Installing HID's - yay or nay | GTAMotorcycle.com

Installing HID's - yay or nay

rectifier issues could occur....what kind of amp draw is associated with HID's?
 
at startup, they can draw more than halogens, but once warmed up they draw a lot less. You can purchase relay harnesses to keep from blowing your headlight fuses.

as for the light output, I'm loving mine. I have mine aimed a little lower than stock to help keep the glare down for others. the high beam is like a small supernova on the front of my bike, great for out in the country where there's more wildlife than cars.
 
If you replace the entire lamp with a proper projector - go for it. If you just use one of the cheap conversion kits please don't.

People may not flash you, but I promise that the cheap HID's will bother people. Short wheelbase bikes will bounce over ruts, etc... in the road and will certainly annoy people when the light is right in their eyes.

If you want more light, replace your high beam with an HID unit and use it when it's truly dark out. If there's street lights on you should be able to get away with a regular halogen bulb. You could also upgrade your 55w halogen bulb to 100w which would give you a lot more light, but no aiming problems.
 
If u have no projector, it does not matter where u aim the bulb, there will be glare. HID's project outwards! meaning ur going to be a big bright pain in the a** for drivers in front of you.
 
I am running HIDs, no projectors, aimed down as opposed to stock and they seem fine. I parked at a distance from a garage and used masking tape to mark points and aimed the bulbs within the points. No one flashes me and friends driving in front of me have said they are fine when I am behind them. They are bright and I can see much better at night. Plus, they look boss. That's all the assurance I need.
 
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It's all a matter of whether the job is done right or not. The cheaper you go, the worse it will be.

My bike has a proper projector setup done and I've asked several people that I have followed (cars and bikes) if my lights are blinding at night, all of them said that they can see my light very well, but it doesn't shine in their mirrors at all (unless I use high beams of course).
 
Don't install 100W instead of 55W, it will use double the power, can overload electrical system and it can also melt your reflector.

I installed HID kit as my OEM lights were useless. It is night and day and highly recommended. Adjust lights so cutoff is not hitting back car window on the car and you are OK. As for bumps and flashing up, I find it great. Drivers notice you better and if one is annoyed, annoyed is still better than being run over by oblivious drivers at any day...


jsv650 said:
If you replace the entire lamp with a proper projector - go for it. If you just use one of the cheap conversion kits please don't.

People may not flash you, but I promise that the cheap HID's will bother people. Short wheelbase bikes will bounce over ruts, etc... in the road and will certainly annoy people when the light is right in their eyes.

If you want more light, replace your high beam with an HID unit and use it when it's truly dark out. If there's street lights on you should be able to get away with a regular halogen bulb. You could also upgrade your 55w halogen bulb to 100w which would give you a lot more light, but no aiming problems.
Click to expand...
 
There is no way to get a proper cutoff without projectors, doesn't matter if you aim your headlights straight down, there is still glare going in all directions. Projectors are cheap these days with numerous aftermarket options designed specifically for retrofits. If you're not willing to do the full upgrade, please don't do anything
 
In my 08 R6 the HID's have a pretty sharp cut off, the stock reflectors do a pretty good job!

I love how they light up the road! Makes driving at night with my tinted visor a slightly less retarded thing to do.

DDM 55watt Digital Slim Ballasts, 3,000k bulbs. Never had an issue with them, ever. Been on the bike two years.

brightlights.jpg


-Jamie M.
 
toysareforboys said:
In my 08 R6 the HID's have a pretty sharp cut off, the stock reflectors do a pretty good job!

I love how they light up the road! Makes driving at night with my tinted visor a slightly less retarded thing to do.

DDM 55watt Digital Slim Ballasts, 3,000k bulbs. Never had an issue with them, ever. Been on the bike two years.
-Jamie M.
Click to expand...

Yea, mine are still great, same kit, but 6000k. I ran the DDM Group Buy back then.
Things to consider:
1) Stock reflector cut-off sharp enough? or upgrade to full lens
2) do you need a Time Delay for before the HID's fire (If your bike cuts all power while cranking - Extends the lights' life - no double fire)

Make sure you take the time and do a good job on the install and aiming.
 
Adli said:
2) do you need a Time Delay for before the HID's fire (If your bike cuts all power while cranking - Extends the lights' life - no double fire)
Click to expand...
Woot for the R6 not powering the headlights until the bike is fully started =)

-Jamie M.
 
Germax said:
I installed HID kit as my OEM lights were useless. It is night and day and highly recommended. Adjust lights so cutoff is not hitting back car window on the car and you are OK. As for bumps and flashing up, I find it great. Drivers notice you better and if one is annoyed, annoyed is still better than being run over by oblivious drivers at any day...
Click to expand...

I feel entirely annoyed that I can't see when a jackass with poorly installed HID's are oncoming and I have to slow down to even see the lane/road/shoulder.
I wouldn't quite call that a good thing.
 
I've installed HID's on both of my previous bikes and I loved them. They increased visibilty both in the sense that I could see better and the fact that other motorists could see me coming.

I've been wrestling with the question of whether or not to install HID's since I picked up my new (to me) mint RC36. I don't wanna start splicing crap into this bike, but the stock halogen headlights are soooo weak :(.

On the otherhand, I like having the ability to have the ignition on (with the bike not running) and not worry about popping a fuse.

I agree that HID's improperly installed (or cheaply made) are very annoying.....but when they are done right....they are beautiful. :cool:

toysareforboys said:
brightlights.jpg
Click to expand...

Very nice Jamie.
 
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slowbird said:
I've been wrestling with the question of whether or not to install HID's since I picked up my new (to me) mint RC36. I don't wanna start splicing crap into this bike, but the stock halogen headlights are soooo weak :(.
Click to expand...
Thanks =)

I installed my HID kit without cutting, splicing, tapping, ANYTHING. Totally hidden, even if you look hard you can't tell I've got HID's if the bike ain't running.

My guide for no cutting: http://www.gtamotorcycle.com/vbforu...-Guide!-No-cutting-wires!-No-bodywork-removal!!

I would love to have a look at your bike and plan out your HID install with ya, I love a challenge =)

The DDM digital 55w slim ballasts come with TOTALLY UNIVERSAL connectors, so I'm 99.9% sure they will install on ANY bike without cutting wires!

http://www.ddmtuning.com/Products/DDM-HID-Kit-Slim-Ballast-35W-or-55W

I also have 12amp (still within the safety limit of your wiring) fuses if your bike likes to pop them on especially cold starts.

-Jamie M.
 
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Does DDM sell HI/LOW HID kits?

EDIT: Disregard....I See the drop down menu.

Jamie, is yours a Hi/LOW kit?

I installed HID kits on my last 2 bikes without issue. They were well hidden and worked great, but I had to up the Fuse size for the headlight on the first bike as it liked to pop them.
 
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