Sprint Lighting Upgrade For Sprint St 1050

If you find the power rating of your alternator you'll be able to work out how much "spare" current you have available but personally I'd be wary of fitting higher power halogen filament bulbs in the standard light housings due to the extra heat, even if the wiring was upgraded. Upgrading lighting from halogen filament to LED type almost always results in a decrease in electrical load. Not a Sprint ST I know but I took this route on my Street Scrambler with a H4 LED bulb in the headlight, two additional LED auxiliary lights and the combined electrical load was still less than the OEM 55/60 watt halogen bulb.
The two issues with retro fitting LED bulbs are it's not strictly legal (potential MOT fail) and, more importantly, beam scatter can be a big problem making the light worse and even dangerous to oncoming traffic. Fortunately the beam in my SS headlight is virtually the same as with the halogen bulb but I've tried similar upgrades on other bikes/cars and it was rubbish.

 

The only mod I had to do to the SS headlamp housing to fit the LED bulb was remove the bulb shroud. Some OEM halogen headlights respond better to LED bulbs than others, plus not all LED bulbs of the same fitting (H1, H7, H4 etc) are the same so it"s a bit of a lottery finding a combination that works. I got lucky with the SS and the first bulb I tried works very well.
I bought the SS for general riding round, mostly on local B roads like you and it's great for that. I replaced the Metzelers with Pirelli Rally STR's which are still a rated as a dual sport tyre but I find them much more confidence inspiring in the wet. I fitted progressive fork springs which are a big improvement but the rear shocks are underdamped with the preload on max so they may be the next upgrade.

 

I can't find the exact item or seller as I bought it in 2020 and purchase history doesn't go back that far but it looks virtually identical to this..
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/22548295...jSD6HafHDoQGvEyu1EQ9u1TPI=|tkp:Bk9SR5yq8vWOYg

I think it was around £15 at the time.

 

Not (necessarily) an MOT failure.

https://www.gov.uk/topic/mot/manuals

Provided that the beam pattern meets the requirement, it will pass. Indeed, the manual explicitly says that "a ‘light source’ means any bulb, LED or other means of emitting light".

If you have problems, http://www.norbsa02.freeuk.com/ sells H4 bulbs that should give the correct beam.

 

I recently put some LED bulbs in my Sprint GT. Very bright, but the "throw" of the light was awful. I sh*t myself riding home in the dark as couldn't see anything. LEDs are NOT designed for the standard reflector housing. I switched back to Nightbreakers and now superb.

 

just found this - the website was referenced on here regarding valve service, but also has section on HID upgrade.

http://www.bowl-of-mice.co.uk/HID.html

 

I replaced my halogen headlights in a 2004 Speed Triple, 2011 Sprint GT1050 and now a 2013 Trophy. All replacements have yielded a huge improvement in lighting as I often ride at night on some dark country (B) roads.

 

what did you replace them with? LEDs? If so, which type did you use?

 

All LEDs. For the Sprint GT, I had to replace the dust cover with one that allowed the cooling fan to be external. The Trophy dust cover had a hole, as the bulb was installed through it. All LEDs paralleled the halogen bulbs (H7, H4 or whatever). I have had good luck with the Alla brand in both bikes and my car. They are a bit more expensive, but tend to be brighter.

 

I replaced the "cup style" dust cover with this one, that looks like a bellows with a hole in the center to allow the bulb to be inserted and the fan to remain external. The "ribbed" item in the [lousy] photo behind the blue wire cover is the fan of the LED bulb. You can just make out the rubber dust cover around it and conforming to the back of the headlight. I've had these for 5 years now and 17k miles and they work like a champ!

 

Sorry to hear that you will sell the Sprint. I added 25mm bar risers and modified Buell foot pegs to give me another 23mm drop. I did this as I wanted to be more comfortable on the longer rides. But, I, too, will be selling it in the Spring. Recently, I bought a 2013 Triumph Trophy SE 1200. Not the cruiser riding position, but much more comfortable for the longer ride. Upright riding position (no forward lean), and, with the adjustable seat up about 1-1/2", a perfectly comfy leg position. The techno-wizardry is a boost: It has an electrically adjustable windshield (all the way up, I think that I could smoke a cigar while riding!); Cruise control, electrically adjustable suspension pre-load front and back, bluetooth enabled radio, automatic turn signal shut off, linked ABS brakes and traction control. Finally, it has heated grips and driver's seat, so I should still get some rides this winter (in NJ).
I hope that you enjoy the T100. I hear a lot of people talk about them, but I'm not familiar with their features. Care to share?