Hid Xenons

After some more testing I decided to take the HID off for now for several reasons. I though I'll post my findings in case someone else picks on the thread and may be interested in a 55w HID kit for a pointy.

1. The 55W ballasts draw too much current from the standard harness, especially when run in pairs. The bulbs flash during startup and even when switching from low to main beam with the engine running suggesting the ballasts are not getting enough current through the standard harness. On top of than, they dim noticeably when the indicators are on. This suggest a relay should be used but ...

2. HIDS4U kits used 55W ballasts paired with 35W bulbs. This seem to be common practice among low end kits but some suggest that the bulbs won't last as long and they may be running hotter than 50w bulbs might do. There are 50w bulbs out there which seem to have a larger bubble with thicker electrodes but HID4U doesn't sell them.

3. The headlight housing gets really hot with the 55w setup. I mean so hot that you can't touch the headlight lens with your bare hand. This is after 5-7 minutes of idle-ing while I was trying to do some alignment. After this, I decided it is safer to take them off and put back the halogens until I can get some 35W ballasts and do more testing.

4. The solenoid mechanism used to pull the bulb in for high / low beam is soo loose that engine vibrations are transmitted to the bulb which vibrates annoyingly. I know this happens to some extent with the halogen bulbs but in the case of these bulbs, it becomes a lot more obvious and somehow irritating.

So overall a bit disappointed so far. For the sake of experimentation, I'll get some 35W ballasts and see how it goes but so far a pair of good halogen bulbs seems a more sensible choice.

[DarrenSV650S]

Just to confirm, you ordered a 55w kit and it comes with 35w bulbs?

Does your high/low solenoid use a relay system or is it directly wired from the bikes electrics? Meaning the solenoid is constantly being powered? Does the relay ever get stuck in high or low state when you are switching it?

If you are going back to halogens, I would recommend the philips xtreme bulbs, the light up the road much further ahead

Originally Posted by 85jas

Slight thread detour, has anyone put an HID bulb in the projector side of a euro style headlight and adjusted it properly?

been thinking about it, I fitted a uk car projector light into a euro curvy headlight. I fitted a hid kit onto a car with projectors years back, and was very impressed, the normal h1 main beam looks pants though.

Originally Posted by DarrenSV650S

Just to confirm, you ordered a 55w kit and it comes with 35w bulbs?

Yup, 55w ballasts with 35w bulbs. I called them and they confirmed this is how they sell the kit. Bulb in the picture doesn't show the H4 metal shield.

Originally Posted by DarrenSV650S

Does your high/low solenoid use a relay system or is it directly wired from the bikes electrics? Meaning the solenoid is constantly being powered? Does the relay ever get stuck in high or low state when you are switching it?

It has some sort of relay box with a couple of LEDs and some description written in chinese. I don't think the solenoid is constantly powered. It only get power on full beam and pulls the bulb in. Didn't get stuck at any time but the ballasts have a hard time getting all the power required which causes the bulbs to flicker for a few seconds.

Originally Posted by DarrenSV650S

If you are going back to halogens, I would recommend the philips xtreme bulbs, the light up the road much further ahead

I ordered a set of Osrams NB but I thing I'll get some Philips Xtreme as well for comparison.

Originally Posted by leebex

been thinking about it, I fitted a uk car projector light into a euro curvy headlight. I fitted a hid kit onto a car with projectors years back, and was very impressed, the normal h1 main beam looks pants though.

Got a cheepo Chinese H1 kit from fleabay for the car a while back but the beam pattern was so awful I got some nitebreakers instead - I'll have a bash with the projector headlight this weekend, although the tinfoil inside the projector to get the beam pattern does worry me a little Hopefully it is well heatsunk too :s

Ive got 3 different bosch projectors here and they all have the beam pattern cast as part of the housing.

MOT testers will pass a flat beam without the kick up to the left, but kick upto the right, as standard on the euro light wont pass.

The cast part has about 2 or 3 peined over type rivets to hold it to the magnifying glass lense, but its easy enough to drill them out to swap over or remove to make a flat beam pattern.

With 1 projector, the headlight is way better than it was, well dipped is, main is just a sh!t as was, lol

Originally Posted by leebex

With 1 projector, the headlight is way better than it was, well dipped is, main is just a sh!t as was, lol

Well it's done - I used some silver tape to build up the side of the mask on the projector side of the euro headlight. The line isn't that flat, or straight, or pretty but is a million miles better than the candle that burnt in the projector before! I reckon it should pass MOT, I'll post up a piccy when I get a chance.

Amazing how much difference it made filtering down the A316 this evening, people actually moved over a bit! Didn't get flashed once either so the pattern can't be that bad...