What's the brightest headlight for our bikes?

[wakdady]

So i removed the fairings off my "F" model. Installed a temp dirtbike headlight that shines, oh, about 5 feet. i need something substantial now. What are my options? I've seen a couple dual projectors on ebay for about $150.
all i know is, i prefer the best lighting solution there is.

thanx!

[black and silver twin]

Get HID lights, they rule. best light quality and quantity.

[ragecage23]

I've wanted some HIDs, but I'm not sure which set to get.

[Deros514]

Look up ddm tuning for hid. They're cheap and probably made in China but I've had a set running in ny car for about a year now. I got 35w 5000k bulbs in projectors and the light output is awesome. They have a 55w ballast that would be even brighter if you wanted

[Homer]

.

[ragecage23]

So when it talks about 3000k or 5000k bulbs, what does that mean?

[black and silver twin]

So when it talks about 3000k or 5000k bulbs, what does that mean?

thats the "temperature" of the light, not the actual heat generated mind you, but basically the hue of the light. higher "temps" mean higher on the spectrum of light. the further you go up the better (to a point) the light will look more natural the higher the number. but after a certain point some of the light emitted is beyond the visible light spectrum so it wont help you to see things on the road but the non-visible light will make signs glow very bright. go for 5000k Ive had them and they were great, ive also had 3000k they were still much better than most incandescents but not as good as 5000k.

[burning1]

It depends on whether you're talking about the color temperature of HID vs Halogen, or whether you're discussion the color temperature differences between various hues of bulbs.

Most of the Halogen bulbs on the market naturally put out light in the 3200K range. Anything whiter than that is typically accomplished by tinting the bulb. Most of the halogen bulbs advertised as being hotter colors are just tinted, some to the point that they are visibly blue, or in some cases, even purple. A blue tinted bulb is *not* the equivalent of 5000K bulb, no matter what the manufacturers try to claim.

HID bulbs generally put out light in the 5000K range, which is noticeably whiter than a HID bulb. They also put out significantly more light. However, HID bulbs put out a different light pattern than Halogen bulbs, and despite the fact that many retrofit kits are available, HID bulbs should not be installed in reflectors designed for Halogen bulbs.

One noticeable difference between HID and Halogen bulbs is that halogen bulbs produce full spectrum light, where Halogen bulbs produce more of their light in the warmer temperature range. This can lead to some odd color effects with the HID bulbs.

[wakdady]

i need the entire setup, not just a bulb.

this is what it looks like right now.

[Deros514]

From my own car...35w 5000k bulb through projector on left and Sylvania Silverstar on the right. Idk what kinda bulbs are in the foglights at the bottom...halogen or something. It's fairly obvious the HID is a much purer white and much more intense than the halogen. Once you try HID you'll wonder how you ever saw with halogens.

[saxman]

OEM hid bulbs typically output at 4300K. Going higher than that results in a bluer hue with less light out put.

It's very very important that you install hids in lights designed for hids. Put them in your stock GS headlight, and you'll just blind all the oncoming traffic. Last thing I'd want while on a motorcycle is the 4000lbs land yacht coming right at me to not be able to see where it's going.

Oh, and you'll be blinding other drivers because the light will be going up and in the wrong directions, so not only can they not see, neither can you.

Moral of the story? HIDs are amazing, when done properly. Do it right or don't do it at all.

[gotkids]

I just put a Narva Artic Blue H4 in the GS, its whiter than stock but is a vast improvement riding at night. It is rated at 4000K.

[wakdady]

very true, i get blinded all the time by these people.
However, is there a housing i can use that can utilize HIDS for the naked GS? This would be ideal. otherwise it looks like dominators for me, possibly trying HID's with them to see if they shine properly.

OEM hid bulbs typically output at 4300K. Going higher than that results in a bluer hue with less light out put.

It's very very important that you install hids in lights designed for hids. Put them in your stock GS headlight, and you'll just blind all the oncoming traffic. Last thing I'd want while on a motorcycle is the 4000lbs land yacht coming right at me to not be able to see where it's going.

Oh, and you'll be blinding other drivers because the light will be going up and in the wrong directions, so not only can they not see, neither can you.

Moral of the story? HIDs are amazing, when done properly. Do it right or don't do it at all.

[pandymai]

i've got an HID in a stock headlight housing for my gs500e. there's a shield below the HID so the light only reflects off the top section (providing for low beam). my highbeam is a secondary bulb that sits a bit offset under the shield and only turns on as a highbeam. if you go the HID route and keep the stock house, just look for what they call Bi-Xenon HID's. those should be the ones with the shield because theyre made for vehicles with high/low off the same bulb.

my GS, before i changed the headlight, actually had the one piece bulb (one sealed headlight) sitting in the housing. luckily, I found a new model's housing (one where you can interchange just the bulb and not the lens and reflector). if i didnt find that housing though, i wouldve CAREFULLY just cut that one-piece headlight open around the burnt bulb, lined up a new aftermarket bulb, and glue it in with silicone. i've seen it done, it's a bit of a mickeymouse job, but it definitely works.

[burning1]

I own a K1300GT, with the optional Xenon package. I've seen my share of HID retrofits, including the kind you describe with a shield. None of them work properly - all of them cause all kinds of glare problems, and none of them throw a wide, even pattern the way the GT does.

The best way to add HIDs to a bike is to install after market lamps. Retrofit kits are the wrong way to go.

[Deros514]

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/index.php?cPath=25&osCsid=44b3a326d0656384930949bad8389630

Pick up some projectors if you want to go the HID route and do it right. Since it looks like you have more room to work with than the stock headlight, retrofitting some projectors wouldn't that much harder for you. The link to the site I suggested has several options, but a little pricey. I've never bought from them but I was going to at one point and then found something locally. Try eBay or some local wreckers to find a better deal. Body shops often throw away headlights with damaged plastics but still have salvageable parts.

[burning1]

Speaking of headlights... I recently passed a Honda ST1300 that had so many aftermarket lamps installed that it was painful to stare at, even with direct sunlight. I can't imagine that the thing was particularly safe.

I notice that people tend to pull over for the GT. The stock headlamp cutoff is pretty flat, but rises sharply on the right side to illuminate signs and potential road hazards.