Soltek HID Light Kit Night Photo's

[OhioFJR1300]

I am a beta-tester for this system for the FJR.
Been working with ElectroSport on this project for a while now.... the system is not ready for prime time by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, they are going back to the drawing board regarding the Hi/Lo H4 on the FJR. I expect to have a third iteration of the bulb within another 3-4 weeks. The first two iterations did not work properly.

Any a what these will sell for? Are they going to be FJR specfic or will they work on any H4 set up? I have a Gold Wing that I'd love to add HID to also. Keep us posted on this one.

 

[madmike2]

I made a prototype mounting bracket yesterday and I think I have it figured out. It is attached on my bike with only the 2 mirror mount holes. I did this on purpose because there is nowhere else near on the 06 to pick up for support.
This light kit is throwing bright usable light easily 1/2 mile down the road. I had oncoming cars dipping hi beams at around 0.8 miles. I'm quite satisfied with the results of this kit and will be keeping it for sure.

Light me up, Skyway! That's as close as I could get to "Beam me up, Scotty! I know you didn't want me to break into....."Yeeewwwww light up myyyy liiiife....." :yahoo:

 

[Warchild]

Any a what these will sell for? Are they going to be FJR specfic or will they work on any H4 set up? I have a Gold Wing that I'd love to add HID to also. Keep us posted on this one.

I believe retail is $599. These will be FJR-specific. No gaurantee whatsoever how they will work in any orther H4 application, which I was stunned to learn.

You would think a H4 is a H4...... but not in this case. The first two "H4" iterations I tested for ElectroSport came off a Nissian PathFinder and a Toyota truck. In those vehicles, the low-beam produced a stunning, razor-sharp cut-off... a beautiful thing to oncoming drivers. Yet, these very same bulbs in the FJR produced a beamcast that was all dorked.

I am amazed as I was disappointed at the difference, quick frankly. :huh:

ElectroSport is now at the point where they are going to purchase a FJR headlight assembly and ship it off to the factory for their engineers to use for creating a perfect H4 Hi/Lo HID system for the FJR. But, again, no guarantees how it will work in any other H4 reflector housing.

Obviously, more to come as the prototyping continues. I fully expect to have a perfect system tested and approved before the Iron Butt Rally. Hopefully, even by mid-late Spring.... B)

 

[Rogue]

You would think a H4 is a H4...... but not in this case. The first two "H4" iterations I tested for ElectroSport came off a Nissian PathFinder and a Toyota truck. In those vehicles, the low-beam produced a stunning, razor-sharp cut-off... a beautiful thing to oncoming drivers. Yet, these very same bulbs in the FJR produced a beamcast that was all dorked.
I am amazed as I was disappointed at the difference, quick frankly. :huh:

Are the Generation I (Pre 06') and Gen II (06'-07') reflectors the same? Or would a new lamp need to be designed for each?

 

[SkooterG]

Wow!

Bastard. STOP!!!! What? You think I have bottomless pockets?

A true HID Hi/Low system designed for the FJR? Waaaaay cool.

 

[skyway]

Wow!
Bastard. STOP!!!! What? You think I have bottomless pockets?

A true HID Hi/Low system designed for the FJR? Waaaaay cool.

:lol: :lol: Something tells me you had better start saving.

 

[FJRocket]

Ok, Here's the poop on the 2006+ mirror nuts:

There are NO THREADS LEFT AT ALL.

The rubber (soft plastic, anyway) spacer is .131 (or thereabouts) thick. But it goes over 2 metal collars that seat against the mirror base.

Personally, I'm not afraid to use some loctite on the nuts and have them off the ends of the bolts. I'd rather do that that omit the rubber spacer.

PS: I tried my FZ1 mirrors and the bolt length is the same. So even upgrading to the FZ1 mirrors won't help.

 

[Ignacio]

Wow!
Bastard. STOP!!!! What? You think I have bottomless pockets?

A true HID Hi/Low system designed for the FJR? Waaaaay cool.

...and you haven't even made the next logic leap yet. If....and I stress a big IF they work out optimally for an FJR.....would you personally just chuck your PHIDs and only use the high/low HIDs?

Me thinks with an upgraded alternator, and a pre-'06 bike, I'd figure out a way to turn it all on at the same time. Where stock high-beam halogens are about 2500 lumens....one could thereotically have HID low, HID high, PHID/FF200 Aux, and spew out about 15,000 lumens!!!!

...and that would not only be enough to blind Bambi, but make her instantly combust into a fleeing pile of barbequed fur. :yahoo:

 

[stretch]

A friend of mine did another trip to the USA recently, his third now and he told me about the poor lights on cars over there, bikes as well.

Looking at the attached image of the original FJR lights I have to agree that they are very poor.

Is there a reason that lights are so dull over there?

Is it in all states or just some?

 

[madmike2]

...and that would not only be enough to blind Bambi, but make her instantly combust into a fleeing pile of barbequed fur. :yahoo:

Er, IIRC, Bambi was a him.

Is it in all states or just some?

All states. It has to do with nationwide regulation. We don't want to be blinding the oncoming traffic now, do we? THEY (those in charge of thinking for us...for our own good, you understand...because we might not reach the same conclusion they have) figure that if you can't see with your current light output...simply slow down. Or, as most American drivers: drive by Braille.

 

[skyway]

Thanks for the photo's rocket. There are a couple of options that come to mind on the '06. If I'm understanding the photo's correctly, I'm not very keen on removing that rubber washer, as the light bracket could contact the plastic?

I could look for a fasterner that has a long thin wall that would fit between the spacer and mirror stud or maybe figure out some sort of extension of the existing mirror stud?

Or, I could just machine a small recess in the bracket, to where the mirror will fit inside and leave the .250 thick bracket to surround the mirror. This would still provide plenty of rigidity to hold the light, however I would first need to do a fit check and test ride to confirm.

Nothing is straight forward between different model year bikes. But I'll get it.

 

[skyway]

I made a prototype mounting bracket yesterday and I think I have it figured out. It is attached on my bike with only the 2 mirror mount holes. I did this on purpose because there is nowhere else near on the 06 to pick up for support.
This light kit is throwing bright usable light easily 1/2 mile down the road. I had oncoming cars dipping hi beams at around 0.8 miles. I'm quite satisfied with the results of this kit and will be keeping it for sure.

Light me up, Skyway! That's as close as I could get to "Beam me up, Scotty! I know you didn't want me to break into....."Yeeewwwww light up myyyy liiiife....." :yahoo:

As long as you don't go around scaring little old ladies. Oh, and I'd be more than happy with a rendition of "Bright Eye's". unk: :lol:

 

[evilmedic13]

ElectroSport is now at the point where they are going to purchase a FJR headlight assembly and ship it off to the factory for their engineers to use for creating a perfect H4 Hi/Lo HID system for the FJR. But, again, no guarantees how it will work in any other H4 reflector housing. B)

Forgive for sounding dumb here,(it's what I do best afterall). Would our headlights be transformed into HID's w/ this kit? :dribble: Just wondering..................................Nothing to add, as usual.

 

[Warchild]

ElectroSport is now at the point where they are going to purchase a FJR headlight assembly and ship it off to the factory for their engineers to use for creating a perfect H4 Hi/Lo HID system for the FJR. But, again, no guarantees how it will work in any other H4 reflector housing. B)

Forgive for sounding dumb here,(it's what I do best afterall). Would our headlights be transformed into HID's w/ this kit? :dribble: Just wondering..................................Nothing to add, as usual.

To avoid continuing to hijack this Soltek thread, I'll answer this in a new thread about these new-generation H4 HID lights.

 

[FJRocket]

Thanks for the photo's rocket. There are a couple of options that come to mind on the '06. If I'm understanding the photo's correctly, I'm not very keen on removing that rubber washer, as the light bracket could contact the plastic?

Yes, you are correct.

If the bracket footprint was exactly the same size as the spacer (against the paint), it wouldn't really matter, cause any paint damage could be covered. And the brackets would be very rigid. Of course, the mirrors would be too. Dunno if that would be a bad thing for vibration or for smacking the mirrors back if they hit something.

If you make the bracket contact patch to match the rubber spacer, I'd probably go for it, and leave the spacer out. Be nice to still use the spacer, though. Proably a layer of plastic tape would be helpful on the paint side of a bracket without the rubber spacer being used. I've just used electrical tape under similar circumstances with good results.

I could look for a fasterner that has a long thin wall that would fit between the spacer and mirror stud or maybe figure out some sort of extension of the existing mirror stud?

I think a thick spacer and extension studs could be a way to go. Dunno how much guys are complaining about '06+ mirrors and being able to see behind their elbows. And also dunno how much lane splitters worry about mirror contact. But I sat my FZ1 mirrors on there and they are quite a bit wider, near the width that it would take to offset the mirrors with a bracket spacer and studs. So if any guys have FZ1 mirrors on 2nd gen bikes and lane split without problems, adding a stud/spacer bracket would be nice. Seems like the logistics of getting this gizmo to work and look right would be pretty tough.

I suppose the idea here would be to make a light bracket that mounts on the mirror receptacle. Then make a mirror mount for the light bracket? Be nice to make the mirrors slightly wider and higher. Yikes, sounds complicated!

 

[cco]

Those are some "SERIOUS" lights. To me, the size of these lights are right on the edge of what's right for the FJR. Any bigger IMO, i think it would be too big. They look awesome on the bike, it definitely gives the bike more authority.

Anyway, i just want to commend Warchild and Skyway on this joint effort. Hopefully the mounting of these lights can be sorted out. I have been looking for a while and nothing seemed to grab my attention until i saw this thread.

Count me in, hopefully we will have a group buy soon.

Thanks, Cary

 

[madmike2]

Hopefully the mounting of these lights can be sorted out.

That's the putpose of this entire discussion. Since his machine shop got flooded by a burst pipe, Skyway has nothing better to do than play with design programs on the office computer. IOW, since he can't do any real work he might as well work on designing farkles....uhm...just to keep his mind occupied.

 

[skyway]

I showed a friend these lights, and he said he had seen them before but could not remember where. Anyway he got back to me today and said that people are attaching them to their aircraft as approach lights for landing. :dribble: B)

 

[Ignacio]

I showed a friend these lights, and he said he had seen them before but could not remember where. Anyway he got back to me today and said that people are attaching them to their aircraft as approach lights for landing. :dribble: B)

Sweet! It adds legitimacy to the FJR Pilot's Association credo, "Being confused with a 747 is a good thing."

 

[FJRocket]

I showed a friend these lights, and he said he had seen them before but could not remember where. Anyway he got back to me today and said that people are attaching them to their aircraft as approach lights for landing. :dribble: B)

Which is why I might be interested in TWO sets!!!!!!!!