HIDs for my motorcycle

exalted512

I'm doing some more night driving on the bike and wanted something better than just a silverstar ultra.

Basically, its a single H4 bulb on my bike (only one light) that does both high and low beam.

These are the three kits listed on ebay for it:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/EFX-H4-MOTORCYCLE-HID-KIT-KAWASAKI-94-07-NINJA-500_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247QQcategoryZ36476QQihZ008QQitemZ180252266175QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWD1V
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HID-Xenon-Conversion-kit-Ninja-500-250R-ZX-11-ZX1100-ZR_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247QQcategoryZ36476QQihZ006QQitemZ160207389430QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWD1V
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HID-CONVERSION-KAWASAKI-NINJA-500_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247QQcategoryZ35575QQihZ011QQitemZ320270137682QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWD1V

My question is, on the last auction, it says, for an additional $75, I can have high and low beams, as opposed to just low beam...
"Also Available we offer a single bulb High/Low Beam Upgrade for an additional $75"

Another one lists something about a bi-xenon light. So is it just the light thats different, or do they require a different ballast?

Thanks for any help!
-Cody

brettw22

If you're going from a dual bulb light housing to just utilize a single balast/bulb, you may have to get one that has a wiring harness to bring your low and high beam cables into the single bulb.

I think that has more to do with how your vehicle/bike is wired ultimately.........if you just have the single factory wiring harness, then you only need the single bulb that has dual capabilities (high/low). If those bulbs are the same as the car counterparts, you might save some coin by just buying a car setup so you have an extra bulb in the rare chance you have to replace it down the road.........

dkg999

You also have to make sure the extra heat doesn't damage your headlight socket and other wiring inside the headlight housing. It's better to add a set of PIAA or other brands driving lights. I have a set of PIAA 005's mounted off of my hiway peg brackets and just love what they do for night driving and increased visibility of my bike for cage drivers during the day.

brettw22

HID's are less hot than the 'super bright' halogens.........also, HID's use less power and are brighter.

exalted512

brettw22 wrote: »

If you're going from a dual bulb light housing to just utilize a single balast/bulb, you may have to get one that has a wiring harness to bring your low and high beam cables into the single bulb.

I think that has more to do with how your vehicle/bike is wired ultimately.........if you just have the single factory wiring harness, then you only need the single bulb that has dual capabilities (high/low). If those bulbs are the same as the car counterparts, you might save some coin by just buying a car setup so you have an extra bulb in the rare chance you have to replace it down the road.........

No, I just have one bulb period from the factory. This single bulb does both high and low beams.

And like I said, one of the auctions states to get high/low beams, its an additional $75...im wondering if i can just get the damn thing, then buy the high/low beam capable bulb elsewhere since its cheaper to do so, or if the ballast itself is different.
-Cody

exalted512

Also, they have the color temperature measured in k.

Is one brighter than the other, like the white brighter than the other colors? Are any of these illegal in any states?
-Cody

brettw22

The manufacturers ballasts are all different.........so are the wires coming off the bulb. The way most of those are is the bulb is hardwired (not just a bulb with a connector outlet) and those cables coming out of it are connected to wires coming out of the ballast.

If the bulb breaks, you have to get the bulb from that manufacturer or you have to replace the ballast setup.

When i got HID's for my car, I think I remember seeing several auctions that showed different wiring connectors.......

What bulb type is your bike light? Can you just get a car setup (2 ballasts, 2 bulbs, etc) and use that as a backup if you have a bulb issue? I do know that even for the cars the blended hi/low bulbs are double the price, so if you're paying the same for the car and motorcycle setup, I'd get the car system that has 2 sets if the bulb type is the same.

brettw22

Believe it or not, the lower the K the brighter it is. I bought the 8000K (bluish hue) over the 6000K, but the 6 is a brighter light than the 8.........just depends on what you want color-wise.

Trust though, compared to the stock light or the halogens, HID is a massive improvement over those........

exalted512

I have a single H4 bulb on the bike.

I'm sure I could get a car setup and only use half. 2 of the ones listed do have lifetime warranties though.
-Cody

Joe08867

The trick used to be they use HID for the low beam and a Halogen for the High beam.

But with a single beam setup the ballast is different for the one bulb to do both. And like someone said they are proprietary to each manufacturer.

You would proabably be better off going with Fog or driving lights. The added benefit is you will look bigger on the road which should add a good measure of safety. Compared to a blinding Blue HID lamp that I have seen people drive right at.

exalted512

wonderful, the damn things arent universal...
-Cody

brettw22

To be honest, I don't ever use my high beams any more because my low beams are so much brighter. I think you'd be just fine if you got an H4 bulb that was just a low beam.......

exalted512

the thing is...i have half as many bulbs as you do and dont have the comfort of being in a steel cage if there is something i dont see.

i do appreciate your insight, youve been a great help.
-Cody

brettw22

After I put my HID's in, I am seeing reflective things (street signs etc) about 1/2 mile ahead and my peripheral lighting is to be thrown wider as well.

I installed HID's into a reflective light housing, not one of the HID type......so an HID bulb in a non HID (round fisheye type lens) is going to hugely increase what a HID would usually light up........

dkg999

For a motorcycle I would still suggest something like what I put on my bike:

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68892&page=2

I know on some of the motorcycle forums they were talking about how the HID lights generated too much heat, but maybe they were talking about something else and using the wrong terminology.

brettw22

People will run to Wal-Mart and buy the HID type of Halogen bulb that's 8 million lumens blah blah blah..........what they're buying is a torch that will cook the lens of their headlight over time. (i did it on both of my headlights on my car) You can touch the headlight with one of those bulbs and your hand will be scorched......

The HID's with the ballasts don't generate anything near the heat and are much brighter, so when I replaced my light housings at the same time as my bulbs (with ballast driven HID system) it was a totally different driving experience.......

I-SIG

Just as a courtesy, it has seemed to me that motorcycle brights are more brutal to me, the oncoming driver, than most car's brights. Do what you need to do, but please keep other drivers in mind. As Shrek said, this could be the opposite of help.

Wes

bigaudiofanatic

I have a single H4 bulb in my bmw and its a silver star ultra. Bright as I need it I am going to do xenon upgrade to my car though. With halo headlights will look sick.

exalted512

So I got this kit:http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HID-CONVERSION-KAWASAKI-NINJA-500_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247QQcategoryZ35575QQihZ011QQitemZ320270137682QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWD1V

And wow...no instructions.

Couple questions, hopefully you guys can help.

Coming off the bulb, there are 3 plugs. 2 plug into plugs coming off the ballast. There other is very small (24awg?) red and black wires with a plug...any ideas?

Also, theres a white and black wire coming off the plug that plugs into the factory harness...any ideas there?
Thanks-
-Cody

exalted512

This edit crap sucks...anyway...heres a pic of someone elses...i tried to take one with my camera...but when i try to put it in my printer to go to my computer...of course my printer is screwed up again...but thats a whole other thread.


The red wire in that pic is my 'white' wire and isnt connected to anything...and you will notice 2 black wires...one is not connected to anything.
-Cody

brettw22

What I'm not understanding is why the bulb has anything other than the 2 wires that connect to the ballast. In the picture of the bulb in that auction, there is only a red and blue cable coming out of the bulb. (I noticed in the auction that you got just a low beam bulb, which means you opted not to get the low/high beam setup, right?)

If your system looks like the one pictured, then I'd say it's gonna be a **** keeping water out of contact with the connectors. In my system, both the male and female ends were rubber bushing/grommeted to be water tight. (that picture looks to be very iffy IMO)

I looked all over for a manual but didn't see one out there so I think you're left to calling them during business hours........

exalted512

Im sorry, I did pay extra for the upgrade to hi/lo beams, so its not the exact one pictured.
-Cody

brettw22

I wasn't going off of the picture..........the auction that you linked to specifies that it's a low beam only auction...........if that's not the one that you actually purchased, then link us to the one you did buy so I can see the difference in teh actual hardware since you can't take a pic.........

exalted512

Found my cable to hook up my camera to my comp



That is the auction I bought it from, it says for an additional 75 bucks you can upgrade to the hi/low kit, which I did.
-Cody

brettw22

The only thing I could think of for the black/white cables is those would be used to split your single factory harness into two separate ballast/bulb systems.......which is rare, but some people do that (same real estate of typical bulb, but just separate compartments for hi/low beams)

Have you hooked up that stuff the way you have the cables connected in the pictures to see if you even get light? If so, i'd tape up the white/black cables and call them tomorrow to ask what they're for..........

exalted512

Think I found the problem...they forgot to include a relay...found a picture of it on another auction on ebay.
-Cody

exalted512

So they sent me the wrong plug...supposedly the right one was sent out yesterday.
-Cody

exalted512

Got the right plug in today and got everything hooked up. I'm extremely, extremely impressed. I was going to take a couple pics of before and after, but didn't really feel like it after I had been messing with it in the dark. The bike is still apart...lol.

But again, I'm extremely impressed and am certainly a believer now...might be switching over my truck and my fiancee's car soon as well. I'm certain I'm going to feel much safer driving at night now.
-Cody

BaggedLancer

I had aftermarket HID's in my last car, absolutely loved them.

I have factory HID's in my car now, and will be switching to 10k or 12k bulbs VERY soon. I love HID's, makes driving so much safer at night, especially for someone who struggles to see in the dark.

exalted512

I got 8k, I didnt want to sacrifice visibility for a little bit of color. Not when all I have is one bulb. I might get 10 or 12 for the truck though
-Cody