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Tx05xb12s
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 - 01:39 am: | 
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Well like I mentioned guys, I've got two hi-beam light housings and the HIDs are stupid bright. The spoon in the low beam lights keeps them from shining upward too far down the road. Even if I flip one off for approaching traffic, I still get flashed because I'm throwing hi-beam HID light in their face.
This is why I can sit at the first stop sign on my street and light up the stop signs for four more blocks down the road. If I had it to do over again, I'd go with two low beams. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before I get a ticket for an equipment violation. Love the light output, but I'm not creating a wide fan following with fellow motorists right now. |
Corporatemonkey
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 - 03:47 am: |
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I can sit at the first stop sign on my street and light up the stop signs for four more blocks down the road.
I have never really made a point of looking, but can you adjust the level of an XBR headlight (like you can on an S) or is it fixed? |
Retrittion
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 - 05:01 am: |
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Last time I had my R's front faring off and headlight assembly hanging down I was look at the whole setup, considering what to do about my headlights, and it looked like there are adjustment screws at all four corners.
I was thinking that if the sole difference between the high and low beam housing is the spoon/eyebrow thingy then the best solution might be a Dremel mod to allow more light but aim the headlights down more -- result = more light but less torqued cagers.
For the record I have been running my stock bright on for the last week or two 24/7 and still not angry reactions, not even one oncoming flash. Really, our stock lights are just not that bright. |
Nautique4life
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 - 08:20 am: |
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Really, our stock lights are just not that bright.
I ALWAYS ride with both beams on...and I MAY have gotten flashed less than a handful of times all together.
I just want to give a shout out to G.Bush, my stimulus check with be paying for my new lights, among a few other goodies. |
Tx05xb12s
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 - 07:04 pm: |
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Unfortunately, my twin hibeams are pointed at the ground (yes, they are adjustable) about ten feet in front of the bike and they still blind people. Because they don't have "spoons" or shields like lobeams, they still throw out a lot of light down the road. |
Notmyrealnamedot_com
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 - 07:16 pm: |
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how hard is the total job to replace the headlights with HID's? re-wiring power supplies and what not?
I am looking at doing this myself and want to know what the entire job consists of.
Thanks,
Alex |
Damnut
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 - 08:54 pm: |
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I did my whole setup, 2 HIDs, in about 20 minutes. Piece of cake. Much easier if you get the slim ballasts though.
Ret.... That's my plan, Dremmel out the spoon a little to shine more light down the street without bothering the cagers. |
Caperken
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 - 09:22 pm: |
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Since most (all) of the discussion have been about HIDs for Rs, am I right in thinking that there is just no room for the ballast on the S models. Also, can the whole light assembly be replaced rather than changing bulbs and reshaping the reflectors? |
Corporatemonkey
| | Posted on Thursday, May 01, 2008 - 12:28 am: |
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Caperken, I will point you to my thread from early 2006
http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgibin/discus/show .cgi?tpc=3842&post=671699#POST671699
There are several of us that have done conversions on XBS'
One of the more advanced setups is Reepicheep's he has a thread about his timing module. Good inventive stuff. |
Caperken
| | Posted on Friday, May 02, 2008 - 05:41 am: |
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Thanks, Corporatemonkey, your explanation and photos are fantastic ... very helpful. Has anyone found a complete light housing replacement units with HID bulbs/reflectors for XBS? |
Reepicheep
| | Posted on Friday, May 02, 2008 - 08:26 am: |
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Thanks Jamie... I look for any excuse to build little analog circuits anymore... it's just fun. Kinda like welding... I'll spend $5 worth of oxy/act to weld up a $3 bracket, just because its fun.
That setup is still working perfectly FWIW. |
Midknyte
| | Posted on Friday, May 02, 2008 - 11:53 am: |
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I look for any excuse to build little analog circuits anymore...
My HID ballast is a straight up plug & play inline one. It does not have / use a relay line back to the battery.
Can you mod your circuit to include a relay (not back to the battery, but inline to the circuit so it remains a single piece) that I could place between my ballast and headlight power line?
i.e. Where I plug my ballast in the headlight line, I would instead plug my ballast into the timer and then the timer into the power line. |
Damnut
| | Posted on Friday, May 02, 2008 - 12:07 pm: |
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That would be GREAT!!!! |
Retrittion
| | Posted on Friday, May 02, 2008 - 07:15 pm: |
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It would be nice to have the lights come on after the engine started, say 30 seconds after -- the idle would be warmed well enough by then. Ummm, what about a switch that turns them on after it's popped into neutral and the neutral light goes off, then resets when the bike is turned off (thus your lights don't turn off if you shift into neutral)? Wish I knew more about electrics, I'm sure there is a prob with that idea...speaking of ideas with problems, has anyone modded their reflector housings with something to deal with the less than awesome coating? I was thinking of doing this as part of a HID conversion but I am worried about the heat an improved reflector would generate, though I was thinking that it would be better to reflect the heat and fail the bulb than have the housing melt -- but I am sure I am missing something on this one too.
...wish Hella or someone would just offer a size that was drop-in -- then again I like working on the bike and easy answers attract squids (the only sushi I don't like)! |
Midknyte
| | Posted on Friday, May 02, 2008 - 08:24 pm: |
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A new/fresh housing is all you will probably need - the HID's run much cooler than the halogen |
Corporatemonkey
| | Posted on Friday, May 02, 2008 - 11:30 pm: |
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My HID ballast is a straight up plug & play inline one. It does not have / use a relay line back to the battery.
Maybe I am not fully understanding what you posted.
Are you saying your HID setup runs off the existing headlight wiring harness, without connecting directly to the battery (or a suitable sized circuit)?
If it does that you are an accident just waiting to happen. The startup surge can easily exceed the stock wiring harness, that is why most sets use the stock wiring as only a relay point.
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