| Author | Message | ||
     Mikef5000 |
Measure the height of your headlight bulb... Then pull 25 foot away from a flat wall. The upper light cutoff should be 2-3 inches lower than the height of the headlight bulb. (Message edited by Mikef5000 on September 22, 2008) | ||
| Indianafirefighter1972 |
I have an 06 Uly and I just added the heated handgrips, top and side cases (after riding it for almost 2 years). I have been looking at new lights but haven't really found anything I like. I have to admit I am not a big Do It Yourself guy when it comes to anything electronic. Where is the best place to look for lighting that will work on the Uly that is affordable? I also need something that I can do without a lot of fuss. | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
This is your kit....It can be installed even with the wiring from the battery and a relay in a couple of hours. | ||
| Slowride |
Quick update... I installed the HID kit over the weekend so I could see going to Buelltoberfest. I noticed that it seemed like I had a short in the wiring. After tearing it down, it looks like the connector that is shown above has a fundamental flaw. The way the pins are made will definitely cause shorts. I am on of the ones who advocated using copious amounts of Dielectric grease to solve this, but alas I was wrong. The pin design sucks and to that end, I hard wired my lights. Can you say "NIIIICCEEE" in your best Borat impression. Everything fits too. I got both Ballast and the horn, plus I mounted up a new GPS and got all the wiring in under the flyscreen. I could actually put a steibel horn in the there with the amount of space I had left. Anyway, that is my story.... | ||
| Midnightrider |
mine are finally on the way (old address with paypal i never updated). what do i need to look for (spec-wise) in a relay? is this something i can get at an auto store? i'm guessing you run the power to one position on the relay and then out another terminal to the ballasts? sorry for the dumb questions - i just learn as i go along. got sick of paying big $$ for oil changes and finally did my first DIY bike oil change. i was really sweating the reinstallation of the oil drain plug but the torque wrench seemed to do the trick ( with the updated torquing specs i learned off this site) thanks | ||
| Seanp |
I received mine today, and since my bike is deadlined due to a broken exhaust stud, I don't mind taking it apart. I put the ballasts in with both of my horns, and it looks like this:  Does anyone see any problems with having all that stuff jammed in there? It fits, and the windscreen goes back on no problem. I'll probably hardwire it like Slowride did. I just want to make sure that I'm not going to have issues with the ballasts keeping cool. | ||
| Froggy |
I need to order up my set now, it sucks riding without a low beam  I might get the 10K one. I want it to match the rest of my blue setup | ||
| Mikef5000 |
Please don't do 10k. Your bike will look like all the mid 90's riced out civic hatch backs around here. So obviously aftermaket thrown together. Plus the higher k value the less light output! | ||
| Froggy |
Yea I figured it would look like that, but i love the color. I am not worried about the output, as i got a pair of PIAA's that have basically replaced my headlights at night. I am doing some research, i might go with a different kit, I want something with higher power consumption like 50w or more. My stator loves me | ||
| Slowride |
Update, So I have had a lot of road time with my setup and think I provided enough evidence for those who were on the fence to convert while I was at Buelltoberfest. Observations I have the 4300k and I absolutely love the amount of light I am throwing down the road. The pattern thrown by these HIDs make me wonder why I would ever need to throw on a set up driving lights. If you are running down the highway and have both low and high beams on you will blind yourself with the road signs. I have to look down or away to keep from getting white out conditions. When driving in daylight on the highway and I am traveling in the fast lane as I roll up on the cars or trucks they will almost immediately get out of my way. All in all, I am thrilled to have done this mod. $69 shipped to my door (Who'd a thunk it) | ||
| Sleez |
slowride; how is yours set up? it sounds like you did both the high and low? is the low on all the time? did you run relays? i am sure i will run relays to be safe! great info guys! i have been in the electronics business for more than 20 years, so i am confident i can do a great job, just want to find out the best way to plan out the operation parameters. has anyone tried running a dual type in both housings? i am thinking about trying that. | ||
| Fubar |
I also have both Hi and Lo (not on at the same time). The amount of light is almost embarrassing even with only Lo on. Well worth the price, if it holds up. I have relays on order as I wanna be safe too. | ||
| Mikef5000 |
has anyone tried running a dual type in both housings? i am thinking about trying that. Yes, sort of. I have the bixenon kit to be installed right now. I did my first testing today. Pics later. | ||
| Mikef5000 |
HID bi-xenon bulb assembly... notice the bulb is separate from the 'housing'. So the 'housing' can be permanently installed in the lights, then the bulb can still be changed. Bottom is the bulb out of the housing, top is the bulb in the housing:  The 'housing' set in one of the headlights:   Now the important part... Low beam:   High beam:   Ignore the fact that the lit half of the housing is the bottom half (reflecting up) instead of the top half (reflecting down). Just notice that only half of the housing is lit on low beam. This 'should' give you the cut-off necessary to not absolutely blind everyone. The downside is that even on high beam, the whole housing is not lit. This is because of the separate chrome bulb 'housing' still blocks some of the bulb. What I WISH I would have done now, after the fact, would be to install the regular 55 watt halogen bulb in the other light to give a comparison. I may try messing with the chrome 'housing' a bit to get a bit more light output... I may pull off the dome at the end, just leaving the 'wall'. Just to see what would happen.  I'll need to play with it more (and test it in the dark to get a better idea what it'll look like) before I can say I love it. It will need minor modification to fit well, and then some sort of safety wire type of deal to permanently mount the chrome 'housings' into the headlights. More updates later. | ||
| Ronmold |
Would you really need relays if the HID's take 20w less than the stock setup? | ||
| Froggy |
Ron read the whole thread, i said the same thing, and then someone showed melted connectors. He also pointed out that it would be worth the extra investment for the relays, as if something did go wrong, it would be easier to troubleshoot and repair. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgibin/discus/show .cgi?tpc=142838&post=1256149#POST1256149 | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
The light that these throw is insane. As mentioned earlier, it is almost too much light. Mikey, I have the start timer sorted out, PM me when you are ready for it. It gives about a 35 second delay before starting the lights. Believe it or not my bike starts much easier since I installed it. | ||
| Glenn |
Hi Lost, Can you share you're details on the timer? Where did you buy it, how is it wired in, etc? Thanks, Glenn | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
I actually just built it. I used Reepi's circuit as a basis for mine. Like Reep, I switch the ground on the relay. My solution is a simpler, one resister and one capacitor and One transistor. Guess I will have to draw it up and post it. I think the whole thing cost 5 bucks. | ||
| Florida_lime |
I ran my HID low beam through a relay that also powers up my PIAA 510 ion (yellow) fog light. That circuit is all run through a switch, so I can turn off my lights when starting up. I usually switch them off as I pull up to park -- fan definitely runs faster then.  | ||
| Slowride |
Someone earlier asked me about my setup. I installed two single beam HID's, one into each headlight socket. I cut out the white 4 pin connector after seeing how bad the pins would short, at which point I did the High Beam wire cross over. This cross over of the wires allows both hi and lo beams to be on at the same time when the headlight switch is turned to hi beam. When the switch is in the low beam position, only a single HID will be firing. You can still use the passing trigger and the high beam will fire like a strobe. I want to be sure I state this correctly.... The white connector will short out due to arching. This is a bad pin design. As to the other reasons to run a relay or too much power draws, my experience is... I have installed no relays, timers or other draw delaying items. I have had no ill effects running these hid's in the last 2500 miles. I have spent a total of 38 hours with lights burning on the bike since my conversion and I get no issues starting the bike, there is no extra draw on the system. I turn the key on, the light comes on and then I hit the starter switch and it comes to life. I got to say this has been the most outstanding farkle I have done. | ||
| Tipsymcstagger |
If anyone wants to do a delayed relay installation, I have DEI 528T that I didn't use because I switched the low beam relay via the Euro (parking) light lead which is not interrupted during the start cycle. If someone wants the DEI 528T, send me a PM. You can have it for $15 shipped Tipsy | ||
| Midknyte |
I would tend to agree and believe that that white connector is the "weakest link". But after taking apart the Hi/Low switch and other items while looking for my short and seeing that these other components are only marginally better (and that's not a swipe - you only make things a little better than necessary in mass manufacturing...), I decided it best to just isolate completely with a relayed aux harness. It was only a few dollars and hours extra. I have no worries of downtime and dealer rates for diagnosing, tearing out, and replacing the main harness (because it is beyond my skill and patience level). I felt rather lucky that what did burn up this time was something I could fix myself. | ||
| Armymedic |
Does the VME HIDs come with a relay built in or does it simply use the existing headlight plug to plug into the HID? I've had a HID before on the Strom that didn't use the battery at all, just plug the existing headlight into the HID. Another I had ran off the battery and had a relay. | ||
| Slowride |
The VME is a direct plug and play with the stock bike harness. | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
Please read the entire thread. I would not plug it into the stock harness and use it that way. It will burn up your stock harness. Go to your local auto parts store and buy a 30 amp relay, they are very reasonable. The reason I installed the delay circuit is so the ballast will not see voltage transients during starting and it also saves with the double on and off during starting. Mine would flick on and off while the bike was cranking, I suspect the battery voltage would drop below the run voltage of the ballast. Just my opinion. But a lot of others on Badweb whose opinion I value have done it as well. | ||
| Midnightrider |
I'm asking for a little help - just read this and see if I've done this right please I wired the lights directly in per the installation guide and it was very easy. But I've read this entire thread several times and want to take the advice to use a relay. I found the diagram for the "Alternative Wire" with relay installation in the installation guide a little confusing and I want to make sure I've done this right before I button everything up. The light works - I'm just not sure I've wired it correctly so that the really is doing what its supposed to do and I have protected the factory wiring harness. Here's what I did. I installed a fused lead from the the positive battery terminal and connected that to the relay post marked 87. I wired a ground lead to the relay post marked 85. Now here's where I need help. The only other modification I made (for the relay vs the general plug and play installation) follows. There is a two wire lead (one black wire, one red wire) that runs from the HID assembly and plugs into the power supply port of the ballast. The black wire I left intact. The red wire I cut. I then ran a new wire from relay post 30 and connected that to the red wire running to the ballast. I ran another new wire from the relay post marked 86 and ran this to the red wire that runs to the HID assembly. (If you switch these last two the light does not work) All other connections shown in the General Installation diagram are made - the spade connectors that are labeled "to original halogen lamp socket" are connected to the original lamp socket. The barrel shaped connectors that run from the HID bulb assembly are plugged into the corresponding barrel shaped connectors running to the ballast. The HID works and it only works when the key is on (these are good things). I just want to make sure this is a safe install and the relay is wired correctly so that it actually does what is intended. Thanks found some good basic info on relays for other novices here http://www.lunghd.com/Tech_Articles/Electrical/Rel ayBasics.htm | ||
| Midknyte |
You can just get a pre-wired aux harness & everything is easy-peasy. The aux harness runs from the front, to the battery, and back to the front. Plug the relay side of it into the headlight sub-harness (which goes back to the battery to trip a relay and supply power to the returning hot line) and then plug the HID Ballast into the new power outout of the sub-harness. I changed the connectors and the sheath on my sub-harness to match things up, but that's all. The hardest part was deciding how to route the wires. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/384 2/391936.html?1220687707 | ||
| Midnightrider |
Thanks I have an aux harness on order - but I am an impatient one. Ran the lights today for about 200 miles. So far, so good d | ||
| Seanp |
I took Slowride's advice and hardwired my lights. I also installed some PIAA lights on Gary's lightbar at the same time. I set up the HIDs with the lowbeam always on through the O/W wire. And I was able to fit the ballasts, two FIAMM Freeway blaster horns, and wiring for the PIAAs and my GPS, all with room to spare. I love this big workspace. Here are a couple of pictures: From the front, windscreen off:  Some detail:  These puppies are bright!  And everything on:  |
