Speedo / Tach Bulbs

[Kane]

This may be overthinking it, but is there any heat or load problem with running 4w bulbs in the V11’s Veglia speedometer and tachometer? I don’t find a wattage spec in the manual for these bulbs, but the parts catalog shows 12v3w bulbs. The closest to that at my local auto parts store is 12v4w. I know it’s not much of a difference, but I have heard that speedo parts are pretty sensitive to bulb heat. The previous bulbs that were in there and failed were LED’s with no markings.

Are there better LED alternatives that you have had success with? Amazon has a bunch of dome light / dash light 1.5w LED bulbs for cheap, like 10 bulbs for $10. Any luck using these? I’m guessing that 1.5w LED may be gentler with heat if that is an issue with the Veglia gauges.

 

[Kiwi_Roy]

How about some BA9s from Superbright.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/ba9s-ba7s/ba9s-led-bulb-5-smd-led-tower-ba9s-retrofit-car/2077/

Actually go through the whole bike and get LED replacements and make it worth the postage.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/miniature-and-subminiature-bulbs/194-led-bulb-1-led-miniature-wedge-retrofit-car/197/  These are great for the dash buy all the colours to match the lens, the nice thing about the 194 is they are an AC lamp so you don't have to worry about polarity, they have a shoulder that fits into the white holder and you can solder the wires direct to the lamp because they should never need replacing. I use the 90 degree ones.

For the direction indicators perhaps

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/bayonet-bulbs/67-led-bulb-15-led-forward-firing-cluster-ba15s-retrofit-car/169/

With an LED flasher- you can buy 2 pin ones but i'm more confident in the 3 pin variety with a ground conection.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/flashers-load-resistors/cf13gl-02-led-bulb-electronic-flasher/782/836/

Head light bulbs are a bit of a crap shoot. I think they will be an H4, I currently run a fan type in my V7, I opened up a hole in the rear of the bucket to let it stick out, flush actually. You will find better deals by just googling.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/led-headlight-bulbs-conversion-kits/h4-led-fanless-headlight-conversion-kit-with-internal-drivers-4000-lumensset/5321/11896/

[docc]

This LED headlamp has been serving well in the Sport:

https://vintagecarleds.com/shop/bulbs-only/vcm3-bulbs-only/

[edit: Over 2 years, almost 10,000 miles/ 15.000 km on this LED headlamp "bulb". I see they sell full inserts, as well, but I only installed the "bulb" in my steel-bucket Bosch headlamp.]

[Kane]

Thank you very much for the info and links. Much appreciated!

I think doing the conversion for the whole bike would be great. 

One question: if the LED that is replacing a 3w speedo bulb is equivalent in brightness to a 5-10w incandescent (as the bulb's specs show), will it run as cool as a 3w incandescent? I know the big LED headlamp bulbs can get hot, don't know about the small ones.

[Gmc28]

What did you end up using in your speedo for a bulb?

[Gmc28]

Might there be a UK member who’d be willing to ship something like this to me?  Not for free of course…. (Scroll down to the 3rd item on the web page, the HAG14769 “bulb holder”)

https://www.gutsibits.co.uk/pr/TheShop/index.php?f=e&Shnew=1&Model=1&ModelName=1100+Sport+V11&Cat=INA&CatName=Instruments+and+Clocks

Nearly a giveaway, but they won’t ship to US. 

Other option is to find a cross reference, but no luck yet, and of course its not too difficult to make something else work but would rather have the actual part if it can be had for so little $$. 

[docc]

8 hours ago, Gmc28 said:

Might there be a UK member who’d be willing to ship something like this to me?  Not for free of course…. (Scroll down to the 3rd item on the web page, the HAG14769 “bulb holder”)

https://www.gutsibits.co.uk/pr/TheShop/index.php?f=e&Shnew=1&Model=1&ModelName=1100+Sport+V11&Cat=INA&CatName=Instruments+and+Clocks

Nearly a giveaway, but they won’t ship to US. 

Other option is to find a cross reference, but no luck yet, and of course its not too difficult to make something else work but would rather have the actual part if it can be had for so little $$. 

Isn't that a commonly available incandescent automotive bulb, something like 4W with a simple bayonet mount?

[Gmc28]

1 hour ago, docc said:

Isn't that a commonly available incandescent automotive bulb, something like 4W with a simple bayonet mount?

The bulb is, but its the mount, the 3rd item down on the page.  I just had a bare wire (taped) under the speedo cowl when I got into it.  

I think the bulb on that same page, the 1st item, is for the idiot lights, and easily available, as would be the bulb for the speedo.  So the question on the speedo bulb is just which LED replacement option have people liked, and then for the mount its that 3rd item down on the UK site web page. 

[Tomchri]

Se what you can find closer, ( postage cost ) if not, I see they have 4 used ones.

Cheers Tom.

 

[docc]

9 hours ago, Gmc28 said:

The bulb is, but its the mount, the 3rd item down on the page.  I just had a bare wire (taped) under the speedo cowl when I got into it.  

I think the bulb on that same page, the 1st item, is for the idiot lights, and easily available, as would be the bulb for the speedo.  So the question on the speedo bulb is just which LED replacement option have people liked, and then for the mount its that 3rd item down on the UK site web page. 

I apologize for missing your clear instruction to "scroll down to  . . . the bulb holder." 

I recall reinforcing these weak bulb holders with "JB Weld" steel epoxy composite.

Has yours gone missing, entirely?

[Gmc28]

Thanks Tom. 

Docc, yep, i took things apart mainly to address some cleanup of the aluminum, and found the reset knob missing (so far unobotanium b/c i appear to have the 2.5mm shaft version rather than the readily available 3mm version), upon closer inspection the outer plastic housing is cracked, and then the speedo metal housing itself is slightly dented and with the bulb and bulb-holder completely missing. 

I’ll likely end up doing the JB Weld fix like you mentioned for the studs, for while I’d like to get that metal speedo case “just right”, I’m starting to see the payoff will be small and invisible compared to the hassle of disassembling a perfectly functioning speedo.   But would like the bulb holder to be back in place, as thats obviously an easy thing so long as i can find one, though I’ll probably ride that Greenie at night extremely rarely.  

[docc]

Makes me wonder if Joel Levine, in Georgia, has a spare he would send you . . .