[Mrjo1340]

Can anyone suggest an led headlight bulb that's just plug and play without having to adjust the backing plate? My low beam is out I'm currently only using my high beam. I saw numerous choices on eBay and Amazon however, I want to make sure that I don't have to make any additional adjustments once I remove the old bulb. I have a 2006 1800 C. Any help would be appreciated thanks in advance!

 

[Curt E]

I saw this post. It may help.


https://www.vtxoa.com/forums/6-vtx-1800-tech-board/183929-1800c-headlight-bulb.html?action=thread


I've heard good things about the Silverstars as an OEM replacement vs stock..

 

[TennX]

I dont know anything about a LED but ....The OEM lasted 2 years...since then Ive been running the same Sylvania 9003 silver star with a modulator.(which is supposed to be hard on them) for 11 years ,zero issues....and definitely brighter than stock....good luck

PS..its my understanding the newer bulbs are even better...I may upgrade their reasonably priced

 

[pushrod]

I used Sylvania Silverstar bulbs in my previous bike. To me, it seemed like the Silverstar lit up the road at minimum, twice as good as the stock bulb. On high beam I thought it could have passed for a freight train head light because it reached waaaaay out there. I have not tried one in the VTX yet. It's not LED though.

 

[Chicago-Spike]

Simple LED H4 lamps just don't throw light. Yes, it looks brighter, but it doesn't PROJECT the light forwards and down. LED needs to have a lens to gather and focus the light beam for it to be useful. The OEM headlight reflector just doesn't focus enough to make LED lamps work. I've tried them in both my headlight and driving lights and they sucked.

 

[ecornwell]

I'm a huge fan of LED lights but I agree with Chicago-Spike. I haven't played around with a bunch of them but they look different especially in the rain. Most of my testing has been in my cars but the same ideas apply. Many of the vendors claim they have the solution and that it emits light the same but I haven't found one yet.

For my VTX, I ended up going with the VTXDaymaker with a custom "Daymaker" because I liked the halo. I haven't ridden at night yet but it looks much better in the garage.

The installation wasn't hard but you do need a few tools for the adjustable version. (Drill bit and file.)

 

[prkuehn]

If you are just changing the bulb, I would concur and say stay with a halogen bulb that matches the headlight bucket. If you are up for a change, then VTXDAYMAKER and a LED headlight will impress you.

Between that and the led light bar, I have by far the best lighting I have ever had on the front of my bike.

 

[Mrjo1340]

I ended up getting this at Walmart for $25. Any thoughts? This is going to be my first headlamp installation so I'll check back once I get time this week to install it.

 

[TennX]

I ended up getting this at Walmart for $25. Any thoughts? This is going to be my first headlamp installation so I'll check back once I get time this week to install it.

Eazy Peazy install......Just remember not to handle bulb with bare hands....good luck

 

[Ex-Rocket]

Prkuehn, looks like in your picture of the headlight, the LED headlight is smaller than the housing. Is that the case or am I just looking at it wrong. I know that is probably not the case cause the LED headlight would be bouncing all over the place. Could you please tell us where you bought the LED headlight and any part numbers. Does the LED headlight really light up the road and what if any problems you had when you changed to LED? Thanks

 

[Chicago-Spike]

I ended up getting this at Walmart for $25. Any thoughts? This is going to be my first headlamp installation so I'll check back once I get time this week to install it.

Great lamp, but wash hands really good and don't touch the glass on the lamp. Your grease will fry on the glass causing the lamp to burn out very rapidly

 

[ecornwell]

I ended up getting this at Walmart for $25. Any thoughts? This is going to be my first headlamp installation so I'll check back once I get time this week to install it.

That's what I used in all my car's for the longest time. Follow the recommendations, no touchy!

 

[Hans&Feet]

If you touch the halogen bulb, apply rubbing alcohol to a paper towel and wipe it thoroughly. that's it!

 

[prkuehn]

Prkuehn, looks like in your picture of the headlight, the LED headlight is smaller than the housing. Is that the case or am I just looking at it wrong. I know that is probably not the case cause the LED headlight would be bouncing all over the place. Could you please tell us where you bought the LED headlight and any part numbers. Does the LED headlight really light up the road and what if any problems you had when you changed to LED? Thanks

I got the adjustable bracket from VTXDAYMAKER.COM ($60) and bought a headlight off of EBay ($45). I painted the ring to match the bike so it is dark blue. The Led headlight does a great job since it uses a projector lens to focus the light. I previously had a HID light and then LED H4 before the daymaker. The HID and regular LED produce a lot of light, but without the ability to focus it, it is less usable light than having a halogen bulb. The stock bucket was designed for a halogen bulb. The installation was easy and VTXDAYMAKER will send you step by step instructions. Once it is installed, you need to aim the headlight and enjoy riding at night again because you can see without blinding everyone else on the road.

 

[Mrjo1340]

I'm going to make sure to have 20 chicken wings and two pints of beer before I install it. I hear it's great to install these lamps right after a greasy chicken wing dinner??

 

[prkuehn]

I'm going to make sure to have 20 chicken wings and two pints of beer before I install it. I hear it's great to install these lamps right after a greasy chicken wing dinner??

That is the 2nd best option. The absolute best way to change a halogen headlight is immediately after a full rack of wet sloppy ribs. A little KC style sauce smeared on the bulb will tone down the color and tells the wild critters that you are at the top of the food chain.

 

[HuntVTX2006.]

The VTX Daymaker all the way.

 

[sring115]

Simple LED H4 lamps just don't throw light. Yes, it looks brighter, but it doesn't PROJECT the light forwards and down. LED needs to have a lens to gather and focus the light beam for it to be useful. The OEM headlight reflector just doesn't focus enough to make LED lamps work. I've tried them in both my headlight and driving lights and they sucked.

If you are just changing the bulb, I would concur and say stay with a halogen bulb that matches the headlight bucket. If you are up for a change, then VTXDAYMAKER and a LED headlight will impress you.

Between that and the led light bar, I have by far the best lighting I have ever had on the front of my bike.

Just for the record... YMMV

I, too, have tried an h4 LED bulb in my stock headlight/reflector and found it substantially different (see, I didn't say better, but it sure was) than the stock light.
I, too, have tried (and currently have installed) the exact same VTXDAYMAKER that prkuehn has. Two things to know about my experience - 1. The mounting bracket didn't fit in the bucket without mods/work. 2. The beam from this does not spread out. It's blazing bright head on, but my experience is that it does not spread out or project forward and down like our resident "Pro" suggests. It's just bright head on. Just my experience - YMMV.

 

[[email protected]]

I too have a Daymaker LED lamp and I am happy with it and I didn't have to make any modifications to make it for on my 2006 VTX1800C, but I did find that the instructions should have been given to a neophyte to see if it covered everything as I had to go back and forth by email with the company as I didn't understand all of the instructions. Now I also have a 2002 Honda ST1100 to which I replaced the halogen bulbs with LED ones from eBay cheap, and I can really see the road well at the night, but I wonder if I'm blinding opposing traffic.

 

[smurfy71]

Just for the record... YMMV

I, too, have tried an h4 LED bulb in my stock headlight/reflector and found it substantially different (see, I didn't say better, but it sure was) than the stock light.
I, too, have tried (and currently have installed) the exact same VTXDAYMAKER that prkuehn has. Two things to know about my experience - 1. The mounting bracket didn't fit in the bucket without mods/work. 2. The beam from this does not spread out. It's blazing bright head on, but my experience is that it does not spread out or project forward and down like our resident "Pro" suggests. It's just bright head on. Just my experience - YMMV.

I purchased my VTXDaymaker last winter and had to sand down the supplied adjustable ring quite a bit to make it fit. Others have modified the chrome bezel. Myself and another customer had a few messages back and forth with the maker and he says the issue has been fixed. Either way, I found the ring was pretty beefy and it isn’t at all compromised by my sanding it down.


Sitting on my VTX making vroom vroom sounds.

https://www.vtxoa.com/forums/members/95246-smurfy71-albums-my-vtx1300-picture40314-img-1373.jpg