlights (separate low and high beams) will not blow both bulbs together as you use the high beams bulb less so it lasts longer.

as a general rule, I replace both similar bulbs together for this reason, if one low beams blows I replace both. same with high. I keep the old good globe as an emergency spare.

 

[decooney]

Does anyone make a extra-heavy-duty longer lasting H7 Halogen bulb at a higher price, or do they all last about the same time... I'd like to try some good H7s (if anyone makes them) before I swtich to a Cyclops LED. If an H7 lasted 20k miles, fine by me.

On average, how many mixed on/off road miles are people truly getting out of higher quality set of H7 bulbs - 10k, 15k, 20k, 30k miles ? ???

 

[Juan]

This has been my experience with bulbs on all sorts of bikes and cars. The explanation is simply that both bulbs were the same age and reached their expected maximum hours lifetime at the roughly same time. It's not more complicated than that.

I had an old Toyota Truck with sealed beam headlights. Every 60K or so one would blow out. I had that truck for 18 years and 280,000+ miles. There was a lot of disassembly of the front grill, signal lights and bezels to replace the lights. I was pretty annoyed after replacing one of them to find the other one burnt out seemingly a few days later. After the second time that happened, I just changed them together.

::026:: on this. In fact I just had a bulb burn out last weekend. I bought two because I'm sure the other one will die out soon.

 

[Cycledude]

Light bulbs are rated for a certain number of hours so if both bulbs have about the same number of hours it's pretty common for them to burnout near the same time.
Yes the Tenere does seem to go thru stock headlight bulbs faster than any other bike I ever owned but I suspect that might be caused by Yamaha's mounting system and the fact that Tenere's probably get used on rougher roads.
About a month ago I switched to the Cyclops LED headlight kit and couldn't be much happier with the greatly improved headlights, the stock H7 Yamaha setup was to dangerous for my night riding, supposedly the LED kit should last me about 1,500,000 miles, my Tenere might be worn out by then. I HIGHLY RECOMEND THE CYCLOPS LED HEADLIGHT KIT FOR THE TENERE IF YOU PLAN TO RIDE AT NIGHT.

 

[fac191]

I am looking for spare headlight bulbs at halfords but am confused as they list dipped and full beam, are there 2 bulbs ?