I have a Sportster 2002 1200 xlc and was wondering if any of you out there have a similar problem. My high beam blows within a day or so every time I replace the bulb.. low beam works fine. I'm assuming there is some short in the switch or wiring?

Thanks

 

not likely. a shorted wire or switch will keep the bulb from working (blowing fuses) unless it is INTERMITTENT, but it seems wierd that it takes a couple of days each time... switches usually either work or they dont. usually shorts either are shorted or not. Frayed wires are the obvious thing to look for. An open will not cause a bulb to burn out. overvoltage is the likely cause if you have a trend here. Lower wattage bulbs are higher resistance, and may be more tolerant to the overvoltage because they don't get so hot. An overly hot bulb, hitting the right bump causes the filament to break.

Might want to get out a voltmeter and start monitoring voltage across the battery at about 2000 RPM to 3000 RPM. There are guys much more versed on the exact numbers you should see, but I would not hope to see much above about 14.5 volts or so. 13.9 volts is nominal for most systems. That is a general rule, though. Just remember, the higher the voltage, the more heat in the light.

Good luck.

 

What kind of bulbs are you using?

 

I would vote bad batch of bulbs,
or the wrong replacement bulb,
or a bad connection (I have had that one),
or a technician who touched the bulb with a finger! Did you change it or did they?

 

I bought a replacement bulb from Walmart.. it was the one claiming to be brighter than normal or whatever.. Sylvania maybe? I forgot.. but the original bulb's bright filiment went out as well.. now this one? I actually installed it myself and can't remember if I touched it or not.. are you not supposed to touch the bulbs? I'd honestly rather have someone else put it in cuz getting that chrome cover back on is a BITCH!! Especially with my top HD shield..

 

If the bulb you got at Walmart is the Sylvania Silverstar, try something else. I went through 3 of them in 6 months. Each of the bulbs lasted 2 months before blowing the highbeam filament and yes, I was careful not to touch the bulb. The silverstar bulb is not vibration rated and I suspect that's what causes them to blow prematurely when used on a bike with a stiff suspension like a Sporty. If you look inside the bulb you will see that the highbeam filament has very long legs and I suspect that is why it doesb't stand up to vibration very well. Your 02 pre-rubber mount bike may be making the vibration issue even worse than mine was.

I wound up switching to a PIAA Superwhite bulb. It has the brightness of the Silverstar butdraws the same power as the stock headlamp bulb. The Silverstar draws over 30% more power than the stock bulb on highbeam. The only downside to the PIAA is that they cost about $45, but I figured that was better than going through a $20 Silverstar every 2 months.

 

I had the same experience as cHarley. I went through 2 Silverstars in 6 weeks. They just don't seem to hold up in motorcycles.

 

I went with a Wagner bright light 2 seasons ago I can't remember the numberbut I think it was a 9145bl and it's still going strong. it has the same wattage and voltage as the stock bulb but brighter.

 

NEVER touch a halogen bulb with your skin! The slightest amount of skin oil will render the bulb "kaput" pretty quickly. Always use a cotton cloth (old T-shirt or something) to wipe down and handle all halogen bulbs. If untouched by skin they will last a good long time.