H4 or H7 ??

Status
Not open for further replies.
Saber13

Saber13

VIP MEMBER
Joined
Dec 22, 2010
Messages
230
Country flag
I am working on the last circuit for my 75 MKIII conversion to negative ground and all LED lighting. All circuits are wired in and functional tested except for the Headlamp. My question is what do I currently have? It appears to original, looks like a small candle holder with two wires coming out with bullet connectors.

Is it H4 or H7? Is one better than the other?

Thanks
Chuck
 
Saber13 said:
My question is what do I currently have? It appears to original, looks like a small candle holder with two wires coming out with bullet connectors.
Is it H4 or H7? Is one better than the other?
Click to expand...

Do you mean the headlamp bulb holder?

The standard bulb fitting (for the US) would normally have been 'BPF'.


https://www.classicbritishspares.co...554602-push-turn-pre-focus-triumph-bsa-norton

370 (P36d)
http://www.smmotorco.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1220
 
Last edited:
Yes, that is the bulb socket in my MKIII. When looking for an LED bulb, do I get an H4, H7, or H-What?

The odds of me riding the bike after dark is very very slim. Maybe coming home from a down town custom rod/bike show. Less than 3 miles. But do want a light that works well if needed.

We do not have vehicle inspection in Alabama, so legality is not an issue.

Thanks
Chuck
 
Saber13 said:
Yes, that is the bulb socket in my MKIII. When looking for an LED bulb, do I get an H4, H7, or H-What?

The odds of me riding the bike after dark is very very slim. Maybe coming home from a down town custom rod/bike show. Less than 3 miles. But do want a light that works well if needed.

We do not have vehicle inspection in Alabama, so legality is not an issue.
Click to expand...

To use the original headlamp you need a BPF 370/P36d LED conversion bulb.

http://www.dynamoregulatorconversions.com/led-headlamp-bulbs-shop.php
 
Has anyone compared the brightness of the BPF-LED's compared to a sealed beam H4? I made the switch to the H4 a few years ago but am considering switching to LED and putting back the original reflector/pilot. I've looked at a LED H4 but that would require getting a H4 reflector in addition and dealing wiring around the positive ground to keep the High/Low
 
You are probably wasting your time using the original semi sealed beam head lamp. A match might be brighter.
Get yourself a proper H4 semi sealed light unit. It is far superior to an original, and is designed for H4 bulbs.
 
kerinorton
Sage advice there, I emailed Daniel Stern in the USA a while back about any possible upgrade to my excellent Cibie Z beam H4 fitted with modern Osram or Phillips Xenon bulbs and relays (in the original Lucas 7" chrome shell)
He confirmed it was a pretty good combo as it was and just to upgrade the H4 bulbs as better versions came along.
I ride in the dark alot and every day to work rain or shine, with the headlight always on in daylight.
My current bulbs are the best yet, Osram Nightbreaker Laser (Next Generation) H4 in the Z Beam, but don,t spoil it by wearing your summer tinted visor, may have a near miss with a kerb entering a narrow, badly lit roundabout too quickly one dark rainy morning....
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Agreed, I have the original 130w alternator. I was thinking about getting a H4 reflector as it has the fitting to twist in a H4 bulb and then fitting a positive ground led H4 bulb. Then the low/high beam works with the original wiring. The BPF caught my eye but it has one less light emitting diode on low but I have the original reflector...
 
All the LED H4 bulbs I have bought, have all been uni directional on current flow so work in both +ve and -ve earth vehicles. Not sure why they do that so always worth asking.
 
from website;

A customer complained that neither my bi polarity or dedicated positive earth LED bulbs would work properly on his positive earth Fordson van. Stop lamps were fine but the tail lamps wouldn't work at all. If he fitted the original bulbs, all was well. The vehicle was freshly restored and fitted a dynamo that I had rebuilt and a regulator that I'd converted to 6v positive earth electronic. It had restored lamps and a new wiring harness. Everything worked as it should bar the tail lamps.

On investigation, the tail lamps were wired positive earth but the separate number plate lamp had been connected for negative earth. Simply swapping the 2 wires around on the number plate light cured the problem. LED bulbs can fight against filament bulbs on the same circuit so if you change your stop/tail bulbs you may need to change sidelight bulbs too.

Treat LED bulbs like small children - Whatever you give one you must give exactly the same to the rest or there'll be conflict!

The same goes for flashing indicators, pilot lamps, side lamps, dash lamps etc.

I suggest you read the following;

http://www.dynamoregulatorconversions.com/tips-and-hints-when-fitting-leds.php
 
I use the dynamo regulator BPF LED in the original headlight shell and reflector. It's much brighter than the original bulb. I don't know if it's brighter than the H4 because I never switched to that type. The dynamo reg LED has no fancy heatsink of any kind like some of the other LED brands, but I've never had any trouble with it over the course of a few years. I have a "daylight bulb" in my headlight also, so I could run with the LED off during the day, but the LED draws so little amperage that I use it during the day with only a 10AH battery without any electrical issues.
 
I used to ride a lot at night, because it was cooler and less traffic on the road. It got to the stage though that I couldn't see the road and side of the road when going around sharp corners like we have up here. I fitted a new LED [ TRUCKLITE type } headlamp unit to my 850 after removing the H$ assy, and I could then see 200 meters ahead in a straight line but alas, not enough light going to the sides. I fitted a pair of spots aimed up and to the side to see if that helped. Maybe a bit. The only answer might be a brace of floodlights to lighten up every where and I might be happy. One of the general road rules around here is that you should ride at a speed in which you can stoop in half the visible distance you can see ahead. That makes for slow riding at night on those bends. Bugger. I think my eyes are not like they used to be.

I still have an H4 assembly on my 750, and that light was brighter than the light on a friends later model Guzzi.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top