Short-Lived Sylvania Silverstar

[phoenixtexas]

Just a heads-up to the forum. I bought a Sylvania Silverstar headlight bulb for my R1100R, and the low beam lasted only about 34 hours running time. A query to Sylvania netted a response that the Silverstar was a "high performance" design built with a short lifetime, and that the service time I received from this bulb was "normal". Basically, it was "kiss our corporate butt". The Silverstars are not cheap, either. Anyone got a tip on a good bulb that lasts a little longer?

[GelStra]

US or euro bilb? I bought the euros about 1-2 months ago. No problems but I don't know what running time I have on them. I can't imagine it's under 30 hours. I run brights during the day so both bulbs are lit.

[CrunchyFrog]

I had the same problem with them in my VFR - I lost both low beams within 3 weeks. I heard some other folks mention that there was a bad run of bulbs and lots of folks got free replacements, but I'd already thrown my blown bulbs out. The next time, I cheaped out and bought some Sylvania CoolBlue bulbs for $19 a pair at Wal-Mart. They're almost as bright as the Silverstars at half the price. I can see them light up the reflective coating on road signs during the day, so I'll say they're good enough.

 

I've heard great things about the new GE NightHawk bulbs as well as the Osram Silverstar. The Osram bulb is not the same as the Sylvania model, and doesn't seem to be available in the US except for mail-order outlets.

[DavidEBSmith]

Philips Vision Plus. Available here.

 

It's only anecdotal evidence, but I've seen abnormally short lifespan with SilverStars in our Subaru, and it's mentioned on the Internet to be the case (about SilverStars, not about our Subaru (until now)). The VisionPlus gives approximately the same light (better if you were using the U.S. SilverStars) and much longer life - 15-30K miles (1 to 2 years) on the bike, I have no idea how long they've been in the Subaru.

 

On edit: the SilverStars I had the bad experience with were the Osram euro version. I would expect that the U.S. version would be worse, because they have to crank up the output of the filament to overcome the blue coating that makes them so kewl dood.

 

Philips VisionPlus are $27.16 per pair including shipping from Powerbulbs. No connection, but historically satisfied customer.

[GelStra]

The Osram bulb is not the same as the Sylvania model

My bad: on review, I realized I have the Osrams not the Sylvania.

Interesting to read about the bad results, though. Me, no problem.

[DEF]

Just a heads-up to the forum. I bought a Sylvania Silverstar headlight bulb for my R1100R, and the low beam lasted only about 34 hours running time. A query to Sylvania netted a response that the Silverstar was a "high performance" design built with a short lifetime, and that the service time I received from this bulb was "normal". Basically, it was "kiss our corporate butt". The Silverstars are not cheap, either. Anyone got a tip on a good bulb that lasts a little longer?

 

Yes.......instal HIDs.......brighter, cooler, longer lasting, lower current draw.

[CrunchyFrog]

Yes.......instal HIDs.......brighter, cooler, longer lasting, lower current draw.

 

And with your wallet lightened to the tune of $300+ dollars, you'll go faster too!

 

I'd at least opt to try a relay bypass on the headlight switch and see if that gives enough extra light before going the HID route. It's cheap and reversible if you want to return to stock.

[SWB]

I have one Silverstar installed, but haven't put 34 hours on it yet. I have a second bulb for a backup, and I guess I'd better make room for that sucker in my bike took kit.

 

I saw this on Ebay. Looks similar to the Silverstar (though not for my R1100RT; sure the H4 can be obtained if needed), and the price is right. 01-04 BMW R1150 RT HID XENON HEAD LIGHT BULBS 02 03

 

I have no affiliation with the seller, but that's my next option if I lose the Silverstar bulbs early. It's possible that the higher vibration on the motorcycles might cause these automobile bulbs to fail; a short life span may be inevitable unless the bulb filament is hardened to withstand the vibration.

[No_Twilight]

I saw this on Ebay. Looks similar to the Silverstar (though not for my R1100RT; sure the H4 can be obtained if needed), and the price is right. 01-04 BMW R1150 RT HID XENON HEAD LIGHT BULBS 02 03

 

 

I bought some of those and haven't installed them yet. Gotta last as long as the silverstars, I would think. --Jerry

[RPG]

I installed a PIAA H7 to replace the stock low beam bulb in my then one month old new '04RT. This spring, it died while starting up in the garage one morning. Bulb was about 14months old, but if you factor in two winters, it's only been used about 6 months.

 

I wrote PIAA asking if a $60 bulb should last at least a few years? A few weeks went by with no response to my inquiry. I then called and they promised to send me a new one. That was three weeks ago and still no new bulb. I'm not holding my breath.

 

I re-installed the stock unit.

 

rpg

[wolcott]

Who makes the stock bulbs for the older RT's? I have a '99 and I am curious. I upgraded to the silver stars several months ago and have a headlamp relay harness kit coming from Eastern Beaver Co. which should upgrade the light output. How does an expensive motorcycle like the BMW come without a relay in the headlamp harness? Common sense would tell you some bikes get ridden at night and that you need all the light you can get!

[CrunchyFrog]

Who makes the stock bulbs for the older RT's?

 

If I remember correctly, the stock bulb in my '00 RT was made by Bosch.

[ruok]

Yes.......instal HIDs.......brighter, cooler, longer lasting, lower current draw.

 

And with your wallet lightened to the tune of $300+ dollars, you'll go faster too!

 

I'd at least opt to try a relay bypass on the headlight switch and see if that gives enough extra light before going the HID route. It's cheap and reversible if you want to return to stock.

If your preference is for name-brand Philips/GE type ballasts and bulbs, then yes, your looking at $300. However, there are some decent generic HID motorcycle kits available on eBay and the internet for $125 to $175. If you question their quality, you certainly have the option (on eBay) to contact the people who have left feedback for their opinions and experiences (what I did before purchasing my HID kit).

 

The R1150RT's low-beam leaves a lot to-be-desired. I tried the Silverstar. A slight improvement in overall light output, but they're notorious for their short lifespan. Factor in cost (2-3x higher) and the hassle of changing them out every few months, it's just not worth it in my book. I tried the relay modification and couldn't notice any improvement in light ouput. If there was an improvement, it certainly wasn't anything close to the improvement noticed with the Silverstars. Some in this group have installed 100w bulbs with good results. Be forewarned, the OEM headlight housing and wiring weren't designed for the increased heat and current of these bulbs.

 

IMHO, if you want a sure-fire, done-deal lighting fix ya gotta install outboard PIAA-type lights or HID's. I prefer the HID's cause they 1) draw less power (35w after the ballasts has charged; stock bulbs 55w, PIAA-type usually 110w), 2) double to triple the light output of the OEM bulb, 3) offer a choice of color tint so you can stand out in traffic (4100k to 12000k), 4) are relatively easy to install, 5) keep the original clean lines of the bike, and 6) are rated to last approx. 10 times longer than a standard halogen bulb.

 

Even if you spent $300, it's a lotta improvement. In any case, it's hard to put a price on safety!

[RFW]

That's complete BS. No light bulb that has a 34 hour life can be considered "normal". I had a problem with a part from VW that not only expired early, but was priced obscenely high. I got a similar sort of response when I complained. I wrote the CEO of VW Canada and told him exactly what I thought about his company trying to insult my intelligence with a similar asinine reply to what you got.

 

Bob.

[RPG]

wrote PIAA asking if a $60 bulb should last at least a few years? A few weeks went by with no response to my inquiry. I then called and they promised to send me a new one. That was three weeks ago and still no new bulb. I'm not holding my breath.

 

A correction, when I got home last night there were two new H7 bulbs from PIAA from the UPS guy.

 

rpg

[jm1515]

FWIW, the high beam on the almost 2yr old SilverStar I own just burned out. When I bought it, I probably used high beams ~50% of the time. Last June when I bought my Roadster, I swapped it out from my old ride and, using high beam almost exclusively, it lasted ~9000mi.

The SilverStar H4 I just bought says 'For Motorcycle Use Only' on the package...but I'm going to wait until the low beam goes...