Headlight BULBS Headlight Modulator

 

The 1300's headlight uses the H4 (9003) bulb.  Here are the bulbs many have switched to from their stock OEM H4 bulb:

**PIAA Extreme White Plus, bulb #70456 - possibly THE very best H4 bulb available for our 1300.  It's not only exceptionally bright, but also perhaps the "whitest" light of any H4 bulb available for the V Star.  Costly (but worth it) at about $36 (Amazon) and up, or dual pack for $58. There is an almost identical #15214 bulb for a slightly less cost, the only difference is that its base is not 'anti-vibration,' although folks have also used it for street cruiser applications without concerns, the author or this information included.  The PIAA Extreme White H7 and H3 bulbs are also exceptional top-tier replacement bulbs for driving lights.
**Wagner Xenon BrightLite - Nice H4 bulb that produces a little more light than the stock H4, available for only about $10-12.  It may represent the best pure value of any of the H4 bulbs. 
**PHILLIPS XP Moto H4 - well liked around the world.  It was once available mostly overseas, but is now found world-wide.  Those who have it like it and report much better longevity than with most H4 bulbs.  Not cheap at $20-30 per bulb. 
**Silvania Silverstar - possibly the most often purchased aftermarket H4 bulbs for autos and bikes, but these have gradually fallen out of favor within the MC crowd due to their often discovered short life span.  This SilverStar bulb is available in various styles and brightness, with the Ultra being one of the brightest and best of the SilverStars, but without lasting results in our bikes. 
**OEM H4 - available from Yamaha dealers and parts stores.  A good bulb, but it does not produce quite as much brightness as those listed above.

NOTE:  Some parts stores categorize the H4 bulbs as a "9003," which is one and the same bulb.  Some of the above brands are available at local parts stores, others are more readily available online.  

 

A headlight modulator makes the headlight appear to flicker and will increase your visibility considerably.  They are legal in all 50 states but are required to be turned off at night.  Any decent unit will include a light sensor that will automatically determine when it's light enough to enable the modulation.

One of the more popular brands of modulators is the Kisan Pathblazer P115W.  This unit is simple to install and modulates the high beam only.  You can disable the modulation anytime by just switching to low beam and then back to high beam quickly.  To install, you simply remove the headlight and this unit goes between the bulb and the wiring.  It literally plugs onto the back of the bulb and then has a wiring extension that plugs into the existing wiring connector.  No wiring modifications are necessary!  Lastly, you need to plug in the light sensor and run it outside of the headlight bucket so that it points skyward.  If you don't plug in the light sensor, the unit won't work (won't modulate).  This particular unit is also failsafe so that if it fails, it reverts to your standard output (no modulation).

LIGHT BULB types -- bulbs used in the V Star 1300  (thanks to GP38)
The information below is applicable within the USA, but we cannot confirm if this also applies to those living outside of the USA.