Plug & Play HID Conversion?
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,785
Likes: 5
From: Louisiana
The end result is usually a HUGE increase in brightness for a pretty cheap price(You could usually do the HID conversion for ~$100). Here's a good point of reference of the difference. Here's an HID conversion I did in my brother's sport ATV a couple years back. Top pic is the factory high beam, second pic is with the HID conversion. Ever notice all those vehicles on the roads that the headlights have a blueish tint? Those are likely HIDs.
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,051
Likes: 7
Very likely true, and it's all personal preference but I hate the bluish tint. If you order from ddmtuning, you can select the bulb temp (color). 5000K is the closest you'll get to white before it starts turning blue, and it is very pleasing on the eyes while driving. Leave the ridiculous blue colors to the ricers.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,705
Likes: 2
From: D.C.
HID stands for High Intensity Discharge. The headlight bulb doesn't use an incandescent wire, but strikes a spark between two terminals. To achieve that it uses a high frequency AC current, not DC like normal bulbs, and the ballast referred to creates that special voltage.
The resulting light is a much higher temperature than a normal bulb and hence also much brighter. They are common on recent high end cars.
An HID conversion is best done with a high quality reflector, such as Hella, Bosch or Cibie, to get the best beam onto the road. Harley stock reflectors leave a lot to be desired!
Hope that helps!
The resulting light is a much higher temperature than a normal bulb and hence also much brighter. They are common on recent high end cars.
An HID conversion is best done with a high quality reflector, such as Hella, Bosch or Cibie, to get the best beam onto the road. Harley stock reflectors leave a lot to be desired!
Hope that helps!
Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 725
Likes: 3
From: Hagerstown, MD
what is the bulb type for our bikes, It's freakin unbelieveable but I have spent about 15 minutes searching the internet for it, checked the service manual, and even checked the HD catalog and no where does it list the damn bulb type. I believe it's H13, correct?
Also , where is everyone mounting their balasts?
It would be great if it fit into the lens housing but I doubt it will, mounting this thing could be a major PITA.
Also , where is everyone mounting their balasts?
It would be great if it fit into the lens housing but I doubt it will, mounting this thing could be a major PITA.
Last edited by 06Sporty75; Nov 3, 2011 at 07:37 PM.
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,051
Likes: 7
what is the bulb type for our bikes, It's freakin unbelieveable but I have spent about 15 minutes searching the internet for it, checked the service manual, and even checked the HD catalog and no where does it list the damn bulb type. I believe it's H13, correct?
Also , where is everyone mounting their balasts?
It would be great if it fit into the lens housing but I doubt it will, mounting this thing could be a major PITA.
Also , where is everyone mounting their balasts?
It would be great if it fit into the lens housing but I doubt it will, mounting this thing could be a major PITA.
You are not going to be able to mount the ballast in the lens housing. You MIGHT be able to fit it under the eyebrow. When I wire up my girl's sporty, I am going to put the ballast under the saddle, and simply extend the wires up to the front of the bike. If you're willing to splice/solder a little, your possibilities for hiding it expand exponentially. Other locations would be to attach it to the battery box, or perhaps under the tank. I've seen one strapped to the side of the frame left side, but I did not care for it.
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 26
Likes: 1
I used the pure white kit from VLEDS, it has the moving bulb so a single bulb is for hi and low. The price has changed for the kit over the last couple of years.
The moving bulb is bigger so it may not fit all headlight housings. It barely fit in my 09. I had to make the wire hole a bit larger to get the hid harness plug through, and had to take apart the stock headlight plug and put it back together after pulling the wires through. All that is under the tank now. These kits are made to plug right into the bikes headlight plug and all that may not fit in the housing. The bulb will move forward and back to reflect the light at the proper angle for hi or low. If you look at your regular headlight bulb, the filiments for hi and low are at different places, so the angle of light reflecting out is different. You don't really need a higher wattage bulb for hi beam, just a different angle. Think of a loaded down pickup with the front end pointed up driving towards you at night, looks like hi beams......
http://www.v-leds.com/HID-Xenon/H4-9...61321-1-2.html
Here's a pic of how I didn't hide mine,
Also, it helped to remove that brass bulb cover thing inside the housing, you have to break it because part of it is used to hold the bulb in you'll see what I mean.
I ride my bike to work a lot durring the summer, and I get off anywhere between midnight and 4am, so the ride home is always at night, on country roads, over a little mountain, fog, rain, etc. And I would not do it if I didn't have the HID light. I did it once when I had the stock light, and I thought about trading in the bike....
Good luck with whichever kit you use.
The moving bulb is bigger so it may not fit all headlight housings. It barely fit in my 09. I had to make the wire hole a bit larger to get the hid harness plug through, and had to take apart the stock headlight plug and put it back together after pulling the wires through. All that is under the tank now. These kits are made to plug right into the bikes headlight plug and all that may not fit in the housing. The bulb will move forward and back to reflect the light at the proper angle for hi or low. If you look at your regular headlight bulb, the filiments for hi and low are at different places, so the angle of light reflecting out is different. You don't really need a higher wattage bulb for hi beam, just a different angle. Think of a loaded down pickup with the front end pointed up driving towards you at night, looks like hi beams......
http://www.v-leds.com/HID-Xenon/H4-9...61321-1-2.html
Here's a pic of how I didn't hide mine,
Also, it helped to remove that brass bulb cover thing inside the housing, you have to break it because part of it is used to hold the bulb in you'll see what I mean.
I ride my bike to work a lot durring the summer, and I get off anywhere between midnight and 4am, so the ride home is always at night, on country roads, over a little mountain, fog, rain, etc. And I would not do it if I didn't have the HID light. I did it once when I had the stock light, and I thought about trading in the bike....
Good luck with whichever kit you use.
Last edited by Frank B; Nov 5, 2011 at 09:37 AM.
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Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 26
Likes: 1
Here's a few threads from the XLforum that may help you.
it may screw with the security system at startup. The security system doesn't like the amp draw. just wait a few seconds after you turn the key to allow the headlight to warm up before hitting the start button. It uses more amps at startup then after warmed up.
http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/s...d.php?t=806079
http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/s....php?t=1073060
http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/s...d.php?t=819565
it may screw with the security system at startup. The security system doesn't like the amp draw. just wait a few seconds after you turn the key to allow the headlight to warm up before hitting the start button. It uses more amps at startup then after warmed up.
http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/s...d.php?t=806079
http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/s....php?t=1073060
http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/s...d.php?t=819565
It should be an H4 I believe. The HID lamp that doubles as a hi/lo, at least the ones with which I am familiar, actually use a magnet to move the bulb forward/backward to adjust the beam pattern, rather than have two separate filaments as in incandescent type lamps.
You are not going to be able to mount the ballast in the lens housing. You MIGHT be able to fit it under the eyebrow. When I wire up my girl's sporty, I am going to put the ballast under the saddle, and simply extend the wires up to the front of the bike. If you're willing to splice/solder a little, your possibilities for hiding it expand exponentially. Other locations would be to attach it to the battery box, or perhaps under the tank. I've seen one strapped to the side of the frame left side, but I did not care for it.
You are not going to be able to mount the ballast in the lens housing. You MIGHT be able to fit it under the eyebrow. When I wire up my girl's sporty, I am going to put the ballast under the saddle, and simply extend the wires up to the front of the bike. If you're willing to splice/solder a little, your possibilities for hiding it expand exponentially. Other locations would be to attach it to the battery box, or perhaps under the tank. I've seen one strapped to the side of the frame left side, but I did not care for it.
and would the 35w single act just as a hi/low beam as in car hid kits?where its bright enough that you can just run the low single?
getting mine from ddmtunning...hella cheaper than hid country. i thought high priced hid kits were already phased out,almost a $100 for an had kit its nuts when u can purchase them for cars less than that..this isnt 1999. thanks for the tip!