HID Self Buy

[Warchild]

Well, this project just got put on hold.

After spending an hour today laying out the wire harnesses, examining connectors, ensuring all the components were there, etc, etc, a slightly bummer aspect cropped up.

It was my intention to install one of the "Lo-beam" only HID units in my left headlamp housing, and one of these hi-beam/lo-beam setups in my right (deer-side) lamp housing.

Sadly enough, the wire harness (which, incidently, looks extremely high-quality in every detail) is a "unified" harness.... vice two independant harnesses that I was expecting (or at least, hoping for).

Further, it wouldn't do any good to try to "split" the kit up... there is only one control box that actuates the servo motors in the two HID capsule bases.

So.. I'm stuck with using this Hi-beam/lo-beam kit as intended. Which is okay, really, but....

The installation is not trivial. To do it right - i.e.: to go about this business in a professional manner, and document every aspect along the way for the eventual FJRTech article - will require me to do some heavy-duty disassembly of the nose of the bike. Translation: the bike would have to be down for a week or more, and that ASSumes I can actually spend the time each night to work on it.

I am not prepared to have the bike down that long right now.

My FJR is my commuter bike during Fall/Winter here in the Pacific Northwest. I'm not going to commute on the sportbike in the temps we have here in the morning (tho it has been fairly warm lately, but that won't last.). Realistically, this is a project for when the first major snow-storm hits the region, and we are down for a week or more anyway.

Pity... 'cuz just last night, I went out to shoot some "before" pictures of the stock light output, so youse guys could compare it with the HID setup, as I promised.

Here is my FJR's factory lighting on LOW-beam, on the centerstand, facing my garage door, ~ 22 feet away from headlight lens to the vertical wall:

Same-same, except this is HIGH-beam:

Here is my FJR's factory lighting on LOW-beam, on the centerstand, facing the start of a primitive gravel road located waaaaay out in the High Desert (this is off Badger Canyon, for those that know of it). I selected this spot because is is far, FAR away from the city and any man-made light (as you can see, it's darker than hell except for the beamcast):

Same exact position, except this is HIGH-beam:

Well, gentlemen, I'm bumming... I wanted to get this project going, but goddammit, I'm not going to have my bike down this long when I don't have to....

Daaaaaaaymn.

I think I'll just go for a ride now.....

 

[BrunDog]

Damnit, WC!!

That is so NOT cool. Tempt us, then withhold!

I demand that you lock yourself in your garage, drink a triple espresso every 30 minutes thereby preventing any hindering desires for sleep, break contact with the outside world, and focus on that HID install until it is done for everyone to gaze at in utter awe and disbelief.

-BD

 

[SkooterG]

Hey mang....

I understand about not having your bike down.........

I still have:

- Wilbers front springs to install from the group buy

- Spiegler brake lines to install from the group buy

- V-Strom handguards that I have had laying around for months

I am behind on my maintenance - waaay overdue for a blow job, and just two days ago finally got around to replacing my spark plugs. After 21,000 miles!!!!

Me likey to ride. Don't like taking cage to work.

Damn, I need a 2nd bike. At least you have three motocyclistas you purty legged bastard!!!

So don't be a freaking wuss, ride the damn sport bike to work for a week.

It's only a week for cryin out loud! Take one for the team!

If not, I am going to start calling you BrunDog II!

 

[Warchild]

I demand that you lock yourself in your garage, drink a triple espresso every 30 minutes thereby preventing any hindering desires for sleep, break contact with the outside world, and focus on that HID install until it is done for everyone to gaze at in utter awe and disbelief.

Let's make a deal.

I'll install them when you reach 1500 miles on your bike.

So, whaddaya think.... January, '06?

Or perhaps March-April, '06?

 

[slapnpop]

The installation is not trivial. To do it right - i.e.: to go about this business in a professional manner, and document every aspect along the way for the eventual FJRTech article - will require me to do some heavy-duty disassembly of the nose of the bike.

Was this using the "remove the front and upper fairings and headlight all as one peice" method? I can get the nose off one evening on back on the next, with one evening for the install.

That's only riding the r1 to work for 2 days. And where's the XX?

 

[Caba]

Hey WC,

Mines in the shop in Cincinnati after Wednesday's Deer Strike. You could just ship me the kit and I'll install it while the plastic is off and test it on the northern Kentucky back roads.

That way you don't have to take yours down.

(Just trying to be considerate)

 

[Rogue]

The line forms behind Caba!

 

[Warchild]

Nov 10 edit: As it turns out, this capsule does NOT physically relocate to achieve the proper focal point high-beam application. The "Low-Beam Only" is awesome, but the Hi/Lo Kit is not recommended.

Jeeze... I haven't heard such pissing and moaning since I had to stand a Watch at the VD clinic during my Navy days... :lol:

Alright, enough peer pressure...... happy now?

As you can see below, the HID Capsules fit splendidly in the stock housings. The two leads in the center are obviously power to the HID bulb; the circuit entering the capsule at the 6 o'clock position controls the servo motor for hi-beam/lo-beam orientation:

As you can see in the 1st photo above, I already have a ton of wiring and crap in the nose thanks to the PHIDs/LED Running lights/etc. But I think I found a decent spot to mount the two ballasts: I'm going to tuck them away in-between the two stock lamp housings. This has the added benefit of keeping them away from the heat of the engine bay:

Nov 10 edit: As it turns out, this capsule does NOT physically relocate to achieve the proper focal point high-beam application. The "Low-Beam Only" is awesome, but the Hi/Lo Kit is not recommended.

 

[BrunDog]

Sweet!

And here I am feverishly trying to put 80 miles on by tomorrow!!

Whew! That was close - it could've damn near killed me.

-BD

 

[Rogue]

Sweet!
And here I am feverishly trying to put 80 miles on by tomorrow!!

Whew! That was close - it could've damn near killed me.

-BD

:haha:

 

[Warchild]

Whew! That was close - it could've damn near killed me.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[SkooterG]

Sweet!
And here I am feverishly trying to put 80 miles on by tomorrow!!

Whew! That was close - it could've damn near killed me.

-BD

:rolf:

 

[Toecutter]

Alright, enough peer pressure...... happy now?

Now THAT'S team spirit. I sure hope it's worth the trouble. Tell ya what - In your honor, I promise not to ride my bike until Monday morning*. I'm down right with ya!

*when I get off duty from my current 48 hour shift

 

[Warchild]

*when I get off duty from my current 48 hour shift

Alright, Toecutter... way to take one for the team, 'bro!!

:lol:

 

[ChrisW]

But I think I found a decent spot to mount the two ballasts: I'm going to tuck them away in-between the two stock lamp housings. This has the added benefit of keeping them away from the heat of the engine bay:
-WC

Hmmm. that is a good spot.

I used the double sided tape to attach them to the fairing "shelf" just below the headlight assembly. I like your spot better.

I didn't have to take much of the bike apart tho.

I can't wait to see how effective the hi/low system is. B)

 

[Warchild]

Allllllllllllllllllllllllllrighty, then..... here we go.......

As I've mentioned several times since I started this recent H4 HID experiment, my big concern about this new kit would be finding the same problem I saw when I put in an old, 1st-generation "shielded" HID bulb in my FJR last year: the tremendous light output would "leak" onto the hi-beam portion of the FJR's reflector housing, giving it a "ghost" of a hi-beam beamcast at all times.

If this HID crap is going to work for us and not fry the eyeballs of oncoming traffic, it MUST offer the same, sharp "cut-off" that the factory stock light does. If it's going tp splat out light everywhere, it's not going to be useful for city riding at all - again, this was the concern that XJRGuy was referring to last week.

Welllllllllllllll....... are you ready?

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.... are you REALLY ready?!

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

. this is SO fucking beautiful, I'm sporting a chubby!!! SUCCESS, GENTLEMEN!!!!!!!!!

Factory halogen on top, H4 HID on the bottom.... pure, diamond-white 4300K HID capsule... and the SAME, IDENTICAL CUTOFF PATTERN AS STOCK!!!

Nov 10 edit: As it turns out, the Low-Beam portion is awesome, as seen above. But this capsule does NOT physically relocate to achieve the proper focal point high-beam application. The Hi/Lo Kit is not recommended.

 

[SkooterG]

Woo-hoo!

A week? You big nilly!

BrunDog is going to be so proud of you.

 

[slapnpop]

Isn't this what I was saying earlier. As long as the rebased bulb is designed to mimic the H4 properly, the reflector would act the same on either lightbulb?

Schweeeeeeeeet

Where's the dotted line and do you want the left or right one?

 

[Warchild]

A week? You big nilly!

Yeah, well... I sacrificed a GORGEOUS riding day to work on this bastard all day long... hope your fuckers are happy! :lol:

And the battery on my son's digital camera died as I shot the above photo, and do you think he can find his battery charger.... noooooooo, of course not.... shots of the hi-beam comparison will have to wait.... :angry:

 

[Toecutter]

The H4 HID on "hi-beam" saves you 36-watt over the equivalent in halogen, while giving you enough light to safely run at rally speeds at night.

Can somebody quantify that activity? In other words, put a ballpark figure on safe nightime speeds. Right now, with stock lighting, safe and stimulating are a long ways apart.