Questions From My HID Headlight Upgrade

[95spfldmax]

A couple of questions.....

1. Does it harm the ignition to leave the key forwards for, say, 10 minutes or more (i'm on a battery tender also. does it hurt that?)? I'm trying to test the durability of the new install (a liitle bit anyways in the garage). Feel what's getting warm/hot and so forth......I know you don't want to run the bike with boots off to possibly damage the ignition. just wondering.......

2. The "black box" that has the heatsink built onto it starts out with a fairly loud high-pitch whine then after about 10 secs. quiets down considerably but is still there buzzing away.....i'm assuming this is normal?.....Unless someone tells me differently.

Thanks.

 

[gamorg02]

A couple of questions.....

1. Does it harm the ignition to leave the key forwards for, say, 10 minutes or more (i'm on a battery tender also. does it hurt that?)? I'm trying to test the durability of the new install (a liitle bit anyways in the garage). Feel what's getting warm/hot and so forth......I know you don't want to run the bike with boots off to possibly damage the ignition. just wondering.......

2. The "black box" that has the heatsink built onto it starts out with a fairly loud high-pitch whine then after about 10 secs. quiets down considerably but is still there buzzing away.....i'm assuming this is normal?.....Unless someone tells me differently.

Thanks.

Mike i've done #1 plenty of times. both intentionally and not! only once unintentionally for a couple hours during the summer and couldn't tell. then i had to do it a few times to troubleshoot one of my instrument panel LEDs

 

[VMAX1260]

dont think you have a prblem if you leave your key turned on. and the buzzing you here from the hid box. it is normal. i hear it too.

 

[MR_NST]

i just did an HID light as well, mine did fit in the bezel, im sorry you didnt have the same luck. but my ballast was much bigger and i couldnt put it in the same location as yours.

but one question? did your light have the small round shroud on the bulb. mine did, its designed to be the cut off at the top of the light, but when i installed mine, suprise, the cut off was at the bottom not the top, hence the lightbulb was in upside down. the lens the hid bulb is supposed to use is actually convex and mirrored so when the reflection shines in the headlight housing on a proper HID housing its reflected the correct way. ours are not.

i wondered how this was going to work, but the fix is quite simple. IF you have this problem. take the housing out, look at where the bulb fits into the bezel, theres a ring that locates the bulb thats PRESSED into the headlight housing. bend the tabs out a little bit and work the ring out. file a small slot 180* from the existing slot, push the ring in and bend the tabs back in. BLAMMO you are good. anywho sorry for the highjack but this was the only issue i had.

peace,
evan.....

 

[95spfldmax]

i just did an HID light as well, mine did fit in the bezel, im sorry you didnt have the same luck. but my ballast was much bigger and i couldnt put it in the same location as yours.

but one question? did your light have the small round shroud on the bulb. mine did, its designed to be the cut off at the top of the light, but when i installed mine, suprise, the cut off was at the bottom not the top, hence the lightbulb was in upside down. the lens the hid bulb is supposed to use is actually convex and mirrored so when the reflection shines in the headlight housing on a proper HID housing its reflected the correct way. ours are not.

i wondered how this was going to work, but the fix is quite simple. IF you have this problem. take the housing out, look at where the bulb fits into the bezel, theres a ring that locates the bulb thats PRESSED into the headlight housing. bend the tabs out a little bit and work the ring out. file a small slot 180* from the existing slot, push the ring in and bend the tabs back in. BLAMMO you are good. anywho sorry for the highjack but this was the only issue i had.

peace,
evan.....

I must admit i'm a little confused on what you are explaining to me.

First, our systems sound different since your bulb fit and your ballast didn't and mine was the opposite.

But I didn't quite follow the shroud and "work the ring out" part. On mine there is a shroud. It didn't look like there was anything to mess with there. With the HID assembled and turned on shooting across the room it seems the light is streched out from left to right.

Please explain further if you can. Thanks.

 

[Redbone]

I must admit i'm a little confused on what you are explaining to me.

First, our systems sound different since your bulb fit and your ballast didn't and mine was the opposite.

But I didn't quite follow the shroud and "work the ring out" part. On mine there is a shroud. It didn't look like there was anything to mess with there. With the HID assembled and turned on shooting across the room it seems the light is streched out from left to right.

Please explain further if you can. Thanks.

I think pictures might help too as I'm having a hard time visualizing Evan's setup.

 

[MR_NST]

sorry guys im brutal at explaining but i can show somebody perfectly...

let me try this again.

first off here is my purchase
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290492897095

if you look at a car that comes stock with HIDs the headlight assembly has a convex lens which will invert 180* whatever is shining out of it. for example, look at yourself on the inside of a spoon.
http://cgi.ebay.ca/FX-R-BI-XENON-PR...r_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2eae21296f

now that said a proper HID setup has a very noticable cut off line when shined on a wall. thats what the shroud on the bulb is for, its to help create that cut off line. its not perfect as it would be with projectors but it helps. this is a projector set up...
http://dziuggy.com/bike%20stuff/cutoff.jpg

i noticed when i installed the HID light that the shroud was on the bottom of the headlight bezel. as i thought would happen the cut off line was at the bottom of the reflection on the wall. i wondered how i could turn this 180* because even tho the bulb is installed the way it should be (shroud to the bottom), without the projector lense to invert the light the cutoff line is on the bottom.

then i noticed that the stainless ring that holds the bulb thats pressed into the back of the bezel could be removed, modified, and turned 180* to work so the bulb would be installed upside down, BUT the reflection would have the cutoff line at the top and not blind people. it worked out well. sorry for no pics of my own bike but its cold and i dont want to take it all apart again... lol

i hope this helps explain further the previous post. and im by no means an expert ive just done ALOT of research on this subject...

feel free to comment either way,
cheers,
evan.....

 

[95spfldmax]

sorry guys im brutal at explaining but i can show somebody perfectly...

let me try this again.

first off here is my purchase
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290492897095

if you look at a car that comes stock with HIDs the headlight assembly has a convex lens which will invert 180* whatever is shining out of it. for example, look at yourself on the inside of a spoon.
http://cgi.ebay.ca/FX-R-BI-XENON-PR...r_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2eae21296f

now that said a proper HID setup has a very noticable cut off line when shined on a wall. thats what the shroud on the bulb is for, its to help create that cut off line. its not perfect as it would be with projectors but it helps. this is a projector set up...
http://dziuggy.com/bike stuff/cutoff.jpg

i noticed when i installed the HID light that the shroud was on the bottom of the headlight bezel. as i thought would happen the cut off line was at the bottom of the reflection on the wall. i wondered how i could turn this 180* because even tho the bulb is installed the way it should be (shroud to the bottom), without the projector lense to invert the light the cutoff line is on the bottom.

then i noticed that the stainless ring that holds the bulb thats pressed into the back of the bezel could be removed, modified, and turned 180* to work so the bulb would be installed upside down, BUT the reflection would have the cutoff line at the top and not blind people. it worked out well. sorry for no pics of my own bike but its cold and i dont want to take it all apart again... lol

i hope this helps explain further the previous post. and im by no means an expert ive just done ALOT of research on this subject...

feel free to comment either way,
cheers,
evan.....

I got what your saying........

My setup is completely different from yours appearantly. My bulb looks different, I don't have a projector......It shines the 25 feet of garage space looking good. But I'll need to get out on the road at night this spring and see what's what. Thanks for your input on the subject though.

 

[MR_NST]

no worries, its just convenient i did the same mod, then i saw your post i figured id share. good luck!

peace,
evan...

 

[vmax2extreme]

I got what your saying........

My setup is completely different from yours appearantly. My bulb looks different, I don't have a projector......It shines the 25 feet of garage space looking good. But I'll need to get out on the road at night this spring and see what's what. Thanks for your input on the subject though.

Mine is different from that too. I need to take a snapshot of it sometime so all can view since mine did fit just fine and its bright as heck too!

 

[MR_NST]

i guess i could assume that my light would be a direct replacement for a projector lens, where retroft bulbs are already manufactured to work that way. i dunno, maybe mine backwards... eff it, im going to agree they all look great.

cheers,
evan...