HID BIXENONS in FJR1300AE

Sorry no pics of this install. But just wanted to let you all know that I was able to hack the old less than adequate BIXENON HIDs into my AE.

I had the BIXENONS in my '04. I liked them. Low beams were fantastic. High beams sucked, but the low beams were almost as bright as the halogen high beams anyway. I was going to use these lights as removed from my bike for another application, but decided in the mean time to see if I could put them in my AE. No Problemo.

I had to cut some of the wire protective sleeving and retape some of the wires, but I used the wiring harness as it came without cutting wires or changing connectors.

Now this old stuff is not as sophisticated at the HIDs you can now buy on eBay for a couple bills. The setup I used has separate relays, ignitors, ballasts and of course extra wires for the light's servo mechanism. Thats a lot of stuff going up front. Man, what a bulky killer octopuss mess of wires this thing is... yikes!

Each light has a control box that has two wires coming out, and one wire going back to the ballast. Those two control boxes were stuffed in the nose of the front fairing, right underneath the reflector housings. Everything else went in the cavern under the front of the tank. Nice.

Yeh, yeh, yeh, it'll get hot and the circuitry may end up as toast with it being right over the engine head. Whatever. The lights were just gathering dust, so if they burn out, who gives a whoop. They are obsolete and fodder for the cannon. And in the mean time, they look SHIT HOT! Yes, I will carry a pair of halogens, just in case.

Those of you have been watching the HID threads know that there are Fuegos in the works (I want a pair!) and WC is beta testing FJR specific HID's. Both of those HID setups will be far better than getting the old style Bixenon, or even the other mechanical HID that actually moves the light source. Neither of these style HIDs work well to replace the OEM headlights for low and HIGH BEAMs in the FJR reflector. HIDs in general in the FJR are great on low, but suck on high. So it's probably a good idea to wait for a few weeks/months until Our Boys get the other HID setups ready for consumption.

But if you have a 2006+, and an old set of Bixenon (or other) HIDs and don't mind the sucky high beams (or you are mounting PHIDS for high beams, etc.), you CAN stuff the complete wiring harness under the 2nd gen tank. The big assed plug connectors are even easy to get through the left frame opening under the tank. Man, this was easier than I thought! :yahoo:

FJRocket said:

Sorry no pics of this install. But just wanted to let you all know that I was able to hack the old less than adequate BIXENON HIDs into my AE.
I had the BIXENONS in my '04. I liked them. Low beams were fantastic. High beams sucked, but the low beams were almost as bright as the halogen high beams anyway. I was going to use these lights as removed from my bike for another application, but decided in the mean time to see if I could put them in my AE. No Problemo.

I had to cut some of the wire protective sleeving and retape some of the wires, but I used the wiring harness as it came without cutting wires or changing connectors.

Now this old stuff is not as sophisticated at the HIDs you can now buy on eBay for a couple bills. The setup I used has separate relays, ignitors, ballasts and of course extra wires for the light's servo mechanism. Thats a lot of stuff going up front. Man, what a bulky killer octopuss mess of wires this thing is... yikes!

Each light has a control box that has two wires coming out, and one wire going back to the ballast. Those two control boxes were stuffed in the nose of the front fairing, right underneath the reflector housings. Everything else went in the cavern under the front of the tank. Nice.

Yeh, yeh, yeh, it'll get hot and the circuitry may end up as toast with it being right over the engine head. Whatever. The lights were just gathering dust, so if they burn out, who gives a whoop. They are obsolete and fodder for the cannon. And in the mean time, they look SHIT HOT! Yes, I will carry a pair of halogens, just in case.

Those of you have been watching the HID threads know that there are Fuegos in the works (I want a pair!) and WC is beta testing FJR specific HID's. Both of those HID setups will be far better than getting the old style Bixenon, or even the other mechanical HID that actually moves the light source. Neither of these style HIDs work well to replace the OEM headlights for low and HIGH BEAMs in the FJR reflector. HIDs in general in the FJR are great on low, but suck on high. So it's probably a good idea to wait for a few weeks/months until Our Boys get the other HID setups ready for consumption.

But if you have a 2006+, and an old set of Bixenon (or other) HIDs and don't mind the sucky high beams (or you are mounting PHIDS for high beams, etc.), you CAN stuff the complete wiring harness under the 2nd gen tank. The big assed plug connectors are even easy to get through the left frame opening under the tank. Man, this was easier than I thought! :yahoo:

Click to expand...

Just curious...having used BiXenon H4s with great success in several other bikes, what makes them suck on high beam in the FJR application?

Hmmmm... [guess] Those smarter than I seem to think that the reflector isn't suited for a stationary, single position light source. The reflector was designed for a two filament bulb, and the positioning seems to be VERY critical. The FJR reflector seems to like the source very specifically located to get any amount of light out for the high beam. As I stated, the low beam is fantastic, but the HID high beam is dismal above the low beam "cut off line" or "ceiling" (so you don't blind oncoming traffic) perhaps due to the fact that the light source sits in what might be described as a low beam optimal location [/guess].

Try as several of us might, we could never modify the shutter system or the position of the light source in our reflectors to get the high beam anywhere near the quantity OR the quality of a the low beam, and still have a crisp light with a distinct cut off line. I think Warchild is even having trouble getting his prototype beta FJR specific hi/low HID setup giving with the light because of the reflector and source position. He might be able to shed more light on that issue.

That's one of the reasons that many 1st gen owners (when all this HID business started) went to HID low beam only in the OEM reflector and added on PHIDS to suppliment high beams. With these Bixenons, you will NOT get optimal (not even close) high beams. I wouldn't recommend the old system for anyone who really is counting on the high beams. Still, the amount of light with the low beams is phenominal, so in MY opinion, the high beam isn't all that critical for, uhm.. "regular", uhm... "commuting".

When Warchild and Skyway get us squared away (hopefully) with new options, I may dump the old Bixenons. The idea of having HID hi/lows in the OEM housing, and extra HID hi beam "driving lights" is probably going to be THE way to go (if the stator can keep up).

The nice thing to know is that if you have a second generation bike, you can fit a whole bunch of stuff up under the front of the tank, if it doesn't fit in the very cramped cowling. The first generation bikes seem to have all kinds of room under the tupperware and no room under the tank. That open cavern under the tank blanket over the top of the engine on 2006+ FJRs can sure be handy!

I guess that's why I'm confused. The BiXenon kits I've used have an electro-mechanical base that repositions the center of the HID capsule forward and aft so that it sits in the proper position for each as needed. In tests I conducted, the HID capsule hit both the low and high beam positions within the reflector exactly. I'm confused as to why this wouldn't be the case in the FJR.

A question out of pure curiosity, any idea if this will this work on the cali models? They have an extra emissions canister under the tank, how much space does it take up, where is it placed (can't tell from the service manual)?

bmwhd said:

I guess that's why I'm confused. The BiXenon kits I've used have an electro-mechanical base that repositions the center of the HID capsule forward and aft so that it sits in the proper position for each as needed. In tests I conducted, the HID capsule hit both the low and high beam positions within the reflector exactly. I'm confused as to why this wouldn't be the case in the FJR.

Click to expand...

Because of bleeding-edge discussions like this. The FJR reflector may not be consistent with other H4 reflectors.

Ignacio said:

bmwhd said:

I guess that's why I'm confused. The BiXenon kits I've used have an electro-mechanical base that repositions the center of the HID capsule forward and aft so that it sits in the proper position for each as needed. In tests I conducted, the HID capsule hit both the low and high beam positions within the reflector exactly. I'm confused as to why this wouldn't be the case in the FJR.

Click to expand...

Because of bleeding-edge discussions like this. The FJR reflector may not be consistent with other H4 reflectors.

Click to expand...

OK. That is weird. I'll await future developments.

The answer is simple.

Yes, filament placement in an H4 (or any reflectorised dual-filament) application is critical.

Ever looked at an H4? Ever looked at a Bi-Xenon bulb? Do you believe that the placement of the high beam relative to that of the oiginal high beam filament is in any way consistent? The answer is no.

The reason is that Bi-Xenon assemblies are not intended to be used in H4 (or 9003) applications. They're intended to be used in reflectors designed for Bi-Xenons, which are simply different.

I saw the other thread - and it might just be that the reflector on the trucks they were using is a more forgiving design - the 'cat-eye' reflectors we have on the FJR are biased - cars tend to have more complete reflectors. So the kit might have worked 'well' in the Toyota, because there was simply more reflector - but it may well not have been anything close to optimal.

v65 said:

A question out of pure curiosity, any idea if this will this work on the cali models? They have an extra emissions canister under the tank, how much space does it take up, where is it placed (can't tell from the service manual)?

Click to expand...

Not familiar at all with the California model cannister under the tank. Anyone got a picture? How big is it? Can you reposition or just remove it? Wonder how that might effect an emissions test. That would be a good topic for a separate post.

bramfrank said:

The answer is simple.
Yes, filament placement in an H4 (or any reflectorised dual-filament) application is critical.

Ever looked at an H4? Ever looked at a Bi-Xenon bulb? Do you believe that the placement of the high beam relative to that of the oiginal high beam filament is in any way consistent? The answer is no.

The reason is that Bi-Xenon assemblies are not intended to be used in H4 (or 9003) applications. They're intended to be used in reflectors designed for Bi-Xenons, which are simply different.

I saw the other thread - and it might just be that the reflector on the trucks they were using is a more forgiving design - the 'cat-eye' reflectors we have on the FJR are biased - cars tend to have more complete reflectors. So the kit might have worked 'well' in the Toyota, because there was simply more reflector - but it may well not have been anything close to optimal.

Click to expand...

Umm...perhaps we're arguing semantics. When I use the term Bi-Xenon, I'm specifically referring to the setup that uses an electro-mechanical base to position the HID capsule in two different places within the reflector, one for low beam, one for high as required. This is controlled by the hi/lo switch on the handlebars.

In the above case (and in my experience on 3 different bikes) this system has placed the "bright spot" (technical term) of the HID capsule in exactly the same place within the reflector that the corresponding filament of a conventional H4 bulb would be, both low and high beam as required.

This is exactly what Bi-Xenon setups are intended for and they make H4-specific applications.

FJRocket said:

v65 said:

A question out of pure curiosity, any idea if this will this work on the cali models? They have an extra emissions canister under the tank, how much space does it take up, where is it placed (can't tell from the service manual)?

Click to expand...

Not familiar at all with the California model cannister under the tank. Anyone got a picture? How big is it? Can you reposition or just remove it? Wonder how that might effect an emissions test. That would be a good topic for a separate post.

Click to expand...

The smog can on the 04 is located down by the kickstand, between the motor and the shock.

Here's a pic of the smog can.

HIGHLANDER said:

The smog can on the 04 is located down by the kickstand, between the motor and the shock.

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Thanks Highlander. Hope someone shows a pic of a smog can which is supposedly under the tank, in front of the T bar(?) on a 2006+ California model. Trying to see if the 2006+ Cali model has room over the heads/water jacket to place anything interesting in there, like a CC servo, aux can, or HID guts.

Conversation on the smog canister is now here for your discussion enjoyment and to let this thread continue the HID Bixenon dicsussion.

Ignacio said:

Conversation on the smog canister is now here for your discussion enjoyment and to let this thread continue the HID Bixenon dicsussion.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the link to my other thread there, Iggy! Good news is that there apparently is NOT a smog can in the area under the front of the gas tank. I'm talking about the open area under the tank blanket, in front of the injectors and plugs, just behind the frame and steering stem. That area is directly over the head's water jacket (more or less). It's actually open to that area directly over the 2006+ radiator, too.

Anyway, there is room for the HID components under the tank.

Dunno how much experimenting anyone has done with the positioning of the D2R type of HID lights. Would make sense that making the actual light source move to the position of the halogen filament would provide better results. My/our reported poor results were with the Bixenon setup that had the SHUTTER style HID conversion kit with non-moveable single light source. We have known for some time that this was far from optimal.

If anyone has installed an HID moveable light source (D2R?) conversion kit into a 2006+ FJR, we'd sure like to hear about it.

FJRocket said:

...My/our reported poor results were with the Bixenon setup that had the SHUTTER style HID conversion kit with non-moveable single light source. We have known for some time that this was far from optimal.
If anyone has installed an HID moveable light source (D2R?) conversion kit into a 2006+ FJR, we'd sure like to hear about it.

Click to expand...

I see, said the blind man! I'd forgotten about those. All I've ever used was the type that moved the capsule fore/aft as needed. Since they're going for under $200 now, I may try to experiment this spring with getting a set to install on my '06. The last BiXenon kit I purchased (with the moving capsule) had a very small ballast/igniter package.