Thanks for this video. Restoring a ‘78 XL250S for road use, and the original bulb while intact had gone to air. As soon as I powered it with 6v, the elements in the bulb started smoking, and coated the inside of the bulb with residue. They still worked, but with air in the bulb, it wouldn’t be for long. A NOS sealed beam for this bike is running in the neighborhood of 60-70 dollars, and that price will obviously go up as remaining supply goes down. One big suggestion I may make if you’ve got to do this again, or someone else is doing this is you don’t need to uncrimp the headlight to get the original bulb out. If you crush the brass base of the bulb with a pair of pliers, it will shatter the bulb inside. You’ll then be able to pull the base out, and dump any bulb glass out that’s small enough to fit through the hole. For the rest of the larger pieces of bulb glass left behind, I used a small no. 1 Phillips screw driver to carefully break up the remaining pieces of glass until they would fit through the hole. The only way I see to make this project even better is if I could find an off the shelf H4 bulb holder like a headlight would have that I could epoxy to the back of the original headlight. That would make it so you wouldn’t have to modify the H4 bulb, and wouldn’t have to solder each time you need to change the bulb.
This video worked out great for me. I converted one of my motorcycles with sealed headlight to all electric. I applied to much heat and reflector foil bubbles off . After painting a shiny crome, it looks great for a bright led light . Thanks so much.
It's amazing what you can do if you have the patience and aren't afraid to give it a try. Thanks Zip...it's always fun whether in the garage or the on kitchen table.
Or in my office on my make shift portable work table lol. It's my go-to when the rest of my body isn't cooperating and I can't get out to the shop. Cheers Mr.A! Zip~
Thanks Martin. Little work like this keeps me occupied in the evenings, and helps productivity during the day. If I didn't keep busy I think I'd go nuts lol. Cheers! Zip~
Excellent job I've been wanting to do the same thing on that exact machine for years..... after i found out the same way you did Twinstar's use the battery as the voltage regulator. Every light that was on for those few seconds went off HA
Would it be possible to leave it sealed? Access the old bulb from behind. Use a long, skinny drill bit and pierce the base of the old bulb and fracture the glass of the old bulb without yet removing it. Sweat out the old bulb. Use a pair of pliers to gently grab the base of the old bulb, while gently ripping out the base and the guts of the old bulb. Pieces of the old bulb glass can be grabbed with a pair of needle nose pliers, or use a pair of long hemostats to break up and remove what remains inside the now still sealed headlamp. Then install the new halogen bulb, with removing the flange at the base. Simply use some epoxy or solder the flange of the new bulb to the back of the sealed headlamp. If clearance is a problem, in the back, one could still remove the flange and insert it in further. Any thoughts? Need to do this on my 1972 Suzuki TS90. Thinking of a way to do this without unsealing the headlight.
Great video. I was set to do mine (1982 Honda c70), and came across your video. I had the lens of and the bulb out by the end of your video! Great minds. Great video. I'm a novice so forgive the question: The original bulb was 12v and 25w/25w high and low beams. If you use a bulb that is say 12v and 60w, will that mess up the electrical components having that much draw, or is it unsafe for the puny wires? I believe the headlight actually runs of a/c not DC, and doesn't come on until the engine starts.
Great video! I'm having a hard time finding an h4 bulb without the flat base plate thing going on... where did you find yours? Got a name / part number?
Mine also had the retaining ring. I simply used my dremel with a cutting disc to carefully cut through the disc and it peeled right off since it's a separate component to the bulb it self. Good Luck! Zip~
They had a mix mash of 6 and 12v bikes in that era. I've got two 6v and two 12V. One of the 6v is kick start only, the other is kick and electric (The Twinstar). Goofy, I know...but it is what it is! I'm SO ready to get the Twinstar repaired and on the road before the weather is too cold to ride it a bit to make sure I've got all the bugs out. But the little bit I was able to ride it, it's got some get up and go! Believe it or not, it's only rated at 15hp, but claims a max speed of 87mph. Honda knows what they're doing for sure! Cheers my Northern Friend! Zip~
Love it. I have some interesting stuff coming in. BIG pressure washers. little compressors, OLD Snow blowers. Some I am filming and some I am not I need a break from it all (a bit)
I predict you'll get a break soon. Just close your eyes and imagine waking up someplace warm and tropical. hehe So far, no snow blowers except the one I picked up a while back which will be going on the Sale block soon. As well as a leaf vac power head with adapter for the running board Simplicity and Allis Chalmers. Still plugging away at the 7117. Hopefully it'll be ready to roll this weekend. Cheers my Friend! Zip~ Say hi to the Mrs. for me!
It was on there good and tight...the white however, I did have to solder back on again before applying the heat shrink. Nothing ventured nothing gained! I did crack the lens when I was crimping the lens back into the reflector though grr. But it'll get the job done for now. Cheers Roger! Zip~
Super helpful. Question for you: I'm going to take on the same thing but don't have the equipment to solder. Are you aware of any parts you can buy to connect the three prong bulb to the wiring from the headlight bucket? That's the one piece I'm missing.
You could use crimp on female spade connectors. Not a bad idea to invest in a soldering setup though. There’s decent Chinese made temperature controlled soldering stations that use readily available Hakko style soldering tips. It would set you back 30-$40 for the station, then you’d just need to get some flux cored electronics solder, and your off and running.
I just had two of hem I got out of an older neighbor lady's garage. They were still good. I think I just tossed them recently. Are they in demand? I held onto them awhile and then said ahh no ones gonna need these and tossed two good ones. Was that a mistake are people looking for these do they have a little value intact new never used?
It depends on their part number, but some of the originals are quite hard to come by and fetch a pretty penny. A good rule of thumb is, if you're not sure if its worth anything before tossing it, do a quick parts search on Google using just the part number on the item. Zip~
Your absolutely right and I usually do. But I have so much stuff piling up its getting really hard to get to it all, plus I don't know for sure if they worked, but most likely. I still have photos of them. They were General Electric and I think they said sealed beam or something along those lines and I cant find them so I think in a moment of haste I did chuck em. They were spares for an early 70's honda dirt bike, the mother told me the daughter had one for a while..... I still have a few of the sets and pairs of old 60's GM hubcap's, Pontiac one old Pontiac dog dish. Gotta get them online, they're taking up shelf space.....
oops! lol...I thought I hit the thumbs up on your comment...don't worry...I fixed it! lol You were probably wondering WTF? hehe...that is, if you even noticed. Cheers my Friend! Zip~
super maticuless i am not able to do fine delicate things anymore Way Too much nerve damage from the wreck. i have a hard time just trying to type this shit up its not all bad spelling but missing keys is the issue, Yes i bet the headlamp is long gone in NOS at least here in the states but in Japan they probably use them in skeet shooting!!!! lol great fix though after all that time and effort just to booboo in the end sucks a bit at least the bulb works now!! I still think You get an AAAA++++for ingenuity and paitence ,, catch ya later,bob
I've found that Taiwan is the parts capitol for these older Honda's. The repair is holding up great so far, but I haven't put any miles on Sir William yet. Still sorting out electrical gremlins, but even there, I haven't been in the shop much as of late due to neck issues. Hard to concentrate when it feels like you're carrying around 100 pounds on your shoulders. Thanks for the props! Cheers Bob!! Zip~
Then you know well...I don't attribute any of the current neck issues to the bikes. It flared up when I took those 7 trees down and I haven't given it the time to settle down. But I am now because there's TOO much I need to get done before the snow flies. I feel your frustration on all the levels you pointed out. Would you do me a little favor? I try to keep the videos and comments G rated because I have a LOT of the younger generation who watches and reads. Hang in there my Friend. I know the medical profession in all aspects are raping us and not giving us the benefit of enjoying it at all. My meds are crazy too. As are all the doctors appointments, tests etc. How is one to get ahead when you've got to survive and rely on over charging and over priced health care? It's impossible. Cheers my Friend! Zip~
It's a standard 6v headlamp in halogen form and I removed the flange leaving the bare bulb. Sorry I don't have the immediate part number. I'll see what I can dig up for you Brady. Zip~
Thanks for this video.
Restoring a ‘78 XL250S for road use, and the original bulb while intact had gone to air. As soon as I powered it with 6v, the elements in the bulb started smoking, and coated the inside of the bulb with residue. They still worked, but with air in the bulb, it wouldn’t be for long.
A NOS sealed beam for this bike is running in the neighborhood of 60-70 dollars, and that price will obviously go up as remaining supply goes down.
One big suggestion I may make if you’ve got to do this again, or someone else is doing this is you don’t need to uncrimp the headlight to get the original bulb out.
If you crush the brass base of the bulb with a pair of pliers, it will shatter the bulb inside. You’ll then be able to pull the base out, and dump any bulb glass out that’s small enough to fit through the hole.
For the rest of the larger pieces of bulb glass left behind, I used a small no. 1 Phillips screw driver to carefully break up the remaining pieces of glass until they would fit through the hole.
The only way I see to make this project even better is if I could find an off the shelf H4 bulb holder like a headlight would have that I could epoxy to the back of the original headlight. That would make it so you wouldn’t have to modify the H4 bulb, and wouldn’t have to solder each time you need to change the bulb.
This video worked out great for me. I converted one of my motorcycles with sealed headlight to all electric. I applied to much heat and reflector foil bubbles off . After painting a shiny crome, it looks great for a bright led light . Thanks so much.
It's amazing what you can do if you have the patience and aren't afraid to give it a try. Thanks Zip...it's always fun whether in the garage or the on kitchen table.
Or in my office on my make shift portable work table lol. It's my go-to when the rest of my body isn't cooperating and I can't get out to the shop. Cheers Mr.A! Zip~
Great video! I've got a 1970 T 125 Suzuki Stinger that needs that done to it.
Well done
Admire your patience Zip it certainly paid off.
Thanks Martin. Little work like this keeps me occupied in the evenings, and helps productivity during the day. If I didn't keep busy I think I'd go nuts lol. Cheers! Zip~
Excellent job I've been wanting to do the same thing on that exact machine for years..... after i found out the same way you did Twinstar's use the battery as the voltage regulator. Every light that was on for those few seconds went off HA
Good job on this one mate, nicely explained too!
Thanks! Worked out really well and saved me a few pennies in the process. Cheers! Zip~
Nicely done.
I tried it and it worked! Thanks!
Thank you for your video, I'm in the exact same situation, your video was very useful.
Would it be possible to leave it sealed? Access the old bulb from behind. Use a long, skinny drill bit and pierce the base of the old bulb and fracture the glass of the old bulb without yet removing it. Sweat out the old bulb. Use a pair of pliers to gently grab the base of the old bulb, while gently ripping out the base and the guts of the old bulb. Pieces of the old bulb glass can be grabbed with a pair of needle nose pliers, or use a pair of long hemostats to break up and remove what remains inside the now still sealed headlamp. Then install the new halogen bulb, with removing the flange at the base. Simply use some epoxy or solder the flange of the new bulb to the back of the sealed headlamp. If clearance is a problem, in the back, one could still remove the flange and insert it in further. Any thoughts? Need to do this on my 1972 Suzuki TS90. Thinking of a way to do this without unsealing the headlight.
Great video. I was set to do mine (1982 Honda c70), and came across your video. I had the lens of and the bulb out by the end of your video! Great minds. Great video. I'm a novice so forgive the question: The original bulb was 12v and 25w/25w high and low beams. If you use a bulb that is say 12v and 60w, will that mess up the electrical components having that much draw, or is it unsafe for the puny wires? I believe the headlight actually runs of a/c not DC, and doesn't come on until the engine starts.
Nice work
Thank you, I've been considering doing the same for a Stanley 6-1088 for a TS250R. Wanted to see whats options I have for improving the light.
It takes a bit if time and patience, but it's possible! Cheers! Zip~
Thanks Zip
Great video! What bulb did you use? Thanks!
Great video! I'm having a hard time finding an h4 bulb without the flat base plate thing going on... where did you find yours? Got a name / part number?
Mine also had the retaining ring. I simply used my dremel with a cutting disc to carefully cut through the disc and it peeled right off since it's a separate component to the bulb it self. Good Luck! Zip~
nice job.
Great retrofit. I love this kid of stuff. 6 volts. Am I missing something? II thought the old Japanese bikes were 12 volts my bad.
They had a mix mash of 6 and 12v bikes in that era. I've got two 6v and two 12V. One of the 6v is kick start only, the other is kick and electric (The Twinstar). Goofy, I know...but it is what it is! I'm SO ready to get the Twinstar repaired and on the road before the weather is too cold to ride it a bit to make sure I've got all the bugs out. But the little bit I was able to ride it, it's got some get up and go! Believe it or not, it's only rated at 15hp, but claims a max speed of 87mph. Honda knows what they're doing for sure! Cheers my Northern Friend! Zip~
Love it. I have some interesting stuff coming in. BIG pressure washers. little compressors, OLD Snow blowers. Some I am filming and some I am not I need a break from it all (a bit)
I predict you'll get a break soon. Just close your eyes and imagine waking up someplace warm and tropical. hehe So far, no snow blowers except the one I picked up a while back which will be going on the Sale block soon. As well as a leaf vac power head with adapter for the running board Simplicity and Allis Chalmers. Still plugging away at the 7117. Hopefully it'll be ready to roll this weekend. Cheers my Friend! Zip~ Say hi to the Mrs. for me!
Top speed of 87mph on the Twinstar?? Where does it say that? Ha, mine hardly does 60 some. . I mean theres a red warning line at 55mph!
Did you add any kind of sealer on the glass when you re install it or is re crimping the edge good enough? Nicely done.
Re-crimping the edge works just fine and seals things up nicely. Thanks for stopping by! Zip~
Good modification
Thanks Buzz!! Zip~
Cool
to me it didnt look like the blue wire was very secure,i use 60/40 on electrical. gotta love modern technology,that is bright!
It was on there good and tight...the white however, I did have to solder back on again before applying the heat shrink. Nothing ventured nothing gained! I did crack the lens when I was crimping the lens back into the reflector though grr. But it'll get the job done for now. Cheers Roger! Zip~
that sucks,lesson learned.... use epoxy
What tool did you use to break that bead? Thanks
Nice
Super helpful. Question for you: I'm going to take on the same thing but don't have the equipment to solder. Are you aware of any parts you can buy to connect the three prong bulb to the wiring from the headlight bucket? That's the one piece I'm missing.
You could use crimp on female spade connectors.
Not a bad idea to invest in a soldering setup though.
There’s decent Chinese made temperature controlled soldering stations that use readily available Hakko style soldering tips. It would set you back 30-$40 for the station, then you’d just need to get some flux cored electronics solder, and your off and running.
I just had two of hem I got out of an older neighbor lady's garage. They were still good. I think I just tossed them recently. Are they in demand? I held onto them awhile and then said ahh no ones gonna need these and tossed two good ones. Was that a mistake are people looking for these do they have a little value intact new never used?
It depends on their part number, but some of the originals are quite hard to come by and fetch a pretty penny. A good rule of thumb is, if you're not sure if its worth anything before tossing it, do a quick parts search on Google using just the part number on the item. Zip~
Your absolutely right and I usually do. But I have so much stuff piling up its getting really hard to get to it all, plus I don't know for sure if they worked, but most likely. I still have photos of them. They were General Electric and I think they said sealed beam or something along those lines and I cant find them so I think in a moment of haste I did chuck em. They were spares for an early 70's honda dirt bike, the mother told me the daughter had one for a while.....
I still have a few of the sets and pairs of old 60's GM hubcap's, Pontiac one old Pontiac dog dish. Gotta get them online, they're taking up shelf space.....
Como abriste el foco amigo??? Aho you open the ligth???
Very cool fix Zip. I uploaded a video of that starter switch assembly let me know if you want it
oops! lol...I thought I hit the thumbs up on your comment...don't worry...I fixed it! lol You were probably wondering WTF? hehe...that is, if you even noticed. Cheers my Friend! Zip~
ZippoVarga nope never noticed for some reason it didn't even notify me about the thumbs up either
are you using just regular sodder? Does it hold the metal very good or should i use a welder?
Just solder. Welding will be way too hot. The original bulb was soldered in. Cheers! Zip~
awesome, thanks for the video! This should hopefully save me from buying a new sealed beam for $50
super maticuless i am not able to do fine delicate things anymore Way Too much nerve damage from the wreck. i have a hard time just trying to type this shit up its not all bad spelling but missing keys is the issue, Yes i bet the headlamp is long gone in NOS at least here in the states but in Japan they probably use them in skeet shooting!!!! lol great fix though after all that time and effort just to booboo in the end sucks a bit at least the bulb works now!! I still think You get an AAAA++++for ingenuity and paitence ,, catch ya later,bob
I've found that Taiwan is the parts capitol for these older Honda's. The repair is holding up great so far, but I haven't put any miles on Sir William yet. Still sorting out electrical gremlins, but even there, I haven't been in the shop much as of late due to neck issues. Hard to concentrate when it feels like you're carrying around 100 pounds on your shoulders. Thanks for the props! Cheers Bob!! Zip~
Then you know well...I don't attribute any of the current neck issues to the bikes. It flared up when I took those 7 trees down and I haven't given it the time to settle down. But I am now because there's TOO much I need to get done before the snow flies. I feel your frustration on all the levels you pointed out. Would you do me a little favor? I try to keep the videos and comments G rated because I have a LOT of the younger generation who watches and reads. Hang in there my Friend. I know the medical profession in all aspects are raping us and not giving us the benefit of enjoying it at all. My meds are crazy too. As are all the doctors appointments, tests etc. How is one to get ahead when you've got to survive and rely on over charging and over priced health care? It's impossible. Cheers my Friend! Zip~
What bulb did you use. Looks like a great fit. I'm about to do the same thing on a trail 90
It's a standard 6v headlamp in halogen form and I removed the flange leaving the bare bulb. Sorry I don't have the immediate part number. I'll see what I can dig up for you Brady. Zip~
Nice work, does it throw a beam of light straight. Just wondering if you got the bulb in the focus point of the reflector?
It is, fortunately. Throws a really nice beam. Cheers! Zip~
Zippo New video up on my Wisconsin Engine, and its goody.
I'll check it out buddy!! Zip~
I’ll bet that’s a honda express headlight
CB125S actually.
just curious what did you use to re-crimp the the metal piece?
Soft jaw pliers. I went around it and gently pulled the crimp ring back into place. A gentle touch is needed or you'll crack your lens. Zip~