HID lights.. who here has them? and what do you recommend

I popped my low beam at the track day the other week and thought I may as well go HID. I was thinking 4300k what are you guys running? where did you get them? what was the price and how did the install go?

I'd like it to be plug and play where possible

I bought some 35W H7 5000K HIDs from China (can't remember store name - will look up when get home).
They were not quite plug and play as I decided to make a thin spacer (2mm) to move the low beam globe away from the cut off inside the lamp. You also have to cut out the back of the rubber dust cover that covers the globe so that the wires can fit through. The kit I got had a new grommet to fit the new cut out. I did stuff around with this for a while as I did not want to cut too big a hole to start with but gradually made it the right size. All up by the time I removed the front panels and screen and installed the lights and the replaced the panels it took me about 2 hours and 2 cups of coffee.
The light they put out is fantastic and even better with both beams on. You do lose the flash ability by having both as HIDs as they take 30 seconds to warm up. The 5000k are slightly blue tinge but so much better even in 35W version. I used to run 100w 4300K halogen globes but now I get more light and don't have to worry about burning out my wiring.
Mark

I installed a pair of the DDM HID's, 55W, H7, 5000K, any hotter and I think they are too blue. It looks like their prices have come down US$5 to $40 for the pair, postage is a slug at about $45 as well, but $90 wasn't too bad I thought as the DDM bulbs have a lifetime warranty, not that you would want to send one back to the US, just good to know DDM has enough faith in their product to offer it in the first place. Our dollar was a little better when I got mine.



I wouldn't say it was plug and play, depends on how fussy you are with where and how you mount the ballast and ignitor boxes.

I also installed an electronic time delay from WolztenTech, this keeps the bulbs powered off for approx 10seconds when you first start, and then allows you to switch hi or lo straight away there after. You will need their TDR-PS units to switch positive. I didn't adjust the time delay, the factory setting is pretty good.

And just to complicate matters I also installed some 35w LED spots, and a pair of high intensity single LED's with a "twinkle"
modulator from Bikevis.com to give added attention to the front (trying to get the average cager to look at you not through you). With the odd relay or two the schematic gets a bit busy, but if you take it one wire at a time it is pretty easy.



There are some good install guides up on the Maximum Suzuki forum, just search HID. I got the idea from them to make up a metal bracket to put everything onto, it bolts in behind the right fairing using the indicator screw at the front mount and one of the spare nuts on the frame under the tank so everything is hidden with the added benifit of getting some air across it for cooling.

BTW, I reckon the HID's are great,

Barry

cheers mate just what I was after. Locally the guys are trying to get you to pay $100 for one HID

The 10second relay sounds good too.

Any pics of your bracket... I'm thinking it won't work on my bike due to after market flush mounts but you never know

I didn't take photo's of mine, more from embarrashment than not having a camera around, my workmanship is a little rough.

I put mine on the right side as I have mounted the Nautilus on the left. I grabed some photos from Toolmaker91 of Two Wheeled Texans forum (sorry it was their site where I got most of my info, but Max Suzuki also had a thread or two). These are his photo's, he has the bracket on the left, but it is the same concept as mine:





My setup has three relays (two as per the schematic and one spare for future use) as well as the two time delay modules (they are about matchbox size). Main power comes from an Eastern Beaver fuse panel, with control of the HID's relays from the old lo/hi bulb connectors. I tap off ign 12v from the two small side headlight bulbs (changed these to LED units whilst I was at it, the ordinary lights were too yellow for my liking) to power other circuits.

I am in the process of changing all bulbs (to LEDs) and clear lenses to smoked. So far as well as the healights and cover I have also changed the four indicators to smoked lenses (still on the old droopy stalks - will do a cut down on them one day), I installed yellow LEDs but they were not as bright as the normal bulbs so put them back whilst I have some super brights coming. The rear stop/tail assembly has also been changed to a smoked lense, this comes with leds already so was pretty simply change over. This all ties in well with the smoked screen (on both the bike and the sidecar and the headlight cover (that comes off at night). If I ever wash the girl I will take a couple of pics.

Regards

Barry

Cheers Barry. Have you thought of using CREE leds... This crowd has a pretty good range http://www.ledshoponline.com/automotive_leds.htm

Yep, they were the original LEDs I got (from this shop actually), but I found were not bright enough, the standard bulbs were better.

The ones I ordered were 1156 BA15S 5x3 Chip units (4 CREEs round and one on top). In your setup with the flush mount front indicators they might be okay, but I wanted something as bright if not brighter than the incandesents. They also don't sell the correct base for the Bandit, the single connector base one would expect to have 180 degree locating pins (style BA15S). Suzuki decided to use 150 degree locating pins (style BAU15S) that is usually reserved for dual filiment stop/tail bulbs because you can only insert them one way.


I then ordered a set of 18 SMD LEDs but still think they are not bright enough looking directly at them, these had 15 chips around the side and three facing forward.


I think the problem is the limited number of LEDs actually facing front on.

So now I am waiting delivery of my third set of LEDs. These have 24 normal LEDs (old style) all pointing forward, and they are on the BAU15S base with the 150 degree mounting pins.


It is now a matter of attrition, my quest for the right LED bulb verses me running out of money. I reckon what I spent on LEDs I could have bought 50 bulbs, but as they say in the insane assylum, its the principle of the matter.

Regards

Barry

Those CREE LEDs must be crap then as the CREE led torches throw a really bright white light hundreds of metres.

I await your feedback on the LEDs, because in my experience they aren't very bright at all

Go to the forum HIDplanet, (punch it into google) that well have all the info you could possible want on all lighting. Theres alot of shit HID kits out there,so if your going to get one,do your reseach. That site also leads to a sales site on quality HID kits, just under OEM quality. They have different levels of quailty, when buying HID`s,you get what you pay. If it costs nothing,your buying crap from a sweat shop in china. At the end of the day,depends what you want it for, to see,or be scene. Over the years i`ve gone from 6000, to 5000k, and now down to 4300k,which i like,i guess thats personal choice

I recommend stop riding before dusk and have a beer in the bar when its dark outside .

Never mind me, as 2wa says ,PROCEED .

Yeah I'll be buying 4300K. I couldn't give a shit about purple or blue lights. I'm more a function over form kinda person, so I'd rather have something that actually works.

the Sun produces about 4500k,so thats the kind of light i want to be seeing. the higher you go up in kelvin, the less lumens are produced,meaning less punch in light throw

reddog wrote:Yeah I'll be buying 4300K. I couldn't give a shit about purple or blue lights. I'm more a function over form kinda person, so I'd rather have something that actually works.

The Sun overhead at noon turns out between 5,000K & 5,400K with the figure of 4,300K used for lights because it is a mid morning or mid afternoon colour hue that is somewhat easier on the eyes. If you go much hotter than 5,500K there is the possibility of a reflection similar to driving in fog or snow especially when drining in rain.
The other 2 main problems with HID's in a Bandit are 1) the lights used are reflectors not projectors and 2) it is illegal according to the ADR's. point 1 just means that you HID's,even if you spend $200 not the $30 Chinese copies, are still not going to work as intended and point 2 just means that any roadworthy check could put your biuke off the road.
I have them in mine, both high & low beams, and am willing to take the risk - it's a personal choice, like most things in life.
Mark

correct they are designed for projectors which i have. If you have a dual element bulb set up , and put after market hid hi-low beam set up,they don`t work due to the shifting action of the bulb,which is supposed to duplicate hi-low,but fails cause it alters the focal point inside the parabolic of the lens. This only flares the light,and doesn`t direct as the light was designed,and pisses off on coming traffic.
Every science doco i`ve seen on the sun and our solar system,has said we see at 4500k,I haven`t ever seen it said 5000k and above,but I am sheep when it comes to doco`s and believe what I see on the idiot box. But just did the old google search(our living bible) and it says morning/afternoon sun 2000-3000,and noon above 5000-5400, so I guess when you average it out,your about 4500.
Cheap chinese things take upto 30sec to come on,OEM quality comes on about 90-95% straight up with the last warm up about 5sec. To me,as someone that every 6wks does a round trip from gladstone to brisbane,and only travels at night,wants the ducks nuts,cause when putting my high beam back on after a car passes in the other direction, I want to be able to see the night pedestrians(roo`s,cattle). i hit a wallaby once with my engine case years ago,and scared the shit out of me, from that point swore never to buy cheap shit ever again. i`ve got a hella ballast from a spare spotlight from my car,and use that as my ignition sorce,it is insant.

HID`s can be used in reflector style lights, as long as its a single filiment bulb replacement,and the HID being used is to the correct specs so the focal point is not changed, as per any factory HID spot light out there being sold, eg:Hella

surfacc wrote:The Sun overhead at noon turns out between 5,000K & 5,400K with the figure of 4,300K used for lights because it is a mid morning or mid afternoon colour hue that is somewhat easier on the eyes. If you go much hotter than 5,500K there is the possibility of a reflection similar to driving in fog or snow especially when driving in rain.
The other 2 main problems with HID's in a Bandit are 1) the lights used are reflectors not projectors and 2) it is illegal according to the ADR's. point 1 just means that you HID's,even if you spend $200 not the $30 Chinese copies, are still not going to work as intended and point 2 just means that any roadworthy check could put your biuke off the road.
I have them in mine, both high & low beams, and am willing to take the risk - it's a personal choice, like most things in life.
Mark

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This is my wiring diagram.

I chose 35watt 6000K lamp.
Colour is white with no blue tinge.
Intensity is fantastic
Had to adjust position of beam down a little - never been pulled over for my headlight, going a little quick - well that is a different matter.

BTW put 35watt 4300K in wife's bike. I personally cannot see any colour difference to my 6000K

Both lights came from China.

Fitted mine this weekend. Did I mention they are ridiculously bright. Ended up with h7 6000k, yet to try them out at night. Pics to come soon

Here's the bracket I made up for the HID ballasts

Front


Back


Fitted under the left side fairing between the indicator and the rear fairing bracket

More pics please Reddog. What is in the rest of the kit ? How much modding ( is that a word ? ) did you have to do ? Were they expensive ?

Nice bracket Reddog, I made mine out of the side of an old PC, yours looks much more professional.

I placed the ballasts and ignitors on both sides of the bracket to bring them a little closer to the bulbs, your wiring must be a little longer. This then gave me a little more room at the tail end of the bracket to mount some relays and delay boxes (so lights don't fire when starting but will switch between hi and lo without delay thereafter).

I also had the Nautilus horn mounted on the left side fairing so it was a little too crowed.

Looks good so far.

Hammy the kit was from Super Bike Supply, it was $100 for both high and low beam. You need to make some 4-5mm spacers as the H7 bulbs we have on the bandit have spacers. I made minbe out of garden hose fittings with a hacksaw and a bit of sanding they worked just fine, just watch the sharp edges the plastic can get. I cut myself on one of the buggers, it was sharper than a knife edge.

I'll take some more pics when the screen arrives and I strip it down to fit the new screen. If you like I'll try and take a stencil of the bracket that I made out of a piece of cardboard if you like. The piece of alloy I had was an off cut from the security door we had made up. You could go to your nearest glass/security place and ask them for an off cut, it's approximately 2-2.5mm holed alloy plate.

Barry: It was a tight fit mate, the wires only just reached. Looks pretty tidy though with the help of half a dozen cable ties and some electrical tape

Hammy: The HID kit was brought from www.superbikesupply.com.au

Here it is