Sylvania SilverStar H4ST headlight lamp life

[HaulinAshe]

I wrote Sylvania to see what they have to say about it. We'll see...

Bought the suckers Jan-17, installed them about two weeks later when Yami replaced the cracked headlight assembly. Now a mere 5,000 miles and four months later, the high beam goes out on one side. So I went looking for specs on the bulb.

If Sylvania's web stats are in hours (can't find any units labeled on their life specs), then even Sylvania says the high-beam is only good for 50 hours and the low beam for three times that at 150 hours. That's especially bad news for those of us who prefer to give cagers a constant daytime sunburn.

The math makes sense. 5,000 miles at an overall average speed of 65 mph equals about 77 hours. If I run my headlights on high beam roughly 75% of the time then I used roughly 57 hours of high beam before the bulb barfed. I guess the other lamp failure won't be far behind.

What really bothers me about this, is that my OEM headlamps in the 05 had 18,000 miles on them with no sign of failure. This makes we wonder if the slight color temperature difference and slightly increased output of the SilverStar is anywhere near worth the hassle and expense.

Yami OEM lamps are $37 each. Anybody know for certain which bulb mfg/model they use?

 

[r1byker]

What really bothers me about this, is that my OEM headlamps in the 05 had 18,000 miles on them with no sign of failure. This makes we wonder if the slight color temperature difference and slightly increased output of the SilverStar is anywhere near worth the hassle and expense.

Wow, there's not much longevity in those things. After reading here the work involved with changing bulbs, I wouldn't bother. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[bergs]

I was running SilverStars in everything until I found out they completely sucked as far as life span goes.

Not to piss in your Cheerios but Sylvania isn't going to do anything with regards to your letter. Maybe another set of free crappy lamps but that's about it.

I went back to OEM lamps simply because of cost restraints. $220 a year in lights between my vehicles is a bit rich for my blood.

 

[Bungie]

I've had the same experience on my Mean Streak. Three sets of bulbs in one season. I popped in a cheapie 100/110w and called it a day.

 

[Fred W]

I've had the same experience on my Mean Streak. Three sets of bulbs in one season. I popped in a cheapie 100/110w and called it a day.

I'd be careful putting 2 - 110W bulbs in an FJR plastic lens headlamp bucket. That's a lot of heat and may distort the (expensive) plastic.

 

[SouthernCruizer]

I had the same problem with headlights....went to these >> CLICK about a year ago, and no problems. Great lamp for the money.

Jay

'04 FJR 1300

 

[FJRocket]

Rumor has it that if you buy the Silver Stars from a European seller, the euro manufactured bulbs hold up better. Might have to check with Mythbusters on that one, though.

Having said that, back when I had halogen bulbs in my bike, I ALWAYS carried a spare pair. In fact I think I still carry spares, even though my HIDS will probably outlive me. Nice to have spares for friends.

Perhaps if you're concerned about rapidly burning out your bulbs, a daytime headlight modulator might help. Makes you quite noticeable (heck, folks thought I was a cop and moved over for me!), and also supposedly keeps the bulb temp down and extends the life. Really can't say from personal experience, though. Soon as I had my molulator on my bike for a month or so, I changed to HIDs.

If you're paying $20 each for a bulb, doesn't take too many pairs to pay for a set of HIDs, which give more/better light and probably outlast the bike. I'm just sayin'.....

 

[Geezer]

Rumor has it that if you buy the Silver Stars from a European seller, the euro manufactured bulbs hold up better. Might have to check with Mythbusters on that one, though.

I bought two sets of OSRAMs from a European supplier. I believe these are the European version of the Silver Stars. I put one set in my FJR and one in my daughter's SV. None of them lasted very long.

 

[HaulinAshe]

Thanks for the replies. I've definitely found concensus on the Philips +50 as one of the top three rated bulbs, all three with very similar life, brightness and quality. I assume because they are not DOT compliant is why they are so hard to find in regular retail locations.

Anybody found any life specs on the Philips? I have not been able to locate anything.

 

[Grumpy]

I've posted this before, but I'll try again. The lamp manufacturers produce a lot more light by running the filaments over voltage. If you look at the lamp package I'll bet that it says something like 12.8 volts......give or take a little. The voltage that the FJR system runs at going down the road is near 14 volts ergo the lamps are being run over voltage. This used to be common practice in sports lighting back when it was filament. As a data point, 10% over voltage produces 30% more light at a cost of only 1/3 the standard life. The whole thing follows the 1st law of thermodynamics, i.e. you can't get something for nothing......actually it also follows the 2nd law which is........you can't get that much!

jim

 

[Big-D]

I bought a set of PIAA 15224 H4 Style Xtreme White 12V 60/55=110/100-Watt Bulb - Twin Pack for my scooter a year ago and they both work great still. No damage to the plastic lenses and I run with the Brights on all of the time. They cost $54 from Amazon.com.

Right after I bought my ’08 FJR I put in a set of Sylvania Silverstar Ultra 9003 (HB2) H4 Gold-Tip. As of right now, they work fine. I went with these because after reading all of the reviews I could find, they rated the highest, especially for longevity. Cost about $40 for the set from AutoZone. Again, I always run with the “Brights” on.

Installing the new bulbs going by the owner’s manual seemed like a pain in the ass. But if I were to do it again, I think it could be done in as little as 15 minutes. After doing it once, it’s not that difficult or time consuming.

When installing any new bulb, don’t touch it with your fingers. If you accidentally do, you must clean it off with a cotton ball dipped in alcohol to get the oil from your fingers off. Otherwise it will burn out really quick.