HID Conversion: New Info 2012

[CatatonicBug]

In looking at some of the options, I notice that some of the kits have "included city light". What is a city light? How is that different from a hi or low beam?

[Dragon Tamer]

Here are the night results,

Shed door>>




Road>>




On a bridge>>




As of this time I have had the HID installed for just over a year and I have never had anyone flash their lights at me thinking I had my brights on. I am very happy to be seen and happier yet to be able to see.

[Eveready1100]

Looks like you've got you light aimed sensibly, Dragon Tamer, as I have. Huge difference to any Halogen unit I've tried, and a great power saving to boot!

T.C.

If you know of a CAR that has 8" round headlights

Here's the problem, mate. We've looked everywhere, including as many listings for truck headlights as well. They're rare as.

[natemoen]

Gary, I really didn't spend much time in front of you so I never really got a good look at your light.

I am assuming that the first pic is high beam and the second low? If so that actually doesn't look too bad. It is not as crisp as true hid is because that is a very sudden light/dark line, and your (assumed) low beam does have some light up higher. How does your kit switch light levels?

[Dragon Tamer]

It is the magnetic solenoid type. The reflector part is a "Euoropa" and when I got it they said it was for HID but would also accept halogen bulbs in an emergency. It would be an emergency if I put a halogen in there because it will not focus a halogen bulb to any usable level. To the point that in the dark you will over run your headlight at any speed above about 40mph. The two parts were purchased seperately and some months apart. The Vetter has a standard 7" round sealed beam headlight housing and I had discovered that the low beam had burned out in the bulb. Not being able to locate a motorcycle type bulb I had tried a standard automotive one with lousy results as there is not enough adjustment in the system to correct the offset of the bulb. As I was on a trip I needed something to make it work and finally located a small HD dealership that had the conversion kit and went with the halogen until I got home. Sometime after that Mindwebbs came up with the HID bulb and related wiring and I installed it. Initially I had some trouble with keeping the light on but that turned out to be a wiring problem in the bike itself and has been corrected.

Overall I have been extremely happy with the system and although I can notice a difference in the available amount of charging system due to the reduced load the biggest thing for me is the available amount of light.

[natemoen]

So it is an HID reflector with an HID bulb. Makes sense

[Dragon Tamer]

Yes, it carries two ratings on it but it was pointed out to me that it is primarily for the HID bulb. I do carry a spare halogen in case of trouble as a spare HID system takes up too much room. However, as I said it does NOT work well with the halogen bulb. It will do a bit better with an H6 or H7 bulb but the charging system will NOT keep up to one of those for any appreciable amount of time. Perhaps when I get the tour pack and tail light and running light bulbs converted to LED's one could use one of them but even at that they are FAR inferior to the HID systems.

[earl G]

cyclegear has a hid kit on sale for $54.99. plug and play. h4 kit retains high/low beam. an at the end of the ad, off street use only, so is that parking lots, back roads?

i read that hid lights were legal if factory installed

will the round lens fit in a windjammer?

[trdriver71]

Yes, it carries two ratings on it but it was pointed out to me that it is primarily for the HID bulb. I do carry a spare halogen in case of trouble as a spare HID system takes up too much room. However, as I said it does NOT work well with the halogen bulb. It will do a bit better with an H6 or H7 bulb but the charging system will NOT keep up to one of those for any appreciable amount of time. Perhaps when I get the tour pack and tail light and running light bulbs converted to LED's one could use one of them but even at that they are FAR inferior to the HID systems.

h6 and h7 bulb are still 55 watt bulb and do not use any more power than the h4 bulb.
http://sylvaniaautomotivecatalog.wbd...t.aspx?mbid=4#

http://sylvaniaautomotivecatalog.wbd...t.aspx?mbid=4#

[natemoen]

i read that hid lights were legal if factory installed

That is correct. It has to meet the legal specifications before it can leave the factory, so factory hid systems are much different than aftermarket.

[Dragon Tamer]

h6 and h7 bulb are still 55 watt bulb and do not use any more power than the h4 bulb.
http://sylvaniaautomotivecatalog.wbd...t.aspx?mbid=4#

http://sylvaniaautomotivecatalog.wbd...t.aspx?mbid=4#

The two I had here were rated at 65 and 80 watts. They are labeled as only for use in ATV's and other off road vehicles. When I put the big one in my ATV it melted the headlight lens.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there Earl,

Your windjammer should use the same 7" round style/sized reflector that the Special uses...but I'm not totally sure....no real experience with them. But I can't believe they would make them too proprietary and a different size than standard style bulbs/reflectors! Yes, these types of kits are so far NOT LEGAL, but the demand for better lighting seems to be overriding the concern for legality with regards to upgrading 30 year old technology at a reasonable price point!

I looked at the details of that HID kit, they only provide the 6k bulb color which is a bit whiter white which is not quite as good in rain as the 4300/5k color. And yes, they specifically say NOT DOT approved, but they do have the hi/low function, and come in the H4 bulb style which is what our OEM reflector uses.

Dragon, do you know the NAME/manufacturer of your HID reflector? Are you saying it is Europa brand? How many years ago did you get it? But yes being designed for HID explains the good hi/low beam pattern!

Eveready, I was thinking...perhaps you could come up with some sort of adapter/ring to be able to mount the 7" reflector INSIDE the 8" ring/bucket?? Perhaps get a GLASS 8" reflector that you could cut up? Or a piece of aluminum plate that you could cut to be able to fit into the 8" shell and mount a 7" reflector/projector into? JAT?

Bug, the "CITY" light is just a small cosmetic usually COLORED bulb that can be turned on like parking lights to provide ACCENT coloring of the headlight reflector when not using the headlights. On my clear lens reflector, it has a colored accent ring around the headlight, same as my pair of 55watt aux driving lights, and I have them with of course a green colored bulb to match my bike!


T.C.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Eveready,

A bit more research has revealed a few options for you.

Here's a link to a complete 8" round universal MC headlight assembly in the UK!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/YAMAHA-Headl...item58841783ac

I've seen several descriptions of MODIFYING an existing headlight reflector to allow the fitting of a Projector style housing INSIDE them. You can get single 2.5" or 3" diameter HID Bixenon/ solenoid cutout style projectors on eBay fairly cheaply, usually with adapters so you can fit H1, H3, H4 style bulbs into them. You could then get the above assembly and find a way to cut into it to fit a projector housing inside it, and then it should fit/mount into your OEM 8" headlight bucket! JAT!?

Search Google for HID Projector retrofitting and such, you'll find lots of forums and youtube hits. HTH?

T.C.

[Eveready1100]

T.C., Unfortunately, I've come across this type of ad quite a few times, and have previously been in touch with this seller (and a lot of others) regarding the size of the light. His reply was that it was 8" across the bucket, not the lens which is very misleading if you're looking for an 8 inch diameter lens.
I've somehow managed to keep my lens intact, despite the miles I've done on the bike, unlike quite a few RH owners over here who are running around with silastic'd up bullet holes and stars in their headlight lens, just because we can't source a replacement readily, if at all.
Think I'll leave mine alone until I HAVE to operate on it.

[Dragon Tamer]

TC,
Yes, it says Europa on it along with the two ratings. They are etched into the glass on the bottom of the lens. I have tried several times to take a picture of that part and the camera does not want to take a clear picture. I will keep trying.
I have had it about two years now. I bought it at a HD dealership somewhere around the Madison/Milwaukee area.