HID Self Buy

[beardo]

My paypal xfer finally registered today. I ordered the H3 in 4300K and noted (no upgrade to a different color temp desired) to avoid the time involved in being asked and declining.
I look forward to upgrading my existing PIAA 910's. The pig tails won't be an issue, since I can house the OEM pigtail from the bulb in the 910 housing and run my own leads back into the fairing through the path already there for the standard install (FJR Goodies brackets).

Bounce,

So did you decide to only upgrade your PIAA 910s to HID and leave your stock headlight bulbs as halogens? I have PIAA 910s, but have not installed them. I'm not sure if I'm going to upgrade to HIDs right now, but I'm curious as what factors influenced your lighting upgrade decisions.

BeardO

 

[FJRocket]

I happened to be setting up a shipment with Fedex, and I notice that I CAN now track my shipment through Fedex. It shipped from HK today. Estimated delivery is on the 7th. A little disappointing that shipping was delayed 3 days, but still amazing how fast packages come around the world.

 

[NightShine]

Yes, similar here. Ordered Hi/Lo HID set on 10/31 and got shipment notification via paypal the next day. However, the order didn't really reach the FEDEX facility in Hong Kong until last night, scheduled for Monday delivery.

This is actually faster service than many domestic vendors!

 

[RadioHowie]

Nightshine, I just gotta ask....

who the hell is that in your avatar?

My eyes ain't what they used to be, but I swear to god that's Michael Jackson with cleveage, and that just aint right!

 

[V2win]

Warchild,

Any idea when you will have your HID hi/lo conversion install article online?

 

[Warchild]

Warchild,Any idea when you will have your HID hi/lo conversion install article online?

Soon. This weekend, perhaps....

 

[vectervp1]

After just finishing my install up, I can offer up a few words of advice for people. First off, take your time. I basically stayed up all night last night to get the damn things installed and managed to break one of the arms that controls the windshield. This was a huge problem considering I'm heading to the SPANK rally tomorrow!!!!! mg2: Fortunately for me, SkooterG just happened to have a spare at his house, so I was able to get the bike up and running again. unk:

Plan out where your going to mount your ballast, igniters, control box, and two relays. Test fit everything before doing anything permanent. I had to move the control box and an igniter because once on the bike, they wouldn’t work in their original spots.

Don't forget you have to put the extra 25ft (well, more like 3-5ft) of cable somewhere that this kit comes with. There's really not alot of room in the nose of this bike.

If you stuff anything near the motorized windshield contraption, exercise it to make sure your not going to hit something.

And the most important word of advice I can give you... Don't let a friend talk you into installing a time consuming farkle 2 days before you go on a rally!!! Things will go wrong! :stupid:

 

[GunMD]

OK, I hesitated a day or so before posting since I don't like to post negative things unless it's a big deal...but here goes.

Paypal payment hit the bank 10/31/2005.

Shipping info received via Paypal 11/1/2005. Shipping info indicated that the product is being shipped via FedEx and includes a tracking number.

11/1/2005: Unable to get shipping status via FedEx web site.

11/2/2005: Unable to get shipping status via FedEx web site.

11/2/2005: Emailed Andy asking him to verify tracking number and method of shipment.

No reply as of 11/3/2205 5:30pm PST.

11/2/2005: Emailed FedEx to inquire about my tracking number...FedEx replied and stated that the number provided isn't a valid FedEx or FedEx International tracking number.

11/2/2005: Emailed Andy again to inform him of FedEx's response. No reply as of 5:30PM PST.

Should I be worried? Or am I just being impatient? (that's asking for it from this crowd).

 

[Rogue]

OK, I hesitated a day or so before posting since I don't like to post negative things unless it's a big deal...but here goes.
Paypal payment hit the bank 10/31/2005.

Shipping info received via Paypal 11/1/2005. Shipping info indicated that the product is being shipped via FedEx and includes a tracking number.

11/1/2005: Unable to get shipping status via FedEx web site.

11/2/2005: Unable to get shipping status via FedEx web site.

11/2/2005: Emailed Andy asking him to verify tracking number and method of shipment.

No reply as of 11/3/2205 5:30pm PST.

11/2/2005: Emailed FedEx to inquire about my tracking number...FedEx replied and stated that the number provided isn't a valid FedEx or FedEx International tracking number.

11/2/2005: Emailed Andy again to inform him of FedEx's response. No reply as of 5:30PM PST.

Should I be worried? Or am I just being impatient? (that's asking for it from this crowd).

Well no one else seems to have had any problems so I'm sure its just some glitch or something and it will get resolved. Maybe Andy took a couple days off and hasn't seen your E-Mails? Who knows, I wouldn't worry though.

 

[qkslver]

And the most important word of advice I can give you... Don't let a friend talk you into installing a time consuming farkle 2 days before you go on a rally!!! Things will go wrong! 

See rule #5!!!!!!!

 

[Warchild]

And the most important word of advice I can give you... Don't let a friend talk you into installing a time consuming farkle 2 days before you go on a rally!!! Things will go wrong! 

See rule #5!!!!!!!

Bad, bad vectervp1....

What the crusty Rick Martin is referring to is the Iron Butt Association's "Archive of Wisdom" Rule #5:

IBA Archive of Wisdom Rule #5

Let's hope this doesn't come back to haunt you.... :bigeyes: :lol:

 

[GunMD]

Well, crap...now I feel like I was DEFINATELY being impatient. Just an hour and a half after my post above, I now have a shipping status from FedEx. It's strange that FedEx didn't see my tracking number as a valid number until just now.

Oh well, all I know is that my stuff is on the way. Cool.

 

[Warchild]

Well, crap...now I feel like I was DEFINATELY being impatient.

:lol:

I must have forwarded 100 emails of the HID Self Buy info in the past week... I'm guessing our supplier is just a bit frazzled....

 

[vectervp1]

See rule #5!!!!!!!

Bad, bad vectervp1....

What the crusty Rick Martin is referring to is the Iron Butt Association's "Archive of Wisdom" Rule #5:

IBA Archive of Wisdom Rule #5

Let's hope this doesn't come back to haunt you.... :bigeyes: :lol:

Oh I know.... I was thinking about that the whole time a certain admin here was saying "Come on install those HID's!! I want to check them out!" I've got my fingers crossed, and I've made a sacrifical offering this evening :butcher: to try and ward off the electrical gremlins.

I've already experienced breaking an important metal part on the bike, and somehow having one of the leads come off my left PHID light! I was able to get both fixed, but it's left me with little time to actually prepare for this rally.

 

[SkooterG]

And the most important word of advice I can give you... Don't let a friend talk you into installing a time consuming farkle 2 days before you go on a rally!!! Things will go wrong! 

See rule #5!!!!!!!

Bad, bad vectervp1....

What the crusty Rick Martin is referring to is the Iron Butt Association's "Archive of Wisdom" Rule #5:

IBA Archive of Wisdom Rule #5

Let's hope this doesn't come back to haunt you.... :bigeyes: :lol:

I told him. I tell ya, I told him. NOT to do this craziness right before a rally. But did he listen to me....................????

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Crazy baaastard!

Next thing you know he will only be replacing one headlight bulb at at time!

Oh yeah, he don't have to do that no more.

At least now I get to check these suckers out before deciding to make the purchase myself. :lol:

 

[GunMD]

Seems Scooter's trying to set up the competition for failure during Spank.

high five, Scooter!

 

[Rogue]

Seems Scooter's trying to set up the competition for failure during Spank.
high five, Scooter!

:haha:

 

[FJRocket]

OK, I hesitated a day or so before posting since I don't like to post negative things unless it's a big deal...but here goes.
Paypal payment hit the bank 10/31/2005.

Shipping info received via Paypal 11/1/2005. Shipping info indicated that the product is being shipped via FedEx and includes a tracking number.

11/1/2005: Unable to get shipping status via FedEx web site.

11/2/2005: Unable to get shipping status via FedEx web site.

11/2/2005: Emailed Andy asking him to verify tracking number and method of shipment.

No reply as of 11/3/2205 5:30pm PST.

11/2/2005: Emailed FedEx to inquire about my tracking number...FedEx replied and stated that the number provided isn't a valid FedEx or FedEx International tracking number.

11/2/2005: Emailed Andy again to inform him of FedEx's response. No reply as of 5:30PM PST.

Should I be worried? Or am I just being impatient? (that's asking for it from this crowd).

Geez, you're as impatient as ME! I essentially found the same thing. I think WC is correct (as always) and the vendor is just swamped. Guys were getting these things in two days at the beginning. Now it's about 10 days.

So, Vectervp1, whaddya THINK of these babies on your SPANK machine?

 

[vectervp1]

So, Vectervp1, whaddya THINK of these babies on your SPANK machine?

I took them out last night for a quick 25-30 mile ride in some in town riding, freeway droning, and rural riding last night. Even though my left headlight is still a bit higher than it should be, I never once got flashed. These puppies put out an astonishing amount of light in front of you in low beam! I mean it looked like daylight, and the lights did a good job lighting up the edges of the roadway well.

I was quite disappointed in the light output by the high beams. For some reason, the high beam portion on mine has a yellow tinge to them. My assumption is that the flapper that moves is probably reflecting enough light, and isn't chromed, to make the light seem yellow. The light output is also somewhat anemic compared to that of the low beam. This doesn't mean that it's dimmer than the halogen bulbs, but not as strong as the low beam.

There is also a definite color difference between the HID headlights and the PHID's too. I never noticed the blue tinge in the PHID's before, but now with these in there, you can definitely see the PHID's are at a higher kelvin temp. My bet would be around 4700k-5000k range. Its not a huge difference, but up against a wall you can see it.

If anyone is going to be at the SPANK rally, you can come by and check them out.

:cownoy:

 

[Warchild]

This doesn't mean that it's dimmer than the halogen bulbs, but not as strong as the low beam.

That's about what I found as well, when shining it on my garage door from appoximately 22 feet away.

But then I took the bike around the block while on high beam, and damn, it was illuminating places that were never illuminated with stock high beams. So while it wasn't the same level of breathtaking improvement the low-beam HID was above low-beam halogen, the high-beam HID was still was big improvement over stock high-beam halogen.

vectervp1, tell us how the high-beam illumination is when after you get back from running the bike out in the dark rual areas (like you will during Spank!)

There is also a definite color difference between the HID headlights and the PHID's too. I never noticed the blue tinge in the PHID's before, but now with these in there, you can definitely see the PHID's are at a higher kelvin temp.

You know, I never got to make this particular comparison. Since the mirrors and nose bodywork was off the bike during all my initial testing, the PHIDs were also off. I'll have to check the difference out with my Low-beam Only HIDs vs the PHIDs tonight....