I just put in a Sylvania Silverstar and it is significantly brighter on low beam and MUCH brighter on high beam compared to the stock halogen bulb.  Mine was an H-4 Silverstar bulb intended for MOTORCYCLE USE ONLY and it dropped right in like it was ment to be there.  

This was a no sweat swap.  Amp draw is identical to the original bulb and the xenon gas supposedly runs cooler than the halogen gas, so this is "no downside" extra light for safer night running.

Sylvania is concerned over a rep the Xenon gas halogen replacement bulbs from any/all vendors are getting from the xenon gas charged (non HID) bulbs blowing out way too fast once installed.  Lots of net chatter about less than 2 month service life on whatever brand you are talking about (and lots of talk about people touching bulbs contaminating them with skin oils which is causing early failures).  

Sylvania is putting their money where their mouth is.  Go to the Slyvania web page and they have a warranty form for a one year no questions asked replacement policy (requires receipt, dead bulb and packaging).   Next best warranty in the industry is for 6 months on a japanese bulb that costs over twice as much.

Sylvania bulbs cost $18 - $20 bucks for a single motorcycle bulb from Advanced Auto.  Ask for the single packed H-4 Silverstar bulb for MOTORCYCLE USE ONLY.  Go get the Sylvania warranty form from here:

http://www.sylvania.com/content/display.scfx?id=003680349

Safer riding for you,

Oldfeller

Oldfeller,

Thanks for the info about the Sylvania/Osram policy.  I've read on automobile forums that there are a lot of cheap, high performance bulbs for sell.  The reports are that the cheap bulbs seem to last about 2 months, sometimes less.  

Sue,

You should be fine with the SilverStars.  I think the cheap "knock-offs" tend to go out much earlier than expected.

Going back to the good old filiment bulb days, bulbs on an old 450 duck did burn out fairly regularly due to the bike's vibration attacking the white hot filiments.

I can clearly remember the first timer's visual shock of losing your bulb on a dark night -- going 60 on a back country road and suddenly the lights go out and you are whistling down the road in the DARK.   Auuuugh!

Slowed down and stopped right quickly, I did.  Pucker factor was real high as I remember.

It happens to us all eventually.   However, a quick fix that may save the day for you is --- switch over to the high beam setting.  That high beam filiment wasn't running at all (no white heat to help it to fatigue in two) and it may be in just dandy fine condition with very few hours on it.  I did this trick more'n once as I remember.

Now, I still see lots of filiments and other radio tube looking stuff inside these fancy new super bulbs (they sure do look like an old style radio or TV tube, don't they?) so the old "switch over to high beam" trick might still work for you.  

I'd try it before riding home in the dark ....

Oldfeller

I just had my first protracted night ride with the Sylvania Silverstar bulb.  It is brighter & whiter.....  and different.

The original halogen bulb had a fuzzy low beam that spread a yellow white circular (sideways oblong?) pattern of light on the low beam setting.  The silverstar is a rectangular bar of light that is 1) 20-30% brighter 2) much whiter and 3) wider.  

The new Sylvania Silverstar low beam now has a clearly defined 'top edge' which is probably intended to keep it out of the eyes of the oncoming drivers.  The new low beam setting is about as bright as an old style bulb-type scooter's high beam used to be, so clearly limiting the xenon/halogen's top edge of the low beam light field probably isn't a bad idea.

This new "fat rectangular bar of bright light" is most noticeable when cornering, the old weaker fuzzy circle of light would light up most of the front of the bike when cornering (with some offset of course) but this new rectangular bar of light looks very clearly defined on the top end as you sweep around the corners.  Since you can clearly see the top of the light field (and it is so bright) you naturally want to extend it some so you can see yet further out using that very bright fat wide low beam setting.

I kept wanting to pull my headlight up a bit, but I quickly realized I wasn't going to be able to do that while rolling as the Savage's light isn't mounted on a center pivot point as my previous bikes had all been mounted.  It is hard mounted from the bottom and isn't adjustable in any fashion while rolling.

I will tweek my two aiming screws some to raise the low beam a bit to get more use out of the new greater amount of low beam light that is available.  Sorry, it is a temptation I won't be able to resist.

High beam is a flood of very white light that is so bright and wide that the DOT reflective type road signs come off as mildly dazzling since they reflect so much light back at you.   This amount of light would be bad to be facing if you were the other driver,  so you may want to dim your high beam a bit furher out in consideration for the oncoming drivers.

My bike will easily pull up to 70 mph before its speed ramp up slows down and I found myself riding up in the 65 to 70 range on roads that I normally night ride 55-60 because I couldn't comfortably see any "faster" than that.  I noticed this higher speed after the fact -- the new light is that much better.  

I now also realize that I never really checked my speedometer at night before, ever.  I was limited by what I could see by so much it wasn't needed -- I simply couldn't go any faster anyway.

You can literally see 350-400+ yards out clearly now.  There is no meaningful "outside the beam" distance anymore when on high beam -- you can see the both road and the surroundings out as far as country roads extend between the curves.   You can see all the way down the longest straight away I've got in rural NC and that includes the pot holes and the sand patches that are coming up.  You can actually see some colors in the stronger whiter light now -- and this is a good thing.

Currently you actually judge the far distances by the lights of the oncoming drivers and by the white reflector strips on the two sides of the road for as far as you can see them.  This is what you actually really do now.  You can't see the road conditions for much until you are right up on them, not really.  That's why you go slower at night -- you can't see what's coming up for road conditions so fear and natural self-preservation make you go slower.

Consider putting in a super bulb and simply be able to SEE ALL OF IT on the heavy beam setting.   You will ride safer at night.  

(but beware,  them nasty bright flying bugs may be a' hitting your face bone a good bit harder and you might stand a increased chance of getting yourself a speeding ticket at night).

Now, if you wanted to be more noticeable to them forward oozing side road soccer moms during daylight riding, just tilt over towards them a bit and flash them new heavy hi-beams at them during the day.  

They'll see you all right .....   from between their fingers.

<g>

Oldfeller

welcome back, it is always nice when we make changes that have a positive effect.

Hi - bit late on bandwagon for this one, but just put bulb in my/wife's Samurai - bought a 2 bulb "Xenon Quartz" pack from Cyber White at Walmart - $16.83 the pair + tax. Be interested in seeing how long they hold up - will report on same,

Not a bad price when an inferior OEM Halogen bulb from Bikebandit costs $7.64 (or more from a stealer, I'm sure, of course!)

Mine is a '96, but looking at other entries seems all Savages use H-4 60/55 bulbs - don't shoot me if I'm wrong - just take your bulb into the store with you to match them. Same as my other make of bike uses. That one was a bit more expensive _ PIAAA brand - bulb bought out of a catalog for about $40! - before I wised up!)

Like others have recommended - don't touch the bulb - I adivse not even with a cloth. Getting it in & out just holding onto the metal base is a breeze.

I read of someone on the site having trouble with a fuse blowing after they had changed the bulb, so watch those wires! There is plenty of room to get them all back tidy.

I must say when I turned on my lights I almost damaged the paint on my neighbor's car the other side of the street (just kidding, but they really do make a difference and are so much more noticeable).

I would not expect to (though one could) ride faster at night in the country as a result, but feel safer (even in the day) with the increased light living in a town with poor drivers.

George