Headlight Upgrade

This is my first time here so hope I'm doing this right.

I have a 2000/01 Suzuki SV650S, and for the first time I'm finding I need to ride more at night (coming home from work and school mostly) along a highway. The stock headlights just aren't cutting it for me so I was looking for perhaps an HID Kit to get installed.

I asked a dealership just to have an idea what I was looking for and they said that the 99-02 series use a unique bulb plug which renders most HID Kits useless.

After a lack of luck Googling options for the last few hours, and having no real idea just what I'm looking for either way, was hoping y'all would have some input of Kits that will work or decent Alternatives.

Thanks in advanced.

[phi-dan]

The UK bikes have a pair of H4 bulbs (stock wattage 45/45), and looking at the fiche it looks like the US bikes are the same. There are a few threads on here about HID bulbs, but the site search doesn't let you search on words that short. There is a way round this by searching the site from the Google Toolbar or put "HID site:forums.sv650.org" into the Google website.

Welcome to the site btw

(just guessing your from the US coz of you "accent")

[fastdruid]

A 6000K dual H4 HID "plug and play" kit is £55 (~85USD) from ebay.

Druid

http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=147110

This is for a H7 but all the shops have H4 or go to http://www.hids4u.co.uk/h4-xenon-hid...kits-c-44.html

Not sure if they deliver to the US, I guess that's where your from or you would have said motorway not highway.

[ophic]

You can get brighter bulbs without fitting an HID kit. If you haven't already, try some Osram Nightbreakers or Philips Xtreme Power - they're brighter bulbs but still at a road legal wattage, 55 or 60W iirc, which your wiring should be able to handle. Simple straight bulb swap.

[fastdruid]

The latest 'RiDE magazine has a review of bulbs and the better bulbs are really noticeably better, I'll try and remember to post the results when I get home tonight.

Druid

I happen to have the magazine with me at work, I only bothered scanning in the first page though, I think you can assume if the bulb isnt on the first page dont buy it.

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by AnotherFool

I asked a dealership just to have an idea what I was looking for and they said that the 99-02 series use a unique bulb plug which renders most HID Kits useless.

Don't go there again, you don't have defective headlights you have a defective dealership.

99-02 has H4 bulb and plugs which is about most common headlamp bulb you find anywhere...

If you have a different one, they make HID kits to fit practically every other bulb plug too.

[fastdruid]

Philips X-tream Power bulbs or a H4 hid kit then.

Druid

Yup, y'all got me, I'm American.

Thank you all for the replies, you answered my question spot on.

As far as the dealership... They are the only one with a service department within 3 hours drive of me...