Headlight Bulb Upgrade... or not

spr0k3t · Post by **spr0k3t** » Tue Jul 03, 2012 2:52 am

So I've been modding quite a bit on my RH50 and decided to bite the bullet and buy into the PIAA HS1 bulb. Many people have said this bulb is a big upgrade and highly recommended.

The stock bulb has a kelvin rating of 3200K, which is not exactly sunlight bright, but a yellow color. Myself personally, I like the 5200 to 5800K crystal blue coloration. It provides a better visibility on the road. So I went ahead and purchased one of the PIAA bulbs. I'm not really all that impressed. The packaging details 3800 to 5000K which is slightly better than stock. The end results however can't really be described without a picture. Take a look and you will find on the left is the stock bulb where the right is the PIAA GT-X "Super Plasma". The camera was set to fully manual and the scoot was left to idle for at least five minutes before taking a snapshot of each.

Thoughts?

k1dude · Post by **k1dude** » Tue Jul 03, 2012 4:18 am

Not much of a difference in those photos. How about on the road? That's where it counts. Could you see better and further? Was the color less yellow?

spr0k3t · Post by **spr0k3t** » Tue Jul 03, 2012 5:22 am

I will know better when I get my seat back from the upholsters (bit of a hush project for now, I'll reveal later). For now, it's internal tuning only. The light from revved appears brighter. I'll know more tomorrow when I get my seat back.

michelle_7728 · Post by **michelle_7728** » Tue Jul 03, 2012 7:07 am

I didn't do a before and after picture when I put mine in, but I remember thinking the stock was pretty pitiful and I really like how bright the replacement is.

Even during the day, when my husband and I are sitting at a light behind a vehicle (like a van with a chrome bumper) my headlight is a lot brighter than his stock headlight.

Lostmycage · Post by **Lostmycage** » Tue Jul 03, 2012 2:45 pm

When the scooter is idling, it doesn't produce enough power to fully light the headlights. Try applying a little throttle to see if the brightness increases. You'll likely notice a difference while riding.

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Tue Jul 03, 2012 6:51 pm

^^^ This. Your headlight brightness at idle is an indicator of nothing. The PIAA bulb in addition to being twice as bright as the Buddy stock bulb also spreads its light better than the stock bulb illuminating more of the road as well as the sides of the road. Of course any headlight is only as good as its aim, so make sure your headlight is aimed correctly. Most are not, unless you have done it yourself, as the riders weight will affect where you aim the bulb.

2wheelNsanity · Post by **2wheelNsanity** » Tue Jul 03, 2012 9:24 pm

I replaced my stock bulb with the PIAA and I noticed a difference, although not huge, the brights were a bit better. An unexpected bonus was when my wife said "I can sure see you coming down the street now". So even though the improvement wasn't earth shattering it does improve your visibility for other drivers to see you, a plus in my book.
I was thinking of doing an HID system ( http://www.partsforscooters.com/138-__H ... Light__Kit ) but I don't ride at night that much anymore, maybe when the days grow shorter in late fall and the deer are running crazy I'll look back into it.

spr0k3t · Post by **spr0k3t** » Wed Jul 04, 2012 6:03 am

Got my seat back and was finally able to take the scoot out for a nighttime run. Yeah, there's a good amount of difference in brightness. The output is closer to the advertised color rating, slightly higher than 4250K giving it a crisp white with a hint of blue. The brights were much brighter as well. My first impression wasn't that great... but now that I've seen it on the road first hand, it's a must upgrade item.

pinthea · Post by **pinthea** » Wed Jul 04, 2012 1:18 pm

+1 on the PIAA bulb replacement.... Did it yesterday on my Buddy 170i and I did notice a difference, a pretty good one at that, last night. The process was fairly straightforward, but was made much easier thanks to the helpful instructions found on this forum, complete with photos...

nissanman · Post by **nissanman** » Thu Jul 05, 2012 2:26 am

And the PIAA won't kill your battery like a HID ballast

DrPlasma · Post by **DrPlasma** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 2:12 am

I have piaa, it's enough better to be worth the cost and I like having the stock bulb as a spare.

Grant H · Post by **Grant H** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 5:26 am

Can any of you guys post a link for this PIAA bulb? Im new and looking for an upgrade also.

spr0k3t · Post by **spr0k3t** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 6:01 am

Here ya go... the exact one I ordered.

http://www.amazon.com/PIAA-70473-Super- ... B001AHZBZ6

pinthea · Post by **pinthea** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 4:43 pm

Be sure to use this excellent step by step guide (along with pictures) of how to do this on a Buddy.

The instructions show a 125, but they were exactly the same on my 170i, and I suspect would be the same on even the 50.

viewtopic.php?t=4494&highlight=replace+headlight

Grant H · Post by **Grant H** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 8:50 pm

Hey, thanks guys.

Sproket- thanks for the link. Any reason for going with the super plasma bulb vs the extreme white one (I see comments on Amazon pointing to this extreme one)?

Also, does anyone know if I will lose my ability to dim/high beam the headlight with this PIAA bulb?

spr0k3t · Post by **spr0k3t** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 9:48 pm

It's a dual mode 35W bulb... meaning there are two completely separate focus points for 35W whether it's low or high beam. The output of the high beam actually looks brighter, but it's just not cut off by the focus plate inside the bulb.

Also, I've only ever tried the one I've posted... I've been very happy with the result.

Grant H · Post by **Grant H** » Sun Jul 15, 2012 4:27 pm

Sweet. Thanks for the info!

Grant H · Post by **Grant H** » Mon Jul 23, 2012 4:13 pm

I ordered and just installed the bulb mentioned above from Amazon (PIAA 70473 Super Plasma GT-X HS1 Bulb).

Let me tell you. This is a must upgrade for these scooters!!! You wont regret upgrading the headlight to this bulb - I guarantee it. So much better at night.

Thanks