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Juniorkirk
Posted on Sunday, December 14, 2008 - 09:36 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I've done some searching on here for info on how good these bulbs work on our bikes and it seems like something i'll try. One think i couldn't find out though is about how long the life of the bulbs are. I read that it's shorter than the stock bulb life, but i'm just wondering about how much. I had just over 14k miles on my bike when my low beam decided to go out on me. If the Silverstar will get about 10k miles i'll be more than happy to get them.
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Ft_bstrd
Posted on Sunday, December 14, 2008 - 09:38 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

They will also deteriorate the coating on your reflectors.
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Juniorkirk
Posted on Sunday, December 14, 2008 - 09:41 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

how badly will it affect it, and i still haven't done the recall so if it gets too bad will i still be able to get the recall?
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Buelltroll
Posted on Sunday, December 14, 2008 - 10:15 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Get them.
They are all I've ran for years
The light is so much whiter and brighter you'll kick your self in the ass for not doing it sooner.
The cheap reflector material will turn to crap no matter what you run including stock.
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Juniorkirk
Posted on Sunday, December 14, 2008 - 10:19 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Buelltroll, how long do the bulbs themselves last?
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Buelltroll
Posted on Sunday, December 14, 2008 - 10:24 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I dunno
MAYBE a little less
Doesn't seem noticible if it is
Definetly get 10k out of a set


(Message edited by buelltroll on December 14, 2008)
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Scyzoryk
Posted on Sunday, December 14, 2008 - 10:24 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I just got the SilverStar ULTRA (with supposed to be better for night vision).
I LOVE them.
Paid $20 on ebay ( they run for$49.99 in Autozone)
S.
ps. Why you want to get H3 not H7? any benefits?

(Message edited by scyzoryk on December 14, 2008)
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Ratbuell
Posted on Monday, December 15, 2008 - 12:34 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

H3 and H7 have a different filament position, putting the light source a different distance from the reflector, changing the focus of your beam. I also don't think they interchange - H3 has a single wire, H7 has a built-in plug on the base; they're different sizes; they have different bases. I dunno what's stock on a 12R (got a 12X myself, haven't burned anything out yet)....but you'd have to keep the same bulb style as stock no matter what, or do some serious modifications to the housings and the harness.

That said, I run Silverstars in all my cars and trucks, and LOVE them. No noticable lifespan difference either. Soon as something burns out on the Uly, they'll get upgraded as well.
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Juniorkirk
Posted on Monday, December 15, 2008 - 12:35 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I'm gonna go with the H3 cause it is at wal-mart, and its sounds like it will do the most improvement in light without doing that much damage to the reflective material
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Buelltroll
Posted on Monday, December 15, 2008 - 01:36 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

R models use H3 bulbs
S models use H7 bulbs
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Cringblast
Posted on Monday, December 15, 2008 - 08:29 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Been using the Silverstars for 2 yrs now.
Only last about 3k miles then burnout.
Like them much better.
C.
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Mmcn49
Posted on Monday, December 15, 2008 - 10:50 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Years ago I updated my 72 Beemer to a halogen bulb, a huge improvement over the filament bulb.

Last fall I put a SilverStar ULTRA bulb in and love it. It is exponentially better than the halogen. They are the only way to go.

Will be putting them in the Buell before the stock bulb burns out.
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Ratbuell
Posted on Monday, December 15, 2008 - 10:44 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Years ago I updated my 72 Beemer to a halogen bulb, a huge improvement over the filament bulb.

Um...all bulbs except HID have filaments. High Intensity Discharge is a little tiny Frankenstein lightning bolt in between two contacts, inside the bulb. Everything else has filaments, the only differences are either the types of gas used in the capsule, or the coloring of the capsule, to alter the light output color.

Your '72 probably had a sealed beam headlight - replace the whole thing when it wore out, instead of keeping the lens/reflector and just replacing a bulb in the back.
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K3xb
Posted on Monday, December 15, 2008 - 11:38 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Last year just before Christmas, I replaced the headlights in my car with Silverstars. In just the last two weeks, first one and then the other burned out. They went so close together I hadn't even had a nice day to change the first one. Good thing the car had driving lights or I'd have had high beams only. I put in new bulbs tonight. Nice thing though, I'm friends with the guy at AutoZone. He gave me a new set of Silverstars and warrantied the old set. Said he'd tell them the bulbs only lasted a week. See? It pays to help other bikers when they break down. You never know who your new friend might turn out to be.

(Message edited by k3xb on December 15, 2008)
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Mmcn49
Posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 - 02:21 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Your '72 probably had a sealed beam headlight - replace the whole thing when it wore out, instead of keeping the lens/reflector and just replacing a bulb in the back.

No, the 72 Beemer did not have a sealed beam head light. It had a reflector with an incandescent bulb. A chrome ring held the glass lens in place on the headlight housing with steel clips.

Sometime in the 70's Beemer came up with an up-grade kit that included a new lens, reflector and halogen bulb.

Ratbuell you're correct, halogen bulbs are incandescent bulbs with filaments. The difference between them and older incandescent bulbs, is that their filaments
are in halogen gas, not a vacuum.

}
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Froggy
Posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 - 07:51 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I have been using Silverstar, Silverstar Ultra, and PIAA bulbs.

On my car I switched to Silverstars, they would last about 6 months and then burn out, but worked great. I switched to the Ultras over 2 years ago, they haven't burnt out yet, and I have driven about 70k miles.

On my Uly I put in Silverstars, they worked great, ended up wrecking a month later so no long term data.

I bought my SS last winter with PIAA bulbs preinstalled. I got 15k miles on them plus whatever was on from the previous owner (guessing about 5k). I lost the low beam at Buelltoberfest and replaced it with HID.

In my book, its Silverstar Ultra or HID, everything else can suck it.
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Juniorkirk
Posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 - 09:18 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

ok, just put the Silverstars in my bike last night and O-M-G!!! HUGE DIFFERENCE. I LOVE THEM. if anyone out there has a 9R/12R....GET THEM. They are %100 percent worth the extra money. My lowbeam now looks like my old highbeam, and my highbeam now is OUTRAGIOUSLY bright.

my .02
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