Best headlight

Sweet-Pete · Post by **Sweet-Pete** » Sat May 28, 2011 10:50 am

So i have done a few hours of night riding since buying my 125 3 weeks ago, and have noticed that the stock headlight leaves a bit to be desired. My problem is that the light on low beam is a little too dim, and on high beam its not very well focused. I have played with the lights adjustment a bit and can't seem to find a good medium. Is there anything some of you could recommend as a replacement? Maybe something that gives off brighter, more even lighting on the low setting?

Dean F · Post by **Dean F** » Sat May 28, 2011 2:43 pm

The PIAA HS1 is better than stock and is the same watts as stock which is good for the battery. However, IMHO I wonder whether it is worth $25-$30 dollars. I do alot of Chicago Metro driving where the streets are pretty well lit. Perhaps out in the countryside I would feel it was of more value.

GrittyTacoman · Post by **GrittyTacoman** » Sat May 28, 2011 9:17 pm

I have the HS1 too. Been happy with it and feel like it's worth the extra expense. Have had it a couple years so far. Being a little brighter and having a light with a little bit of a purplish tint, I feel like it makes the scoot a little more visible also.

BuddyLicious · Post by **BuddyLicious** » Sat May 28, 2011 9:24 pm

GrittyTacoman wrote:I have the HS1 too. Been happy with it and feel like it's worth the extra expense. Have had it a couple years so far. Being a little brighter and having a light with a little bit of a purplish tint, I feel like it makes the scoot a little more visible also.

And to add to GT's post,the HS1 also allows you to see farther and with more clarity down the road.Who knows it may even keep you out of trouble with such things as animals darting out in front of you,among other things.

BootScootin'FireFighter · Sun May 29, 2011 11:19 am

who did ya'll order the PIAA HS1 from? I'm looking to save some on them if possible, want to order the right one, and need to get 2 of em.

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Sun May 29, 2011 12:45 pm

Switching to the PIAA HS! Super Plasma GT-X is IMO the best mod you can make on a Buddy. The difference compared to the stock bulb is like.... wait for it.... night and day. (Thank you very much, I'll be here all week.)

http://www.piaa.com/Powersports/bulbs.html

CWO4GUNNER · Post by **CWO4GUNNER** » Sun May 29, 2011 1:27 pm

Iv listened to allot of different threads on lighting on different forums for my different bikes, no one ever seems to be satisfied with the lighting especially off-road night riding. Personally as much as I love riding all kinds of bikes I never got any enjoyment riding at night trying to see and be seen, so I instead I defer all that night riding risk for daytime visibility enjoyment when I can really see the world and the world can see me. For me if life's a journey then the light is where I want to be on a scooter.

babblefish · Post by **babblefish** » Sun May 29, 2011 6:07 pm

For the ultimate in night riding, some have converted to HID. Kits are pretty inexpensive on eBay so I'll probably go that route myself.

BuddyLicious · Post by **BuddyLicious** » Sun May 29, 2011 11:20 pm

CWO4GUNNER wrote:Iv listened to allot of different threads on lighting on different forums for my different bikes, no one ever seems to be satisfied with the lighting especially off-road night riding. Personally as much as I love riding all kinds of bikes I never got any enjoyment riding at night trying to see and be seen, so I instead I defer all that night riding risk for daytime visibility enjoyment when I can really see the world and the world can see me. For me if life's a journey then the light is where I want to be on a scooter.

It's not always a choice when your work hours are at night or your scoot is your only transportation and you have to be somewhere.These reasons and more are why we are interested in better lighting.

To each his own,most important is taking the appropriate actions.

GrittyTacoman · Post by **GrittyTacoman** » Mon May 30, 2011 4:29 am

BootScootin'FireFighter wrote:who did ya'll order the PIAA HS1 from? I'm looking to save some on them if possible, want to order the right one, and need to get 2 of em.

I special ordered mine from a dealer. I'm having the vague recollection that at the time, a couple years ago, the PIAA site was not accepting direct orders. Don't quote me on it.

Sweet-Pete · Post by **Sweet-Pete** » Tue May 31, 2011 5:09 am

I will definitely check out the PIAA HS1. Whats the deal with HID though, any advantage to running those?

PeteH · Post by **PeteH** » Tue May 31, 2011 3:42 pm

A true HID system (xenon + ballast + ignitor) will likely consume more amps than a Buddy can reasonably provide. But correct me if I'm wrong. A proper purpose-built HID system also has tilt sensors which keep the bulb and mirror aimed at the proper angle so as not to zorch oncoming drivers. These upgrade kits do not.

Just to add to the confusion, if you use Nextag or TheFind to search for the PIAA HS1, you'll see HID conversion kits mixed in with the results.

babblefish · Post by **babblefish** » Tue May 31, 2011 6:51 pm

PeteH wrote:A true HID system (xenon + ballast + ignitor) will likely consume more amps than a Buddy can reasonably provide. But correct me if I'm wrong. A proper purpose-built HID system also has tilt sensors which keep the bulb and mirror aimed at the proper angle so as not to zorch oncoming drivers. These upgrade kits do not.

Just to add to the confusion, if you use Nextag or TheFind to search for the PIAA HS1, you'll see HID conversion kits mixed in with the results.

Not so. A regular Halogen bulb consumes 35 - 50 watts (depending on type) on low-beam while an HID uses 35 watts after initial ignition (which only takes a few seconds). The HIDs I installed in my car actually run cooler than the original Halogen bulbs. And most cars with HID from the factory do not have tilt sensors - only some high-end SUVs and trucks.

After using HID, I would not want to go back to anything less. It is like going from hotdogs to ribeye steak.

PeteH · Post by **PeteH** » Tue May 31, 2011 7:08 pm

OK, my eeety bitty MINI Cooper has auto-levelers. And the bulb chambers are ventilated. But that's just me.

I haven't put an ammeter on the Cooper to confirm/deny power usage, but they're fused pretty high, if I recall correctly.

babblefish · Post by **babblefish** » Tue May 31, 2011 7:18 pm

PeteH wrote:OK, my eeety bitty MINI Cooper has auto-levelers. And the bulb chambers are ventilated. But that's just me.

I haven't put an ammeter on the Cooper to confirm/deny power usage, but they're fused pretty high, if I recall correctly.

Not familiar with the BMW Mini, but could it be that the auto-leveler is for high-beam only? I've only got HID on the low-beams and have not noticed any significant beam tilt while driving and have never been high-beamed by oncoming drivers. BTW: after installation of the HIDs, I've never found a need for the high-beams.

PeteH · Post by **PeteH** » Tue May 31, 2011 7:47 pm

Nope - the '03 MINI's HIDs are low-beam only, and the levelers are only for the HIDs. They activate quite frequently, depending on the slope of travel.

Some quick searches of the MINI forums didn't yield much in the way of amperage of the ignition process vs. the ongoing run. If the high fusing is more for the ignition process, then yeah, the Buddy's anemic electrical system _might_ survive.

I'd love it if some folks who have actually installed HID in a Buddy would chime in about installation, heat, and fusing.

Sweet-Pete · Post by **Sweet-Pete** » Tue May 31, 2011 9:40 pm

Yea it would be great to hear from some more HID users. I don't want to blind oncoming drivers as I have been blinded before, but HID sounds like it has its merits. Also the halogen HS1 is such an easy drop in, what does the HID conversion entail?

smithrw · Post by **smithrw** » Tue May 31, 2011 9:53 pm

Is the Hs1 a direct replacement of the stock halogen?

Sweet-Pete · Post by **Sweet-Pete** » Tue May 31, 2011 9:57 pm

No, the PIAA HS1 is a replacement thats a little brighter than stock.

smithrw · Post by **smithrw** » Tue May 31, 2011 10:04 pm

I'm sorry, what I meant to ask is does it use the same socket. Is it plug and play?

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Tue May 31, 2011 10:06 pm

The HS1 is a simple bulb swap that gives you 2x the brightness with zero additional power draw.

smithrw · Post by **smithrw** » Tue May 31, 2011 11:01 pm

Thanks! I appreciate the information

thehypercube · Post by **thehypercube** » Tue May 31, 2011 11:12 pm

just got the HS1 from Amazon a few weeks ago and installed on my own thanks to a great tutorial here. Prime shipping had me riding at night in no time at all.

smithrw · Post by **smithrw** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 12:50 am

Are you happy with the increased brightness?

viney266 · Post by **viney266** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 1:01 am

when working at a motorcycle shop in the 90's I tried ALL the available lightbulbs out there...It was fun...It was with the bosses blessing.

We bought one of each manufactorer we could find, and every 2 or 3 days we changed them out cleaning the lens to spotless each time. My self and one other tech were doing the "test"...We sold all the "used" bulbs at cost to move them, and BOTH OF US AGREED. The Piaa, though the most expensive was THE BEST...Seems that holds true today, and NO, I don't work for Piaa. LOL

As far as HIDS? they are amazing lights, but IMO the HID in a refector pan designed for a halogen does NOT work very well. Intense bright spots mixxed with shadowy areas...AND the lights are not focused properly and tend to annoy car drivers. Same goes for cars, If its a HID designed from the ground up it is AWESOME, but an HID in a halogen reflector always leaves something to be desired IMO.

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 7:38 am

Yes the PIAA's are a bit pricy but my 1st bulb lasted me 3 years (including surviving two spills) before the highbeam burned out. Low beam was still going strong for two months after that before I finally got around to changing it. So not too bad costwise in the long run. To maximize bulb life take care not to touch the bulb's glass when installing. I recommend using bulb grease too.

Demo_Nic · Post by **Demo_Nic** » Sat Jun 16, 2012 11:38 pm

Does anyone happen to have the original halogen bulb or a picture of it? I bought my Pamplona used and the original owner (not the person I bought it from) did quite a few upgrades and I'm trying to see if he upgraded the bulb too. I bought a SilverStar HB2 and it looks identical to the bulb in the headset without actually taking it out to inspect it.

smarkum · Post by **smarkum** » Sun Jun 17, 2012 1:29 pm

I did the HID conversion on my Stella, The differnece was amazing. I then was shocked to turn on my Buddy and see the little candle flicker coming from the headlight. I talked with my local dealer a few weeks ago and he said that they will install an HID system for either $125 or $150 I cannot remember. He said the only draw-back is that I will loose Hi beam function (which won't matter at that point!). He said there are no ill effects on the battery. As fall is approaching and the days will be getting shorter, I'm thinking that I need to do something . . . I was thinking this HID seemed like a great deal. I thought they told me that the HID system was for the Buddy - and maybe that one model (the psycho or blackjack) had the HID stock? I may have made that part up though . . . cannot remember. I've searched around on this particular issues, but I've not found comments about a specific Buddy dealer installed kit. Thoughts?

2wheelNsanity · Post by **2wheelNsanity** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 2:36 am

I replaced my stock bulb with the PIAA HS1 and I liked the results. It is about 50% better but it still doesn't light up the road like my cage so I was looking into a HID sysytem mentioned in this forum and found this from Parts For Scooters: http://www.partsforscooters.com/138-__H ... Light__Kit
Is this the HID that babblefish was talking about?
If so is the instalation straight forward?

smarkum · Post by **smarkum** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 11:13 am

Hey 2Wheel: if you get that HID system let me know how the install goes. I think an HID system is a much for this scoot.
Where in KS do you live? maybe we could do the install together. I'm in the KC area . . . I know Kansas is a big state and you could be hours away, but thought I'd check. . . you never know!

2wheelNsanity · Post by **2wheelNsanity** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 12:53 pm

I'm about 2 1/2 hrs from kc by car about 3 1/2 by scoot. As for the HID upgrade it is low on my list: tranny upgrade, windshield, brake upgrade, bohn-armor-pants, and heated glove liners. When I get around to the HID kit I'll let you know.