Halogen Headlamp bulb

Has anyone fitted one of these 6v 25/25 watt halogen head light bulbs to their T80? If so they worth the extra money?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6-VOLT-MPF-T15-HEAD-LIGHT-BULB-25-25-WATT-3625H-HALOGEN-/310327599360?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item4840f76100

Have bought 3 off eBay for £10 inc p&p about as cheap as they get, some eBay shops have them at around £8 EACH plus p&p. Have fitted one & initailly it does not seem much brighter in daylight than the normal tungstone ones, will have to wait for a trip in the dark to see if they are any brighter. Any extra brightness will be an improvement.

Keep us posted on that John I fitted a 6v one to the norton not had a chance to use it yet.

I tried some like those last year, they were Chinese in origin. Initially they seemed a little brighter than standard but after a couple of months the glass started to distort next to the dip fillament so I chucked it before it burst. Sorry but not recommended.
Doug.

The ones I got were packaged Motoline but look to be Chinese made (I think almost all bulbs are made in China these days), as Doug says they appear to be a brighter, tried one out in the dark last night in the drive & the light output definitly seemed better but as Doug says they may deteriorate (but so do the tungsten ones after a time), will have to wait & see. At least I did not pay over the ods for them, unlike the 30/30 watt ones which Paul Goff is selling at an extortionate £13.50 each, and would be Chinese made as well I expect. One thing I did notice is that the light intensity seems to have more of a cut off as the revs drop, but this may be because of the higher light output. I think they would work better on a battery system rather than the direct AC system on the Townmate which peaks at 5.5 volt.

I think I have to agree with Doug, the Halogen bulb does not appear much brighter than the standard one, glad I did not pay silly money.
Also whilst dip beam seems ok (about same as tungsten bulb) the main beam seems a bit vague.
I think maybe the problem why it is not brighter is because the output from the generator is only 5.5 volt max (I measured it with a meter), presumably set at this so as to avoid bulbs blowing.
I would be interested to see what voltage other owners have on their bikes. Note its only the AC direct current, not the DC charging side at battery

Having now used my Halogen bulb for about 10 hours (I always have dipped headlamp on) the bulb has started to blacken & the light output no better than the original tungsten bulb. I would therefore NOT recomend their use in the Townmate, especially the Motoline branded ones.

Thanks for the update John, could this be just a cheap bulb? thats at fault?

Admin drgaz wrote:Thanks for the update John, could this be just a cheap bulb? thats at fault?

Maybe but I bought three & they all seem about the same.

can we not fit a higher 6v wattage bulb, I find that a lot of these cheap house hold bulbs also don't last half as long.not as well made as they use to be.

Admin drgaz wrote:can we not fit a higher 6v wattage bulb, I find that a lot of these cheap house hold bulbs also don't last half as long.not as well made as they use to be.

No, the generator output is insufficient & in any case I dont think a higher wattage bulb is available in the correct fitting, although Paul Goff does a 30/30 watt halogen one for about £13 plus postage, an expensive excercise if it does not work & the amount of difference (5w) would be minimal.

what if you went LED on all the other bulbs that would allow for a higher wattage head lamp bulb?

Admin drgaz wrote:what if you went LED on all the other bulbs that would allow for a higher wattage head lamp bulb?

I suppose so, but is it worth it for such a small increase in headlamp brightnes, if it works. That is if you can find a suitable LED tail/stop bulb which again will be expensive. Unless you ride alot at night its not worth doing. A better idea would be to fit a high intensity LED spot light if you can find one that will operate on 6 volt. Some of the better cycle ones may be suitable but they run on a lower voltage usually 4.5 volts with Duracell type batteries. If you could find a 6volt one it could be powered off the Townmate battery due to low consumption

Not had a lot of luck with my halogen bulb, one has now blown a filament after only 30 hours use, had following reply from the supplier, it looks as though they are not suitable for the direct 6v AC (variable voltage) system used on the Townmate.

Halogen bulbs work differently and need a constant power unlike normal incandescent/tungsten, the standard operating temperature needed on the bulb wall to maintain a halogen cycle is 250C. When the temperature falls below this level the halogen cycle fails, and the lamp starts to act like a standard incandescent. It is estimated that the cycle fails when a lamp is operated below 80-90% of its rated power, and the effectiveness of the halogen cycle to keep the lamp walls clean and give longer life will be much affected. This cycle depends upon correct lamp voltage and operating temperatures, which of course will be changed when the lamp is under powered, hence the halogen cycle can be interrupted and if the voltage and temperature of the lamp is operated too low this results in lamp blackening.