Touring Headlights - HID?
Road Master
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,049
Likes: 1
From: Brookfield,Il.
We sell a kit that is converted from a car kit, so you get an extra bulb and ballast and I know we were less installed than harley was for the kit. Not sure what were getting for the kit...not my department, but the light is awesome. Especially those back roads.I would have a bike without it, now that I've had it.
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
You asked about the Harley HID kit. I have one on my old dresser (I like proving Harley stuff can be fitted to older bikes!) but do not recommend it. Not only is it very expensive, but only the low beam is HID, the pattern is very poor and the high beam useless! It is great as a daytime light because the low beam is very wide, but don't buy it if you drive at night in the dark.
HDF sponsor Motorcycle Metal does a conversion kit. If I change I will buy a high quality reflector and a kit.
HDF sponsor Motorcycle Metal does a conversion kit. If I change I will buy a high quality reflector and a kit.
Thread Starter
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Advanced
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 58
Likes: 2
grbrown - Thanks for your post about the HD HID. I kind of suspected that. It would sure be a drag to spend that kind of money and not get much from it. Thanks again!
Everyone else - Thanks for your posts. This is exactly the kind of respons I was hoping for. If anyone has any of the options listed in the above posts, please add your comments. I'll watch this thread until it quits getting posts.
JH
Everyone else - Thanks for your posts. This is exactly the kind of respons I was hoping for. If anyone has any of the options listed in the above posts, please add your comments. I'll watch this thread until it quits getting posts.
JH
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,383
Likes: 3
From: Texas City, TX
http://www.motorcyclemetal.com/gpage12.html
The pictures look good but they always do. Motorcycle Metal seems to have a good reputation on this forum so I don't necessarily doubt their advertising but it would be nice to get some feed back from a customer.
Ride Safe,
Steve R.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,307
Likes: 53
From: California
I'm not an expert, by no means, and the little research that I have done, I do know this. To get true performance from a HID bulb (hi and/or low beam) is to use a HID projector lens. In the link I posted, you can see the projector lens in the headlamp. The HD version and all the other kits (mentioned in this post) do not utilize a projector lens. The beam pattern is "scattered" by using a stock headlamp housing or even the HD HID housing. The HID projector lens controls the beam pattern and concentrates it where it should be.
Again, I'm no expert and if I'm not explaining this correctly, someone chime in.
Again, I'm no expert and if I'm not explaining this correctly, someone chime in.
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 867
Likes: 79
From: Bridgewater, NJ
I just added bi-xenons and fogs with a wiring harness to my truck for less then that. I'm all for supporting our vendors but that price is a bit steep. From what I've read, all the kits are pretty much the same. Made in one of 3 plants in China (where else?)
And brypink-Maybe projectors focus the beam better, but you still get much better lighting in the stock bucket with the HID bulbs. Don't let anyone tell you anything different.
Plus I don't know about anyone else but those projectors are just plum ugly.
And brypink-Maybe projectors focus the beam better, but you still get much better lighting in the stock bucket with the HID bulbs. Don't let anyone tell you anything different.
Plus I don't know about anyone else but those projectors are just plum ugly.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,307
Likes: 53
From: California
I just added bi-xenons and fogs with a wiring harness to my truck for less then that. I'm all for supporting our vendors but that price is a bit steep. From what I've read, all the kits are pretty much the same. Made in one of 3 plants in China (where else?)
And brypink-Maybe projectors focus the beam better, but you still get much better lighting in the stock bucket with the HID bulbs. Don't let anyone tell you anything different.
Plus I don't know about anyone else but those projectors are just plum ugly.
And brypink-Maybe projectors focus the beam better, but you still get much better lighting in the stock bucket with the HID bulbs. Don't let anyone tell you anything different.
Plus I don't know about anyone else but those projectors are just plum ugly.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,331
Likes: 4
From: South Jersey, AC area
I just added bi-xenons and fogs with a wiring harness to my truck for less then that. I'm all for supporting our vendors but that price is a bit steep. From what I've read, all the kits are pretty much the same. Made in one of 3 plants in China (where else?)
And brypink-Maybe projectors focus the beam better, but you still get much better lighting in the stock bucket with the HID bulbs. Don't let anyone tell you anything different.
Plus I don't know about anyone else but those projectors are just plum ugly.
And brypink-Maybe projectors focus the beam better, but you still get much better lighting in the stock bucket with the HID bulbs. Don't let anyone tell you anything different.
Plus I don't know about anyone else but those projectors are just plum ugly.
"if" I ever put HID on a bike, it will be a Bi-xenon projector, so that I also have highbeams.
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
I'm not an expert, by no means, and the little research that I have done, I do know this. To get true performance from a HID bulb (hi and/or low beam) is to use a HID projector lens. In the link I posted, you can see the projector lens in the headlamp. The HD version and all the other kits (mentioned in this post) do not utilize a projector lens. The beam pattern is "scattered" by using a stock headlamp housing or even the HD HID housing. The HID projector lens controls the beam pattern and concentrates it where it should be.
Again, I'm no expert and if I'm not explaining this correctly, someone chime in.
Again, I'm no expert and if I'm not explaining this correctly, someone chime in.
I like the idea of a split reflector, like the Harley HID one, it is just badly designed! I understand that some recent touring Harleys come with a twin bulb reflector, which on previous threads has been praised for its performance, presumably with stock halogen bulbs. That might be a good starting point for an aftermarket HID kit.
HID light is not any different to pre-HID light, it obeys the same rules. So a well designed reflector, with the bulb in the correct place, will give brighter and well aimed HID light than halogen light. No reason why that should be different, unless the HID kit is compromised in some way. We went round this same debate when Halogen bulbs (originally known as quartz-iodine) were introduced!
Last edited by grbrown; Feb 3, 2010 at 04:38 AM. Reason: Added para.