H1 and H7 for motorcycle

Alright so I've done a decent bit of research on here it it seems the Philips Xtreme Power and Xtreme Vision along with the Osram Night Breaker are all very, very good bulbs for performance. My Ducati takes the H7 for the low beam and the H1 for the high beam; what needs the most help would be the low beam.

One of my concerns is longevity. I suppose I'm willing to sacrifice some longevity to get increased performance, but I really do not want to be replacing bulbs every two months. Of course the low beam serves as the running light, in addition to a line of LEDs that "dress up" the large circular headlight assembly. So I will be using the low beam any time the bike is actually running.

Do you all believe one bulb will give me the best performance and longevity combination over another bulb? Which route would you likely go if it were going into your own bike?

Thanks!






EDIT: After continuing to look for H7 bulbs I ran across the Osram Rally bulb; apparently its somewhat durable and manages a pretty typical lifespan, a fact that seems from my bit of research to be a problem with most bulb upgrades.

Anyway, still awaiting some input!

I used the Osram bulbs in my Goldwing --- had H7 for both high and low. I thought they were a huge improvement.
But that was 7 years ago too. Something better might be around now.

I know this shot is meaningless but it should annoy a couple of my buddies in a friendly way...

Quality matters, so stick to the reputable makers (Osram, Philips, Narva, Flosser, Tungsram, GE), and stick to bulbs that have untinted glass. That narrows down your search field drastically because you ignore the huge amount of off-brand/colored-glass trash. Also avoid the bulbs marketed as motorcycle-specific with color gimmicks ("Bright white light straight ahead! Orange safety glow at close range!", etc.).

The Osram or Fosser hybrid H7 bulb (a 65w H9 burner assembly on an H7 base) will put out the most light of any H7, and its power draw is not enough higher than a 55w bulb to pose hazards. Its life is shorter than a standard H7, but it's at least equal to the life of the top-performing 55w H7s (Philips Xtreme Vision).

Scheinwerfermann said:

Quality matters, so stick to the reputable makers (Osram, Philips, Narva, Flosser, Tungsram, GE), and stick to bulbs that have untinted glass. That narrows down your search field drastically because you ignore the huge amount of off-brand/colored-glass trash. Also avoid the bulbs marketed as motorcycle-specific with color gimmicks ("Bright white light straight ahead! Orange safety glow at close range!", etc.).

The Osram or Fosser hybrid H7 bulb (a 65w H9 burner assembly on an H7 base) will put out the most light of any H7, and its power draw is not enough higher than a 55w bulb to pose hazards. Its life is shorter than a standard H7, but it's at least equal to the life of the top-performing 55w H7s (Philips Xtreme Vision).

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Would the Ralley bulb from Osram be a "hybrid" H7 that you recommend?

The only two versions of the bulb in question that I'm aware of are the Osram and the Flosser.

Scheinwerfermann said:

The only two versions of the bulb in question that I'm aware of are the Osram and the Flosser.

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Thanks, I'll get the Osram Ralley H7 65w; should hopefully make a considerable difference!


Since we're on the subject of motorcycle bulbs (rather bulbs for motorcycles). I also have a Harley NightRod Special; I'm selling it, in about a month to one of my best friends. It uses an H4 bulb; you advised someone with a Kawasaki back in 2008 that the Osram 70/65 would likely be the best bet; would you say the same now, six years later? The light on my HD is far worse than on my Ducati and I'd like to hand the bike over to him with a little better light out front. Doesn't help that apparently the NightRod version of the VRod has the worst headlight; he can swap it later for one of the other models or the HD factory LED headlight if he so desires, but for now I'm more than willing to drop $20 to be sure he's got good light.

I thought the Harley V-Rod family came with a 2-bulb arrangement (maybe H11/H11 or H11/H8?). But if it has H4, I would probably put in a 70/65w bulb.

Scheinwerfermann said:

I thought the Harley V-Rod family came with a 2-bulb arrangement (maybe H11/H11 or H11/H8?). But if it has H4, I would probably put in a 70/65w bulb.

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Apparently just about every other version but the nightrod special (VRSCDX) and Nightrod (VRSCD) comes with an H11/H9. To make it even more confusing, the Nightrod Special underwent a design change in 2012 which brought the H11/H9 configuration to it. I guess this explains why people like to swap the D and DX headlights for A and B headlights.

Its like having a Chevy Malabu with different trim levels having different bulbs. Oh well, I assumed the answer would be the same but I figured in six years maybe something better was out that would change your advise.

DP425 said:

Apparently just about every other version but the nightrod special (VRSCDX) and Nightrod (VRSCD) comes with an H11/H9. To make it even more confusing, the Nightrod Special underwent a design change in 2012 which brought the H11/H9 configuration to it. I guess this explains why people like to swap the D and DX headlights for A and B headlights.

Its like having a Chevy Malabu with different trim levels having different bulbs. Oh well, I assumed the answer would be the same but I figured in six years maybe something better was out that would change your advise.

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Harley rider here. If you are going to upgrade your bulbs, you may think about adding a dedicated wiring circuit from the battery, so you'll bypass the hi-lo beam switch. Eastern Beaver makes a drop in kit, so everything is relay controlled and you'll get max amps to the bulbs. I have done this on several Harleys I have owned. Latest kit is on a 2005 Road Glide, and features a low beam cut off so you can send max amps to the starter, without the headlight draw.

PhillyRube said:

Harley rider here. If you are going to upgrade your bulbs, you may think about adding a dedicated wiring circuit from the battery, so you'll bypass the hi-lo beam switch. Eastern Beaver makes a drop in kit, so everything is relay controlled and you'll get max amps to the bulbs. I have done this on several Harleys I have owned. Latest kit is on a 2005 Road Glide, and features a low beam cut off so you can send max amps to the starter, without the headlight draw.

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Thanks for the info on that! I'll check my voltage drop first and see if it's needed. If so I may just fab one up myself- I've got plenty of wire and a handful of the same relays eastern beaver uses. I'd just need an H4 socket and I'd do a perm conversion.