hid bulb

[rhino66549]

I was wondering if anyone has put hid's on their gs500f yet? If so I was wondering where you ordered it from. thanks

[bval]

Good question . . . I'm wondering the same thing . . .

Anybody?

This site looks good:

http://www.kbcarstuff.com/4300k_Motorcyle_Bi_Xenon_HID_Conversion_Kit_p/mc-4k-h-fslash-l.htm

[average]

$235 seems pretty pricey. I would just grab a kit off of ebay. I'm sourcing another F headlight as we speak so I can have True HID in the car and bike. Already have the projector 

[Ronin]

D1

[frankieG]

that price is just plain silly

[pbureau69]

I bought this kit, (not from this seller mind you I bought it 89.99$ ship from asia)
I plan to install it this weekend. Ill keep you posted.

http://cgi.ebay.com/BI-XENON-HID-CONVERSION-KIT-H4-3-For-Motorcycle-Bike_W0QQitemZ290224346793QQihZ019QQcategoryZ32628QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[TheGoodGuy]

If I put HID the people in front of me at night will be blinded, they already complain that I am in high beam.. nope I am in low. Its set from the factory and I have not changed it. It has a nice wide beam.. and frankly it being a motorcycle my beam is high enough to hit most people's rear mirror at night.

hey atleast you see me!

[makenzie71]

I think all you people who think HID would be cool to have without making the necessary modifications need to just bite the bullet and do it...maybe then they'll ban the sell of the kits in the US and it'll be that much more difficult to get them.

[lewismug]

I'm right there with ya makenzie!  I was blinded the other night so badly that I had to pull off the road.  After they passed, I got behind them and it was a ford escort.  I didn't know they came with HID's?!?!   They had it "fixed up" Need For Speed style.  Sure the lights, when used and installed correctly are GREAT.  But when they are not installed correctly they are just downright dangerous!  My Audi has 'em from the factory and they are way better than my old Volvos halogens!  I would LOVE to have one on my bike, but I know there's not a kit on ebay that was designed for MY BIKE.  Notice how none of them come complete with a reflector?  They cast a very different light than regular bulbs and they NEED that special reflector that was designed for HID bulbs!  You want hid??  Go frankenstein a few complete headlight assemblies out of cars that came from the factory with HID and put them on the front of your bike.  At least that way you get the correct reflector/projector/whatever.

[bval]

Well, detractors aside, I think it is possible on a GS500F with some careful considerations and adjustments, but not so sure on a GS500E due to the difference in the type of headlamps.

Extra light output is my lesser consideration for HID though . . . my primary objective would be to lower my wattage consumption to provide more headroom for things like a heated vest for touring, without compromising light output. In this way HID is a good way to get more juice out of a GS which is way underpowered electrically in my opinion.

That said, the detractors do have some good points and one is indisputable - Our headlamps were not designed for HID and therefore if they are upgraded, they will not  behave as they should for such a high-intensity output. The GS's, with lower light output, are designed to spread light and place it differently than they would if they were projector style lamps specifically designed for HID.

After some research, here's the conclusions I've come to if I decide to go this route on my GS500F:

• I'd pick the telescoping bulb type to get the most out of low/high beam differential - (it also most closely matches the filament positions and function of the existing Halogens)
• The beam would have to be adjusted more downward and possible more away from oncoming traffic than with halogen to compensate somewhat for the higher light output
• There is a paint-on coating available for headlights that supposed to slow Laser Radar detection time - the coating also reduces light output a bit, so it would be a good complement to my radar detector anyway and might help reduce some lumens and/or glare
• I'd go for a lower colour temperature bulb (yellow or white) as I find the blue bulbs are very distracting (or attracting depending on your perspective) - It might just be me, but I think people find the blue colour more offensive than a brighter white light

The key is to be responsible and even not use them if it creates too much glare. Given the motorcycle is a single bulb, that helps because you don't have two of them blasting. A motorcycle has a smaller wheelbase than a car and consequently with every dip and bump in the road the lights will aim more wildly than a car will, plus the lights are higher than on most cars. While this makes aiming the lights that much more important, just remember there are limits as to how much effect this will have.

Something I suggest is getting a trusted friend to ride your bike in various locations while you drive a car toward them to determine how best to make adjustments and even whether you should use them at all. Being involved in or creating an accident is not worth the benefits it might bring to you. The last thing you want is a new driver, nervous driver, or heaven forbid an intoxicated driver, hurtling toward you and being blinded or even attracted to the light like a moth to a flame. Seeing and being seen is one thing . . . being their new hood ornament is another.

[pbureau69]

Bval, my compliments on a very well written comment, now stay out of my head ! lol

yes I have subjected myself to those consideration listed myself. I ride all winter long, and I ride in dark and ride out in dark, the HID does provide a ton of more power than a sylvania bulb any day, and I wholeheartely agree it must be used in consideration of EVERYONE else on the road we share. (So dealy share sometimes. Grin)

The headlight lensse on the GS500 F, is more aimed downwards from the get-go anyways.  unlike the round headlight that even aimed donwards still projects light upwards and worsen by HID. I have experienced this wil a lot of the local Harley riders around my parts in Texas.

I do intent on installing a "dual" style mode (slide in and out) using internal light sheilding in the lamp itself, the HID I am going to install is deigned FOR motorcyles. knowingly I will also adjust my headlight to not be higher than the rear the "boot" (rear truck fro american) of my car at 25 ft as per required by the federal laws on highway and transportation. (grin).

I have installed HID light on a VW Scirocco, and I had to do all these things to get square lights  "E-code" lense (european) that have this additional internal sheilding from what I understand, forcing any lightbulb power to "cut off" preventing ANY deflection towards drivers in opposite lane. This lense I intend to acquire through a French GS500 Forum, and this will ensure optimal "other drivers on the road" security for all.

ps: I will make a tech note I promise.

[average]

Its pretty simple..you start out like a buddy of mine did with my heads...

[bval]

I'll look forward to seeing your tech notes.

Interesting photos.

[qwertydude]

Oh yeah as for paint on coatings that'll stop a radar detecor, they don't work. Mythbusters tested those and they're all busted.

[bval]

Hey, I'd be interested in finding out about the Mythbusters episode your referring to because I didn't really believe the Laser Veil claims myself. There is supposed to be some "unbiased" testing done out there, but who knows how unbiased and/or how scientific the testing actually was. I was willing to give it a try nonetheless as it's not that expensive, but if the Mythbusters were able to prove it wrong, it would save me some money. I'll see if I can find that info, but if you can save me some time it would be much appreciated.

I found this link http://mythbustersresults.com/episode18, but it doesn't confirm anything to do with the Laser Veil coatings for reflector housings specifically.

It does talk about lead based "stealth" paint for an entire vehicle, but that's not practical or desirable anyway. The Laser Veil product is supposed to just provide a couple of seconds reaction time for LIDAR when reflecting off headlights or other mirror based reflectors that give operators quciker readings at greater distances. The idea of the Laser Veil product is to confuse the LIDAR unit enough to give you about two seconds warning to slow down in time not to get a ticket, not to defeat the radar entirely. Any reflective surface will work if close enough, so I doubt you'd be able to completely defeat it. Motorcycles do make for smaller targets, so operators getting quicker LIDAR feedback off of a mirrored headlight reflector seems plausible, but  . . . who knows for sure.

My point for mentioning the coating in this thread is that if the coating dims the light output slightly, that might help reduce the glare and higher lumens for a non-HID designed housing to help compensate for blinding oncoming drivers. If it was able to also do what they claim and save you even one ticket, all the better. 

[qwertydude]

You're not going to fool Lidar. That lead paint, not really lead but a mixture of different metal oxides in stealth paint but not lead, is to fool radar. For legality reasons it's easier to fool radar because the radar cone is so spread out other vehicle can interfere and the police must be able to visually see you speeding. But lidar uses a light beam of infrared. Unless you paint your entire motorcycle flat black, and it better be a full spectrum absorbing black, it'll relfect enough to get you caught the beam is 1 meter wide at 250 meters so the headlight is only a small portion of that. Your windshield and helmet visor probably reflect more than your headlight but I doubt you'll paint your visor flat black.

http://mr2.com/TEXT/FAQonLidar.html

[frankieG]

as long as i am doing the speed limit i find that the high beams on my gsf sufficient at night.  add rain, fog or excess speed and then the story changes and it is more difficult to see.  also  make sure your visor is clean...that helps allot