Xenon HID headlight

[sbrogden]

I recently purchased ($61 on eBay) a Xenon HID headlight conversion kit for my bike. This light draws 35 watts instead of the 55 watts of the stock low beam, giving the charging system on my old bike a lot of margin. The kit comes with a ballast unit and a control unit - both of which I mounted inside my fairing. I don't see how these parts would fit inside a stock headlight bucket, but they are not too big.

The control kit acts like a relay - connects to the battery, the stock headlight harness (the connector that used to attach to your halogen bulb), and the ballast (which steps up voltage to 20,000 to light up the Xenon gas).

Controls are unchanged from stock.

Wow! This very bright, white light is a huge improvement - without the complexity and added power drain of a light bar.

[webbcraft2150]

But did you keep the high/low beam?

[sbrogden]

Originally posted by webbcraft2150
But did you keep the high/low beam?

Yes, the motorcycle HID kit keeps high and low beam. I disconnected the Reserve Lighting Unit as the new headlight doesn't draw enough current to convince the RLU that it's lit. It took a second for the switch from high to low before I removed the RLU and the RLU idiot light was always on. Once I disconnected the RLU, switching was as fast as stock.

This is one of the best changes I've made to this old bike.

[Hobbit]

How hot does it get?

I'm interested in adding one to my Valkyrie, but I'm concerned about the amount of heat the bulb puts off. (The Valk has a plastic headlight lense.) I have not been able to find this information anywhere on the web.

[sbrogden]

I think a lot of the new cars also have plastic lenses and wold be surprised if Xenon lights were problematic.

[Dennyz]

Something to go by,

Using my laser temperature reader, I took some measurements of a standard 55/60 H4 headlight (at high beam) and the newly installed H.I.D. system in my standard headlight (at high beam).

.............................H4 55/60..........HID
straight on,
@ 24" away...............190F............105F

45 degree from
the top
@ 6" away................117F............103F

Lens with
light off....................115F............105F

Both have good lenses. I took the "light off" temp just after turn the headlight off. The HID is noticeably cooler to the touch.

Since the H.I.D. system pulls less power (watts), it would make sense that it puts out less heat.

[Hobbit]

Great help

Thanks Dennyz,

That's the kind of information I was looking for.

[lsippell]

Does anyone know how hot the ballast of a HID gets?

I've got one coming and would like to mount it (the ballast) inside my fairing if heat isn't an issue.

Louis

[sbrogden]

I mounted the ballast and the control box inside my fairing. It can't get too hot, as it's designed to be mounted with double-sided tape - which would melt before our plastic fairing.

I'll try to remember to put my hand on it when I arrive home this evening.

[firecrackerboom]

do you know who you bought the hid kit from? i dont want to get a dud.

[sbrogden]

I bought from this eBay shop - http://stores.ebay.com/diane-shop and paid $62 total for the motorcycle HID kit. It works great. I asked for schematics in addition to what was sent and rec'd them via email within 30 hours.

[firecrackerboom]

do you know what kit it was like h1 h3 h4 etc?

[sbrogden]

The kit I bought was supposed to connect to the factory head light connector - I think it's an H3 (3 prongs, oriented in a fashion I can't replicate here). The kit arrived with the wrong connector, so I cut their connector off and attached to each of the 3 wires a male connector blade to insert into the stock connector.

It was in response to my email about the connector that the supplier sent me a better schematic and instructions to do what I had already done.

If you like, I will post the schematic later today, after I get home.

[firecrackerboom]

thatd be great

[sbrogden]

Turns out I can't post attachments in this forum so I don't know how to post the schematic. If yuo PM me with an email address, I'll send it to you.