Brighter headlight bulb?

[e3steve]

http://www.cycleseductions.com/candlepo ... hting.html , but read the foregoing posts concerning charging requirements before deciding to go H4! 162mm is believed to be the correct size.

[jensen]

Hi steve,

I was talking about an aftermarket headlight for a CB400f from 1975.
Luckely I own such a four, including it's part m,anual (hondacode 333).
In the partsmanual the part number of the headlight is 268, so defenetly CB72.

Because the CB400F doesn't have much light output power too, the aftermarket busines made repelacment reflectors both for H4 and 35 / 35 Watt, and these reflectors Im talking about.

It apears that I have a high output rotor indeed, and that makes my advice for H4 in general not good (I was wondering why I didn't have any capacity problems, wich are so much discribed by others).

You're right steve, that if you have the output power you mention in your earlier reply, it won't work.

I never thought about the fact that there are different magneto's.

In the past years I came across differerent magneto's and bought them, because magnets lose ther strength under heath. Because I rebuild the entyre engine with a lot of new parts, including the magneteo, I never realized that there are differences (I own a few dreams also, and I bought a lot of NOS engine parts for the years to come), I just picked a new magneto with the highest magnetic strength (by comparing it to my old magneto).

So that makes the advise for an H4 not reliable (at least not for every CB), I really am sorry about that, I shoul'd have thought about it before I brought it up.

Steve, thanks for your apply and your advice to carl and others,
I think the solutions you gave has a better chance.

Jensen

[e3steve]

Hey Jensen, it's a great luxury for you to have several machines around with which to experiment minor transplant surgery!

A lot of the advice I humbly offer is based upon information gleaned from helpful guys such as yourself.

The fact that the alternator stator is replaceable with a Bosch type -- not something that I've tried personally, but I am constantly on the lookout for a BMW K75 stator & regulator with which to experiment -- and the Rick's Motor Sport stator/regulator, designed for the CB350, is a useful transplant for some; but your higher-output rotor, which makes for a viable alternative as it will immediately lift the charge rate and allow H4 headlight support, will be of interest to many. All we need is a supply line for high-output rotors at a reasonable cost.

But most of my offerings are as a result of experiments and subsequently-adopted changes that I've made to CB. As stated in previous posts, here and within other threads, there are variables which should be taken into account where models and environments may cause differences in results. Your results are encouraging; just a simple rotor replacement, the employment of an AM beam unit designed for a CB400f and CB owner's can run with a conventional H4, 55/60W headlight. Now, that is a 'giant leap' for many of us. We love our bikes for their simplicity, and improvements like the one that you've achieved without the complication of replacing the stator and its associated wiring (not to mention the addition of a regulator -- a simple task for some, but daunting for those not confident in, or equipped for, the required wiring changes) is great information.

Thanks for the valued input!

[vfred]

If I get this right, there are three types of rotors
One the normal one
Two the low output
And
Three a high output

How can you tell the difference between them, I know the low output has an L stamped in it but how about the high output?
Part number??

fred.nl

Steve / carl,

Before I experimented with a H4 bulb I measured also the currents @ different rpm's.
I measured more than 4.3 amp above 4000 rpm, that's why I by experiment replaced it with a aftermarket H4 unit from a cb400f (I own one). Actuale I drove with it a few months, and above 4000 / 5000 rpm it gave much more light that a 35 / 35 W bulb. Because I replaced the H4 unit of my CB400f with a xenon system and was very pleased with the results, I changed the system of my cb72 also to xenon. I have to say that I have a new NOS rotor installed before the measurement.

Jensen

Thanks for the info, Jensen. You're a lucky chap; you must have the high-output rotor which, I seem to recall, was fitted to some markets' C / CA77s. I've been looking for one since I acquired CB! Did you get it from CMS?

[e3steve]

Over to you, Jensen.....

[jensen]

Hi,

I don't know, I picked the strongest one (I have 3 or 4 NOS magneto's left).
My conclusion that I have one is based on the fact that the ouput of my generator is substantyl higher then yours, so it shoul'd be high output one, what else coul'd it be ?

I'll compare my magneto's and will take pictures of it and see if there are differences between them.
I know that I have one low output magneto, because of the partnumber, it feld also very week.

Jensen

[Vince Lupo]

I think it's the (earlier) one without the 'L' on it. I have one in my bike, courtesy of our good friend Loud Mouse, and my charging system has been working great since!

So, just to recap, I should be looking for a headlight that fits a CB400f? That has a replaceable bulb, which would be an H4???