new headlight

ive read the threads found by searching 'sealed beam headlight replacement' and come up with the conclusion that in order to use a new H4 bulb, i need to get a housing for it. seems obvious enough...

where might a person FIND a housing for an H4 bulb to fit an 81 maxim? i believe mine is a 7" housing...

thanks!

d

 

Try mikesxs.com,thats where I bought mine. Happy hunting!

 

Almost any bike shop should be able to get you a 7" round headlight too

 

The 7-Inch Headlamp Housing is a part supplied to Yamaha from an Outside Vendor.

Common on a whole host of Models with the Round 7-Inch Headlight.

 

Altus is correct. A new headlight is not hard to find. But if you want to swap out the sealed beam for an H-4 setup,mikesxs part # 09 0051 allows you the benefit of upgrading to an H-4 type bulb,while retaining the stock headlight bucket. The benefits are easier installation,lower cost,and no fitment problems,as opposed to swapping out the entire headlight. The headlight conversion is listed to fit an XS 650,but worked flawlessly in my '82 650 Maxim. There will be,however,a little less room in the bucket after installation,due to the increased depth of the new headlight lens. You may have manipulate the wiring inside the bucket to create some room,but it is a pretty simple installation. And at 29 bucks(bulb included),you won't have to take out a 2nd mortgage to pay for it.

 

It's not specific to your bike. 7-inch round headlights are something used in ALOT of bikes. Try your local shops. I called 5 local shops around me and found that 4 of them carried them.

Most likely it will come with an H4 bulb. I wanted a silverstar specifically, so I dropped a little extra to buy that, but now I have a backup.

 

Did you notice a big improvement when going to the H4?

 

Hella makes several replacement headlights that may interest you...

EDIT: I forgot to mention you can relamp with brighter bulbs.

 

There is a HUGE improvement when changing from a sealed beam to a composite (housing and bulb). Sealed beams are designed to be thrown away, therefore the reflectors and bulb elements are designed to be created as cheaply as possible. The reflectors in most sealed beams consist of a coat of spray chrome sprayed on the back. As anyone who has used canned chrome before can tell you, it's NOT very reflective.

Composite housings are designed to last the lifetime of the vehicle. Their reflectors are well designed, and usually have a real chrome plating or some other mirror finish to ensure maximum reflection. It is definitely a worthwhile upgrade for anyone who still has a sealed beam.

 

Cool, I'll add that to the list of upgrades to be done for next season.

 

My thinking isn't quite as extreme as TaZ on this. Some of the NEW Sealed beams have a Faux Mirror finish that is amazingly close to a glass mirrored finish.

You have to pick and choose the manufacturer.

So, with the STOCK 7-Inch Headlamp ... what's better than a Sylvania SilverStar for under 30-bucks???

 

That goes to show you how long it's been since I've touched a sealed beam.. My truck takes H6054's, which I converted over to composite several years ago.. I busted open a bulb to see what was inside, and it was indeed a coat of silver paint on the back of the glass. With all new cars for the past 10 years or so coming with stock composites, I didn't know there was much advancement in sealed beams Its still definitely a worthwhile upgrade though..

OSRAM SilverStar bulbs are $40 a pair, but you have to order them from Europe.. They beat the hell out of their Sylvania counterparts.. However, I don't know if they come in sealed beam..

 

since this is KINDA on the same line of thought, where do you find LEDs for the turn signals? the sockets (on the 550 maxim anyway) are 90o to the bike and most LEDs ive seen would be pointing to the side and not the front (or back)...

thanks

david