With age comes experience. With experience comes the understanding of how much ER visits cost. Or even urgent care. Or just regular doctor's visits.
Having read unflattering opinions of the stock Honda CM400 headlight, I decided to upgrade before I got into trouble one night.
There's a few different options out there. But the easiest I found was the Common Motor Collective "3044 Honda CB350 / CB450 K1-K4 Headlight Lens & H4 Bulb Kit". It replaces the stock unit with a reflector and a H4 halogen bulb. It even has a nifty parking light.
Ignore the listed models, and look at the part number: "33120-333-670". That's the OEM bulb's part number for the 1981 CM400 series. I'm not the first one to do this (I believe someone else has done it here), but here's a quick outline on how to do it:
Quite happy - the halogen H4 bulb does seem brighter. There's an LED option for $50 more. For those who are, or those who need more power for other accessories, check it out - the stock incadescent bulb is 35W/50W, the replacement halogen is 35W/35W, and the LED upgrade is only 20W, so it should free up another amp or so.
Having read unflattering opinions of the stock Honda CM400 headlight, I decided to upgrade before I got into trouble one night.
There's a few different options out there. But the easiest I found was the Common Motor Collective "3044 Honda CB350 / CB450 K1-K4 Headlight Lens & H4 Bulb Kit". It replaces the stock unit with a reflector and a H4 halogen bulb. It even has a nifty parking light.
Ignore the listed models, and look at the part number: "33120-333-670". That's the OEM bulb's part number for the 1981 CM400 series. I'm not the first one to do this (I believe someone else has done it here), but here's a quick outline on how to do it:
- Remove the old headlight and shroud. The two Philips screws holding the headlight in have a ferrule that goes through the plastic of the headlight bucket - make sure not to lose these (mine were loose). If the headlight seems stuck, try rotating it slightly. There's a lip at the top of the headlight, so you don't want to pull the headlight strait out.
![IMG_20190322_194652992.jpg]()
- Follow the video guide on Common Motor Collective's website to install the new light in the shroud. It may be useful to mark the top of the headlight somehow so it is orientated correctly. Ignore the connector that CMC ships - the stock connector works. Add the rubber (water-resistant?) shroud to the back of the light.
![IMG_20190322_202737662.jpg]()
- I didn't want to lose the (now unused) stock fasteners and headlight adjustment, so I reinstalled those and wrapped the back of the screws with some electrical tape so nothing would rub in the housing.
- In the headlight bucket, there's already two unused wires for the parking light. One should be brown and the other is green. Verify with a multimeter.
![IMG_20190322_195744463_HDR.jpg]()
![IMG_20190322_195754086.jpg]()
- Spend some time organizing the wiring in the bucket, pushing it to the sides, to make room for the new headlight.
- Plug everything in and reinstall the headlight and shroud. I use small needle nose pliers to reconnect bullet connectors.
![IMG_20190322_203529618.jpg]()
- Test everything.
- Ignition off - no lights.
- Ignition set to parking lights - tail light and headlight parking light are on.
- Ignition to on - headlight, tail light, and running lights.
- Test left and right turn signals, front and back.
- Test low and high beams.
- That's it.
![IMG_20190322_221256296.jpg]()
Quite happy - the halogen H4 bulb does seem brighter. There's an LED option for $50 more. For those who are, or those who need more power for other accessories, check it out - the stock incadescent bulb is 35W/50W, the replacement halogen is 35W/35W, and the LED upgrade is only 20W, so it should free up another amp or so.
