Honda-SOHC
SOHC.co.uk Forums => CB350/400 => Topic started by: TrickyMicky on September 10, 2020, 11:48:00 AM
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Last week I ventured out in the evening, which meant returning home in the dark on unlit and unknown twisty country lanes. This was my first night-time outing for many years on the bike, and it brought home how bad the standard front candle is. I was therefore wondering if anybody had been clever/daft enough to fit a light unit similar to the attached(hopefully) photo.
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my 2 cents:
If you have stock bike, just install good H4 headlight insert with high quality bulb (for example Philips H4 X-tremeVision Moto).
One I used in my CB550K : https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B000VU7C1Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I'm very happy with it
Note - did you check voltage on your headlamp terminals? Corroded wiring looms/contacts can cause big voltage drop, resulting into low intensity of light too!
My real experience - on my 550K I measure just above 10V while on battery I had >13V.
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ride more slowly at night, it doesn't matter how good your lights are if deer are going to jump out of the hedge or a badger comes dashing accross the road :D
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Back in the day the next item that swiftly followed the original tyres into the cut was the headlamp unit to be replaced by a Cibie one. At least I could see it was a badger I was about to hit!
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There's only one way to find out! ;D
On a more serious note, I've got the price at about 34 quid which if you consider that an ok risk to find out it could be worth a look.
Be worth doing a before and after picture of the beam pattern pointed at a white wall so we can all see how it works.
The attatched description on selling site is mostly pure bolleuxe (excuse my French ;D) so you have to make what you will of the product.
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Back in the day the next item that swiftly followed the original tyres into the cut was the headlamp unit to be replaced by a Cibie one. At least I could see it was a badger I was about to hit!
Does it matter what animal it is? I brake for animals and it is even on my avatar! ;D ;D ;D ;D
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ride more slowly at night, it doesn't matter how good your lights are if deer are going to jump out of the hedge or a badger comes dashing accross the road :D
On an unlit, unknown country lane, with 35 watts and the occasional LED equipped vehicle coming in the other direction, how bleedin' fast do you imagine I was going? Let's keep the responses sensible eh?
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my 2 cents:
If you have stock bike, just install good H4 headlight insert with high quality bulb (for example Philips H4 X-tremeVision Moto).
One I used in my CB550K : https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B000VU7C1Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I'm very happy with it
Note - did you check voltage on your headlamp terminals? Corroded wiring looms/contacts can cause big voltage drop, resulting into low intensity of light too!
My real experience - on my 550K I measure just above 10V while on battery I had >13V.
A valid answer if you have a 7" headlamp, the 400 can only muster a 6 1/2" version coupled with a fairly low electrical output. Many, many years ago, when I was the proud owner of a 750K2 I did indeed install a Hella unit with an H4 bulb. Marvellous! But after I had burnt out the headlight flasher button, the fitting of a relay was the order of the day, hence the decision to look at the LED route.
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I fitted a superdream headlamp. It's more or less a straight swap and it doesn't look any different. The brighter light means no more guessing where the road is.
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Being a 400 makes it more difficult as the reflector is a smaller size, cibie used to do a special unit for it but havent seen one for a long time
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Being a 400 makes it more difficult as the reflector is a smaller size, cibie used to do a special unit for it but havent seen one for a long time
Cibié unit, I believe, was a "Bi Oscar" unit that you may be able to get as a reproduction design from rally car suppliers.
Essentially it was made to circumvent weird lighting regulations in international rallying competition that limited the number of lights that could be flitted. It comprised of a long range spot beam used as "main" and combined it with a tight cut and flat "fog" pattern that was pretty effective in use as "dipped" pattern when used on bikes.
Oscars are the small lamps, Super Oscar are the larger ones that would classically be seen on a rally Escort in period.
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https://www.ebay.co.uk/c/1773230353
This link appears to be a modern production of the cibié used (now owned by Valeo) but would need verification as the concave lens can't be seen in the photo.
The 400 kit came with adapter ring as I recall but could be cut out of a stainless sheet to replicate I guess.
Would give that period mod look to the 400 though :)
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https://www.ebay.co.uk/c/1773230353
This link appears to be a modern production of the cibié used (now owned by Valeo) but would need verification as the concave lens can't be seen in the photo.
The 400 kit came with adapter ring as I recall but could be cut out of a stainless sheet to replicate I guess.
Would give that period mod look to the 400 though :)
I’ve made this mod to my 400 using the original headlight shell but you need more than just the ring to make up the size difference........cheers
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The post from Erny near the beginning of this thread offers good advice.
I never drive at night but found myself plunged into darkness during a trip to Italy when riding through unlit mountain tunnels with the original crap Honda headlight.
You can rectify this by doing what Erny done plus fitting a couple of relay units for dip and main beam, then you will have an acceptable headlight beam and also keep the original appearance if you fit the R012 type halogen bulb to the original head light.
Not sure if the CB400 Four uses P45t type headlamp bulb though?
For my F1 the halogen bulb R012 was a direct replacement for the original tungsten P45t bulb with no adaptor plate required.
good luck
Skoti
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Cibie went for the concave headlamp glass back in the 1960's I went for the alternative Carello Pajods they had a parabolic reflectors with a good dip cut off like Cibie. So they would fit in a standard British Lucas headlamp bowl the lenz was a sort of of bulge eyed convex lens.
It looked as if the lens was a good inch deeper so they really stuck out - they were incredibly expensive cost me £40 for the pair - at trade prices this was when a sealed beam unit could be bought for about £1.50s. Sadly no longer made.
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There's only one way to find out! ;D
On a more serious note, I've got the price at about 34 quid which if you consider that an ok risk to find out it could be worth a look.
Be worth doing a before and after picture of the beam pattern pointed at a white wall so we can all see how it works.
The attatched description on selling site is mostly pure bolleuxe (excuse my French ;D) so you have to make what you will of the product.
Having just replaced the instrument bulbs with nice green LED's and the rear stop/tail with the red product, the switch on provided a silly satisfying grin across my cherubic looks. These were supplied with very good and fast service from Classiccarleds. This got me digging even deeper into fleabay, and found an Oriental seller offering 35Watt Led bulbs with the correct fitting for the standard equipment. God knows what the beam pattern is going to look like, but at £8 I thought it would be worth a punt before going down the whole headlamp change route. If the beam pattern is good (or funny!) enough I will try to post some pics.
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Well, the day arrived when the LED headlamp bulb was fitted. The old tungsten bulb I removed was actually a 45Watt piece, and I have replaced it with a 35watt LED one. If I can remember how to load pics, the first two are of old bulb, and the last two are with LED. I'm happy with result, especially as I have kept the original shell and glass.
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Yeh, but what's it like on a road?
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Low beam seems just as high as the high beam...
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Definite lump on top on high beam
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Not in a position to comment on what it's like on the road yet, plus headlamp fittings are only finger tight at the moment. Will see about correct alignment soon, but my main concern was being able to get something which is a whole lot brighter than the original without too many alterations. I very rarely go out at night, but like many people use the headlamp for daytime riding, so will have to see if it's longer lasting than a filament bulb. It's most definitely a whiter light, and has been achieved without crucifying the electrical system and having to fit relays everywhere. Next time I'm out in the dark will try and remember to take a couple of pics for 'real life' scenario.
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ride more slowly at night, it doesn't matter how good your lights are if deer are going to jump out of the hedge or a badger comes dashing accross the road :D
On an unlit, unknown country lane, with 35 watts and the occasional LED equipped vehicle coming in the other direction, how bleedin' fast do you imagine I was going? Let's keep the responses sensible eh?
You made an important point in that post. A yellow light scource (tungsten compared to led at higher K number) is opposed by the blue content of led being used up around 6, 7000 k and one effectively cancels the other.
A new vehicle equipped with current led coming towards you obviously doesn't illuminate the direction you want to see but your halogen at about 3400k is more or less obliterated, making the situation worse.
I've an older car with 7inch H4 lights and used 5400k Phillips bulbs in them for this reason, about the closest to led I can buy and legally use. The performance is much better when opposed to oncoming led, not perfect but very significant improvement.
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I tried some LED stop and tail bulbs and there was no difference in brightness from the tail to the stop. Changed it back to the old bulb which was a lot brighter on the stop ;)
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I tried some LED stop and tail bulbs and there was no difference in brightness from the tail to the stop. Changed it back to the old bulb which was a lot brighter on the stop ;)
When it finally stops pouring outside I will shut myself in the garage again and do a test on the stop/tail.
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I tried some LED stop and tail bulbs and there was no difference in brightness from the tail to the stop. Changed it back to the old bulb which was a lot brighter on the stop ;)
I did exactly the same they were crap. Don't know how they can sell them as stop / tail.
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I tried some LED stop and tail bulbs and there was no difference in brightness from the tail to the stop. Changed it back to the old bulb which was a lot brighter on the stop ;)
I did exactly the same they were crap. Don't know how they can sell them as stop / tail.
Happy to hear that as, i was not sure if it was just my old eyes ;)
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I tried some LED stop and tail bulbs and there was no difference in brightness from the tail to the stop. Changed it back to the old bulb which was a lot brighter on the stop ;)
I did exactly the same they were crap. Don't know how they can sell them as stop / tail.
Happy to hear that as, i was not sure if it was just my old eyes ;)
Maybe not the fairest test, being in a darkened garage, but???