I put the HD smoked bulbs in my auxiliary lights this summer. They have about 3 months and 3000 miles of use both have burned out. Is this the average life span for these $65 bulbs? Could it be bad bulbs or the smoked lens factor?

 

The stock bulbs in mine lasted over 2 years and 23,000 miles. I replaced them with the "ultra bright" ones so we'll see how they last. If you touch the glass on the bulbs with your fingers when you install them, the oil on your fingers can make them burn out quicker, but I assume you didn't do that.

 

Have had bikes with aux lights on them since 1999 and never had one of the stock ones go out........................

 

Its probably just my luck. Machine I run at work goes down and the guy from the manufacturer says "We've never seen that before".
With the rough FN roads in Minnesota it might be time to start shopping for LEDs.

 

Have had a few headlight bulbs go out over the years but thinking back on it, never had an aux light go out..........Been real lucky I suppose.

 

I had my 03 till 05, never had a light go out. Had the 05 till 10, never had a light go out. Now on my 2010 I've had one aux. light bulb go out and two weeks later a rock took out my headlight and a week later, a rock took out one of the aux. lights. Must be the year of the rocks.

 

Checking a site like "Don's bulbs" shows that typical replacement bulb life is around 300 hours. If you average 60 mph that would be around 18,000 miles. If you average less (typical is around 40 mph) then that would be around 12,000 miles or an average year. You certainly didn't make it that far. You may or may not get replacements if you complain, but if you don't no one will know if there is a developing problem with these particular lights. I would be a lot happier if the manufacturers were required to put the anticipated life span of the bulbs on the packaging.

 

I bit the bullet and bought another pair of the smoked bulbs hoping for longer life this time. After checking the backs of the burnt out pair that were purchased this spring with the street glide mounting kit they were made in may of 2011. the new ones were produced in April of this year.
Maybe they were thrown around a lot in the parts room over the years. If I remember right the box they came in had been opened too!