| Author | Message | ||
     Killakella |
Hi everyone, Having been a habitual lurker for some time I just wanted to say how great this board is being both informative and hilarious. I have ordered an 1125r and am expecting delivery to the shores of the UK end of Feb (after originally expecting it in Nov last year!!!). I commute 100 miles a day through City, Motorway and beautiful country roads, a lot of it in the dark this time of year and was wondering what the headlights are like. Any comments, anyone tried Xenon's or HID's if so what spec? Currently on a XB9SX so looking forward to a little more comfort, power etc. etc.... By the way I have ordered heated grips, and touring seat, and will order XB Lights clear LED brakelight and darkhorse sliders and bar-ends. Waiting for exhaust and belly pan. Any input would be much appreciated. M. | ||
| Zac4mac |
Sounds like you're setting up much like my Loretta. Tour seat, heated grips, tank bra, One of Robert's best tail-lights, Remove lower belt-guard, remove passenger pegs, blacked-out heatshield. Still playing with my high-beams, too cold and icy to ride much after dark. What I have seen, the little I have ridden in the dark is they are MUCH better than my 03 Firebolt. Low beams are the full width of the road and out 75-100 feet , high beams add a good, longer view. I have one high beam spot-on, the other fell out of the track on the adjuster(think I went out too far) and is pointing in the ditch. They seem to be very good stock. Some guys on the East Coast are playing with HIDs, but I haven't seen the results yet. I know zilch about HIDs, so I'm watching. Zack | ||
| Ccryder |
Z: What bulb type is used in the 1125r Hi and Low beams? H7, H9 (I hope). If you went HID I would only use them on low beams since HIDs. even the GENIV's, have a warm up time. Time2Work Neil S. | ||
| Zac4mac |
Neil - all the owner's manual has is a BMC p/n. Y0025.1AM for high and low beam. 2.6A/35W Z | ||
| Spectrum |
The stock lights are excellent and I will not be moding them anytime soon. I traded a 03 XB9S which in my opinion had very poor lights. I avoided riding at night on my XB9S, but am very comfortable riding in the dark on the 1125R. | ||
| Bueller_bjorn |
I love the headlights i think its a big improvement from my 05 Firebolt, on the firebolt i never felt comfortable ridding at night but with the 1125 i have no fear i can actually see! | ||
| Ccryder |
Where's my cross-reference when I need it...................? Does it look like one of these?  Thx Neil S. | ||
| Nickcaro |
low and high beam bulbs are H8 I'm certainly heading in the direction of installing HID for the low beams. If you have not noticed, H8 bulbs are hard to come by. I'm looking at some specs and I'm reaching a conclusion that H8, H9 and H11 bulbs are physically similar enough to be interchangeable. some of my information is coming from here; ( scroll down and you'll get there) ---------http://www.danielsternlighting.com/products/produc ts.html and I have also found information backing this up on car forums where others have swapped their H11 bulbs for their stock H9 bulbs. now, before we run out and purchase H9 bulbs please note the drastic increase in wattage. H8 = 35W H9 = 65W H11 = 55W But this post is not really about interchanging Halogen bulbs, its really about replacing the halogen bulbs with HID conversions. so, since all HID kits are 35W, I think we have that aspect covered. The H9 is different in that it does not have a shield at the tip and that leaves us looking at the H8 and his brother the H11 Now, what would prevent the installation of an H11 HID conversion in to the 1125r? a fellow BadWebber has purchased these and I will let him chime in on his thoughts and experiences. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ewItem&item=130173677629 exhaust... I'm waiting for a Drummer. (Message edited by nickcaro on January 31, 2008) (Message edited by nickcaro on January 31, 2008) | ||
| Ccryder |
The key here is the distance from the mounting surface to the light emitting portion of the bulb. H8, H9, and H11 may look the same and lock in the same as each other but, the dimension is not the same from the mounting surface to the filament. Somewhere I found a neat chart that showed all the dimensions for the various bulb types but I can't find it now, darn. The 35 watt criteria is not the same for HID capsules and conventional bulbs. You have to look at the lumens to tell the actual difference. Lumens are a measure of light output. Watts are a measure of power consumption. Time2Work Neil S. | ||
| Zac4mac |
Gotta watch out, bumping up. We might find the reflectors burning up by putting too much heat in the headlight ass'y. If we are running H8s at 35 watts, I see no problem in running H11s at 55W in the high beam(I don't use my high beam a lot). From your picture, Neil, it looks like the filament is very close to the same geometry so the beam should focus the same or close to. I hate getting "head-on'd" by a blinded pissed off cager. By the same token, when I wanna see, I wanna SEE. Zack | ||
| Ratbuell |
The H9 looks to be a high beam bulb since it has the clear end cap. The 8 and 11 bulbs have the blacked out end, forcing all light output into the reflector where it can be shaped, instead of letting it out of the clear end where it is just freeform-bright (and blinding to oncoming traffic). | ||
| Baggermike |
I also am changing my high beams to hid and either having them for the low beams or a head light modulator to be seen in the day time, also the new digital ones warm up really quick and have the starter built into the ballest and is allot smaller and easyer to install, but they are expensive. I found h8 hid two bulb kits for 140.00, I have them on my ulysses the 8000k which are bluer but do not put out the output of the 6000k, the higher the number the bluer the light but less light output, in the day time with my high beam on I can see it lighting up signs down the road so it is plenty bright. so I will go with 8000k on this bike but have not decided on going with digital or all four lights. Also does anyone know if the two side running lights can be changed to like a strobe lights? I have been pulled over when I was running my headlight modulator, the cop said I was impersonating a police bike and gave me a hard time, so I started carrying the paperwork that say's it is 50 state legal, then got pulled over again and told the cop I had the paper that say's it is legal and he said he did not care to turn them off, I left at that point because I had headphones in my ears which are illegal so I did not want to get a ticket, so that is something to consider, but what was nice that people thought I was a police vehical and pulled over to let me by. Mike | ||
| Ccryder |
Z: Unfortunately looks can be, well you know what I mean. I need to look for that dimensional information on the bulb types. Ratbuell: Some headlight assemblies have a center shroud (A.K.A. Glare Shield) that would block the light coming out the end of the bulb that isn't blacked out. I have some really nice Hella 90mm lights that both the Hi and Low beams use H9 bulbs. Onward to investigate!!!!!!!! Later Neil S. | ||
| Dfbutler |
One option you may want to consider is going with upgraded bulbs from a company like PIAA http://www.piaa.com/home-html.html They put out a lot more light (higher wattage), but don't draw more current. Made a huge difference on my S3. | ||
| Rainman1ne |
where would you mount the ballast? | ||
| Baggermike |
Piaa bulbs cost around 50 and that is 100 for a pair and I have had them and they are better but in no way close to hid lights and with the bluish light you stand out in the daytime from most of the cars on the road, and at night they are awesome so for the extra 40 bucks and the fact that the hid bulbs last 3 time longer and not effected by vibrations I think that the hid are a better deal. Mike | ||
| Ccryder |
Some interesting info: http://www.sigmaautomotive.com/HID/x5kit.php But not exactly what i wanted. Neil S. | ||
| Baggermike |
on my ulysses with the big box and starter duel setup I got both behind the front plate, but later I put them under the seat. I have not had the air box cover off the 1125R but on the ulysses that could easily be done in there, but I think the fairing would be best and has room for them, or there is plenty of room under the riders seat but am sure the fairing would be best on the 1125, if you look at a firebolt it has the electrics on each side of the fairing and if you got the digital hid's the light box is small and has no starter it is in the box and also starts up allot quicker and more even color, so go on this website for the digital lights www.xtralights.com and the non digital at www.henithxenos.com | ||
| Baggermike |
first link worked but type in h8 bulb kit and you will see that they have the H8 bulbs the second sight did not work so try this www.xenithxenons.com/ ok this works now. Mike | ||
| Nickcaro |
nice! last time I went there, I did not see the H8 digital kit listed.. never thought to search for it. now the $400 question; Get the Digital kit or the inexpensive kit at eBay....? | ||
| Ccryder |
Here are the dimensions I was looking for:  Found at: http://www.rallylights.com/hella/bulbs.asp Time2Eat Neil S. | ||
| Nickcaro |
Excellent piece of information! | ||
| Fresnobuell |
1125r Lights are wonderful. The highbeams are adjusted perfectly to extend past the standard beams and give you all the light you need. I don't really see the "need" to upgrade the lighting system, but did anyone really "need" the bike in the first place? | ||
| Baggermike |
I seen the ones on ebay and do not know if the have the H8 bulbs, there is another place that is cheaper but they are testing the H8 bulbs to see which company to go with and was told it will take a few month, I like the digital ones and want them but do not have allot of money so I probably beg borrow but not steal to get them, after all it is a performance bike and should have performance lights. I also am getting an led rear light and want to turn my turn signals into running and rear brake lights also. Mike | ||
| Baggermike |
upgrade the speed upgrade the lights it could save your life | ||
| Xb9 |
The Osram H11 fits the 1125r with one modification; I've already installed them in the high beams. Personally I was not that thrilled with the lighting output on the bike stock, but I'm getting old and can't see as well as I used to (can anyone here relate?)HID's went in on the low beams. For modifying the H11 to fit: All you have to do is compare the H11 and H8 side by side, looking at the three prongs that lock it into the headlight housing. One of the prongs width needs to be shortened up to fit the socket. I just took five minutes with a dremel on the bulb and she fit right in. The wire socket is identical to the H8 so that plugs right in without modification. | ||
| Xb9 |
Osram H11 bulbs on ebay: $4.99 each http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/H11-OSRAM-HEADLIGHT -REPLACEMENT-BULB-BRAND-NEW-CHEAP_W0QQitemZ1901936 84590QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item190193684590 | ||
| Baggermike |
I can relate I was a welder who worked a shit load of hours and no can not see good at night, why did you have to modify H11 to fit? I want my high beams so be Hid so on the hyway late at night I can see the moose before I hit it but want hids for low beam to, my sons ulysses has both low and high and I run a switch so I can do low or high or both and will wire up my bike the same way, I noticed on one of my other bikes that when the lights close to the bike were on I could not see as far and when I turned them off I could see way down the road and do not know if this is a problem yet but like to have the option just in case. Mike | ||
| Ccryder |
David: Do you know Mike Mekinda? I bought his XB12r. If you do, say hello to him and thank him for a fine r. Anyway, which HIDs are you using in the low beams on your 1125r? Thanks Neil S. | ||
| Nickcaro |
ok,I just brought the bike home. Yes the stock lights are much better than stock on the XB. I may need to adjust them a bit as it seems like the low beams are just pointing straight down. The high beams do add great coverage. Personally, its just not enough. I'm definitely ordering some HID kits for the lows and will look in to fitting H11 bulbs in to the high beams. I LOVE the heated grips!!!! |
