Member Contributer esacfrank Posted September 9, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted September 9, 2009 Do all Vfr's regardless of year need the headlamp adapter to run standard (non-honda) H-4 bulbs? Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Burns Posted September 9, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted September 9, 2009 yes, pretty sure that's the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer esacfrank Posted September 9, 2009 Author Member Contributer Share Posted September 9, 2009 yes, pretty sure that's the case. I thought so too. i used them on a 98 and told a friend to by them for his 06. he asked if it was needed, i just assumed (bad word) all vfr/st1100/st1300 headlamp assemblies were cut for only honda bulbs thereby needing the adapters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Nope all you have to do is bend one of the tabs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer keithbob Posted September 9, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted September 9, 2009 Nope all you have to do is bend one of the tabs. +1 - No need to buy any adaptors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer JZH Posted September 9, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted September 9, 2009 It depends on how important your headlight beam is to you, really. First of all, only US-spec and J-spec Hondas seem to have been saddled with the pseudo-H4 bulbs, so one solution is to get a European (er, not UK, either) headlamp unit and use regular H4s of whatever flavour you fancy. 99.9% of VFR owners won't do that, of course... Shims do a good job of orienting a normal H4 bulb in a US-spec headlamp housing, but they do so whilst spacing the bulb back by a millimetre or two, which places both filaments in the slightly wrong position relative to the reflector. Some say the DOT reflector is itself a bad design, so moving the filament back a bit may not really be noticeable? Fitting the H4 without the shims is just one of those things people do... I think the consensus is that the headlamp housing on the fifth-gen and up have ridges at the right place such that a (mostly) tab-less H4 will stay more or less in the correct position without the use of a shim. The ST1300 is generally put in this category as well. As usual, I am skeptical... :biggrin: Because what little experimentation I've done suggests that this practice is hit-or-miss, as far as achieving the same relative filament positioning as OEM--though I've only examined a US-spec ST1300 headlamp unit. The following photograph (of a US-spec ST1300 headlamp unit) shows that without the bottom tabs, the H4 bulb can be "rocked" a significant amount left and right, so it is possible to install such a bulb in the housing in an incorrect position and still lock the bulb retainer. This is due to the design of the mounting flange and retainer. Apart from that, without the tabs, the bulb will likely be positioned further in, rather than out (again, by no more than a millimetre or two, but that is a significant amount from a lighting perspective), as it can no longer rest on the bottom tabs, but with the bottom of the remainder of the bulb resting against a part of the mounting flange that is not at the same relative level as the tab "rests". Bob P. used to have a neat illustration of this on his Web site, but I think it's gone--I'm sure I have a copy somewhere; I should upload it someday! [Found it:] (Current home of this illustration is here.) Would anyone notice? Does it matter? Hard to say... But at least now you know! Ciao, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Terminex Posted September 9, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted September 9, 2009 I have a RWB 2007. One of the first changes I made was to upgrade my lights to an HID kit. I got a normal H4 HID kit, and they fit without any shims. I do not have any "play" or "wobble" I also checked the alignment, and they are spot on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tightwad Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Why am I remembering the right bulb (6th gen, 2002) is a 9003, and not an H4? It fit right into mine with not modification needed. *edit* I found this on a google search: "H4 is the designation for a bulb used in motorcycles. 9003 is the designation for an automotive headlight bulb, and thus, subject to regulation under the provisions of FMVSS108. Physically, most are the same. A true H4 has one of the tabs a bit smaller than the other tab (talking about the bottom tabs). A 9003's tabs are the same size. A true H4 will fit in H4 or 9003 housings. A 9003 won't fit in a true H4 housing. Does it matter? Not really. The only thing different now is price. Go to an Autozone, etc., and the H4 may be a dollar more or less than the same brand 9003. Interestingly, a bulb may have both H4 and 9003 on the base. The other designation for this bulb is HB2. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericlw Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 ive changed all four bulbs on my 02 and none of them required any modification or shims? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Knife Posted September 9, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted September 9, 2009 I installed the auto store (PEP Boys) H-4 headlight bulbs in my '98 VFR. Two of the three tabs do not line up, so I bent them back 90 degrees. They then fit perfectly, aligned perfectly, and are totally secure. Cost was about $13.00 vs. $70.00 or so from Honda. A no brainer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer BrittC Posted September 9, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted September 9, 2009 When I had a bulb go out on my bike, I almost freaked when I saw the bulb price from Honda. After searching the forums, I bought a package of GE H-4 bulbs at Wal Mart and cut off the bottom tabs with tin snips. The bulb fit just fine, and still has one tab to line it up correctly. I have one OEM bulb and one GE H-4 bulb in my bike right now, and to be completely honest when looking at my bike head on you cannot see a difference in the light output or pattern. I don't see any reason to spend money on adapters, or on the more expensive Honda bulbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer dude Posted September 9, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted September 9, 2009 When I had a bulb go out on my bike, I almost freaked when I saw the bulb price from Honda. After searching the forums, I bought a package of GE H-4 bulbs at Wal Mart and cut off the bottom tabs with tin snips. The bulb fit just fine, and still has one tab to line it up correctly.I have one OEM bulb and one GE H-4 bulb in my bike right now, and to be completely honest when looking at my bike head on you cannot see a difference in the light output or pattern. I don't see any reason to spend money on adapters, or on the more expensive Honda bulbs. +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 I don't remember exactly how I did it, but I got some H4 or whatever bulbs for my 2002 and they just dropped right in with no tab bending, shims, or anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer gradus Posted September 9, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted September 9, 2009 I don't remember exactly how I did it, but I got some H4 or whatever bulbs for my 2002 and they just dropped right in with no tab bending, shims, or anything. Yep, mine too. I'm a little lost in this thread. :huh: From the diagram, it just causes the light to point lower. But I've adjusted those anyway. The high beams are separate lights, so that part of the explanation doesn't matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer JZH Posted September 9, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted September 9, 2009 I found this on a google search:"H4 is the designation for a bulb used in motorcycles. 9003 is the designation for an automotive headlight bulb, and thus, subject to regulation under the provisions of FMVSS108. Physically, most are the same. A true H4 has one of the tabs a bit smaller than the other tab (talking about the bottom tabs). A 9003's tabs are the same size. A true H4 will fit in H4 or 9003 housings. A 9003 won't fit in a true H4 housing. Does it matter? Not really. The only thing different now is price. Go to an Autozone, etc., and the H4 may be a dollar more or less than the same brand 9003. Interestingly, a bulb may have both H4 and 9003 on the base. The other designation for this bulb is HB2. " (Can't say I've ever heard of H4 bottom tabs being different sizes--they sure don't look it...) In any case, there are (at least) three different H4 bases, designated P43t, PX43t and the infamous PX43t 65-Degree; the "normal" H4 is the first, the Aussies seem to get the second (in 35w/35w configuration) and the US Honda-spec base (usually 45w/45w--but also found in 35w/60w guise in various JDM Hondas, such as the CBR400RR NC29) is the last of these. The 9003 (aka "HB2") is essentially a DOT-spec H4, but this is a normal-style H4 and has nothing to do with the problems US Honda riders have with replacing bulbs.Here's a picture of the various metal flange-based automotive bulb styles (the "43" part comes from the OD of the flange): The P43t and the PX43t are nearly identical--only the width of the top tab and the position of the tiny central bottom tabs differ--but the PX43t 65-Degree is obviously more different, with the bottom tabs also being placed further apart. I don't know of any manufacturer other than Honda uses that base--it could very well be proprietary, in that sense. I have a RWB 2007. One of the first changes I made was to upgrade my lights to an HID kit. I got a normal H4 HID kit, and they fit without any shims. I do not have any "play" or "wobble" I also checked the alignment, and they are spot on.It sounds like the VTECs may not be saddled with the infamous non-standard PX43t 65-Degree H4s? Probably has something to do with having four headlamp reflectors...(As for HID conversion kits in general, I'm afraid I can only :huh:...) [Edited to add more information & a piccie] Ciao, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.