| Author | Message | ||
     Chgofirefighter |
Hello all wondering if any of you guys updated your headlights w HID? Looking at Ebay I found several listing however, I'm not sure about them since I dont have experience in that field. I'm looking to do the 6000k lights Thanks | ||
| Jaredc01 |
I'll put aside my disdain for cheap Chinese-made aftermarket HID kits for a second for some useful info that I've posted around... -------------------------------------------------- The majority of the OEM HID bulbs you'll find are 4150k (sometimes advertised as 4300k). Recently, some car manufacturers have started choosing ~5000k bulbs for OEM applications, however no OEM bulb has ever been, nor will ever be 5600k or above. 4150k is 'daylight white' and will continue to be the standard for most OEM suppliers. 5000k is 'pure white' with the highest total lumen output available. 6000k is a blueish-white ('cool white') that most people without OEM HID projectors assume is OEM color due to the prism effect of the HID projector lens showing a blueish-purple at extreme angles. 8000k is about a 50/50 mix of white and blue light that seems to be an increasingly popular color. Little known fun-fact: 35w 8000k HIDs have the same light output as a 55w Halogen bulb... Your eyes perceive the HIDs as being brighter for two reasons... Reason 1: The HIDs throw a LOT of light above the proper cutoff line in a Halogen lens. Reason 2: The blue light emitted by the HIDs is more fatiguing to the eyes than yellow-white light emitted from a Halogen bulb, which is mistaken for a 'brighter' light output. Another little known fun fact: The cheap HID bulbs you find with the cheap kits don't have the proper metal-salt content in the bulbs, meaning the cheap bulbs will run a lot hotter physically than a good bulb will... Long story short, they will eventually discolor or melt your headlight housings from the inside out (ask me how I know). -------------------------------------------------- That out of the way, if you're going to pick up a kit anyway, at least do it right the first time. Here's what I'd go with: http://www.theretrofitsource.com/product_info.php? cPath=32&products_id=3952 Yes, it's more expensive than the fleabay special, but I can guarantee you that it's better quality on every component. You also get a very nice double-relay (redundancy) harness with the kit, which I would suggest using to protect the rest of the bike's electrical system. Top it off with a 5-year warranty from a reputable company with great customer support (which I've had the pleasure of dealing with first-hand), and I wouldn't go anywhere else. For color temperature, I'd go with 5k over 6k, but ultimately that choice is yours. | ||
| Sprintst |
I just did some, but had a ballast failure after a few thousand (yes, cheap ebay kit that looked identical to another one lots of folks seem to think is quality) liked them but debating if I want to try it again or not I had a thread on it, install was pretty easy. (Message edited by sprintst on May 25, 2012) | ||
| Jaredc01 |
Oh, and as a last note, go for 35w over the 50w option. Any other questions on HIDs, let me know... I've had my fair share of dealing with them. | ||
| Tmchcrk |
I have the DDM Tunning kit. It has worked well for me. No issues in the two years I have had them installed. thats only 6000 miles though. I have the 35w 4300k setup. The color is spot on with the Acura's HID. Upgrade its worth it. | ||
| Bartone |
I'm using the DDM kit as well on my cager for the past 3 years now and its been great and I havent had any issues with it. I just ordered a set for my bike and I will be installing it soon. | ||
| Jaredc01 |
I had a DDM slim kit in the past (on my SUV), and had constant issues with one bulb not firing if the engine was running... Narrowed it down to a dirty charging ripple from the alternator, but never ended up building a capacitor circuit to put in-line to solve the issue. Doing it all over again, I'd put my money on the TRS kit and be done with it. | ||
| Dhays1775 |
i was able to score a pretty good deal on some 4300k hid's for my cr. i only use one on the low beam. mine is the 55 watt, so it's frickin' bright like hell. sometimes when i pass cars on the left, i see the driver squinting as i ride past them. i also have the low beam on a switch so i can fire it up AFTER i crank the beast. works like a champ! were it not for the good price i got on the set of two, i would have gotten the 35 watt setup. also, the reason i went with the 4300k color is because it is as white as you can get. every other car i see has yellow lights!! | ||
| Boogiman1981 |
Got a pair if 35w slim ballast from starrotors.com nearly three years ago. Bike had 750mi at installation and now has over 25k they work just fine iirc I got the 6000k | ||
| Ohsoslow |
i have had the "cheap Chinese" setup for over a year now with no issues | ||
| Chgofirefighter |
Hmmm, dont know if I should invest in a HID kit of just change the bulb to a higher output bulb? DDM Kits sound like a good deal. Jaredc is the expert~  Thanks brother. | ||
| Boogiman1981 |
i can tell you this these headlamp assemblies are perfectly fine for hid upgrades. no matter what i would never suggest putting anything more than 35w lamps of any kind in them as the wiring is designed for 35w as is the plastic reflectors and lenses. | ||
| Beugs |
I've got the ddm 35w kit on mine, had it for about 7500 miles with no problems. One thing you might consider, install them in the high beam locations. I had them in the low beam first and got flipped off and flashed constantly. I thought about it and realized the stock low beams work marvelously in town, I don't need to piss everyone off and give motorcyclists a bad rep. Now when I get in the middle of nowhere late at night and hit the high beams I light up the world. Some people use the argument "so people can see me better" for putting HIDs in the low beam, trust me, they still don't see you. If they do, now they're just pissed off at you and might do something stupid. I figure my stock low beams and led marker lights are just fine since they don't see me anyway. As far as passing someone and seeing them squint from the light, please stop and think about them once, they still have to drive that cage they're in! I've got very sensitive eyes and have it quite regularly that I am blinded by someone with HIDs in stock housings, it is very difficult to drive when all you see is spots. Now after having said that, yes I do have HIDs in stock housings, yes they are technically illegal, but I don't use them when other vehicles are present. We all have to remember that what we do reflects on motorcyclists as a whole, it's not just loud exhausts anymore. | ||
| Boogiman1981 |
beugs if you're running hid's in an R and getting people mad at you adjust them downward. i've not seen headlights adjusted correctly from a dealer yet. | ||
| Beugs |
I tried replying with my phone, don't think it worked. I have aimed my headlights, its just that the lenses don't have the sharp cut off line like real hids do, they reflect the light everywhere. | ||
| Jaredc01 |
"I have aimed my headlights, its just that the lenses don't have the sharp cut off line like real hids do, they reflect the light everywhere." Which is exactly why they're illegal in the first place. I agree 100% with both of your posts Beugs, though with the high beams as HIDs you can't exactly flash someone quickly if you needed to. If you want to do it the proper way for low-beams, do a retrofit. I did one for my car last year using all OEM parts, and it came out great. | ||
| Boogiman1981 |
The cut off lines you're referring to come from projector style headlights. They are nice but not required to have arc discharge hid lamps and not blind everyone. The biggest issue with the aftermarket is the lack of quality control and consistancy. That's the only real explination as to why some with our bikes are fine with hid retrofits and some aren't. The other big issue is that people use the retro kits for lamps that the filament is perpendicular to the lamp vs parallel. Our oe lamps are parallel which is why for the most part hid is fine in our bikes. | ||
| Cutty72 |
I have the DDM 8k 55w set, They have been good to me for the last 3 years. Nice bright blue/white light. | ||
| Rodrob |
I have the DDM 55w 4500k. They have been great for 2 years. I lost a ballast a while ago and they replaced it, no charge, right away. I highly recommend that you not go higher that 5k color. 5k is considered Daylight in film making and is the most accurate color rendering index. Blue light, being shorter wavelength than red has a different focal point in the eye and causes fatigue. If you consider your surroundings when you need the most light, Green to Red is reflected more efficiently than Green to Blue, which is why moonlight is so contrasty. 4-5k light provides much better vision at night that 6-8k light. 5k HIDs do not look yellow. They are balanced white light. | ||
| Boogiman1981 |
yeah but the 6k looks cool | ||
| Rodrob |
To each his own. | ||
| Boogiman1981 |
Guess I should have thrown a smiley on that post | ||
| Jaredc01 |
Finally someone that has some sense! Rob, couldn't have said it better myself. | ||
| Cutty72 |
I was honestly surprised at how white the 8k's were. I had seen the 35w 8k before (in a car) and they were VERY blue, but the higher wattage must make a color difference, as these are very similar in color to the silver star bulbs that I put in my SV. | ||
| Spike240sx |
Lens design plays a big part in final color output. I've been putting HId's in motorcycle and cars fro a few years now. I usually do 3-4 a week. For the past year Ive been using the same kit and same color bulbs. Either 6k or 8k. Each vehicle turns out a lil different in color due to the lenses. Projector lenses really make a difference. | ||
| Zac4mac |
I have 6k HIDs in Loretta, they are 4 yrs old now. Slightly blue, but outstanding light output, still. I fit the large ballasts in the fairing, zero issues since install. |
