| Author | Message | ||
     Baggermike |
I just ordered two bulbs for my bike and with shipping came to 35 dollars so high end bulbs like the Silverstars of PIAA cost more, I have four HID bulbs and found low beam is to strong and if you are alone at night and need to see far I suggest HID lights for high beams only and if you wanted the flash for daytime use then you could wire it up for day time running on high beams and flash the low, also I feel hooking up a toggle switch to keep the low beams off is needed, this also gives an advantage of night time riding of just having your high beams on or both on, they only draw 35 watts and do not think they are D.O.T. rated so another reason to just do the high beams. H I D lights are suppose to last ten times longer than filament bulbs and have no filament so if you were riding the baja 1000 H.I.D. are what they use. the digital have several advantages the best is the small boxes that are needed compared to the big boxes you need for non digital, also digital is 15% brighter and goes to full brightness faster. I was riding home and the low beams at 8.000K was like high beams and the high beams did not make much of a distance because of the low beams being on, I few years ago my bagger had a H.I.D. light and spot lights, one night coming home at night I shut off the spot lights and found out I could see further down the road and is why I use a toggle switch to control the low beams and high beams already have a switch. I read some were that yellow color lights are best in the daytime and probably the fog, I think yellow low beams and 6,000k H.I.D. for the high beams, any higher color or k temperature over 6,000k brightness goes down, I like 8,000k and are the most popular choice because of the blue tint 10,000k is bluer but a little less light and 12,000K is a purplish light, I have seen H.I.D. lights go way up to 20,000K which is a deep blue light. Now they are coming out with 50 watt H.I.D. lights but the prices are still high and they are being tested. there are many lights and seen one that was as small as a tick tack and but out the light of a street lamp, they had a clip on U TUBE showing the difference and was amazing that such a small bulb could out shine a street lamp. L.e.d. lights are also improving and getting brighter so there are many choices but for now I think the 35 watt digital lights are the best to get, 6000k is white and I think the brightest, 8000k is a little blue and the most popular, 10000k is even more blue and 12000k is a violet purple color, the higher the number the less light it puts out, then there are custom ones that have up to 30000k and extreme colors but put out allot less Light. I did all four for under 250.00, from starrotors.com . now if I just could find really bright amber lights that I can put in the running light holes and use as a turn signal, I have tried a few and the best I have found that has sideways leds to bounce off the reflection surface of the running light was from superbrightleds.com they have four facing sideways and one facing strait out, these work the best but if the the high beams are on you can not see them, I thought they would not fit the holes but did. I hope you Guy's would find this info good because we need to be seen and to see and the lights we pick could save our lives. I will look for the web page that I seen on the lights and post the web page so everyone can read it. I just want to keep you Guy's safe and anything to make riding safer is good, and if you do go with H.I.D. lights get the digital ones. | ||
| Ccryder |
Mike: IMHO I strongly disagree with your feeling on HID high beams and shutting off the low beams but, I honor your opinion. The additional light coverage is very advantageous to being able to see everything both close and far away. Sometimes if the capsule is not positioned accurately in the reflector it can appear like what you have mentioned. Some suppliers "Laser align" theirs and some just slap them into a base without regards to proper alignment. Since we run our low beams ~95% of the time (day and night) having HIDs in the low beams gives you the best lighting for the majority of my riding. The digital ballast seem to be an improvement over the conventional ballast in terms of size (smaller), warm up (quicker) and, output consistency. They are a worthwhile option if your supplier offers them. I think it was $15 to upgrade my set up from Xenon Rider. I have the 6000k capsules, from this manufacture they appear to have a slight green tinge. My HIDs on the ST1300 are the 5000k and they are white with a touch of blue (my personal preference). I have over 100,000 miles with HID equipped motorcycles and each application is a little different. My main objection to hi beam HIDs is their warm up time. Even 2-10 seconds is too long for the amount of time I typically use a high beam. If we had dual beam reflectors, like an H4, using a shuttered type or, a moving type capsule set up would enable HIDs on hi or low without the warm up issue. Time2Work Neil S. | ||
| Baggermike |
Hi Neil does your bike have H.I.D. high beams and have you ridden the bike just with high beams on? I have been out on the highway or back roads real late at night and know the difference of low and high and just high, and if you have regular bulbs for low beams then if you had to turn off the high beams because a car is coming you can hit low beams, I agree about the hi low feature and had it on my bagger I had the one were a magnet pulls it in for high beam so the light always stayed on, and this is when I found out that my spot lights was hurting my long range vision and now that I can shut off the low beams I can see everything close and far, I am going to see if I can find it so I can post it. | ||
| Ccryder |
On both the 1125r and the ST1300 I experimented with the combinations you are talking about. IMHO, I still need the low beams. The light you are getting back in your eyes may be due to the capsule alignment or, glasses or, other eye related issues. I'm fix'n to install PIAA 1100X under the nose of the fairing for additional light. That should complete my front end lighting on the 1125r. Neil S. | ||
| 01xjbuell |
Hey mike probably a stupid question, but did you order the correct bulb for our bike? or did you order a different bulb and modify? like i said probably a dumb question but some people have mentioned modifying different bulbs to fit. This has been really helpful to me since I am looking to upgrade both the headlights and tail lights to this bike. Since my accident last year (another vehicle did not see me) I am paranoid of being "seen" in all weather/lighting conditions. Thanks in advance Mike. Nick | ||
| Baggermike |
Hi Nick I got two kits four bulbs H8 H.I.D. 8000k and did not have to do anything to fit the bulbs in just like the stock ones, the guys that modified there bikes were using H11 I think which is 55 watts not 35 like the stock bulbs and H.I.D. lights. | ||
| Baggermike |
Read this before doing anything. www.webbikeworld.com/t2/motorcycle-light-bulbs/yel low-light-bulbs.htm | ||
| Baggermike |
Hi Niel I had those on my PIAA setup on my bagger engine guards and had to turn them off at night, the problem is that the low beams are two bright, also was in a parking lot yesterday doing things on the bike and the battery light came on so I am not adding anything that is going to draw more power from the bike, I guess I will be going soon to a dealership to have the upgrades done, I am afraid of the re flash because my bike is running so good and it will just be my luck that the re flash will make it run worse. | ||
| Ccryder |
Mkie: I only run the 1100X when I need them at night. Even on my ST1300 with no extra lights burning, I will drain the battery in less than 15 mins if the the key is left on. On most current M/C's you need to have the engine running if you are messing around with headlight alignment or anything else. My current HID set up stands out in traffic. I have had many comments about drivers being able to pick me out in traffic (including a Trooper and a Deputy)  . Now adverse comments but this bike does stand out (so much for blending into the background ;+}) The Webbikeworld article is.... unscientific, by his own admission. A little less than interesting reading. This first flash upgrade is specific to the charging/ electrical load issues. Not really addressing any fueling issues (from what I gleaned last week). The clutch recall s/b be done ASAP, even though you probably will not have that issue. From conversations there were 3 instances of the 5th gear galling. All were during racing conditions. Later Neil S. | ||
| Baggermike |
Hi Neil this is why I like hid lights they stand out, the day I installed the PIAA x1100 with other non harley spot lights, so I had the hid light and two spot lights and two PIAA X1100 and I am thinking there was no way anyone would not see me with all these lights and just a minute later I got cut off by a suv, Go on www.cyclegadgets.com they have the led lights that are super bright and made for the forks for the triangle of lights that is suppose to help people see you, plus has a flashing one. Now are you using the PIAA instead of the high beams? | ||
| 01xjbuell |
Thanks Mike, will be ordering soon, not sure about the yellow color even after reading that article. Will probably do the same 8000k, could you shoot me some pics of the install just to guide me a little? Thanks, Nick | ||
| Baggermike |
Nick I just ordered new bulbs so I will have to take the whole headlight assembly off and clean it up a little, I ordered them yesterday so not sure how long it will take but if you are doing all four then go with the digital ones, also was only 35 dollars for two bulbs with shipping, I went with new low beams that are not as bright but will keep the 8000k for the high beams which are easy to change out if I need to go with all the same bulbs. 8000k is the most popular color but I get flashed at by cars on low beams so you might want to think about 10000k or get 10000k for the lows and 8000k for highs, I do not know how much difference in brightness between the two so you might want to ask, also digital is suppose to be 15% brighter so 10000k digital might be as bright as 8000k non digital. I will be taking the whole front assembly off to do the job so let me know if you want pictures from the whole way or just were I mount the boxes and wires. | ||
| 01xjbuell |
when you order from starrotors how do you order the digital? and depending how close you are to North Reading, MA maybe i can sneak a peak when your all done? | ||
| Baggermike |
Hi Nick from what I remember it is an upgrade so when you place the order it will ask you if you want to upgrade to digital, if that does not work send them a email or call, I emailed them yesterday and they got back to me fast and did not expect it because it was sunday, I had to email them because there was no place to just order bulbs. I am right down the street or highway I should say in Peabody right as 95 and 128 split and I am the first exit after the split on 128 so you are welcome to come over. | ||
| Ccryder |
FWIW: When the color temp goes over 5000k, the light output starts to diminish. By the time you reach 10,000k you are down ~30%. Most people stay in the 4300-6000k range to get the whitest light without loosing actual light output. | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
FYI all HID lights are 4300k. Anything else is achieved with a colored filter. Anything approaching 12k is actually UV light. There is a lot of "marketing speak" when shopping for HID lights, so do your homework before you plunk down any cash. | ||
| 01xjbuell |
Just an FYI for anybody looking to order HID's from Star Rotors. I just ordered mine and they automatically send them with the slimmer digital boxes. GREAT service by the way as Rick emailed me back within half hour @ 11pm on a Tuesday night. (if this is the norm, then im sorry, just haven't experienced it yet) Thanks again Mike for all your help, cant wait to see how your bikes coming out. -Nick | ||
| Baggermike |
Hi Nick I was going to get a pair of bulbs a month ago and they were 45 dollars with shipping but in my email I told them I had bought two kits from them and sent me two for 35 dollars shipping included, I am very happy with this place and the price is the lowest I have seen. | ||
| 01xjbuell |
I got my kit in today, packaged very well. Might try to tackle it this weekend, any words of advice? Pictures? | ||
| Baggermike |
I started by taking off the mirrors and removing the fairing and then taking off the light housing and bringing it inside to do the lights on a blanket and take you time and do not touch the bulbs the oil from are skin will shorten the life of the bulbs, I am getting ready to start doing it again to get at the low beams so I can install new bulbs, I will check on here every hour and see if you run into any problems I can help | ||
| 01xjbuell |
sounds good, and all the connections from the HID's just connect to the stock headlight connections? I'm at the Fire Station for the day so no workin on the bike for me... | ||
| 01xjbuell |
cant do any work here at the FD, if this is a double post sorry, work computer. Mike does everything just plug and play with the stock system? just adding the new parts into the stock loop? |
