HAPPY NEW YEAR ONE AND ALL !

Have any of you guys had any thoughts on converting the standard H4 halogen Headlamp bulbs to the brighter HID type ?
Particually I am concerned not to go overboard and melt the reflective finish from the inside of the headlamp.
HID kits seem to come in different temp / candlewatt power ranges so any advice would be welcome.
The standard twin bulb set up is quite good but I find the dip beam a little weak at the edges for night riding.
Main beam is fine at most normal speeds.
It could of course just be old age creeping up and the eyes not working so well............ Im sure one or two of you have knowledge of this too !

 

a nice 6000 k bulb will be white and have about 3x the output of those old halogens and last alot longer. i would recomend the ddm tuning kit, easy plug and play for a measly 40 bucks

 

A couple of quick notes...

1. The reflector in your bike will be fine heat-wise, but the light comes off a halogen bulb way differently than it comes off an HID bulb, so the reflected pattern will not be the same. It's hit-or-miss as to how good the pattern will be.

2. Many kits are low-beam-only jobbers. If you want hi beam too, you need a bi- kit (search Ebay for HID and you'll find every possible type. These little wonders have a hood over them that moves back and forth to give you the low and the hi.

3. Color temoerature does not equate to brightness. The ideal color temp is 4500k or 5000k at the most. Higher than that = bluer (the higher the number the bluer the light) and you don't want that. I have 6000k HID in my car atm, and I don't like it at all compared to the 5000k I had in a prev. vehicle.

Mostly, do some research before buying to make sure you're getting what you want.

 

i have a HID kit in my bike. i love how bright it is and it by far drowns out the stock halogen bulbs. ive also had a set in my car so i know pretty well how they work.

however, have a bit of advice. RESEARCH the kit you are looking at HEAVILY. you DO NOT want a telescopic bulb (uses a magnet to position the bulb for lows/highs). you want a dual filament bulb. this bulb has two filaments in it that are positioned offset from one another and you switch between the two for lows/highs. the problem with the telescopic set (i have these) is that they bounce because in one position the bulb is basically loose (because its not attached to the magnet anymore).

make sense?

now, onto the temperatures they burn at. i have a 6000K kit and its more of an ice blue color, something you'd see if you look at a set of HID's from an angle on a car that comes with them stock. straight up bright white is 4300K. yellow is 3000K. the closer you stay to 4300K the more lumens the light will output. i would never go over 6000K or under 3000K for anything that i personally own, but if you want to be a child and get 12000K because you want a pink/purple light then so be it.

sooo...any questions, ask. otherwise, happy hunting.

 

The magnet type aren't around much any more. Most bi-xenons are servo-driven now and work well.

I am probably going to try the current HIDs that are in my car on my CBR soon, so I'll report when I do.

 

I also agree that the reflector needs to be changed to accommodate the HID.

Going with something like SYLVANIA SILVERSTAR ULTRA BULBS are a big help. They are pricey but add a little more light.

 

Thanks guys for the input.
I will do some more research on the kits available on this side of the pond.
From what I have understood so far I should be looking for no more than 6000k (4300k seems to be the one for me,) and a bi element bulb.

thanks again will keep you posted on progress.

 

It's hit or miss with HIDs and std. reflectors. It's worth a shot for sure though.

re: the Silverstar Ultra's - I have these in my bike now, and I agree they're good. the bad part is that they're $50/pr, and they don't last very well. I've had to replace 2 since I started using them approx. 18,000 miles ago.

 

I run Silverstars in my bikes as well, last set I bought came from "the store that sells walls" and cost $38.00/ pr. i just picked up a set for my CBR and paid $29.00---rollback

Even thought the stock Halos are great on the Hurricane, the Silverstars are better still.

I don't bother with the Ultras because the difference in performance isn't worth the difference in the price, IMHO.

 

It's always interesting the different takes folks have on stuff. I bought silverstar non-ultras last year for the car and my bike, and after a total between the two vehicles of about 500 miles I took them all out than threw them in the trash. They were great for darkness, but if it was raining, forget it...it was like I didn't have any lights on. The ultras are much better in this regard.