Kevin,
There is an article about Honda starter switches in the October 2006 Cycle World in the Service section on page 103. Dale Halpin refers to the "lights-on" laws since the 1970s where we now have motorcycles that we can't turn off the lights and how manufacturers addressed this.

Quotes from the article include:

"Honda's technique was to put a second set of contacts on the starter pushbutton switch to reduce the load on the battery while the rider tries to start the bike. But that switch is not ruggedly constructed. Repeated making and breaking a 5-amp connection causes corrosion and pitting of the switch's headlight contacts. The heat caused by the corrosion of the contacts melts and deforms the plastic inside the switch, so after a period of time, the switch fails-sometimes just the headlight contacts, but often the starter contacts as well. Changing to a higher-wattage headlight bulb causes those contacts to fail sooner. The lightbar the Honda dealer would likely sell ... is a Hondaline product wired to get its power from the taillight circuit, not the headlight, so it would not add to the current through the starter switch's headlight contacts."

"To safely run a more powerful headlight in a Honda VTX1800, VTX1300, VT1100 or 1500 Valkyrie, I recommend adding a relay to the headlight circuit. Power for the headlight would come directly from the battery, the voltage for the coil of the relay could come from the headlight contacts in the starter pushbutton switch. This would reduce the current through the headlight contacts of that switch from five amps to one-half amp or less."

For the reasons of the weak starter switch contacts for the lighting, I would recommend not using the 80/100 bulb without running a separate relay for it. You may get by for a while with the stock setup, but eventually will ruin the switch most likely.

Here are a couple related posts

http://www.hondashadow.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=38228&highlight=cycle+switch+amps


http://www.hondashadow.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=45261&highlight=cycle+switch+amps

Hope that might help.
Dave

 

They are the same bulb except that the H4 is supposed to be motorcycle specific, handles vibration better I guess, I have been using the 9003 and not problems, just get the same wattage as the OEM bulb, you will see a big difference in the lighting especally at nite, another recomendation is to adjust the headlight up as from the factory they are set to low
http://sabreridersgroup.com/wiki/index.php?Headlight Adjustment

 

They are the same bulb except that the H4 is supposed to be motorcycle specific, handles vibration better I guess...

No, the H4 is not motorcycle specific.
The H4 and the 9003 are the EXACT same bulb. Absolutely no differences.
The H4 is a European lighting standard, the 9003 is an SAE lighting standard.

The H4 is no more resistant to vibrations than the 9003.

 

Just think of it as imperial and metric. Same product different measurements. Get Silverstar's or better yet Silverstar ultras. Literally 30% or more light compared to oem.

 

bulb

i am using H4 bulb.
as long as it is not above the wattage, i see no problem.
it is brighter and adjusting your headlight on LOW up a little does help at night.

i cant figure why HONDA would sell a bike with such bad headlights on LOW.

 

This is what i use in my bike
http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/...01/p-100000205239/mediaCode-ZX/appId-100000205239/Pr-p_CATENTRY_ID:100000205239

It puts out the light and i have not had any problems with it melting anything.
They say it "Stays cooler than a conventional bulb" I put it in over 3 years ago and will never go back to a 60/55w bulb, and that($22.99) is for a set of 3 bulbs.
ROD

 

Good deal on 9003/H4 at Costco

 

This is what i use in my bike
http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/...01/p-100000205239/mediaCode-ZX/appId-100000205239/Pr-p_CATENTRY_ID:100000205239

It puts out the light and i have not had any problems with it melting anything.
They say it "Stays cooler than a conventional bulb" I put it in over 3 years ago and will never go back to a 60/55w bulb, and that($22.99) is for a set of 3 bulbs.
ROD

that is great price for 3 bulbs, i paid almost that much at wal-mart for 1 h4 bulb..

i still feel going to that high of wattage is not good, only my opinion.
glad to see it works for you and has not melted anything. :roll: