Current high intensity LED's are simply superior to incandescent bulbs in every way...except initial cost. But it is worth it on my own bikes! Bulb life is rated in hours - LED life is rated in years...
On cheap-o bikes - the guys that don't want to spend a penny more than the bare minimum, I replace the old instrument bulbs with Sylvania #53's. They are 14.4V, 1.7 Watts. If you pick them up at an auto parts supply warehouse that primarily supplies to automotive repair shops, they can be bought dirt cheap in packages of 10. I paid approx. $7 for the last box of 10 bulbs I picked up, at a place called Central Transport and Refrigeration - a local heavy truck parts supply specialist.
One of the places I used to work at would only stock the longer #1893 bulbs because they were the same price, fit in the socket, and were much brighter - 14.4V, 4.6 Watts. We service mechanics used them because that is all we had in stock - until a few customers complained of melted plastic lenses and other parts - in their instruments!
No $$$ savings there - let me tell you!!!!
2-04 R1, 81 CSR1000, 81 LTD1000, 2-83 GPz1100, 3-79CBX, 81 CBX, 3-XS650, 84 Venture, +parts
Quote "speed costs money...how fast do you want to go?" (Which Z movie?)
Universal formula for how many motorcycles one should own = n + 1, where n is how many motorcycles you own right now....
