HID Retrofit

[srt8-in-largo]

I just saw Rocky's post in another thread about his HID retrofit. A couple people asked for more detail, and I didn't want to highjack the thread further, but thought this link might be useful.

http://www.goldwingfacts.com/forums/5-general-motorcycle-discussion-forum/478946-gl1800-hid-projector-retrofit.html

Here's a Wing with FX-R projectors... some of the best projectors out there. The Morimoto Mini's are also pretty darn good and should give similar results.

Rocky, got any pics of your Mini's like this?

Does anyone have a pic of an HID bulb upgrade in their halogen projectors for comparison?

[Rocky]

FYI.

The HID Bulb kit is nothing more than what the industry calls a FLOOD light. There isn't anything controlling the light path. So in essence you are lighting up everything in front of you with a Flood light.

In other words you are flooding the trees in front of you. I found that very useful if you are looking for Owls?

In reality HID bulb kits suck for "Directing" the light path where you need it. "On the Road in front of you"

I didn't take any pictures of my own variations of HID Bulb kit or any of my combination Projector kits I installed. Pictures on a wall just don't help my eyes see where I'm going.

But my projectors do as the posted pictures show. In fact I can see the cutoff line on cages as I approach them or on buildings as I enter a parking lot.

I implore you to take a picture of your HID Bulb kit at night and you'll see what I said earlier. You have Flood lights lighting up the trees.


I had the misfortune of running the Million Dollar Hwy in the dark a few years ago headed to Ouray. This was the end of them what I call useless at seeing the road HID bulb kit.
The bulbs washed out the road so much so that I reduced speed to a crawl so I could focus on the road in front of me.
That isn't a road to take lightly at night-Trust me!

Cages were blinding me with their Hi Beams because my HID bulbs were blinding them. another important reason for Projectors with a cutoff line that doesn't blind oncoming traffic.

When I retuned from that trip I got rid of the HID bulbs..

The problem is HID bulbs were designed for a Surrounding Reflector and Lens to "Project" the Strength of the HID intensity Bulb. Our GL1800 headlights were designed for Halogen bulbs, Not HID's.
Unrestricted the HID bulb will wash out everything in its path.. which isn't good if you need to see where you are going. Sort of like putting on you Hi Beams in fog!!


I copied and pasted the Site link for the Projectors from Mac's thread on that board.

Here they are.

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/bi-xenon-morimoto-mini-h1-6-0-projectors.html#.VgFcUWfbKmR

I'll be the first to tell you. Those are a set I bought when these "Mini Projectors" first came out for fitment in the H7 Motorcycle headlights.

But as with everything else in life. There are at least 3-4 dozen vendors out there now with the Very Same HID Projector kits that all derive from the same manufacturing plant I'm sure.
Only you can now pay a fraction of the cost for a set of projectors. (I have never had a problem buying from China or Korea)

BTW- I just met Mac at the Rockies Gold. His HID Projectors are the 2.5 lens. those are the most common and simplest to install. You have to choose a shroud wisely for proper fitment if you want 3.0 lens.

But as I said in the other thread if one goes with a set of 3.0 Projectors?. Then stay with the 2.0 Gatling gun shrouds for a simple install.

While I liked the look of the G37 Shrouds below. they required modification to fit and ended up giving me problems so out they came when I removed the hi beam projectors, and the 2.0 Gatling shrouds went in.

[bigbird]

You are right on regarding the HID bulb kit flooding light everywhere.
The only upside to the HID bulb kit is that during daylight you are visible to every nutjob on the road.
Unfortunately at night, you are the devil reincarnate with the HID bulbs.
Do you have any experience with high output LED's like these?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/151528961375...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I will likely go back to the stock halogen bulbs and perhaps add some auxiliary driving lights like what George is using (Baja Designs Squadron Pro)
At least that way I would still have some great nighttime illumination, but it would be controllable.

[Rocky]

You are right on regarding the HID bulb kit flooding light everywhere.
The only upside to the HID bulb kit is that during daylight you are visible to every nutjob on the road.
Unfortunately at night, you are the devil reincarnate with the HID bulbs.
Do you have any experience with high output LED's like these?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/151528961375...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I will likely go back to the stock halogen bulbs and perhaps add some auxiliary driving lights like what George is using (Baja Designs Squadron Pro)
At least that way I would still have some great nighttime illumination, but it would be controllable.

You should PM Cruiseman for his thread link about comparing Halogen to these LED lights. (He has pictures too)

They weren't as bright at night and you couldn't see as far as the OEM Halogen bulbs. Again it's the reflector they weren't designed for issue.


Here you go--

[bigbird]

The LED's Cruiseman installed are very different than the LED's I linked to. The ones I linked to are much more powerful, have a large finned heat sink at the base, and draw a lot more power. I don't think you can compare the two types of LED's.

[Rocky]

Im aware of the differences in both. You missed my point.

NO BULB is going to be any better in the OEM GL1800 reflector because it was designed for Halogen Bulbs..

Now wait just a minute--------Why should you get off easy in the pocket book. You spend them bucks yourself and find out if you too wasted money on bulbs that don't work.

[bigbird]

Oh, the HID bulb kit definitely works.
I was very happy with the amount and depth of light on the road. I wasn't happy about the amount of light being sent out and upward into the eyes of oncoming drivers. I myself wouldn't want that, even though I felt much safer being seen.
So I will go back to the halogen H7's. I already have a set of MP3 960's mounted in the lower cowl, so I may supplement all that with a set of brilliant auxiliary LED's that I have control over.
Money was never the issue. The HID bulb kit is peanuts compared to the Clearwater auxiliaries. Those are too dear for me. I'll look at the Baja Design Squadron Pro's, which can be had for well under $400 on eBay, for 2 lights and the wiring harness with switch. The Clearwater Krista 2's run around double that.

[johnocooper]

Im aware of the differences in both. You missed my point.

NO BULB is going to be any better in the OEM GL1800 reflector because it was designed for Halogen Bulbs..

Now wait just a minute--------Why should you get off easy in the pocket book. You spend them bucks yourself and find out if you too wasted money on bulbs that don't work.

I disagree. I am jealous as hell of the retrofit but my HID low-beam bulbs create much more light than the OEM halogen bulbs. I do not get flashed by oncoming traffic but on occasion a big truck (never a car) I am over taking will flash me, I don't care - I tolerate the trucks passing each other one going 1 meter per hour faster than the other, they can tolerate 10 seconds of light. Never been flashed by a car either coming at me or over taking. The light provided, particularly on the roadside is much better than OEM. Plus now I have the Ericas and Denali's so I can compete if you want to flash me.

[Rocky]

I disagree. I am jealous as hell of the retrofit but my HID low-beam bulbs create much more light than the OEM halogen bulbs. I do not get flashed by oncoming traffic but on occasion a big truck (never a car) I am over taking will flash me, I don't care - I tolerate the trucks passing each other one going 1 meter per hour faster than the other, they can tolerate 10 seconds of light. Never been flashed by a car either coming at me or over taking. The light provided, particularly on the roadside is much better than OEM. Plus now I have the Ericas and Denali's so I can compete if you want to flash me.

We can agree to disagree.

A friend has the HID bulb kit.
I have the HID Projectors.
A third friend has Silverstars.

We put all three bikes side by side on a road that isn't lit in the boonies for the test of which work better??. We all wanted to know.

The Projectors won out at keeping the light where it should be-On the Road.
His HID Bulbs lit up the trees, and didn't reach as far down the road as the Silverstars.

Yes the HID's are brighter in the daytime than Halogen, Our test showed not as useful as Halogen bulbs seeing the road at night.


As I said earlier. HID bulbs are as good as hi beams in fog.

I will say this after experimenting with various color temps. The closer you get to OEM color the better useful light you'll achieve as well.

The blue bulbs aren't very helpful at night. they just don't reach further down the road than the Whiter colors do.


Johnocooper what Color temps are your HID Bulbs?.

I'm running the 4300K

[Tony in AZ]

So, is the answer : projector conversions for proper lighting distance and quality.