My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

NZspokes Tue 13 Nov 2012, 6:42 pm

My bike keeps blowing the same bulb on my tail lights, I cant see why. Any ideas? All the other bulbs are fine.

Re-Cycled Tue 13 Nov 2012, 6:54 pm

I've had mine go twice, only bulb that's blown. I think it's just a mechanical problem eg vibration. I suggest getting the highest quality globe you can eg something made in Germany or Japan.

Interesting aside, I had a headlight globe blow on my 'work' car one Sunday night, the next day I got it replaced and the other one blew that night, that's German quality control for you Smile

mtbeerwah Tue 13 Nov 2012, 7:36 pm

Yeah mate,i got jacked off with bulbs,and replaced the whole tail light assembely with after market led unit. Never had a prob since.

gus Tue 13 Nov 2012, 8:56 pm

Try coming down the Toowoomba hill (steep ) at night (pitch black ) and the headlight bows .

mtbeerwah Tue 13 Nov 2012, 10:13 pm

gus wrote:

Try coming down the Toowoomba hill (steep ) at night (pitch black ) and the headlight bows .

mmmm..high beam

gus Tue 13 Nov 2012, 10:34 pm

That would have worked .If i had thought of it , ended up off the road on a 45 deg angle .A few years ago now .

mtbeerwah Tue 13 Nov 2012, 11:22 pm

gus wrote:That would have worked .If i had thought of it , ended up off the road on a 45 deg angle .A few years ago now .

yeah,i can relate.

when i first started playing with HID`s in the bike 8yr ago,i could only get chinese crap at the time,and had a ballast fail on a twisty high way section at night,and i did shit myself.

ThatOtherGuy Wed 14 Nov 2012, 6:22 am

replace both bulbs, the remaining one could be the faulty one that is overloading the circuit blowing the other. I replaced my bulbs with these on all the bikes:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017LGUCI/ref=ox_ya_os_product

you get LED performance without having to completely replace the unit, much cheaper and easier. plus in theory, they will outlast the bike.

mtbeerwah Wed 14 Nov 2012, 8:12 pm

personally,i`d never use led replacement bulbs again,as they are directional,and aren`t suited to incandescent bulb lenses.

A good led unit,should be in tune with the lens,so the optics can be seen properly from the side,and out of the many led replacement bulbs i`ve tried,the side on light on a sunny day,was very poor,to the point of not telling if you can see the brake light over day time run light,and even at night,the difference in the brake light was very poor compared to the standard bulb.

The standard bulb is 21w at brake point,and the average led replacement bulb brake light is about half the light, unless you`ve found a good CREE system,that will compare to standard,but once again the optics in the lens are different.

mtbeerwah Wed 14 Nov 2012, 8:42 pm

this is where i got my unit from,which was for 01-05(do`t know about other models)

http://www.whitelights.eu/index.php/cat/c121_Suzuki.html/XTCsid/gi0466khomn0h6g051icdbu9k4

NZspokes Sat 17 Nov 2012, 5:14 am

mtbeerwah wrote:this is where i got my unit from,which was for 01-05(do`t know about other models)

http://www.whitelights.eu/index.php/cat/c121_Suzuki.html/XTCsid/gi0466khomn0h6g051icdbu9k4

Are they bright enough? Ive seen some real dull leds, would be interested if they are bright.

BanditDave Sat 17 Nov 2012, 7:39 am

The problem as I see it is the connection points "making and breaking" with vibration and/or movement. This results in the bulb heating and cooling which leads to the filament breaking due to metal fatigue

Most bulb failures I have observed have been due to bad connections within the socket or more commonly on the earth connection.

A good squirt with contact cleaner and removal and replacing of the connection screws is generally successful. In one case running a new earth wire from the tail light bulb socket to the engine side of the swingarm has fixed this issue.

mtbeerwah Sat 17 Nov 2012, 10:59 am

NZspokes wrote:
mtbeerwah wrote:this is where i got my unit from,which was for 01-05(do`t know about other models)

http://www.whitelights.eu/index.php/cat/c121_Suzuki.html/XTCsid/gi0466khomn0h6g051icdbu9k4

Are they bright enough? Ive seen some real dull leds, would be interested if they are bright.

this particular unit(not individual bulb,unit!!!) is as good,if not better the OEM.

I refuse to put some dull arsed thing on my bike..I want to be seen.

If you go through the list for 1200..01-05 as mine is,there were a few different types,I got the direct OEM replacement unit. There were two different lens for this,one was smoked,and the other clear,I got clear.

I think they had some that incorporated indicators in the tail light..NOT FOR ME!... direct replacement please

mtbeerwah Sat 17 Nov 2012, 11:03 am

BanditDave wrote:The problem as I see it is the connection points "making and breaking" with vibration and/or movement. This results in the bulb heating and cooling which leads to the filament breaking due to metal fatigue

Most bulb failures I have observed have been due to bad connections within the socket or more commonly on the earth connection.

A good squirt with contact cleaner and removal and replacing of the connection screws is generally successful. In one case running a new earth wire from the tail light bulb socket to the engine side of the swingarm has fixed this issue.

its not a contact prob,it is as said,element gets hot,vibration breaks it.

I was going through one a week sometimes..bugger that,"LED tail light assembly for me",not LED bulb replacement!!

NZspokes Sat 17 Nov 2012, 11:16 am

mtbeerwah wrote:
NZspokes wrote:
mtbeerwah wrote:this is where i got my unit from,which was for 01-05(do`t know about other models)

http://www.whitelights.eu/index.php/cat/c121_Suzuki.html/XTCsid/gi0466khomn0h6g051icdbu9k4

Are they bright enough? Ive seen some real dull leds, would be interested if they are bright.

this particular unit(not individual bulb,unit!!!) is as good,if not better the OEM.

I refuse to put some dull arsed thing on my bike..I want to be seen.

If you go through the list for 1200..01-05 as mine is,there were a few different types,I got the direct OEM replacement unit. There were two different lens for this,one was smoked,and the other clear,I got clear.

I think they had some that incorporated indicators in the tail light..NOT FOR ME!... direct replacement please

Ok, the ones with the indicators in are rubbish. I want to be seen not look cool.

mtbeerwah Sat 17 Nov 2012, 11:23 am

IMO,I don`t like the look of those,plus i`ve got a feeling,they might not pass ADR..not sure on that,but not going to find out.

Jimmy the Boy Sat 24 Nov 2012, 6:47 am

Mtbeerwah, I checked out the whitelights link but my German isn't very good. Can you tell me roughly how much the tail light unit landed cost was please? And also if its just a straight swap over or does it involve swearing, foot stamping and sulking? Cheers mate, Jimmy.

Jimmy the Boy Sat 24 Nov 2012, 6:52 am

Oh I also have had trouble with one globe flickering constantly which annoys the crap out of your mates behind you. I gave it a good blast of INOX recently and that seems to have worked as the bulb mount is spring loaded and I think it just might have needed freeing up. cheers

mtbeerwah Sat 24 Nov 2012, 10:14 am

Jimmy the Boy wrote:Mtbeerwah, I checked out the whitelights link but my German isn't very good. Can you tell me roughly how much the tail light unit landed cost was please? And also if its just a straight swap over or does it involve swearing, foot stamping and sulking? Cheers mate, Jimmy.

http://www.whitelights.eu/product_info.php/info/p324_schwarze-LED-Heckleuchte.html/XTCsid/gi0466khomn0h6g051icdbu9k4

this is the exact one i used..i lied on previous page,i thought i got clear,but i got smoked

post...i cant remember,but i didn`t care,cause it fixed the problem

fitting..little bit of mucking around getting to the bolts to get old one out,and new one in..beer in hand and patience,and you`ll get it

so..in summrary,i haven`t answered your questions at all really,have i?

Jimmy the Boy Sat 24 Nov 2012, 11:55 am

You've answered enough for me to read between the lines, thanks for that. I just didn't want to order the unit then find out I have to fiddle around with electrics/soldering irons & so on as its not my cup o tea. If its just out with the old & in with the new I'll order it as soon as I know thats the case. Ive checked out LEDs before & people were telling me about wiring in regulators & all sorts of stuff I know nothing about and it all started to sound a bit too hard so its been on the back burner for a while. Ive worked out that 60 euros is about $77 so if its $100 all up thats a pretty cheap fix for better quality lighting. Im just going to get back on the site now and look for a headlight globe while Im going. Anyone got any suggestions? I have the 04 model with separate high/low set up ( you know the one where everyone tells you you've got a blown headlight globe ). Smile

Thanks for your help, cheers, Jimmy the Boy.

mtbeerwah Sat 24 Nov 2012, 1:26 pm

yeah,don`t quote me,but i think thats a computer thing with the LED`s fitted,as yours and mine don`t have one with carbs,its just plug and play.I`ve never had an issue.

As for bulbs with the headlight..how longs a piece of string, I`ve tried 100w in the high,with up graded harness,and it was a little bit better. I`ve gone hid,but first pulled the light apart,and pulled out the blind in the high beam,and altered the blind in the low beam to give a better low beam spread.

Bit of mucking around to do this,but the results are good

Jimmy the Boy Sun 25 Nov 2012, 2:58 pm

Cheers MtBW I'm ordering it right now. cheers

Jimmy the Boy Wed 12 Dec 2012, 5:47 pm

G'Day Mt BW, replacement LED taillight unit arrive today and I fitted it straight in. It is brilliant!!! Thanks for your help.

mtbeerwah Wed 12 Dec 2012, 6:24 pm

no probs mate, no more bulbs!!!

Jimmy the Boy Wed 12 Dec 2012, 6:30 pm

No Bulbles, No Troubles!! Laughing

Sponsored content

My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

Re: My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

Re: My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

Re: My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

Re: My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

Re: My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

Re: My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

Re: My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

Re: My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

Re: My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

Re: My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

Re: My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

Re: My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

Re: My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

Re: My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

Re: My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

Re: My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

Re: My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

Re: My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

Re: My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

Re: My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

Re: My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

LED Tail lights

Re: My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

Re: My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?

Re: My bike keeps blowing one tail light buld?