Hate the left single 'low beam' light
#31
![Default](/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif)
ORIGINAL: ddaren
A tip that most people don't suggest is to just aim your high beam down.
Ever since I got HID's on my bike... I turned the high beam to the lowest setting, basically focused on a spot on the ground about 6-7 ft in front of the bike. If you're willing to lose your high beam, just do that. You can be like me and runboth low and high while not blinding anyone.
I never used the high beam when it was on the normal setting... I'd rather look normal with 2 lights than have a high beam.
Lemme know if u need some help with adjust the aim.
A tip that most people don't suggest is to just aim your high beam down.
Ever since I got HID's on my bike... I turned the high beam to the lowest setting, basically focused on a spot on the ground about 6-7 ft in front of the bike. If you're willing to lose your high beam, just do that. You can be like me and runboth low and high while not blinding anyone.
I never used the high beam when it was on the normal setting... I'd rather look normal with 2 lights than have a high beam.
Lemme know if u need some help with adjust the aim.
Do you happen to have any pictures of your HIDs?
I would love to have HIDs, but im curious as to how it will look in the end.
thanks alot!
#32
![Default](/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif)
ORIGINAL: 01f4iGuy
Do you happen to have any pictures of your HIDs?
I would love to have HIDs, but im curious as to how it will look in the end.
thanks alot!
Do you happen to have any pictures of your HIDs?
I would love to have HIDs, but im curious as to how it will look in the end.
thanks alot!
***NOTE*** These pictures are BEFORE I lowered the aim. That is why the headlights are blinding the camera from a front view.
![](http://www2.hawaii.edu/~ddaren/f4i/hid1.jpg)
![](http://www2.hawaii.edu/~ddaren/f4i/hid2.jpg)
![](http://www2.hawaii.edu/~ddaren/f4i/hid3.jpg)
#33
![Default](/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif)
ORIGINAL: TheX
I'll bet I've been riding since before you were born, mind your manners.
I'll bet I've been riding since before you were born, mind your manners.
And IIRC, in the MSF they recommend riding with the high beam on also. During the day, with the headlights adjusted properly, you won't blind people. At night is another story. I have ridden thousands of miles this way.
#34
#35
![Default](/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif)
I paid $300 for both kits. Each kit has only one bulb for the motorcycle kit, so I had to order 2. As for the install, one of my friends did it.
As for the pictures with the headlights off... umm... not sure why you would wanna see that. It's just a simple F4i.
As for the pictures with the headlights off... umm... not sure why you would wanna see that. It's just a simple F4i.
#36
![Default](/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif)
ORIGINAL: ddaren
good job taking my advice. I also highly highly highly recommend getting HID's. If you will get them, get the 6000K bulbs because they're the closest to day light... going to 8000K and above goes into the deep blue and purple and the brightness gets lower.
good job taking my advice. I also highly highly highly recommend getting HID's. If you will get them, get the 6000K bulbs because they're the closest to day light... going to 8000K and above goes into the deep blue and purple and the brightness gets lower.
#37
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ORIGINAL: Urbanracer
4000K is the closest to sunlight, 6000Kstill has blue tint, just as your pics show, 4000K will give you the most light.
4000K is the closest to sunlight, 6000Kstill has blue tint, just as your pics show, 4000K will give you the most light.
Honestly, I am colorblind when it comes to light/dull colors. I think pink is white... I think a pale green looks khaki-ish... I think baby blue looks white...therefore, I think my 8000K's look completely white.
#38
![Default](/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif)
I hate to repeat myself but...
HIDs can be good and can be bad. Anything above 5000k is bad. Period. 4300k is the only legal color.
As color temp goes up, output goes down, lifespan goes down, and blue goes up. Blue is very bad because your eyes can not focus on blue because the blue receptors in your eyes are outside the cornea (focal point).
4300k = 3500 lumens
5000k = 3000 luments
6500k = 2000 lumens
8000k = 1500 lumens
stock H7 55w bulb = 1200 lumens
PLEASE... save a life do not go any higher than 5000k. As a bulb ages, it becomes more bluer. a 4300k bulb is at 5000k after 100 hours. After 1500 hours a 4300k bulb may be at 7000k or more. Also light output decreases with time. So with a 6000k kit after 100 hours you may be at 8000k and 1000 lumens... unknown manufacturers have poor quality control and their bulb color shift at different rates often, so you have one yellow one blue bulb.
Also, I personally think having an HID highbeam is a very bad idea because you can NOT flash. It takes an HID ballast a few seconds to restrike (called hot restrike) the arc tube in the bulb. It is bad for the bulb and ballast to be flashed.
There is NO difference in motorcycle vs. Car ballasts. The bulbs are the exact same so the ballasts which drive them are also the exact same. Maybe they put a different name of different ballasts, but the absolutely all work the same inside. You can get an OEM ballast for 20-70$ on ebay anyday of the week.
Plus it's not legal for a headlight that doesn't already have HIDs. Not that it matters, but the reason NOT to get HIDs is the bulb pattern is messed up because the focal point of an H7 bulb and a HID D2S/R bulb is not in the same spot. This is something like what your headlights look like after a BAD PNP kit. I'm not saying yours look like this exactly, but the glare is unavoidable, YMMV. Point is you're not getting the light where it's suppossed to be.
![Name: fb291d25.jpg
Views: 28
Size: 12.8 KB](https://cbrforum.com/forum/attachments/f4i-main-forum-11/85062d1501391754-hate-left-single-low-beam-light-fb291d25.jpg)
Now, The ONLY way I would ever reccomend HIDs is with an OEM kit. Because you can buy replacement parts for it individually, where as with a PNP kit, when a bulb blows, you're **** out of luck and have to buy a whole new kit.
A OEM pieced together kit should only cost about ~120$ MAX.
This is what you need to convert an ordinary HID bulb into H7... 10$ for 2. Plus 75$ for a ballast, 30$ for a bulb, and ~10$ for harness parts.
![Name: h7adapters2.jpg
Views: 31
Size: 20.5 KB](https://cbrforum.com/forum/attachments/f4i-main-forum-11/85063d1501391754-hate-left-single-low-beam-light-h7adapters2.jpg)
This is what you should do:
![Name: HID_DIY.jpg
Views: 89
Size: 45.6 KB](https://cbrforum.com/forum/attachments/f4i-main-forum-11/85064d1501391754-hate-left-single-low-beam-light-hid_diy.jpg)
Of course you need only 1 ballast because you're not going to use a HID light for high beams right?
And as "unattractive" as some people think the 1 light is. You never have to look at it. period, people who complain are only looking for show. Honda is one of the best lighting manufacturers (stanley actually) and they have provided us with an excellent lighting system which requires NO modification to be exceptional. Our bikes are only 3 feet wide you DON'T need 4 headlights (2xlow, 2xhigh).
If you really want to upgrade your lighting system, make yourself a 12 gauge relay harness from the battery like this:
![Name: Single_Harness.jpg
Views: 33
Size: 39.0 KB](https://cbrforum.com/forum/attachments/f4i-main-forum-11/85065d1501391754-hate-left-single-low-beam-light-single_harness.jpg)
and get yourself some H9 bulbs on H7 base which are like 2200 lumens (2x stock brightness) and you will have the beam pattern our lights were designed for and no glare. The Best lighting system while staying within all quality parameters (i.e. beam pattern, output quality, lumen maintenance etc...) is the H9 on H7 base. You can get them here from Daniel Stern Lighting.
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/p.../products.html
or here:
http://www.rallylights.com/hella/H7.asp
The owners of both these
HIDs can be good and can be bad. Anything above 5000k is bad. Period. 4300k is the only legal color.
As color temp goes up, output goes down, lifespan goes down, and blue goes up. Blue is very bad because your eyes can not focus on blue because the blue receptors in your eyes are outside the cornea (focal point).
4300k = 3500 lumens
5000k = 3000 luments
6500k = 2000 lumens
8000k = 1500 lumens
stock H7 55w bulb = 1200 lumens
PLEASE... save a life do not go any higher than 5000k. As a bulb ages, it becomes more bluer. a 4300k bulb is at 5000k after 100 hours. After 1500 hours a 4300k bulb may be at 7000k or more. Also light output decreases with time. So with a 6000k kit after 100 hours you may be at 8000k and 1000 lumens... unknown manufacturers have poor quality control and their bulb color shift at different rates often, so you have one yellow one blue bulb.
Also, I personally think having an HID highbeam is a very bad idea because you can NOT flash. It takes an HID ballast a few seconds to restrike (called hot restrike) the arc tube in the bulb. It is bad for the bulb and ballast to be flashed.
There is NO difference in motorcycle vs. Car ballasts. The bulbs are the exact same so the ballasts which drive them are also the exact same. Maybe they put a different name of different ballasts, but the absolutely all work the same inside. You can get an OEM ballast for 20-70$ on ebay anyday of the week.
Plus it's not legal for a headlight that doesn't already have HIDs. Not that it matters, but the reason NOT to get HIDs is the bulb pattern is messed up because the focal point of an H7 bulb and a HID D2S/R bulb is not in the same spot. This is something like what your headlights look like after a BAD PNP kit. I'm not saying yours look like this exactly, but the glare is unavoidable, YMMV. Point is you're not getting the light where it's suppossed to be.
![Name: fb291d25.jpg
Views: 28
Size: 12.8 KB](https://cbrforum.com/forum/attachments/f4i-main-forum-11/85062d1501391754-hate-left-single-low-beam-light-fb291d25.jpg)
Now, The ONLY way I would ever reccomend HIDs is with an OEM kit. Because you can buy replacement parts for it individually, where as with a PNP kit, when a bulb blows, you're **** out of luck and have to buy a whole new kit.
A OEM pieced together kit should only cost about ~120$ MAX.
This is what you need to convert an ordinary HID bulb into H7... 10$ for 2. Plus 75$ for a ballast, 30$ for a bulb, and ~10$ for harness parts.
![Name: h7adapters2.jpg
Views: 31
Size: 20.5 KB](https://cbrforum.com/forum/attachments/f4i-main-forum-11/85063d1501391754-hate-left-single-low-beam-light-h7adapters2.jpg)
This is what you should do:
![Name: HID_DIY.jpg
Views: 89
Size: 45.6 KB](https://cbrforum.com/forum/attachments/f4i-main-forum-11/85064d1501391754-hate-left-single-low-beam-light-hid_diy.jpg)
Of course you need only 1 ballast because you're not going to use a HID light for high beams right?
And as "unattractive" as some people think the 1 light is. You never have to look at it. period, people who complain are only looking for show. Honda is one of the best lighting manufacturers (stanley actually) and they have provided us with an excellent lighting system which requires NO modification to be exceptional. Our bikes are only 3 feet wide you DON'T need 4 headlights (2xlow, 2xhigh).
If you really want to upgrade your lighting system, make yourself a 12 gauge relay harness from the battery like this:
![Name: Single_Harness.jpg
Views: 33
Size: 39.0 KB](https://cbrforum.com/forum/attachments/f4i-main-forum-11/85065d1501391754-hate-left-single-low-beam-light-single_harness.jpg)
and get yourself some H9 bulbs on H7 base which are like 2200 lumens (2x stock brightness) and you will have the beam pattern our lights were designed for and no glare. The Best lighting system while staying within all quality parameters (i.e. beam pattern, output quality, lumen maintenance etc...) is the H9 on H7 base. You can get them here from Daniel Stern Lighting.
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/p.../products.html
or here:
http://www.rallylights.com/hella/H7.asp
The owners of both these
#39
![Default](/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif)
BTW I always absolutely run Highbeams at all times. Except if I'm stopped at a light for an extended period I will cut the high beam for the driver in front for courtesy.
There is no way for your headlights to look symmetrical period, ever. Your low beam reflector will always look "half on" because it is aimed 20 feet ahead. the high beam shines everywhere, it's the only one that looks "always on". You can NOT aim them to look identical.
learn to appreciate the function not the fashion of your headlights and it will put your mind at rest. Visit HIDplanet.com or drop me a message and I'd be happy to explain more why we have wonderful lights. I have espoused this opinion before and am sure some people are tired of hearing it, but you ought to know if you're going to be possibly putting unsafe lights in your bike.
HIDretrofit is the ONLY way you will ever get a symettrical headlight. Check HIDplanet.com forums for more info, someone did a retro on their f4i.
There is no way for your headlights to look symmetrical period, ever. Your low beam reflector will always look "half on" because it is aimed 20 feet ahead. the high beam shines everywhere, it's the only one that looks "always on". You can NOT aim them to look identical.
learn to appreciate the function not the fashion of your headlights and it will put your mind at rest. Visit HIDplanet.com or drop me a message and I'd be happy to explain more why we have wonderful lights. I have espoused this opinion before and am sure some people are tired of hearing it, but you ought to know if you're going to be possibly putting unsafe lights in your bike.
HIDretrofit is the ONLY way you will ever get a symettrical headlight. Check HIDplanet.com forums for more info, someone did a retro on their f4i.
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