Light Bar Lens Swap From Incandescent To Halogen

Swap Out Your Light Bar Lenses

Riders who install the stock (full size, this may not work with the flat skinny housing) F&S lightbar on their Nomads and Classics soon notice that stock 35 watt light bulb is pretty anemic. It's good for show but go? How about some options? Other pages on this site deal with making lighting choices. This one assumes you already have a light bar and want to soup it up a bit by swapping out the incandescent bulb for a Halogen source.

Option One

A great many HD's and Indians come from the factory with light bars and most are equipped with a lens that accepts an H3 (Halogen) bulb. Buyers of the bikes often choose to change the lens color from clear to amber so the dealers just pitch the stock lens in a box of cast off parts. Bottom line: visit one of those outlets and ask if they have any "take off" spotlight lenses. They'll get you a couple of bucks for each of them.

Option Two

This one may be just a little pricier but you get to go shopping for some awesome looking custom lenses. This is just one site, and another showing examples of what is available to you. There are many other sites offering lenses priced from tens to hundreds of dollars per set. In most cases you can also find a headlight lens to match.

Once you've decided on the above it's time to shop for the H3 (Halogen) bulb of your choice. Ah, decisions decisions. What'll it be. A standard bulb? Take your pick of 35 watt or 55 watt (the latter only recommended for Nomad). How about bright white? Amber? See the PIAA site for some of your choices. You may be able to find a more competitive price at a local auto or 4wd outlet.

When you have your new lens and Halogen bulb together, assemble them, slip the assembly into your light bar and check for a tight fit. In some cases a thin (heat resistant) gasket is needed to get the trim ring to tighten up properly. You can find gasket material at most any Pep Boys or large automotive outlet. Just make a pattern using the trim ring. Cut the gasket to fit between ring and lens then assemble.

Now go for a night ride. You'll be amazed at the difference.