looks good... did u purchase the extension they have on their site or were u able to relocate the ballast with the stock harness

 

Sorry man, I've done plenty of research and have read information both like yours and against yours. I've done this for my bike and also for installation in a Corvette. I've also personally seen these aftermarket installs in both bikes and Vettes.

I've drawn my own conclusions from personal experience and plenty of research. A proper HID installation requires special projector lenses. Failure to replace the optics will result in an "adequate" result at best.

 

I have to agree with Joe Diver here. I have HID's in my truck without projectors and yes it is illegal and yes it makes sence. The reason being is that in a vehicle not equiped with HID's uses a reflective housing that reflects and broadcast the light in a wide pattern like \ / HID's use a projector housing so that it gives a beam patter like | | so that it has a sharp cutoff line to keep the brighter light from being cast into the oncoming lane, The earlier photos ilistrate this perfectly, notice the absence of the cutoff line due to being in a reflective housing. Anyone that says that an HID in a refective housing isn't blinding needs to drive down a two lane towards my truck some night. Is it annoying for others, yes. Do I get flashed all the time, yes. Will I put one in my bike, no. I would love the extra light, but I run straight shots with no baffles so I go to the end of the pack when riding with others and I don't want to be blinding my riding partners.

 

Love your ride that's one sick looking bike, oh and welcome to the world of light!

Well yes and no... Been running aftermarket HID's in my bikes since roughly 2003. Much better light and a lot more dependable then the old halogen bulb. They also require less wattage to run (roughly 22-35 watts) and IMOP outperform my 75 watt high beam in every aspect without blinding the on coming traffic. But, as said above if you don't position the HID correctly in your reflector style housing problems can and do arise... One common problem is the reflection point for the light, I've seen the tree tops lit up from an improperly adjusted light or bulb. Sometimes a little trial and error is required, I always recommend relocating the position of the HID return wire from the bottom to the top position if any of these problems arise after you attempt to reposition the lamp housing without effect... Now about that projection housing statement, simply NOT true! Folks HID's have been used in both reflector style housing as well as the projector style from the very on set of there inception. Case in point - Lexus IS 300, Factory HID Reflector housing set-up... With a little caution and knowledge all the previous short comings but one can be over come! The only one that cannot is the DOT requirement.. This in IMOP is the best modification you can do to your ride for little or no $$

 

You are correct KS...not all vehicles use the projector lens. There are installations of HID using reflective optics, BUT, these housing are designed from the ground up for the HID bulb and required pattern. Reusing a housing designed for a standard halogen bulb simply throws a bright white light in the same pattern designed for halogen bulbs. Frequently this brighter, whiter light also reveals flaws in the optics (reflections, shadows, stray patterns) that wouldn't be otherwise visible. I can see this using a Silverstar Ultra in my factory housing, just as I saw it using Silverstars in my Jeep and Corvette. The Jeep wasn't as bad though because the Silverstars were a complete replacement (sealed beam), but the Vette was egregious. Putting in an HID bulb only magnifies this.

There is simply no escaping this, no matter what people claim or want to sell you. I'm only an informed consumer who has done quite a bit of research into this and personally experienced these lighting changes. I have no product to promote or sell.

 

KS...Tell me how you're going to ajust the bulb so it doesn't move AT ALL due to vibration or other factors and stays aimed PERFECTLY in a housing NOT designed for its use? Just a 1/10mm move could make a huge difference.
And what's a "return wire"?
My HID has plenty of wiring coming out the back and none are relocatable.

 

Couple of really good questions... Depending on the kit you purchased will limit or inhibit your ability to do just this! But, if you did your homework prior to making this purchase the base for your HID should match the bulb its replacing perfectly. So a simple rotation of the bulb is all that is required... The return wire is the long wire you see connected to the tip and bottom of your HID (Glass tube). In a projection based lens it is almost always pointed down, but in a reflective application it can be placed in either the upper most or bottom most location.. The light emitted from your HID bulb should be greatly influenced by the positioning of this feature. In fact a yellowish tint/color is often emitted from the return wire of most if not all HID bulbs.
IF the kit your purchased is one that just doesn't quite live up to this expectation all is not lost... It can be (although painfully) installed/adjusted as a fixed assembly using a silicon based adhesive! First thing to check out is the focal point of your light after installation, this will help narrow down your choice of solutions. Start by finding a level slab that is adjacent to a wall you can shine your headlight on. Now its very important to make sure its level so don't skimp on this step. Next, measure the approx center of your headlight from the ground up. Take this measurement and place a taped X on the adjacent wall at this exact height... You will need to be approx 25 feet from this structure with your rides lights shining towards it. The idea is to make sure your beam is aimed correctly... The light should hit the X, IF your unable to adjust your headlight beam to make this happen reasonably then its time to start trouble shooting like I mentioned above (Rotating/Relocating the HID bulb return wire)... Hope this helps

 

KS..What your looking at is a real HID light, not conversion crap.
Nothing is "movable".
Return wire???
Return from what?
Are talking about switching the hot and neutral?
The bulb doesn't care which end is connected to what, it works THE SAME either way.
It's not sensitive to the flow of current.
I don't think you know what you're looking at, or talking about either.

 

If you do happen to ride at night in a group on a busy highway, do the pack a favor and stay up front. I rode last week in a group and one guy had the install. He pretty much blinded the other riders in front of him. Could not see anything coming up from behind us. Didn't feel comfortable changing lanes while his light was behind us. It does look cool though on bikes. (from afar...)

 

I understand your frustration but if you'll give me a few I'll try and explain the best that I can...
By "Real" do you mean DOT approved for your motorcycle? I'm merely trying to lend a hand to anyone looking for some answers that might help solve a particular problem with their after market HID set-up. IF your system is not DOT approved and exhibits some of the conditions mentioned above a couple of real quick things to check out before abandoning your HID can be found there/here. Now about that return wire here is a picture showing the wire in question. Its the white wire on the left hand side of the glass tube. I hope this helps to clear up some of the confusion....