| Author | Message | ||
     Dave_02_1200 |
Just installed a DDM 35 watt HID light kit on my M2. Easy installation and extremely bright. Good price too: $45.00. Now to get one for the S3T. Check it out at their website ddmtining.com to see the motorcycle high/low kit for a single headlight. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
How does the high/low beam function work? | ||
| Brinnutz |
I'm thinking about the 55W kit...The brighter the better! But I'm with the fat guy, how's the Hi/Lo system work? | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I had the 35W before and they were plenty bright. 55W will peel the paint off overhead aircraft. That said, I want the 55W.  I like the smell of slow driving elderly person burnt hair. | ||
| Guell |
^ the ones on your uly were bright enough! i recall them blinding me a few times | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
They was just right. Both of them. It was the equivalent of 220W of halogen light output. | ||
| Dave_02_1200 |
The high/low function is accomplished by leaving a single bulb burning at full power but moving it fore and aft in the housing to refocus the beam up or down and right. It works smoothly and is really simple. There is an electromagnet and a spring to move the bulb back and forth. Oh, and one more thing: Don't look directly at the light. | ||
| Bienhoabob |
Am I getting this correctly? No low/high switch is used. You have to move the bulb around to redirect the light? Sounds like a total nightmare. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
No the switch activates an electromagnet to move the bulb forward and aft in it's holder. If you look at the bulb, there are two elements. The main difference is the wattage and the location. Instead of having two elements, the HID capsule has one "burner" that moves forward and aft to the location of the high/beam element. | ||
| Kalali |
Is the installation pretty straight forward? | ||
| Dave_02_1200 |
Bone-head simple. Plug and play. My time was spent deciding where to hide the wires and making a simple aluminum under-tank bracket for the ballast. Best of all, I did not have to disturb the OEM wiring so, if the HID should ever fail, I can just unplug the HID socket and plug in the OEM H-4 bulb. | ||
| Xl1200r |
I put a 55w kit in my S3T - it wasn't as straight forward as the other kits I've gotten from DDM. The 55w kits need to run a jumper to the battery to make sure the igniter fires every time and doesn't fry the stock wiring. No biggie, but and extra step. The confusing part is the harness that came with mine looked like it was set up for two bulbs or something, so I just cut and capped the extra wired - I couldn't get DDM on the phone and I was leaving for a cross-country trip in 2 days. The light is MUCH brighter (my stock bulb was downright dangerous to ride with at night), but the pattern is not as good - xenon lights are best suited for projector lenses, especially the bi-xenon bulbs. The low beam casts a sort of 'ring' of light - you can aim the low beam find, but there will be a faint spot of light up higher. Basically the road in front of you will be lit up, the road in the distance will not, and then the trees above the road will be illuminated. The only time this is an issue is if you're close behind someone in slow traffic or stopped at a light and it shines right in their back window. When they're further away it's above their vehicle. The high beam is bright as hell, but it's a very concentrated beam, so you won't get the lateral coverage. Here's a professional-quality illustration I made to show what I mean (please note the stars in the sky):  All that said, it's a lot better than stock and I feel better about riding at night with it. Ideally I'd like more light, but this at least makes things livable for me. | ||
| Froggy |
The DDM harness is designed for cars, hence the extra connector for a second light.  What bulb does the M2 use? | ||
| Dave_02_1200 |
Both the 55 watt kit and the 35 watt kit use the same bulb. The difference is in the ballasts. I too left a message at DDM asking about the double headlight leads on a single headlight kit. The DDM tech called me right back and explained that the motorcycle kits use the same harness as the car kit so I should just tuck the extra lead away and forget it. The job went easily. I just took off the tank so I could mount the ballast and hide the wiring harness. | ||
| Xl1200r |
Good to know I didn't get an oddball kit. I didn't see a great way of waterproofing the extra connectors, so I snipped them off (I'm sure they'll get used for another project at some point) and taped up the ends and tucked them away. | ||
| Froggy |
Dave, which H4 kit did you use, the standard one or the one that says "H4 High/low"? | ||
| Scott_in_nh |
I just ordered the 35w system. I need more light, but don't want to blind the people I ride with when my light hits their mirrors with the 55w version. My only real concern is if it fails it is a single element system and all light will be lost - what is the failure mode? Does it give any warning? | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
what is the failure mode? Does it give any warning? Yeah, it gets really dark. The lifespan of these capsules exceeds the life span of the bike for all intents and purposes. I think it's about 2000 hours. Assuming your average speed was 60MPH, that's 120,000 miles. I have an Acura TL with 145,000 miles and just lost one of the HID capsules this week. I wouldn't worry about burning one out. | ||
| Oldog |
scott, as fatty says light then dark, I actualy got a flash, shortly nothing, at night, on the freeway, I have a "restart" switch that turns the ballast off and then back on forcing a restart it helped I got numerous restarts, it was scarry, turns out a bad relay. consider a split hid low, h3 high I have the moving one, I picked up from a firm in florida, not a good choice, (the vendor) the new one jiggles and has a poor pattern, I need to replace it, and the crappy balast, I got the original from xenon link not the best, the latest POS from mountain lights or the like outa south florida avoid if possible, the seal on the back of the ballast was bad and attempting to start the light was spectacular, light from Behind the fly screen. its patched up for now I will look into a better vendor some time soon.. | ||
| Froggy |
The average service life of an HID lamp is 2000 hours, compared to between 450 and 1000 hours for a halogen lamp. | ||
| Scott_in_nh |
Ok so the bulb is safe, what about the ballast? | ||
| Froggy |
The ballast is a circuit board. Theoretically it should last forever assuming no manufacturing defects. It is no different than the ECM or any other modern electronic device. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Chances are that your HID system would take a crap during the day rather than at night considering more time is spent riding in the daytime than at night. | ||
| Scott_in_nh |
True, especially for me. I want the HID so that I am more noticed during the day and for the few hours I do spend riding at night. My night vision has gone to sh*t over the last decade or so and the factory lighting is no help! | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Here are a couple of pics of HIDs in the daytime. Makes a huge difference:   | ||
| Scott_in_nh |
Sweet! I think I am going to like them on my S3 and it is the final touch to my lighting upgrade of Rizoma LED turn signals and super bright leds motorcycle brake/tail/tag bulbs. | ||
| Dfbutler |
I've been using this on my S3 for almost 2 years: http://www.kbcarstuff.com/4300k-Motorcyle-Bi-Xenon -HID-Conversion-Kit-p/mc-4k-h-fslash-l.htm Includes hi/low beam, plug and play, just need to a place to hide the extra pieces. Most of mine are zip tied to fairing spider. | ||
| Oldog |
the first time the hid quit was daylight I re wired the thing ( bad ground )failing erratic balast, start restart not reliable got the new one, new relay (cheap) new lamp mini balast the epoxy on the back of the ballast was flawed and allowed the ignitor pulses to ground to the mount bracket, Spectacular! think arc welding, I put silicon on it and a rubber sheet under it no problem since, the lamps that move have a "detent" that locates the magnet off, position the old one lasted 2+ years and still works sorta, the new one ( south florida ) hangs at times, and the lamp moves around enough to have the light pattern jiggle, the aim is bad internaly and there is a dark spot where the hot spot should be. I got a bad set from the guys in FL, crappy, the xenon link was better at the time of purchase, about 99$ then. Ft and Froggy have had good luck with theirs, fattys was easy to pick up and out, a novel idea to stay the least. I would like to try a 55 wat, but I have to wonder why the lamp will last as long with a higher current going thru it. I am considering hid lows on my 1125 and leaving the qh highs incase of low volts | ||
| Dave_02_1200 |
Froggy, I used the H-4 High/Low kit, part number DDMMoto35WH4HL.600K. Good luck | ||
| Eshardball |
Dave, can u post a pic of what your beam looks like at night? My S1 has a train headlight on it but my S3 is like one old tired car head light while I drive through whitetail central here in the sticks |
