now oil is a totally different kettle of fish. it all depends on what you ride. i wouldn't put tesco's finest in a h4, but i also don't put fully synthetic in the xj.                                                                                                                                                                               

I transplanted a re-furbed 1600 air cooled beetle engine into my mates poorly trike (pics on profile) and asked him to go get 10w40 oil for winter use (forgot to say mineral) he came back with semi synth which the Beetle engine would have hated, she's happier now though with good oild (see what I did there) 20w40, mineral oil. I decided the few times she'll be ridden in truly coldnessnessssss was negligible.

Very true xj oil is a totally different thing ..my bike has a wet clutch and although i have 3 choices of oil brands that suit my bike the cheapest is £57 a gallon ...Bike bulbs car bulbs are all the same as long as they are the same voltage, you can even fit HID kits from cars int o bike like I have done as long as the ballast is of same voltage .... dont fall into the "motorbike" only bracket ....BUT i do stipulate somethings for certain bikes are a must and cannot be skimped on ... :-)

  I have to agree with Hull750Rider   The correct oil for an engine is a VERY important consideration   What needs to be remembered is the "era" when the bike was manufactured   Synthetic and Semi Synthetic oils weren't around 20/30 years ago   So older engines aren't always suitable for older bikes as the oilways, internals and pumps are not designed for such "techno" lubrication   Mineral "multi" or "straight" grade oils are much more suited to these older engines   Especially bikes with "wet" clutches which can suffer clutch "slip" with synthetic oils   So be very careful if you are considering giving your bike a "treat" with some modern lubrication   You could be creating problems for yourself   Intruder is quite right about lights   So long as you have the correct wiring (ballast resistors & relays) the fitting of car bulbs isn't a problem   One "serious" consideration though is making sure that the alternator and charging circuit is "up to" the increased loading of the higher output lights   If in doubt, check with your friendly local mechanic or check out one of the many "model specific" forums on "tinterweb"                                                                                                                                                                                 

Was wondering. Do headlight bulbs become less bright with age?

Both my car and bike are a tad long in the tooth. Both V reg. they both could possibly have the original bulbs in and both are a right pain at night. Night time visibility is pants. Would brightness be improved if new bulbs were put in even though they haven't blown?

Or maybe it's just my night-time goggles that are deteriorating :(

Modern bulbs are a lot better.  Technology has moved on.  I must get one of these new ones for my old Guzzi.  I reckon the one in there must be around 30 years old!  Night Buster bulbs have been recommended by others.                                                                                                                                                                               

  You may be able to get a result with new bulbs Min   There is a possibility that your bulbs may have lost some of their brightness   Fitting new ones could well improve your headlight's luminance   Also check the "silvering" on the reflectors as they can become dull with age   But BEWARE!!   They are very delicate and hard to clean as the "silvering" rubs off very easily   But sad to say, according to the eye experts, we require about 10% more light every 10 years to be able to see the same   It wouldn't hurt to change the bulbs you may well see an instant improvement   Just bear in mind the above if the results are less impressive   And check with your mechanic whether you can safely fit higher wattage bulbs   Although as Guzziguy says modern filaments do give off more light for equivalent wattage over older bulbs                                                                                                                                                                               

  These have good reviews on the Greybike forum     http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261017042110?ssPageName=STRK:...1438.l2649                                                                                                                                                                             

I put a H1 Ring XENON Ultima in my 883 Sportster, after battling the country lanes gettin to the 1st KISS Rally in total darkness, due to the poor stock bulb that wouldnt let me see past the front tyre nearly front ended into quite a few hedges.   Made massive improvement and recommend to anyone. And bought from a car accessory shop.                                                                                                                                                                             

  I spent more years than I care to mention   Riding with Jo Lucas's dying glowworm 6 volt lamps   Even the MZ 6 volt lights were far superior   So to me most "modern" bike lights are a revelation   But the "new" generation of bulbs are superb   Glad you've got the Harley "back lane" compatible Bomb   Now you can enjoy nighttime bimbles too                                                                                                                                                                               

LoL, cheers Emzed, I still ride the Sportster on main beam everywhere I go, doesn't seem to bother oncoming traffic                                                                                                                                                                             

On the subject of bulbs getting dimmer with age, thats not likely to happen, theres only 2 parts to a bulb, gas and filament. If the gas deteriates, the filament blows, if the filament deteriates, it blows. More likely, as Emz pointed out is reflectors losing their shine and also wiring corroding causing less power to flow through the bulb.

On the subject of bulbs specifically for motorcycles, then yeah, if we're talking stop tails, then yeah the lad would have been correct to a point. You can get, and some bike shops only supply HD 21/5w stop tails as these withstand more vibration. Having spent most of my riding life on a diet of air cooled GPZ's and then GSX-R's, these bulbs make a hell of a difference. Still not as good as LED bulbs but nowhere near the cost either. As for headlights, never come across them being any different.
Steve