zwhits9

Well I'm sorry to say I am very dissapointed with the birds headlight. First off I installed the 6mm shim in the rear shock so this had the beam pointed into the ground. Downright dangerous. Well even with the light adjusted it seems visibility is just not good.

So I ordered a 6000k HID kit from motorcyclehidlights.com. Well first it's a bear to tuck the ballast assy in there. The blackbird had a real congested nose with all that ram air etc... but I was able to tuck them against the back of the gauge cluster. Well I was excited to turn th key and behold the lumens. Key on......nothing......high beam oh there's one. So right away I find I got a DOA ballast. That sucks. this leaves me with the whole nose torn off probably for a few days.

So then I decide to put the working ballast on the low beam and adjust it. I pulled out to the street and the thing is just not bright. AND its really blue. I didn't want blue, supposedly 6000K is white. Well word to the wise if you want white better aim for more like 5000K.

I'm left at a crossroads. I want a decient headlight. But dropping $150+ on an HID setup thats not bright, too blue, and Half dead right away I don't know what to do. Stay stock? get different halogen bulbs? Get another HID kit?

I need to know what you guys have and if your happy with it. I have "Silverstar" halogens in my truck that I like. good color a little brighter. Anyone tried these on the blackbird?

Thanks for any input.

DeathWish01

you don't think these are bright? and i have the 6mm shim in also, my ballasts are split one on either side under the fairing
http://www.cbrxx.com/members/deathwi...re461-hids.jpg

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zwhits9

I've been reading other threads....Did you use a spacer between the bulb and the housing? I wonder if my bulb is to far in? affecting the light pattern??

DeathWish01

shouldn't be as long as you used the correct bulb, the arc is almost exactly where the tungstun is on a normal bulb...
im thinking you got the wrong set of bulbs or just bought from a bad dealer....

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lois

HID

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Banshee

I found that when I held the HID up against the H7, the arc was about 4mm further from the flange than the filament. So when I put it in, I put the spacer over the globe, between the flange and the headlight assembly. This brought the light back into line.

oh yes, I have the 35W 5300K McCulloch set. It is MUCH brighter than the OEM or other globes I tried. Very happy with it in ow beam, but the warm up time and amount of traffic makes it no use for me in high beam.



http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/5325/h7hidfz6.jpg
Relative lengths of the globes.

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/7...dspacerrn9.jpg
With spacer made from OEM H7 extender.

DeathWish01

hmmm interesting... must be certain name brands.... i don't know the maker of my HID since the previous owner installed them... but it would be nice to hear some makes/models/temps of everyones HID's that didn't come w/ a hitch

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Nutter67

I had a set of elcheapo fleabay specials - 6000K. Base to xenon bulb distance was the same as base to filament on the OEM globe. Difference in light was immense. Until the other week (when the elcheapo low beam began to fail) I was still able to use my tinted visor for the ride home at night. I had to change back to OEM last week as the low beam was not working reliably. With the tinted visor at night, it is like riding with the light turned off. Have to ride with the visor up on the way home at the moment. I have another set on their way from Jaws right now.

Yes, the 6000K has a blue tinge to the light. They are definitely not white. I am happy with the colour of the light. I also use this colour to help me be more visible during the day - something I believe the colour helps with.

If you want white light, then drop to the 4200K-5000K range.

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Paul

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heisti

i use standard H7 - just with 100W instead of 55W

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CanadianBird

I have two sets from Jaws, low beam installed and high waiting to be installed. The ballast is tucked under the nose cone, on the shelve. Hopefully there is also room for the other high beam ballast as well. It a Bird specific made by Philips. HID S4U pro plus. I sold the 100 W bulb to a fellow Birdy. It wasn't "cheap" but I'm pleased with the low so I have little doubt on the high beam. John told me it's made in Germany not off shore. I have Piaa high beam at the moment but it still "pales" in comparison to the HID low beam. Good Luck. I'll have the high installed when I have the Acumen gear indicator installed.

X1rider

I got the Silverstar H7 bulbs for cars at Auto Zone for $50.00 a pair. 4100K, very bright white light.

The package says 55W=100W. I can light up signs on the expressway 1/2 mile away, easy. Of course I don't ride much at night, so I cannot justify the cost and complexity of installing HIDs.

I have a tentative trip planned to ride up the Blue Ridge Parkway and surrounding roads (like SR215, twisty city 9% grade) soon and some of that will be at night, so I will give a report on how the Sliverstar bulbs do in the Pisgah National Forest. With no moon, dense foliage, bugs and bats. If the bats come out in force, that means the bulbs are REALLY attracting the bugs since they are so bright, never mind how far I can see!

shewie

My HID is 4300K and is very white. I had enough room in my nosecone for a couple relays, a couple circuit breakers AND the ballast and have room to spare. My HID low beam is so powerful that my 100w high beam (also 4300K) can scarcely be noticed when I turn it on. It's good for assisting in the corners, I guess. The arc of the HID bulb was in exactly the same place as the filament in the halogen bulb so no spacer was required.

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zwhits9

Well this is the kit I have.
Motorcycle HID Kit [Standard]
The ballast's say they are made in germany. I spoke to the seller today, He said He would send another ballast out to me. Hopfully soon as I have a memorial day weekend trip planned.

I'll check the bulb placment tonight and see if I can figure out if it's aligned right. The bulb fits the H7 slot fine but not nearly as nice as the oem. The oem was totally air tight.

swazijmw

www.xenonrider.com This is where I got mine from. 6000k and am happy with them. Placed a standard garden hose washer on the back of the Hid bulb and between the spring, suggested by a few members here (thanks) fits like a charm. I stuck my slim Ballasts with the double sided 3m tape supplied to back of my instrument panel (perfect spot) wondering why no one else has placed there ballasts there? Do the ballast get hot enough to cause a problem there?

zwhits9

Yeah, swazijmw Actually that is exactly where I put my ballasts. I'm not sure if they get hot or not. Hope not. I don't think I could fit both anywhere else.

Banshee

My McCulloch ballasts (well the one that I use now), are on the back of the instrument panel. This works on the newer dash with the digital speedo, but the older one has globes not LEDs & you cannot stick them on due to the globe holders.

Toynut

I have installed a couple of dozen kits in both bikes and automotive applications. Some were good, some were crap. I have had ballasts or bulbs last less than a couple of weeks including the newer slim design ballasts.

Having said all that however, for your consideration...



THIS IS THE KIT YOU WANT TO INSTALL RIGHT HERE!

DDM 35W & 55W Single Motorcycle HID System: DDM Tuning - HID Kits, HID Bulbs, DEPO Lighting, BMW and Porsche Performance Accessories

I recently installed the 55 watt kit on one of my birds (most HID kits are 35 watt) and I must say the light output is exceptional!
Their copy is pretty accurate:

We offer our DDM HID kits in 4 distinct flavors to fit the needs of the multitude of riders. Select the base 35W systems with a typical output of 3200 lumens which is up to 3X the output of a typical halogen bulb. Or step up to our 55W systems for an astounding 5000 lumens, a 40% increase. This is the option for those that ride long distance, cross country or who mix it up in the twisties and need maximum light. And since all of our DDM HID Systems utilize our diminutive slimline ballasts, you can mount them almost anywhere behind the fairing or under the seat; even inside many headlight housings. Each ballast is only 8 oz and barely larger than a folded Razor telephone!




I would stick to bulb temps bellow 5000K (I use 4500K) to get the most useful wavelength and color of light for riding. Avoid the 6000K and higher color temps, the light may appear brighter but in actuality you are shifting into the blue/violet wavelength and all you really do is increase the glare factor and reduce visual acuity.

This is an american based distributor that has inventory right here. What's more, this is their stated lifetime warranty policy:

All DDM HID kits come standard with a FREE lifetime warranty. This is an important consideration. Many retailers charge extra for this. Also, Apexcone has been in business since 2001. So you can be assured that we will be there for service if you ever need it.


No more arguing with someone in China from a webstore via email in broken english who couldn't give a rat's ass about your warranty issues or negative reviews (been there ).
This is really good stuff here guys, 'nuff said!

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Al
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Then again, Momma never rode a motorcycle, either!

DeathWish01

THANK YOU!!! nice write up!!

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Mike Voeller

zwhits9

Well, Toynut, thanks a lot. That's all very usefull info. I have found you're right about the 6000k lights. It seems to really light up reflective surfaces (signs) really well. But the ground and side of road (grass etc) are really hard to see. So I suppose there good for animal eyes, but I don't want to look like a rice racer kid who spent his whole McDonalds paycheck on a purple headlight. So I think my next course of actions is to request a bulb swap for 5000K bulbs.

another questions I have, since you all seem to be well versed in these kits is this; My bike rides very rough and the HID seems to flicker a lot. I don't remember my halogen bulb being that way. It's almost like the arc is flicking on and off really quick or atleast dimming very quickly with the rough bumps. Do you think this is unique to my kit? Is it bad/cheap? I hope not. I found HID kits from $20 to $300 I picked one in the middle of the price range hoping to get something decient.

Anyway thanks for all the help I'll give more updates as I figure out what helps

And Hey TOYNUT I got my CBRXX Hat today! Really cool! top notch cap. good quality and impossable to find anywhere else. And, it fit's great. I'll be enjoying this hat for a long time. thanks again!

Toynut

The H7 bulbs on a bird fit into a bulb adapter that is thicker than the typical HID bulb base. Go to your local hardware store and purchase some replacement garden hose washer seals (the type that fits into the female coupling of a garden hose. Generally, you need to add just one washer to the back of the bulb to take up the slack for the locking spring bar to keep the bulb from bouncing in the headlight housing. BTW, you will get much more usable light if your bulb temp is in the 4-4500K range (4200K is an excellent choice).

BTW,

The HID conversions create a very sharp distinct cutoff of light at the top of the pattern (this is actually not a bad thing). Any small variations in the road surface will cause the headlight housing to vibrate slightly and the create light flicker on the roadway and signs. Carefully aiming your headlights can minimize some of the irritating flicker (the knobs on the back of your headlight housing). Revalving/upgrading your suspension will also help somewhat.

__________________
Al
________________________________________
Momma always said "the best things in life are free"! OK,sure.............
Then again, Momma never rode a motorcycle, either!