Osram 65W H7 headlamp bulb available again

[waynerd]

At this point, maybe everyone has moved on to LED's or other headlamp bulb choices, but I just learned that THIS PLACE has resurrected the once venerable Osram 65W H7 Ultra High Output Headlamp Bulb (2100 lumen, H9 burner on H7 base).  There have been a few threads on this forum extolling its virtues.  A few years back, Osram ceased production and there was a mad scramble to "stock up".  I don't know if someone just found a lost stash of them in Germany, or they have actually convinced Osram to produce it again, but supposedly this Daniel Stern Lighting has secured a pallet load and is accepting wait list requests.  Just thought I'd share...

[dirtrider]

18 hours ago, waynerd said:

At this point, maybe everyone has moved on to LED's or other headlamp bulb choices, but I just learned that THIS PLACE has resurrected the once venerable Osram 65W H7 Ultra High Output Headlamp Bulb (2100 lumen, H9 burner on H7 base).  There have been a few threads on this forum extolling its virtues.  A few years back, Osram ceased production and there was a mad scramble to "stock up".  I don't know if someone just found a lost stash of them in Germany, or they have actually convinced Osram to produce it again, but supposedly this Daniel Stern Lighting has secured a pallet load and is accepting wait list requests.  Just thought I'd share...

 

 

Morning  waynerd

 

Good find on your part, I hope it pans out per their (Daniel Stern Lighting) pallet find.

[Skywagon]

You shouldn't have told DR...He will buy them all...   I bought 2 on DR's recommendation a couple of years ago; used one, and carry the other with me.

[LBump]

53 minutes ago, Skywagon said:

You shouldn't have told DR...He will buy them all...   I bought 2 on DR's recommendation a couple of years ago; used one, and carry the other with me.

 

If and when they are available they'll be $28.76 per bulb according to D Stern Lighting.

[6speedTi]

What's the life expectancy of these bulbs? Average hours? Since the RT uses the headlights for DRL it consumes the bulbs life fast. I was thinking of using one for a high beam. I use LL bulbs from Phillips and osram on the main beams.

So far I'm satisfied with the LL bulbs on the main beams. 

[Skywagon]

Not sure of life span for me yet.  The factory bulb ran 15000 miles.  I ride paved roads pretty exclusively on the RT.  Mine are subject to the high heat and humidity of Houston and the SE Coast.  I've had the Osram in for about 5000 so far.

 

Life will vary I suspect widely on where you ride and weather.... kind of like tire life I suspect..... all different versions of how long should my tires last.

[dirtrider]

2 hours ago, 6speedTi said:

What's the life expectancy of these bulbs? Average hours? Since the RT uses the headlights for DRL it consumes the bulbs life fast. I was thinking of using one for a high beam. I use LL bulbs from Phillips and osram on the main beams.

So far I'm satisfied with the LL bulbs on the main beams. 

 

Afternoon 6speedTi

 

What's the life expectancy of these bulbs?-- Darn near impossible to find any specs on & even if you could it would probably be for continuous life at a nominal voltage not all the cold-bulb turn-on's without a lower voltage warm up.

 

It seems to be the BMW 1200 bikes that quickly fail the H-7 bulbs, not only does that bike run the low beams at full voltage for DLR  but the 1200 bike doesn't pre-warm the bulb at pre-start lower voltage initial key-on so the low beam bulbs come on cold at full running-engine  system voltage.

 

On the 1200 bikes it seems that most of  the H-7 bulbs fail right at engine start.

 

The basic H-7 is a somewhat delicate bulb as the filament is very tightly wound so seems to fail early in life on a motorcycle.

 

The Osram 65W H7 is not a really an H-7 in design, it is actually a H-9 bulb on an H-7 base (H-9 is a more robust bulb).

 

I have a friend that is running the H-7 LL (long Life) developed for the auto industry DLR problem vehicles but his light output is not nearly as bright as my similar 1200 running the Osram 65W H7.

 

I have been running the Osram 65W H7 bulbs in my 1200RT for about 9 years now & the bulb life expectancy is at least 3 times longer than the BMW stock H-7 bulbs  (I can't give you hours of life as my bike doesn't have an hour meter on it).

 

The only slight downside to the Osram 65W H7 is that they are not a DOT legal headlight  bulb  (offroad use only).

 

The upside is noticeably more light output than other H-7 bulbs but will still work with the BMW 1200 ZFE  module & smaller gauge BMW headlight wiring.  

 

 

 

[waynerd]

I must admit that I forgot to ask "How much?" when I first inquired.  At almost $29.00 each, Mr. Stern seems a bit proud of his "find".  Though again, I'm not sure if this was a dusty warehouse discovery, or if they have actually rejuvenated production with Osram.  The latter would probably entail some hefty promissory capital.

 

For reference, I bought a stash of 4 of these almost 3 years ago (also on DR's recommendation) for $17.00 each.  That lot should last me for a while with the bike, as I'm still on the first one (over 20K mi.).  It's been a good upgrade.

 

I did recently buy an older Subaru that supposedly could benefit from this same bulb.  At two per, I was thinking that I should get a separate stash of bulbs for it - though now rethinking, as that could get a little spendy at that price.

[Endobob]

Is there any question about motorcycles, including light bulbs, that @Dirtrider doesn't have a great answer for?

[lkchris]

Seems a bit old tech as the new technology halogens are now up to (last I checked) 150% brighter than standard, still at legal 55W, no heat problems.

 

https://www.powerbulbs.com/us/store/category/car-bulbs/fitting/h7-499

[dirtrider]

1 hour ago, lkchris said:

Seems a bit old tech as the new technology halogens are now up to (last I checked) 150% brighter than standard, still at legal 55W, no heat problems.

 

https://www.powerbulbs.com/us/store/category/car-bulbs/fitting/h7-499

 

Afternoon   lkchris   

 

I don't know what's high tec about them as they are halogen same as the Osram. The only difference that  I can see is less wattage than the  Osram 65W H7 & better advertising hype (any time I see UP TO in the advertising hype I know I'm being lied to).

 

They might work a little better & they might not but 150% better light output (150% better than what?) with no higher heat output is not going to happen at 55 watts output in a conventional style bulb.  If they have a DOT rating then they definitely are not 150% more light output.

 

If I had a 55 watt conventional H-7 bulb that actually put out + 150% more light then I would have the actual certified test data plastered  all over and in every auto magazine out there.