Headlight bulb question--2013 Rocket 3 Touring

[aviation1972]

Can someone please tell me the specs of the tiny bulb, within the main headlight housing? I believe the main bulb is an H4. Is that right? And, the bulbs in the driving lights, on both sides of the main headlight are H3's. Is that right? Well, what's the spec of the tiny bulb, below the main bulb, inside the main headlight housing? And, when does that small bulb illuminate? I'm hoping to replace all these light bulbs very soon with PIAA extreme whites. Can anyone give me any "tips"? Or, suggest a better choice? Thank you all. I appreciate you. l

 

[1olbull]

I went with LEDs and will never go back!
I assess real world vehicle lighting (what a human can see and discern then react to) as part of my profession.
I have measured the discernible out put of my Daymakers to over 300 feet in the dark (no ambient light).
They are well over twice as good as the OEM!
LEDs are spendy, but in this case you DO get what you pay for.
BTW - same night as testing my Daymakers, I tested a new Lexus with LEDs and my Triumph kicked it butt for recognizable distance!

 

[skydog1000]

That tiny little light is your parking light

 

[Ygransom]

If you're not going to LEDs don't just change the bulb. Spend another $50 and get a quality lens/reflector unit, the stock one has terrible optics.

 

[1olbull]

The OEM light are pitiful, as are most other OEM motors.
They are lucky to reach HALF of what a car does.
Before the LEDs I ran with a European reflector that significantly improves the lights.
Good LEDs are the best by far.

 

[sonny]

If you spend time riding at night Daymakers are the way to go. Expensive but well worth it. Install very easily with no modification's. I tried the bulb swapping and trust me the real Daymakers are worth every penny.

 

[aviation1972]

Thanks everybody. Can anyone suggest a good replacement, lens reflector unit for a Touring Rocket? And, since that tiny bulb inside the main headlight housing is the parking light, does that mean there's no need to replace it for riding?

 

[Ygransom]

I got mine from Candlepower Inc. along with a PIA 60/50 bulb. So much better than stock. IT is a metal body with glass lens.


7 Inch Headlamps

 

[Fingers]

Cyclops led is plug &play vast improvement over stock light

 

[cr0ft]

The best options are (more or less in order), the new JW Speaker 8790 adaptive headlight, then the Vision X Vortex (or Custom Dynamics Trubeam, same thing afaik) 7-inch, then the JW Speaker 8700 Evo 2, then the Truck-lite Phase 7. They are also arranged more or less on cost, the adaptive is awesome but very expensive, the Vortex and 8700 are very good and $400-ish (I'd probably get the Vortex, and I currently have the 8700 evo 2... it's great but I think the Vortex edges it out, especially if you get the attachment that fires up both low and high beam when you go to high beam) and the Phase 7 can be had under $200.

These are all 10 minute installation jobs, maybe less. Open the headlight bucket, remove the reflector from the trim ring (held in place with some tension clips), put the LED reflector in, replace the clips, put the ring back on the bike. Plus, they're all DOT approved and road legal.

Oh, and the little light inside the original housing is a normal "wedge" style bulb, I believe, much like the license plate light in the rear. It only comes into play when you put the keyswitch into park mode, so pretty unimportant almost all the time.

See also: Comparison of 12 separate 7-inch LED headlight reflectors.