GS-Riders International

The German motorcycle magazine TOURENFAHRER tested halogen light bulbs. The test was conducted using H4 light bulbs, all mounted in the same standard headlight assembly.


E75R = Light output in 75 m distance right to the middle axle (where is the road curb)
E50R = Light output in 50 m distance right to the middle axle (where is the road curb)
E50V = Light output in 50 m distance central to the middle axle
FOM = Figure of Merit (E75R weighted double)

Osram = Sylvania for some parts of the world
Osram Super = Sylvania +30
Alpia = a randomly bought low cost product from a homedepot

From a previous test (about 2 years ago) I know the Bosch Plus 60 has light output in a similar range to the Philips Vision Plus and the Osram Silverstar, with slight advantages for the Philips.

source: Tourenfahrer edition 10/2007

This is why the Philips X-treme Power is better - according to the Philips website:

- higher rated quartz glass with better clarity
- anti-reflex coating on the inside
- gas filling applied with higher pressure
- optimized precision placement of the filament
- high reflective coating of the glass body's top and the basement

The best.

I don't know if it makes +80%, probably not. But the difference is immediately visible. 25m longer beam also seems a bit far fetched, but the beam is longer. Costs a pair S$ 85.60 / US$ 62 / Euro 40.

The German magazine MOTORRAD NEWS tested H7 light bulbs. Here is a summary of the results, taken from edition 03-2009. I see Philips is still slightly ahead it's competitors. Philips took the lead in halogen lighting technology with the launch of Vision Plus + 50%, I believe it was 2004.



Test motorcycle: BMW R 1200 GS, H7 driving light
Brightness: Measured with the help of a professional Luxmeter, BMW OEM H7 bulb as the reference (= 100%)
Light colour: Visual examination
Beam range: Visual examination
Points: Awarded on basis of (measured) brightness, range, and the price

Results:



BMW OEM
With its short range the OEM bulb is the tail light in this test group. Directly in front of the motorcycle the beam has a bright spot - good for slow driving. Changing the bulb on the GS is a child's play, so there is no reason not changing it.

Beru Autolicht
We did not believe or own initial measurements, until we went to a second night shift: The standard Beru albeit brighter offers a better beam reach as compared to the Powerlight bulb from the same company! This could be simply a case of a well matching combination with the GS headlight reflector. Directly in front of the motorcycle light output could be better.

Beru Powerlight
The beam of the Beru Powerlight is quite bright and offers good visibility. In terms of range it is beaten by the cheaper sister Autolicht. It still is a better choice than the OEM bulb.

Gerlux Toplamp
This is a 1 : 1 replacement for the OEM bulb. Reach, brightness and beam pattern are very similar, only in the short distances the OEM brightness is tiny little bit better. In comparison with the bulb from Polo this one has a warmer colour and a shorter range. (Note by Peter: I do not agree with this being a 1 : 1 replacement, as I know the OEM bulb is an enforced bulb. This one here is not.)

Osram Cool Blue (= Sylvana)
The whitish light looks pleasant to the eye and leaves a noble impression. The illumination pattern is good. The light beam reaches a lot further as compared to other competitors - in hindsight of the price something we do expect. For an award with the MOTORRAD NEWS Tip it is just missing a few meters.

Osram Night Breaker (= Sylvana) MOTORRAD NEWS TIP
The very good Night Breaker does almost as well as the XP Moto from Philips. The beam's range is a whole lot better than with the OEM bulb. The colour is a bit blue-ish. In direct comparison the beam reaches a bit shorter than the XP Moto - yet it fully deserves our award for the very good output.

Philips MotoVision MOTORRAD NEWS TIP
The MotoVision throws a beam that is slightly darker directly in the front of the motorcycle. In practice this really doesn't matter much, because in the distance the beam gets really bright. The range and the brightness are very good, indeed. The slight reddish shimmer divides this light from others. It's not cheap but definitely worth our award.

Philips Extra Duty
This heavy duty light functions only slightly better than the BMW OEM part. It sure is very interesting for those with vibration problems.

Philips XP Moto MOTORRAD NEWS TIP



Similar to it's reddish shimmering sibling and the Night Breaker, this bulb is a revelation. Range and brightness are even better, the best in this test group. This result deserves our award. The price is pretty steep, but more legal light is not available from anywhere.

Polo Halogen
The blue coloured glass body does not allow for too much light to pass. The even beam pattern reveals the bulb matches well with the GS reflector. For the price the range is not too bad. The light colour looks cool and pattern is homegenoeous, but we would expect a bit more brightness. Ok for those who like the design of Xenon type lights.

Unitec Xenon Mega White
A cheat? The Unitec Xenon Mega White is of course no xenon light bulb. But the range is better than standard, and the price is all right, too. Only in the near field the beam pattern looks a bit uneven. Sold as a double pack only.

The Osram Night Breaker is now available in an improved version with 50 % better lifetime, as Osram claims. It's called Night Breaker Plus, see also here.