Member Contributer mwebb66 Posted October 17, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted October 17, 2012 Looking at this kit on fleabay for my 2008: http://www.ebay.com/itm/221090940810?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649 This kit has one slim ballast and igniter, so it should be more compact than most other kits. Has anybody bought this one, if so good/bad/ advice? any other kits preferred? ones to stay away from? you know the drill....... From everything I have read so far, looks like most stick with the 8000k illumination. I kind of like the 10000k was thinking of ordering that - has anybody experimented with the different intensity's? kind of hard to do "real world" i know not very realistic. thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veefer800Canuck Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 http://www.wiremybike.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer mwebb66 Posted October 17, 2012 Author Member Contributer Share Posted October 17, 2012 Just looked at the site, thanks Veefer - question - why nothing over 6000k intensity offered there? Do you guys prefer each have its own ballast? do they tend to fail quickly or burn out bulbs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veefer800Canuck Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 As the light gets into the higher 'K levels, blue transitioning to purple, it gets useless for lighting the road. The ricers and BMW/merc fanbois love them because they look kewl, but you really can't see a damn thing once you leave the city limits at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer 34468Randy Posted October 17, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted October 17, 2012 I have the Nova HID lights. They are nice and bright but to be quite honest with you, I would never buy them again. Between the four I have on my bike, and the four I have on my truck, I have replaced the ballasts at least 4 or 5 times in two years. They are lifetime warranty but the dealer who sells them in the lower mainland of BC moves his business more often that I wash my bike. Usually when I show up for a new ballast, he is not there and has passed the problem off to one of his partners or staff. If I were to do it all over again, I would go for the Pias. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Phantom Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 As the light gets into the higher 'K levels, blue transitioning to purple, it gets useless for lighting the road. The ricers and BMW/merc fanbois love them because they look kewl, but you really can't see a damn thing once you leave the city limits at night. And you definitely don't want to try to drive/ride in the rain at night with HIDs of higher temperature than 6000k. As Randy said, cheaper kits don't last very long, you need to spend a bit to get reliable hardware. A better option than just slinging HID lamps into reflectors not designed for them is to fit HID projectors. If you are happy to take the housing apart - it's easy - then these things are just about plug and play... the projector is designed to fit into a H4 housing and is secured by threaded lockrings, and then you get sensational low/high beam but without blinding oncoming drivers, because the projector has a very good cut-off pattern. http://www.theretrofitsource.com/product_info.php?products_id=927 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer vanion2 Posted October 17, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted October 17, 2012 Putting HID bulbs in your stock housing is bad for oncoming traffic and illegal. Don't be part of that crowd. If you want to do it right look here: http://www.theretrof...e.com/index.php Retro fit is the only way to go. Also cheap ballasts = crappy flickering and lower bulb output and life. Each bulb should have its own ballast. That's how they are designed. Stay away from eBay for your components because you get what you pay for. I replaced my cheap Xentec ballasts with the Morimoto ballasts at the site above and the difference was huge using the same bulbs. The cost was significantly more but the quality was worth it to me. I don't want to keep swapping ballasts or bulbs every couple of years. Everytime I see someone running cheesy HID bulbs in their stock housings I just turn on my MR2 lights and when the projectors drown out their crappy spread it makes me grin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viffer88 Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 http://www.wiremybike.com/ +1 on this kit for quality. This is from a VFRD member. http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/60987-completedcustom-hid-conversion-kit/ With that said, just want to also point out that simply swapping in the HID bulb is not legal. Neither is going over the speed limit... If you simply install a regular 8000K halogen bulb and do a side by side comparison with a regular halogen bulb, both of same wattage, and aim it at a garage door from 20 feet away, you'll observe the regular halogen bulb puts out a well defined cut-off pattern. The 8000K bulb on the other hand would not have that same well defined cut-off pattern. You'll find light bleeding into the area above the cut-off pattern. This is due to light scatter at the higher color temperatures. Now if you switch those bulbs to HIDs of same color temps, the same effect is amplified due to the higher lumens (brightness) output. This means you will not only be throwing glare into oncoming traffic, but also with greater intensity. More info on cause and effect of glare: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1771460/ Conclusion, if you have the $$ and want to do it right, do a "retrofit". In fact, put together a kit and a step by step You Tube vid, and share/sell it here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer texasvfr Posted October 17, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted October 17, 2012 Have had good service from the kit from Cycle-Gear tm. - got two sets last year at Christmas time for half price,about $55 for a set. Must be bright because a bud got a ticket from LEO who was following his bike and the LEO saw the brightness from behind him when the the traffic cleared and he switched them on. Have put kits in 2 different bikes in the stock nacells and have not had a problem. Do not ride much at night however, because of where I live. Will not put a kit in the 6 gen because the stock lights are MUCH better than the 5 gen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer JZH Posted October 20, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted October 20, 2012 If you simply install a regular 8000K halogen bulb and do a side by side comparison with a regular halogen bulb, both of same wattage, and aim it at a garage door from 20 feet away, you'll observe the regular halogen bulb puts out a well defined cut-off pattern. The 8000K bulb on the other hand would not have that same well defined cut-off pattern. You'll find light bleeding into the area above the cut-off pattern. This is due to light scatter at the higher color temperatures. Now if you switch those bulbs to HIDs of same color temps, the same effect is amplified due to the higher lumens (brightness) output. This means you will not only be throwing glare into oncoming traffic, but also with greater intensity. I've been "into" HIDs/xenons for several years and have never heard what you describe. What is your source for this? I've never heard of anyone referring to halogens by color temperature, either. Nor does it make sense to me that the color temperature would affect the direction of the reflected light above the cut-off. But I'm happy to be proven wrong... Ciao, 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reaper7767 Posted October 20, 2012 Share Posted October 20, 2012 http://www.wiremybike.com/ +1 on this kit for quality. This is from a VFRD member. http://www.vfrdiscus...conversion-kit/ With that said, just want to also point out that simply swapping in the HID bulb is not legal. Neither is going over the speed limit... If you simply install a regular 8000K halogen bulb and do a side by side comparison with a regular halogen bulb, both of same wattage, and aim it at a garage door from 20 feet away, you'll observe the regular halogen bulb puts out a well defined cut-off pattern. The 8000K bulb on the other hand would not have that same well defined cut-off pattern. You'll find light bleeding into the area above the cut-off pattern. This is due to light scatter at the higher color temperatures. Now if you switch those bulbs to HIDs of same color temps, the same effect is amplified due to the higher lumens (brightness) output. This means you will not only be throwing glare into oncoming traffic, but also with greater intensity. More info on cause and effect of glare: http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC1771460/ Conclusion, if you have the $$ and want to do it right, do a "retrofit". In fact, put together a kit and a step by step You Tube vid, and share/sell it here. it is a federal law that you CAN NOT use plug-&-play kits anymore since 2010 (using a HID light in a reflector housing) FMVSS 108, retro fits on the other had are in a "grey" area at the moment. the only exceptions that ive found are like the 2008 Subaru STI's and a VERY few others like it, were they use HID's in a reflector housing from the OEM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest honduhmatic Posted October 20, 2012 Share Posted October 20, 2012 My last bike had horrible headlights, so I put in a 35W 8000k DDM Tuning HID kit. (8000k to look cool, I guess you could accuse me of being ricey...) They threw out a crapload of light. I had the low beam aimed down so people didn't flash highbeams at me. The bike (2nd gen Bandit) had a glass projector from the factory - there were hot spots through it, but nothing too bad and overall there was way more light. I also retrofitted a headlight relay with a direct tie-in to the battery. I actually did the upgrade to improve the lighting, and it worked well for cheaply. The next option would've been to cut apart the headlight plates and wire in H7 low/high beams but that would've cost twice as much. That said, on my 5th gen VFR I see no need for this mod because the factory headlights are so good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viffer88 Posted October 20, 2012 Share Posted October 20, 2012 If you simply install a regular 8000K halogen bulb and do a side by side comparison with a regular halogen bulb, both of same wattage, and aim it at a garage door from 20 feet away, you'll observe the regular halogen bulb puts out a well defined cut-off pattern. The 8000K bulb on the other hand would not have that same well defined cut-off pattern. You'll find light bleeding into the area above the cut-off pattern. This is due to light scatter at the higher color temperatures. Now if you switch those bulbs to HIDs of same color temps, the same effect is amplified due to the higher lumens (brightness) output. This means you will not only be throwing glare into oncoming traffic, but also with greater intensity. I've been "into" HIDs/xenons for several years and have never heard what you describe. What is your source for this? I've never heard of anyone referring to halogens by color temperature, either. Nor does it make sense to me that the color temperature would affect the direction of the reflected light above the cut-off. But I'm happy to be proven wrong... Ciao, Check out the post by MIBagentQ in this forum: http://www.rx7club.com/canadian-forum-42/hid-lights-761233/ For halogen color temperature just Google, you guessed it, "halogen color temperature". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viffer88 Posted October 20, 2012 Share Posted October 20, 2012 Google is your friend. Check out pictures posted up by Whitebird00. http://www.allfordmustangs.com/forums/2011-v6-mustang-tech/358477-good-quality-hid-conversion-kits.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer JZH Posted October 21, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted October 21, 2012 If you simply install a regular 8000K halogen bulb and do a side by side comparison with a regular halogen bulb, both of same wattage, and aim it at a garage door from 20 feet away, you'll observe the regular halogen bulb puts out a well defined cut-off pattern. The 8000K bulb on the other hand would not have that same well defined cut-off pattern. You'll find light bleeding into the area above the cut-off pattern. This is due to light scatter at the higher color temperatures. Now if you switch those bulbs to HIDs of same color temps, the same effect is amplified due to the higher lumens (brightness) output. This means you will not only be throwing glare into oncoming traffic, but also with greater intensity. I've been "into" HIDs/xenons for several years and have never heard what you describe. What is your source for this? I've never heard of anyone referring to halogens by color temperature, either. Nor does it make sense to me that the color temperature would affect the direction of the reflected light above the cut-off. But I'm happy to be proven wrong... Ciao, Check out the post by MIBagentQ in this forum: http://www.rx7club.c...-lights-761233/ For halogen color temperature just Google, you guessed it, "halogen color temperature". The first reference directs me to some random internet guy who's made a custom glare shield for his reflector HID conversion--with dubious results. What does this have to do with what I asked you? There was no "side-by-side comparison", there were no pictures of halogen bulbs providing any kind of a cut-off pattern whatsoever, and in fact there was no discussion of color temperature in that thread at all. The second reference, to Google, confirms that (a) nobody refers to automotive halogen bulbs by color temperature, and (b) there is no such thing as an "8000k halogen bulb". Thanks for clearing that up... Ciao, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Duc2V4 Posted October 21, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted October 21, 2012 I found this web site has some good info on HID lighting and I believe I got the link from one of the other HID threads here. http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/conversions.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownAndOutNYC Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 If you simply install a regular 8000K halogen bulb and do a side by side comparison with a regular halogen bulb, both of same wattage, and aim it at a garage door from 20 feet away, you'll observe the regular halogen bulb puts out a well defined cut-off pattern. The 8000K bulb on the other hand would not have that same well defined cut-off pattern. You'll find light bleeding into the area above the cut-off pattern. This is due to light scatter at the higher color temperatures. Now if you switch those bulbs to HIDs of same color temps, the same effect is amplified due to the higher lumens (brightness) output. This means you will not only be throwing glare into oncoming traffic, but also with greater intensity. I've been "into" HIDs/xenons for several years and have never heard what you describe. What is your source for this? I've never heard of anyone referring to halogens by color temperature, either. Nor does it make sense to me that the color temperature would affect the direction of the reflected light above the cut-off. But I'm happy to be proven wrong... Ciao, You haven't heard of it because it is incorrect. Halogen reflectors by design have some light bleed above the cutoff line. The reason this light bleed is so much more apparent with a HID is because of just how much more light a HID outputs compared to a halogen bulb. That is also why using a simple drop in kit is never the right way to do it, because you will have light above the cutoff and will be causing too much light/glare for oncoming traffic. No shield around the HID bulb will prevent this, unless you block off the portion of the halogen reflector used for the high beam entirely. I too recommend the Morimoto Mini retrofits http://www.theretrof...products_id=237. True bi-xenon, simple to install, no glare for oncoming traffic, and best of all, a reflector and projector that was made for a HID light source, so no compromise on light output or spread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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