I finally got around to installing the HID light on my bike. It's definitely a lot brighter than the halogen 60/55W bulb it had. The lights do have a cut off, but they aren't that great.
I set up the HID to only run with the HIGH BEAM on. I had to lower both lights low enough so that I wouldn't blind on coming traffic with my left high beam on. You can see the cut-off on the HID side. It's kind of a "V" shape. I haven't tried it with a shield yet. That's my next project.
Lights Off
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/katfish/GS500/LEDGauges.jpg)
Lights ON
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/katfish/GS500/HIDandLEDGauges.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/katfish/GS500/HID1.jpg)
Thanks for posting the pics. I would like to see pics of the install, if you ever have it taken apart again.
Here's some interesting reading about HID retrofits: http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/HID.html
There isn't much to the install. There also isn't much plastic on our GS500E's, so my ballast and wires aren't fully hidden. I'll take some pictures in the day time.
I've read Daniels Sterns info a few years ago. If I remember correctly, he's the same guy that sells HIR bulbs which I mention in this thread.
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=49475.20
HIR bulbs suck.
Hello! This is what I started to do, but eventually... I didn't.. :D
I would install the HID in the low beam, the "problem" with your setup is that don't have an effective pass signal now, since the HID won't light up immediately. Then again I DID need more light in the low beam... I guess it's just a matter of taste.
About the cut of, if you can install a shield its just great (I used projectors and modified their shield), but I have found that the distance from the mounting point of the lamp to the filament/bulb is not the same between the HID and the halogen. If that's the case with yours too, you can try to move the HID just a bit forward/backward so that the little bulb is on the focal point of the headlight assembly.
Cheers! :thumb:
EDIT: Mmmmm.. something is wrong with your setup? Why doesn't even the halogen bulb, have a clear cut off? Check the distance I speak of above, just in case.
Does the light spread better down the road than what is shown in your photographs of the wall ?
I've wondered when there might be a decent projector for HID lights on bike. EIther HID or LED would be quite nice to have casting lots of light on the road. Until then, I'll stick with cheap-to-replace halogen.
Coud you write up what you used, how you wired it, etc please ? :)
Quote from: lamoun on September 06, 2009, 01:50:44 AM
Hello! This is what I started to do, but eventually... I didn't.. :D
I would install the HID in the low beam, the "problem" with your setup is that don't have an effective pass signal now, since the HID won't light up immediately. Then again I DID need more light in the low beam... I guess it's just a matter of taste.
About the cut of, if you can install a shield its just great (I used projectors and modified their shield), but I have found that the distance from the mounting point of the lamp to the filament/bulb is not the same between the HID and the halogen. If that's the case with yours too, you can try to move the HID just a bit forward/backward so that the little bulb is on the focal point of the headlight assembly.
Cheers! :thumb:
EDIT: Mmmmm.. something is wrong with your setup? Why doesn't even the halogen bulb, have a clear cut off? Check the distance I speak of above, just in case.
The Halogen is currently on High beam so it doesn't really have a straight cut off. It's just a circle of light.