Update on HID lights

[andygbsmith]

Just to let you all know how things are going in the light department.I have done about 2000miles with the HID kit fitted and so far my thoughts are:In both daylight and dark I find them superior to anything else I have tried. In the daylight they attract more attention partly due to the blue light I think, several people have commented on it.In the dark it has transformed the whole night riding experience, I can easly see past oncoming traffic and on high beam it is possible to travel well beyond the national speed limit on unlit roads safely.The only negative is when you turn the light on it takes about 15 seconds to get up to full power,Another thing, it only draws about 35 watts when on.I am in the process of ordering somemore for the other bikes.Andy

[Interpol2471]

Andy maybe you could let everyone what kit you are ordering and the price ?

[Richard Negus]

quote="andygbsmith"The only negative is when you turn the light on it takes about 15 seconds to get up to full power,Does that mean you don't get much light when you press headlamp 'flash' as a warning or invitation to another driver when running on daylights only ? I run my Commander with both halogen daylamps in parallel running at 36W each rather than in series as original production. R.

[andygbsmith]

Hi Richard.I should have explained a little better,when you first turn the lights on or press the PASS button you get a very bright blue light for about 1 second, the light then dims and takes approx 10 to 15 seconds to reach it's full brightness.My experiance is people still see the flash, obviously it isn't a problem going from high to low beam because this is achieved using an electro magnet that moves the lamp back and forth/into and out of a sheath.It works very well but read the advert on Ebay.I posted the link in another thread on this forum.I know at least 10 people who have bought from the site with no issues to date and everyone is happy, one friend has done about 10,000 miles on his Vincent with no issues so far.Andy

[johnbirchjar]

Hi guys, I was returning from the monthly N.O.C. meeting last Monday night and decided that I realy must fit more powerful bulbs,can anyone advise me as to what the max is that I can fit ? bearing in mind that my Classic wears the twin h/lamp Sprint fairing. Regards J.B.

[Dell Boy]

Two points regarding HID lights. I have witnessed an M.o.T. inspector make an examiner fail a Volkswagon car for its headlights showing a blue light. The examiner argued they were factory fitted to no avail. He had to issue a failure notice. When riding my bike I can see perfectly adequately in the dark even on the Dommie with 6 volt lights until I meet a 4x4 or a bike with HID lights coming the other way, on dipped beam, but they still dazzle me to the point that I cannot see. Likewise when they come up behind I am dazzled by the reflection in my mirrors. I think they are a road safety hazard & should be banned!! I believe that if you feel your lights are not giving sufficient light to make safe progress your eyesight requires checking or travel at a speed at which you can see safely. I personally see exactly the same distance in the dark using standard headlights as I do in daylight whereas my wife who has much better sight than I, hates driving in the dark because she says she cannot see & so drives slowly to compensate. Derek.

[johnbirchjar]

Hi Del Boy, I do not want to specificly fit HID bulbs, just bog standard halogen but more powerful than the presant 55/60w set up,(I know the old "mince pies"are not what they were,hence the need for more light)J.B.

[Ian]

Well, I can tell you what I did.On eBay I found a site in Slough, Easy-Driving, selling the Chinese HID kits for £46.99 and I bought one.Fitted to my Commander in about half an hour. Instructions useless but the wiring loom and diagram made it pretty clear and easy. The ballast, or inverter, lives inside the fairing.The light comes on brightly, suitable for the pass function, then dims slightly and brightens in about 10 seconds, all as previously described.Instant daylight! I have one of Graham's headlamp relay kits already and a 130w bulb but the HID light is very bright indeed. The switch to main from dip and back is quick and instant as an electromagnet moves it.In my opinion, a very worthwhile investment. You can see why car companies use them. And it only takes 35w!On the subject of MOT testers and HID lights it's not so clear. How any MOT tester can fail a vehicle with such lights fitted as OE is beyond me. They will have been examined by VOSA and found to comply with Construction and Use regulations and been properly homologated. A fail should be appealed and will probably result in the tester receiving words of advice. However, to fit these as aftermarket is the grey area. An overriding consideration is 'tester's opinion', which can be applied with discretion and is why the DoT want all testing in-house like for LGVs. Since conventional lights are actually yellow and not white I think a failure on colour is very dubious but some kits are sold with light units of different colours anyway... After all, better lights are a safety improvement, no? Just make sure they are properly aligned and common sense (or 'tester's opinion') should take over.In summary - great and I'm pleased I fitted mine.Ian

[johnbirchjar]

Hi guys,Re: H/light bulbs,I was having a wander round my local car spares imporium when I spotted hallogen 60/55w+90% light improvement bulbs £20-00 the pair, so I purchased a pair, fitted them that day, tested them that night, a big improvement, not 90% though,about 50%.J.B.