HID Xenon upgrade kits

[FastBikeGear]

HID conversion kits (an HID bulb with a high voltage power unit or ‘ballast’ which fits into the original headlamp unit in place of the original bulb with no change to the headlamp lens, reflector or housing)

FastBikeGear.co.nz had been hoping to be able to offer HID Xenon headlight upgrade kits to our customers.

Part of the motivation for this research is that our test mule was using a very powerful halogen bulb (155 watt hi-beam) which provided a pretty useful light, but it drew so much current and put out so much heat that it resulted in us cooking the silver reflector material off the inside of a $700 headlight assembly, burning out the head light switch and melting the wiring connector on the back of the bulb! None of this was entirely unexpected. We replaced the headlight assembly and switched back to a standard 60 watt hi-beam and the reduction in visibility is scary! With the 60 Watt beam it was very easy to out run the headlight and miss seeing items on the poorly lit north western motorway causeway until they were discovered by running over them.

A bright headlight lights up more road at night and possibly even more importantly helps ensure that the bike is very hard to miss in broad daylight!

HID lights are many times more efficient than halogen lights. They put out a huge amounts of light while generating very little heat and drawing very little power. For this reason they are gradually becoming the standard fitting on upmarket vehicles.

What does HID stand for?
HID stands for "High Intensity Discharge". A HID Xenon light is based on the gas discharge principle , where an arc of light is created between two electrodes within the glass bulb filled with metal salts and inert Xenon gas. Unlike normal halogen bulbs HID Xenon bulbs do no have a filament. HID Xenon bulbs require a ballast/igniter to operate.

Are HID Xenon upgrade kits legal in New Zealand?
With a little research FastBikeGear very quickly discovered that it is illegal to install HID Xenon bulbs in standard headlight assemblies in any vehicle operating on the road in New Zealand. Reference http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/get-your-lights-right/get-your-lights-right.html#modify
However, a complete halogen headlamp unit can be replaced with a complete HID headlamp unit provided that the replacement headlamp unit complies with approved standards. If in doubt, get advice from a vehicle lighting retailer you trust. Unfortunately we know of no such systems available for any motorcycles.

Is it also legal to sell these kits in New Zealand?
Yes. It is illegal to offer upgrade kits for sale in New Zealand that use a Xenon HID bulb in a headlight assembly designed for a normal halogen filament bulb. Vehicle lighting retailers in New Zealand are required by law to sell lamps which meet approved standards and are fit for the purpose for which you’re intending to use them. Despite this you can readily purchase these kits in New Zealand on Trademe and from overseas on-line retailers, but not from FastBikeGear. We currently know of no one supplying legal upgrade kits for motorcycles that include a headlight assembly designed for a HID Xenon bulb.

Why are they illegal?
Fitting a HID Xenon bulb to a headlight reflector designed for a normal filament bulb may cause an improperly focused beam that may blind oncoming drivers or fail to light up the road. The arc light source in an HID headlamp is fundamentally different in size, shape, orientation, and luminosity distribution compared to the filament light source used in tungsten-halogen headlamps. Because of their extra brightness some countries have a requirement that HID headlamps also be equipped with lens cleaning and automatic headlamp self-leveling systems.

What can I do to improve my headlights that is legal?
Unfortunately the standard wiring and switch gear in most motorcycles has excessive resistance in it. This means that voltage is dropped across it and the current is restricted which means that your headlight bulb is not offered a full 12 volts. Installing a relay for both your high and low beam and heavier duty wiring may see the brightness increase by as much as 30%. This is a cheap upgrade and will typically take less than two hours to do. In April 2010 British RiDE Magazine conducted testing and published the results for 34 different bulbs. The Philips X-treme Power bulbs proved vastly superior to other bulbs.

How bright are HID light systems?
A 35 watt HID light produces up to 3 times the lumens of a similar wattage halogen bulb. This means that a typical 35W HID produces a lot more light than the very best 60 watt halogen bulb while drawing 36% less power.
In addition scientific study of headlamp glare has shown that for any given intensity level, the light from HID headlamps is 40% more glaring than the light from tungsten-halogen headlamps. This helps ensure that your bike is going to be much more noticeable in broad daylight but if the beam is improperly focused you are also more likely to temporarily blind the drivers/riders of oncoming vehicles.

Can an observer spot the difference between Halogen lights and HID Xenon lights?
The light from a normal filament halogen has a yellowish tinge. The light from a HID Xenon light has a slight blueish tinge. However you can now purchase halogen lights that have a special coating on the glass to give them a blueish tinge. This coating does nothing to improve the brightness or the quality of the light (in fact it filters out some of the useful light) – but it does make them look like a HID Xenon light. (popular with boy racers). In some cases these coloured filament lights are marketed with brand names such as Philips Blue Vision or Ring Ultra Xenon, but don't get fooled, despite the branding they are just just standard filament bulbs and they do not improve your lighting! If your bulbs don't require a ballast/igniter to operate they are not HID Xenon units.

Will an HID bulb last as long as a conventional halogen bulb?
Yes, but unfortunately there is no consistent answer on either the life of a conventional halogen bulb or a Xenon bulb. this. Estimates vary from 2000 to 4500 hours for a HID bulb and 450 to 1000 hours for a Halogen bulb.

Why don't I just stick in a big watt mother of a halogen bulb?
This is also illegal reference http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/get-your-lights-right/get-your-lights-right.html#modify. However this is widely ignored and I have never heard of anyone failing a warrant or being ticketed for doing this.
A high wattage bulb draws more current. To run a high wattage bulb you need to install a relay and heavy duty wiring and use heat resistant connectors. You are then still left with the possibility of cooking the silver reflector material off the inside of your headlight assembly or melting the head light assembly. A 35W Xenon HID bulb runs cooler than a 60 watt halogen bulb, therefore it will not melt your housing or cause the silvering on the inside of your headlight housing to cook off. A I50 Watt bulb will draw 12.5 amps – which is enough to melt the insulation off some bikes wiring, melt the connector that your bulb plugs into and to burn out the contact on your handlebar light switch. How do I know this...unfortunately I cooked all my wiring and wrecked a $700 headlight assembly learning the hard way!


Is there more than one way to upgrade to HID Xenon headlights?
There are several ways you can go about upgrading to HID (High Intensity Discharge) xenon lights. There are some smart ways to go about this and some dumb ways to do it. Working through the pros and cons of each upgrade strategy and deciding on the right upgrade option for your bike is more complicated than it first appears. This task is made harder because there is a serious lack of clear information available on the pros and cons of each methodology.

Why do I need a ballast and Igniter with a HID system?
Igniters boost the voltage at start up. Ballasts limit the current when the light is on. HID lights draw large current when they start up and a relay may be required to handle this.HID lights need to be powered at 80V, so a 'ballast' power unit is needed to power these bulbs.

If HID systems use less power than a HID system why do they need a relay?
Because the igniters used in HID systems draw high current to initially strike the arc (fire up).

Do the quality of the ballasts/igniters vary between manufacturers?
Yes. Good Ballasts should have both under and over voltage protection as well as short circuit protection. In addition like all electronic circuitry the circuit design and componentry will contribute to the performance and reliability of the system. A superior design ballast/igniter will also contribute to a longer lifespan for your expensive xenon bulbs.

Can I just buy a car system and split it into two systems for me and a mate?
It is essential that motorcycle ballasts have superior vibration tolerance and be 100% waterproof. It is also important that all of the connectors in the system are of a high quality. Junk systems can often by identified by the use of cheap connectors.

Why do I need to use a slim ballast?
Ballast units are typically available in two different sizes, the more expensive slim version being more suitable for some most motorcycles, due to the lack of room to locate a bigger ballast. Slim Ballast are typically 80mm x 65mm 15mm. If you order a system that uses a normal car ballast you may find you do not have enough room to fit the ballast on your bike.

Is it true that switching HID bulbs on and off frequently shortens their life ?
Yes. For this reason you need to think carefully about what system you purchase. Systems that use a separate HID bulb for the high beam will have a shorter high bulb lives. There are two strategies for avoiding this issue. Some systems use a HID bulb for the low beam and switch on an additional halogen bulb for high beam. While other systems move just the bulb or a small reflector above the bulb when you switch from high to low beam.

What is the CAN-BUS warning canceler?
CAN-bus stands for Controller Area Network – bus. Because a HID Xenon light draws a lot less current than a conventional halogen bulb it can trick bikes that use a CAN-bus into believing you have a blown head light bulb. A CAN-BUS warning canceler prevents the blown bulb warning light on your dashboard falsely signaling you have a blown bulb.


What systems are currently available overseas


Moving reflector system (Not recommended)
A system where a single bulb with a single xenon arc uses a small moving reflector system built into the bulb to change the beam pattern from low beam to high beam.

The disadvantage with this system is that it relies on one bulb for both high and low beam. Which means you may loose both high and low beam simultaneously. However because when you switch between high and low beam the bulb is not turned on and off, the bulbs will last longer and allow you to flash your high beam on and off frequently. We recommend that you carry a spare bulb on your bike with these systems.

User feedback suggests that the moving reflector system typically provides a very poor high beam pattern. However because the xenon bulb on dip often provides superior lighting than a conventional halogen bulb on high some riders are content to ride everywhere just using the low beam.

Moving bulb option.
A system where a single bulb with a single xenon arc is physical moved a few millimeters to change the beam pattern from low beam to high beam. User feedback suggests that the moving bulb system provides a vastly superior beam pattern to moving reflector systems. The success of these systems in providing a good beam pattern for both high and low beam will be dependent on the shape of your headlights reflector.

Combined xenon and halogen bulbs. (Not recommended)
These kits have both a Xenon arc and a Halogen filament in the same bulb. Unfortunately they typically position the high beam in the wrong place within the headlight reflector assembly. A few mm one way or the other is critical to the spread of the light beam. As a consequence you may experience difficulty in obtaining a warrant of fitness with these systems in New Zealand. Most riders who use these systems never use their high beams except as an emergency get home option.

Separate Xenon low beam and halogen high beam bulbs.
Your bike can be wired so that when you switch on the halogen high beam bulb the xenon low beam bulb also stays switched on. The advantage of this system is that it allows you to flash your high beam on and off frequently and should either your halogen high beam or or Xenon low beam bulb fail you still have one bulb that you can ride home with.


Bi Xenon single bulb system
Unfortunately systems that use a bulb with dual Xenon arcs. They typically offer a particularly poor high beam spread as they position the high beam arc in the wrong place within the headlight reflector assembly. It may still transpire that with the dual arc bulbs that you may loose both high and low beam simultaneously. Only one ballast/igniter is required

A disadvantage of Bi Xenon systems is that xenons don't like being turned on and off so they don't like riders who flash their high beam on and off frequently.

Bi Xenon two bulb system
BI Xenon - two bulb system: A systems that uses two separate xenon bulbs is an option for a bike that has a separate low beam and high beam headlight assemblies. While potentially offering a better hi-beam spread than the Bi-Xenon single bulb system just discussed, it is likely that your high beam will blind oncoming drivers for the reasons previously discussed. Two ballasts are required with this system. One ballast/igniter is required for each bulb.
A disadvantage of Bi Xenon systems is that xenons don't like being turned on and off so they don't like riders who flash their high beam on and off frequently.

Complete HID headlamp unit
It is legal to replace a complete halogen headlamp unit with a complete HID headlamp unit provided that the replacement headlamp unit complies with approved New Zealand standards. This would give you an extremely good solution. Unfortunately we know of no such systems available for any motorcycles anywhere in the world.

If you would like more information on this subject please feel welcome to call FastBikeGear.co.nz.

[CookMySock]

An excellent description of the issues.

I would add, while the writer might hint that the issues are insurmountable, I'd suggest they are not. The benefits of a conversion do outweigh the problems, or maybe I was just lucky.

Don't convert your lowbeam unless you are going to leave it running. It's dangerous flipping to lowbeam on a cold HID - at least 1.5 seconds of near complete darkness. Not amusing or safe.

Correct, they are NOT legal, but it is no heinous crime against society, and certainly no more illegal than a noisy exhaust.

Steve

[Katman]

Correct, they are NOT legal, but it is no heinous crime against society, and certainly no more illegal than a noisy exhaust.



Tell that to whoever runs off the road and wakes up dead due to being blinded by one.

[imdying]

A lot of the yanks boys are getting into retrofitting quality HID projector units into existing headlights with quite a lot of success. It's a lot of work, and there's no going back, but the results are pretty good for both performance and asthetics.

[CookMySock]

Tell that to whoever runs off the road and wakes up dead due to being blinded by one.Yes, but you don't ride around blinding people with them, do you. They can be dipped or switched off when the situation requires it.


A lot of the yanks boys are getting into retrofitting quality HID projector units into existing headlights with quite a lot of success. It's a lot of work, and there's no going back, but the results are pretty good for both performance and asthetics.The thing is, it is unlikely that light fitting will pass a WOF after that type of mod. It is easy to whip the bulb out and put an incandescent bulb back in for WOF purposes, but not so with the whole lamp unit.

Steve

[Katman]

Yes, but you don't ride around blinding people with them, do you. They can be dipped or switched off when the situation requires it.


Even dipped they have the ability to blind other road users due to the incorrect spread of light.

But you wouldn't care about that, would you?

[imdying]

The thing is, it is unlikely that light fitting will pass a WOF after that type of mod. It is easy to whip the bulb out and put an incandescent bulb back in for WOF purposes, but not so with the whole lamp unit.You would have to have pretty specific bike knowledge to spot the difference if done properly :) Wouldn't bother me a great deal though, I would just keep another headlight unit for WOFs if it came to it :)

[bogan]

i only read up to the first bold bit, but I've been looking at a bi-xenon arclamp projector kit as another guy on the hawk forum is doing one. Anyway, they put out about triple the lumens and only use 3/4 of the power of standard, so should have no problems with the standard bucket. Though I'm not sure if they can be used as a straight bulb swap, the proper housing has a really crisp cutoff too. Can dig up the info if anyone is interested?

[CookMySock]

Even dipped they have the ability to blind other road users due to the incorrect spread of light. But you wouldn't care about that, would you?LOL re-read, Steve.

Steve

[F5 Dave]

Interesting. One of my bikes has a rep of having dangerously useless headlights despite being an '07. Mine came with HID fitted by previous owner. I've only ridden once at night (not my gig anymore these days) but they were the best lights I've ever used. Once turned on I didn't have any warm up issue DB mentions & they are on both hi & low.

I didn't know they were illegal so I might have to jam ordinary bulbs back in at some stage. I might do a drive by test in a few states with a mate riding the other way & see what they are like. It is possible they are fine in my badly designed for std bulbs application.

Re other improvements for std, my old RF used to drop 1.4V before it got to the bulb. A automotive relay sorted that out.

[Katman]

LOL re-read, Steve.



Yes, but you don't ride around blinding people with them, do you. They can be dipped or switched off when the situation requires it.



Ok, I've re-read it and my post still stands.

Even dipped they have the ability to blind other road users.

Or are you suggesting they be turned off at night when approaching opposing traffic? :weird:

[bogan]

so basically if you want legal HID, this is the way to go (http://www.theretrofitsource.com/product_info.php?products_id=227&osCsid=b66bbe5930cefb57855c5af1ae7e8e78), 295USD for a pair, import and sell em for 300NZD each I reckon. Not sure of how they go for blinding other drivers, but the projectors do have a good cut-off for the low beam, so no blinding on level roads, but coming over crests could be bad, and twinkling if the road is pretty bumpy, also they may have a wider dispersion, so the 3x lumens could only equate to just a litle bit brighter to look at.

[CookMySock]

Ok, I've re-read it and my post still stands. Even dipped they have the ability to blind other road users.I did not, and do not recommend, and do not use aftermarket HIDs dipped. I also don't and won't fight with you on the internet.

Steve

[YellowDog]

My bike has very poor stock lights.

There are some very good HID systems around.

I don't ride rural roads in darkness so I have resisted.

I had no idea they were not legal.

[breakaway]

They are 'illegal' just like loud exhausts are illegal.

The aforementioned dipping 'issue' as actually a non-issue because you use them just like you use stock headlights. Usually, only High beam is converted to HID. Use low beam when someone is coming towards you or in town. Use high beam when you're out on some back roads that are deserted / not lit. When someone comes towards you, flick to low beam and be done with it, just like you would with standard lights.

[OutForADuck]

You need to be very clear here... a HID conversion i.e. one that replaces the bulb unit but not the reflector are not legal in NZ due to the spread of light (NOT due to the colour or intensity because HID lights 35w anyway are not going to blind you, they are equivalent to 55w halogens).

HID conversions that replace the entire head light unt ARE legal as long as they conform to the NZ light pattern spread.

Complete units are available and on most modern bikes the low beam will be on permanently (by law actually) and HID bulbs fail almost always on switching. i.e. not too much of an issue for bulb replacement and light failure.. you probably only going to loose one beam. They are available as fully sealed waterproof units.

Also Katman due to the light colour range they tend to be less blinding than halogen lights which is why they are becoming standard in places like europe (they are safer, whilst providing better light).

[Katman]

The aforementioned dipping 'issue' as actually a non-issue because you use them just like you use stock headlights. Usually, only High beam is converted to HID. Use low beam when someone is coming towards you or in town. Use high beam when you're out on some back roads that are deserted / not lit. When someone comes towards you, flick to low beam and be done with it, just like you would with standard lights.

That may be fine for a twin headlight set-up but what about a single headlight?



Also Katman due to the light colour range they tend to be less blinding than halogen lights which is why they are becoming standard in places like europe (they are safer, whilst providing better light).

It's my understanding that they can blind oncoming traffic due to the incorrect spread of light.

[CookMySock]

HID lights 35w anyway are not going to blind you, they are equivalent to 55w halogens).Not so. 35W HIDs are more equivalent to 100W+ incandescent. They certainly make 100W halogen bulbs look flat, and the 6000K colour temp ones look like lit titanium flares.

The main safety aspect of HIDs, is just how far away you can see their nasty little pinprick of light. Even several kilometers away they are well into the "wtf is that?" category, and cagers note you as a serious hazard to them the instant you come into view. Even in the rear vision mirror six or eight cars BEHIND it is extremely apparent there is something really serious back there - such is the efficacy of them.

My fullbeam projector HIDs can't be used on overcast days as there are repeated requests to dip, which I will always honor. On bright sunny days there are zero requests to dip, even from the police - it is no brighter than a momentary reflection of the sun.

I think if you had H4 HID and used it with a large-reflector type headlamp unit you would not be able to use it fullbeam during the day into oncoming traffic - it would be dangerously and insanely bright, like looking into the sun. Projector HIDs just do not have this much forward energy.

If you use the same WOF guy every time, I doubt he will fail you for HIDs, unless they are so completely out of whack to be unusable.

Much of this is my experience and some of it is my best guess, but readers will of course choose for themselves.


Steve

[F5 Dave]

so basically if you want legal HID, this is the way to go (http://www.theretrofitsource.com/product_info.php?products_id=227&osCsid=b66bbe5930cefb57855c5af1ae7e8e78), 295USD for a pair, . . .
One would of course have to be sure that when importing from countries that drive on the other side of the road you had the right cut off.

[bogan]

One would of course have to be sure that when importing from countries that drive on the other side of the road you had the right cut off.

good point, I have seen some photos showing the beam from different projectors, look symetrical to me but they aren't projected perpendicular to the wall so it's hard to tell, still waiting for the guy to give us some night riding pics...

[Pixie]

Use more lights

212215


say you didn't see me now ya bastards

[CookMySock]

Use more lights

212215


say you didn't see me now ya bastardsLooks bloody good, but is that even legal?

Steve

[FastBikeGear]

Also Katman due to the light colour range they tend to be less blinding than halogen lights which is why they are becoming standard in places like europe (they are safer, whilst providing better light).

Sorry scientific results show that HIDs are more blinding due to their spectral output and brighter light.

When you put HIDs in standard reflectors the situation gets even worse as reflectors designed for filament bulbs scatter HID light even on low beam.

Here's another good site I found today while doing further research on legal upgrade kits that we are hoping to offer shortly for N.Z. http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/conversions.html

[Suntoucher]

Based on the above, I'd guess these would be legal in that case. If you have the money and an unfaired front-end.

http://www.futurevisionhid.com/products/motorcycle-hid-headlights/h6024-bi-xenon-projector-headlight-kit.html

Or what about something like the 7" round HID Jeep lights that are built specifically for Xenon bulbs?

[FastBikeGear]

Based on the above, I'd guess these would be legal in that case. If you have the money and an unfaired front-end.

http://www.futurevisionhid.com/products/motorcycle-hid-headlights/h6024-bi-xenon-projector-headlight-kit.html

Or what about something like the 7" round HID Jeep lights that are built specifically for Xenon bulbs?

There may also be a requirement for a self leveling headlight in New Zealand for any vehicle fitted with a HID bulb. I haven't had a chance to check if this is so in NZ yet. This requirement is common elsewhere in the world effectively making it illegal in many countries to have any sort of HID light on a motorcycle. I am currently exploring other lighting options (I've got some sample gear on order) and if I make any worthwhile discoveries I will post here.

[F5 Dave]

Based on the above, I'd guess these would be legal in that case. If you have the money and an unfaired front-end.

http://www.futurevisionhid.com/products/motorcycle-hid-headlights/h6024-bi-xenon-projector-headlight-kit.html

Or what about something like the 7" round HID Jeep lights that are built specifically for Xenon bulbs?

Again; - what side of the road do the 'mercans drive on?. . .

[Suntoucher]

Looking at my beam on the ground, I would have thought that motorcycle headlights fire straight, rather than off to the left slightly like a car(or right if you're American). And Jeeps are sold in left-side driving countries, so the second paragraph would apply in that case.

[FastBikeGear]

The manufacturer lists both left and right hand drive headlights for my bike in their parts list.

[Taz]

Re single older headlights - It's not about which way they point. In both of my road bikes the right side is diffused by the glass so as not to blind oncoming traffic on low beam. The original glass on the guzzi was the opposite since it came from a country that drives on the opposite side of the road. Hold them side by side and they are like mirror images.

[F5 Dave]

The manufacturer lists both left and right hand drive headlights for my bike in their parts list.Ahh, I missed that in my skim of the site. Who would have thought they cared about the few countries (or even knew about them) that drove on opposing sides?

[FastBikeGear]

Ahh, I missed that in my skim of the site. Who would have thought they cared about the few countries (or even knew about them) that drove on opposing sides?

Yep they must know about us because they went to the trouble to fit the handle to the opposite side of my car to the version they sell in the US.

[FastBikeGear]

OK I promised to do a follow up to my original post.

Here it is.

HID upgrades are illegal when you retrofit into standard headlight assemblies due to the different 'filament' positioning and the greater potential for glare they have due to the spectral characteristics.

Secondly self leveling head lights are a requirement in most countries for HID lights - and to my knowledge no bike has a self leveling system. Probably due to weight and bikes pitch more than cars (think wheelie and stoppie at the extremes!)

Some bikes like a modern Yamaha R1 have awesome lights as standard and don't need much if any improvement. Most older bikes have pathetic lights bordering on dangerous. So here's the alternative for older bikes.

I finished upgrading the headlights on my bike yesterday. The difference in brightness is astounding! Comparing it with a standard setup to a friends bike (same model) shows that my bike puts out a bright white light while by comparison his displays a yellowy orange candelish glow. (By the way I hereby copyright the new verb candelish and the alternative spelling option candleish)

Firstly I replaced my old head light with a better condition original item that I got from a wrecker. My original headlight had lost much of the silver reflector material. More on the possible reason for this later.

I then measured the voltage across my head light bulb while switched on and found it was somewhat short of the 13.8 volts I would have expected with the bike running. Various charts on the Internet show that a small drop in voltage gives a larger and disproportionate percentage drop in output lumens (brightness)!

I then upgraded the wiring, installed a couple of relays, shortened the wiring path, and got rid of some unnecessary components in the current path.

I think the way I installed my relays has some advantages over some of the alternatives. My configuration is the same as most auto electricians would set up separate high and low relays in a car and is not some clever invention that I can lay claim to.

Here's what I did
This will work on any bike that is not already fitted with head light relays.

I had thought of using a special single 'dual' operation relay to operate both the low and high beam, as per my earlier post in this thread, but I used two separate relays in the end. I used standard 4 connector 30 amp rated automotive relays as you don't need a change over switch in the relays with the following configuration. 30 amp relays are more than what is needed as my high beam will only ever draw less than 5 amps - but I figured 30 amp relays should be more robust and more reliable than smaller rated units.

One relay is used for the low beam and the other for the high beam. The advantage of this over other configurations is that if one relay fails the operation of the other beam will be unaffected. The connecting plug blocks I used for these relays have 'puzzle like' physical interconnections on the side of them that allow multiple replays to be banked into one unit for convenient mounting. I got these and the 30 amp relays from Jcar in New Lynn.

I disconnected the low beam positive wire from the original 3 pin H4 bulb connector and then connected it to pin 85 on the new low beam relay.

I disconnected the high beam positive wire from the original 3 pin H4 bulb connector and connected it to pin 85 on the high beam relay.

I disconnected the earth wire from the original H4 bulb connector and connected it to pin 86 of both of the new relays.

I could have just made interconnections from the existing H4 bulb to the relays - but it is best to remove the original H4 connector entirely as parts left out don't go wrong and the wiring is much tidier without it.

A single positive 12 gauge wire is run directly from the battery (through a 15 amp waterproof in-line fuse fitted next to the battery) up to the front of the bike and then connected it to pin 30 of each relay. 12 gauge is probably overkill and 14 gauge would work just as well but the advantage of 12 gauge is that it comes with nice thick insulation.

Wiring directly from the battery in this manner (rather than from the main fuse in the fuse block) has the advantage of bypassing the 'general' relay (Main relay that turns on when you turn your key on). Ensuring that you have the minimum number of components in the head light current path, and reducing the physical length of the circuit decreases the resistance in the circuit and minimises voltage drop.

I then ran a short 14 gauge wire from pin 87 of the low beam relay to the low beam connection of the H4 bulb connector and another short 14 gauge wire from pin 87 of the high beam relay to the high beam connection on the H4 bulb connector.

Rather than reuse the original H4 bulb connector, (that I removed earlier) to connect the outputs of the new relays to the head light, I threw it away and replaced it with a new one. A brand new one gives you new clean low resistance connections. Also modern H4 bulb connectors made of modern plastics possibly have a higher melting point than the older ones.

A 12 gauge negative wire is from the negative wire of the new H4 connector to the main frame of the bike (not the headlight) sub frame to ensure a good earth. You could also run this right back to the battery, but I perceived no advantage to this.

All connections have been both crimped and soldered (and double heat wrapped where appropriate) to minimise the chances of bad connections in the future.

I could now run higher wattage bulbs without any risk of burning out my wiring or melting the H4 connector, etc but due to my earlier experience where I think running a 55/100W bulb contributed to the reflector material disappearing off the inside of my original head light reflector I will stick with the standard 55/60 watt bulb.

Ride Magazine in the UK in their April 2010 issue ran a performance shoot out of H4 bulbs and concluded that the Philips X-treme Power bulbs vastly out performed the 17 other bulbs on test. So I may upgrade to one of these in the future.

Hope this is of help to someone else. If I get a chance I may draw up and post a wiring diagram later.

We are beginning to do more bikemotive (bikie version of automotive? ...another chance to copyright another word?) electronic stuff. If anyone needs any help with doing this they are welcome to call us.

[FastBikeGear]

Just a further follow up to my post above.

I recently upgraded to the new Philips X-tremeVision 100+ bulb . These bulbs are the new replacement for the Philip X-tremePower bulbs that had previously won nearly every product shoot out test by the bike Magazines such as UK RiDE Magazine.

These bulbs draw the same power and consequently current as a standard bulb but are much more efficient at turning this power into light ...and also directing it in a clearly focused beam as intended by your reflector.

The 80+ and 100+ ratings that are now being used by bulb manufacturers are really just a beam focus rating. A 100+ bulb doesn't put out any more light than an 80+ bulb but it does put more of it's light where the reflector designs it to go. This is achieved by using a tighter coil filament to create a tighter light point source.

Anyway the Philips X-TremeVision 100+ bulbs are not generally available in New Zealand as Philips don't believe motorcyclists will pay $45 NZ per bulb to be more visible and get more light on the road. I rang all over New Zealand before contacting Philips to find out that they weren't going to import them to N.Z.

Because these bulbs draw the same power and current as a standard bulb they will not cook the reflective material off the inside of your headlight and they will not fry your standard wiring or connector plugs (as I managed to do to a $700 Ducati head light in an earlier quest to uprate my lighting).

As a result FastBikeGear.co.nz has imported a limited quantity of these bulbs directly from Europe and if their proves to be a demand for them we will continue to hold them in stock.

[Kathryn42]

Just a further follow up to my post above.

I recently upgraded to the new Philips X-tremeVision 100+ bulb . These bulbs are the new replacement for the Philip X-tremePower bulbs that had previously won nearly every product shoot out test by the bike Magazines such as UK RiDE Magazine.

These bulbs draw the same power and consequently current as a standard bulb but are much more efficient at turning this power into light ...and also directing it in a clearly focused beam as intended by your reflector.

The 80+ and 100+ ratings that are now being used by bulb manufacturers are really just a beam focus rating. A 100+ bulb doesn't put out any more light than an 80+ bulb but it does put more of it's light where the reflector designs it to go. This is achieved by using a tighter coil filament to create a tighter light point source.

Anyway the Philips X-TremeVision 100+ bulbs are not generally available in New Zealand as Philips don't believe motorcyclists will pay $45 NZ per bulb to be more visible and get more light on the road. I rang all over New Zealand before contacting Philips to find out that they weren't going to import them to N.Z.

Because these bulbs draw the same power and current as a standard bulb they will not cook the reflective material off the inside of your headlight and they will not fry your standard wiring or connector plugs (as I managed to do to a $700 Ducati head light in an earlier quest to uprate my lighting).

As a result FastBikeGear.co.nz has imported a limited quantity of these bulbs directly from Europe and if their proves to be a demand for them we will continue to hold them in stock.

OK... it's 2014 now. Do you still have these bulbs super-duper Phillips bulbs?
I have an HID kit on my old 1988CBR600 and the beam pattern is excellent, better in fact than with a halogen bulb. I have ridden extensively at night, and even on high beam have not had a single 'flash' from other road users. The cut-off is much sharper with the HID bulb in the Honda, and visibility and reach is so much better. The beam pattern is very much like that in my car with 4 headlights on high beam in both spread and intensity (a bit better for the latter probably!). Perhaps I am just lucky that it works so well, but it does. I was not amused to find that my lovely new lights are technically illegal.
If I am forced to take the HID kit out for a WOF, I want something a LOT better than the standard rig, which is pathetic.... Your special bulbs sound pretty good; so do you still stock them please?

[FastBikeGear]

OK... it's 2014 now. Do you still have these bulbs super-duper Phillips bulbs?
I have an HID kit on my old 1988CBR600 and the beam pattern is excellent, better in fact than with a halogen bulb. I have ridden extensively at night, and even on high beam have not had a single 'flash' from other road users. The cut-off is much sharper with the HID bulb in the Honda, and visibility and reach is so much better. The beam pattern is very much like that in my car with 4 headlights on high beam in both spread and intensity (a bit better for the latter probably!). Perhaps I am just lucky that it works so well, but it does. I was not amused to find that my lovely new lights are technically illegal.
If I am forced to take the HID kit out for a WOF, I want something a LOT better than the standard rig, which is pathetic.... Your special bulbs sound pretty good; so do you still stock them please?

Sorry we sold that shipment pretty quickly. I recently had to replace the Philips X-treme bulb in my bike and I got one of the super duper 100 plus bulbs from local auotmotive store..... It's pathetically dim compared to what the Philips bulb was.

[Kathryn42]

Ummmm... just found some online, $56NZ for two... Please ignore previous post... :rolleyes:

[Kathryn42]

Here's my source......
http://www.powerbulbs.com/product/philips-xtreme-vision-h4-car-headlight-bulbs

Free delivery to NZ too... :)

[Erelyes]

Here's where I see things.

What some places such as retro fit source (http://www.theretrofitsource.com/) offer is a complete projector that is compact enough to fit inside many housings. Here's an example in an 07 R6 (http://www.theretrofitsource.com/case-studies/sport-bike-retrofit.html).

Fitment can be advanced depending on the bike. Some will need the headlights baked to get the lenses off. Older round style headlights should be fine.

Now, my argument would be that fitting the entire projector assembly into the housing is legal (provided it meets standards), because it in no way relies on the existing light housing to be anything other than a physical mounting point. The halogen reflector is not used.

I appreciate the concerns in your original post FastBikeGear that the 'flip' systems they offer (bulb constantly on, and a high/main cutoff) have the disadvantage that you have only a single bulb, and if that blows you're stuffed. I agree; I think duals (like the above R6) would be safer. One could even leave one light standard (for day use) and have the other HID (either main/high switched, or solely high).

The above site supplies lights in either LHD or RHD variants so cutoff will be correct. Kits are around $270US (http://www.theretrofitsource.com/complete-retrofit-kits/motorcycle-stage-iii-kit-dual-headlight.html#.U3MfQ_mLHVI) plus shipping, customs, etc.

I think the R6 above uses dual 35w bulbs.

If anyone is worried about them being too bright during the day, simply wire in a pair of optional DRLs (Daytime Running Lamps). The law is more flexible on them - you're allowed an optional pair. Basically they have to be wired to turn off if the headlights are on; they have to make the bike more visible; there must be a pair; and they mustn't dazzle people. A pair of 1.5w or 3w LEDs, or a cluster of LEDs, would work a treat.

You can even get 'halos' for the above light kits for an additional US$50 that would do the trick nicely.

[nzspokes]

Here's where I see things.

What some places such as retro fit source (http://www.theretrofitsource.com/) offer is a complete projector that is compact enough to fit inside many housings. Here's an example in an 07 R6 (http://www.theretrofitsource.com/case-studies/sport-bike-retrofit.html).

Fitment can be advanced depending on the bike. Some will need the headlights baked to get the lenses off. Older round style headlights should be fine.

Now, my argument would be that fitting the entire projector assembly into the housing is legal (provided it meets standards), because it in no way relies on the existing light housing to be anything other than a physical mounting point. The halogen reflector is not used.

I appreciate the concerns in your original post FastBikeGear that the 'flip' systems they offer (bulb constantly on, and a high/main cutoff) have the disadvantage that you have only a single bulb, and if that blows you're stuffed. I agree; I think duals (like the above R6) would be safer. One could even leave one light standard (for day use) and have the other HID (either main/high switched, or solely high).

The above site supplies lights in either LHD or RHD variants so cutoff will be correct. Kits are around $270US (http://www.theretrofitsource.com/complete-retrofit-kits/motorcycle-stage-iii-kit-dual-headlight.html#.U3MfQ_mLHVI) plus shipping, customs, etc.

I think the R6 above uses dual 35w bulbs.

If anyone is worried about them being too bright during the day, simply wire in a pair of optional DRLs (Daytime Running Lamps). The law is more flexible on them - you're allowed an optional pair. Basically they have to be wired to turn off if the headlights are on; they have to make the bike more visible; there must be a pair; and they mustn't dazzle people. A pair of 1.5w or 3w LEDs, or a cluster of LEDs, would work a treat.

You can even get 'halos' for the above light kits for an additional US$50 that would do the trick nicely.

If see some on a US bike site that are H4 LEDs. Photos show them to be a lot brighter than halogen but do the give more light to see with?

[Erelyes]

If see some on a US bike site that are H4 LEDs. Photos show them to be a lot brighter than halogen but do the give more light to see with?

Got a link? I don't think they'd throw as much light down the road as an HID.

Last I knew around 3W was the limit for an SMD LED but perhaps they've advanced further?

[nzspokes]

Got a link? I don't think they'd throw as much light down the road as an HID.

Last I knew around 3W was the limit for an SMD LED but perhaps they've advanced further?

http://www.cyclopsadventuresports.com/3600-Lumen-H4-H6M-LED-Headlight-bulb-_p_83.html

[nzspokes]

And a thread on them, http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=948701

[bogan]

That's a pretty good rundown Erelyes. Last I heard LEDs were still having problems with bulb heat, while they may be more efficient overall, their waste heat is more concentrated to convection, instead of radiation like other bulb types. I don't think LED ones are compliant either.

Also on the horizon are laser beam headlights, actually I wonder if BMW have done more on that.
Edit, looks like Audi beat them to production model http://www.gizmag.com/audi-laserlight-concept/30272/

[nzspokes]

Reading through the ADV thread, they seem to have good results from them.

[bogan]

Reading through the ADV thread, they seem to have good results from them.

Did they do beam pattern comparisons or is it just off road and fuck-other-road-users work?

[nzspokes]

Did they do beam pattern comparisons or is it just off road and fuck-other-road-users work?

Try reading the thread.

[bogan]

Try reading the thread.

It's like a majillion pages, figured if you'd read it already you could let me know the relevant bits...

[nzspokes]

From what i have read its a middle ground between HID and halogen. And no body is saying they startle traffic coming the other way.

[bogan]

From what i have read its a middle ground between HID and halogen. And no body is saying they startle traffic coming the other way.

So, no then.

Here is one I've found online (http://www.thunderbird1600.com/csp/thunderbird/ForumPosts.csp?InId=8408&InCategoryId=2&InLocation=(General-Accessories.-H4%20LED%20Headlight%20-%20Not%20Ready%20for%20Primetime)&InSkin=BlackKnight)

297071

So... yeh, if them ones you're looking at are anything like those, do NZ motorists a favor and give em a miss eh!

[FastBikeGear]

I like the idea of HID lights, I think properly fitted they are a good idea. Unfortunately last time I checked they were illegal on motorbikes (unless the bike had a self leveling headlight.) Hopefully the law on this may have already changed or will change in the future.

[bogan]

I like the idea of HID lights, I think properly fitted they are a good idea. Unfortunately last time I checked they were illegal on motorbikes (unless the bike had a self leveling headlight.) Hopefully the law on this may have already changed or will change in the future.

Shit's all G as long as it has the correct optics (projector), completely illegal (and rightly so) if you just bung an HID bulb into the halogen suited reflector. Mine has an HID and the wof guys just flick it on the beam viewer then give it the thumbs up.

[nzspokes]

Shit's all G as long as it has the correct optics (projector), completely illegal (and rightly so) if you just bung an HID bulb into the halogen suited reflector. Mine has an HID and the wof guys just flick it on the beam viewer then give it the thumbs up.

So your telling me not to get an LED when you have HID?

[bogan]

So your telling me not to get an LED when you have HID?

Unless you can find an led setup that even comes close to the beam pattern of hid, then yes that's exactly what I'm telling you.

[Erelyes]

I like the idea of HID lights, I think properly fitted they are a good idea. Unfortunately last time I checked they were illegal on motorbikes (unless the bike had a self leveling headlight.) Hopefully the law on this may have already changed or will change in the future.

Nope. Self-levelling is a requirement in some US states I think, but not here

[FastBikeGear]

Nope. Self-levelling is a requirement in some US states I think, but not here


Yay just as everyone above has stated. I looked through the Land Transport Act 1998 and subsequent ammendments to the ac t and there now seems to be no mention of the need for HID lights to incorporate a slef levelling system. The act and amendment are constantly being advised and amended and there have been a few other interesting changes lately.


"The changes aim to ensure New Zealand's requirements reflect the needs of vehicle operators, are in line with current overseas standards and practice, and can accommodate changing lighting technology, while ensuring that vehicles continue to be operated safely."


ref: http://vehicleinspection.nzta.govt.nz/virms/in-service-wof-and-cof/general/lighting/headlamps

A high-intensity discharge (HID or Xenon HID) conversion kit consists of an HID bulb with a high voltage power output or ‘ballast’ which fits into the original headlamp unit in place of the original bulb with no change to the headlamp lens, reflector or housing.

It is illegal to fit an HID conversion kit to a vehicle as it brings the headlamp out of standards compliance by producing poor beam patterns and light that is far too bright to be safe. The bulbs can also produce light that is noticeably blue and not the required substantially white or amber colour. Vehicle and headlamp manufacturers do not permit this modification, and these kits cannot be LVV certified.

It is permitted to replace a complete halogen headlamp unit with a complete HID headlamp unit.

However the headlamp unit with a compelte HID headlamp unit must still meet the lighting standards. New Zealand pretty much adpts the Australian ADR standards for lights....real fun to wade through!!

But in a quick scan I couldn't find anything that specifically referred to HID headlamps.


http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2006L02294/Download

[Taxythingy]

But in a quick scan I couldn't find anything that specifically referred to HID headlamps.

Na. As all good legislation should, it doesn't let you know where you can find the specific thing you are looking for. This document only covers filament lamps, which pretty successfully excludes HIDs.

What you probably want is this one for discharge lamps:
http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2006L02305/Download