Basic HID install

[NYC Diesel]

Hey guys, I'm gonna install a HID kit on my pregen just for better lighting but have a quick question, I am going to get this kit:

http://www.ddmtuning.com/Products/DD...ast-35W-or-55W

35W, 6000K. My question is when you choose bulb type, they have a H4 option that has both high/low beam option which means its a bixenon right? I have installed the normal kits w/o issues on car will the bixenon require any extra modifications ? I don't really care about high beams I just need them to pass NJ inspection

[jdoucet93]

I would think that the bi-xenon lights for cars and bikes will both be the same. I've installed quite a few dual beam kits in cars and it should be the same on a bike.

It might be even easier on the bike because I don't think you will need to wire the ballast to the battery like in a car.

[Alex]

/moved to pre-gen tech

[Bosgarage57]

Shak if you do, you should do a write up, I'd love to know how to add HID to my bike.

[choneofakind]

do a complete retrofit, not just a kit. if not, make sure you at least get some vinyls made for the edges of the headlight to cut off the excessive glare for on-coming traffic

*/rant*

on top of that, you'd want this kit instead of the one that you linked. The one you linked would give you 2 bulbs, and to get the hi/lo function, you would be paying $60 instead of 40

[GeorgeRYoung]

Another alternative
http://www.ebay.com/itm/35W-HID-Moto...item3f0fa1ecac
obtains both power and control input from the headlight connector, no need for separate battery connection.

[caliente103]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRYoung

Another alternative
http://www.ebay.com/itm/35W-HID-Moto...item3f0fa1ecac
obtains both power and control input from the headlight connector, no need for separate battery connection.

[Skippii]

Originally Posted by NYC Diesel

Hey guys, I'm gonna install a HID kit on my pregen just for better lighting but have a quick question, I am going to get this kit:

http://www.ddmtuning.com/Products/DD...ast-35W-or-55W

35W, 6000K. My question is when you choose bulb type, they have a H4 option that has both high/low beam option which means its a bixenon right? I have installed the normal kits w/o issues on car will the bixenon require any extra modifications ? I don't really care about high beams I just need them to pass NJ inspection

I've installed the HID H-4 kit in two bikes, but a different brand.

The pregen uses a reflector style headlight, meaning that the light from the bulb isn't directly aimed outward--in fact, it's blocked from that. Take a look at a halogen bulb: The end facing outward is blocked off, painted over. Additionally, the low-beam's filament is also in a reflective cup so that it will only shine DOWN in the headlight. The headlight than reflects that beam from the bottom side out the front and to the sides, but not higher than the headlight's height from the ground (to avoid blinding oncoming drivers). The upper side of the headlight do the same, but they allow the light to be projected higher. Check it out:



Now, consider the HID light. It has only a single light emitting area (functionally the same as a filament). Because HID lights take much longer to turn on than halogen, you can't have separate parts of the bulb, or you'd be in darkness for a second when you switched between the bulbs.
There are two options. One is to ALWAYS run an HID low beam, and have a halogen high-beam switch on in addition when needed. This gives the best light output by far, but actually uses more power than a single halogen H4or HID light.


The other option is to make the reflective shield movable, called a telescopic lamp.
This uses an electromagnet to shift the shield around, so that when you activate the high-beam switch, there is no change on the bulb's output--instead, the electromagnet is used to move the shield and allow the bulb's light to reach the top part of the reflector, which then shines the light in the same areas as both a H4 Halogen's high and low filaments together.
In this type of wiring, the plug from the hi-beam is actually connected to the electromagnet, not any part of the bulb.
What is important to know is that these electromagnets usually suck, and they tend to get stuck in one position or the other--so you may not be able to turn on your highs...or turn them off when people approach. Generally, this is dependent on how much you pay for your kit. Both of my kits gave me trouble a month after installation, and completely stopped switching after about six months. If you don't ride in the rain a lot and keep your bike garaged, it might never be an issue, but be aware.



In all designs, the HID needs to be always on, so directly wiring it to the low beam is not possible (as halogen bulbs are designed to have the low beam off when the high beam is on). Just about any kit these days will have a relay that makes sure the power to the ballast is always on whenever either the bike's low or high beam is actuated, so this is only a problem if you're not using a kit, and making the system from parts.

The term "bixenon" can refer to this design, or to a bulb with two elements, or to whatever else they want to call bixenon--there's no industry-wide definition for the term.

To answer your question more specifically: The "low beam" will always need to be on and not blind people, but any kit will come set up like that.
The high-beam will most likely need to be functional to pass NJ inspection.

[Skippii]

BTW-- I ended up using a dremel to cut off the shield from the bulb on one of my bikes, and then adjusted the headlight position so that it points downward, so that the high-beam would illuminate only the area that the lowbeam would normally illuminate.

Then I added two 55w halogen lights above the main headlight, pointed to illuminate the high-beam area.

The advantage is a HUGE amount of light directly in front of you (much more than you'd get with a stock low beam), and even more light far ahead with the highbeams.

Keep in mind, though, this is a dualsport bike for traveling over rough terrain at low speeds in the dark, so seeing what's 5 feet in front of you is more important in this case than if you were on a road.

[choneofakind]

Originally Posted by Skippii

In all designs, the HID needs to be always on, so directly wiring it to the low beam is not possible (as halogen bulbs are designed to have the low beam off when the high beam is on). Just about any kit these days will have a relay that makes sure the power to the ballast is always on whenever either the bike's low or high beam is actuated, so this is only a problem if you're not using a kit, and making the system from parts.

To answer your question more specifically: The "low beam" will always need to be on and not blind people, but any kit will come set up like that.
The high-beam will most likely need to be functional to pass NJ inspection.

Take the wire that has power from the low-beam, and physically take it out of the left had control, and solder it to itself. In other words, take the switch out of the equation so that the low beam is always powered. That way the left hand control is an on/off switch for the "high" beam. Wire the HID off the low beam power and then wire your solenoid on the device Skippii was describing, or to the solenoid on a projector to the power for the high beam. Your headlights will work just like a stock headlight would, and the inspectors will never know the difference; the "low" beam will come on when you start the bike, and the solenoid will flip the gate/reflector thingy to give you a "high" beam when the high/low switch is flipped

[Skippii]

Originally Posted by choneofakind

Take the wire that has power from the low-beam, and physically take it out of the left had control, and solder it to itself. In other words, take the switch out of the equation so that the low beam is always powered. That way the left hand control is an on/off switch for the "high" beam. Wire the HID off the low beam power and then wire your solenoid on the device Skippii was describing, or to the solenoid on a projector to the power for the high beam. Your headlights will work just like a stock headlight would, and the inspectors will never know the difference; the "low" beam will come on when you start the bike, and the solenoid will flip the gate/reflector thingy to give you a "high" beam when the high/low switch is flipped

There's no need to do this though, because any H4 kit will already have this done for you. That's why it's $20 more.

[choneofakind]

Originally Posted by Skippii

That's why it's $20 more.

the $20 was referring to the fact that the kit the OP linked had enough parts for 2 headlights. The ninja only has 1 bulb. I never said don't get the hi/low kit.

[Skippii]

I was referring to the OP's link, where there's an option to select between the H7 and H4 bulbs. The H4 bulb cost $20 more because it includes the magnet and extra wiring stuff, already done.

[NYC Diesel]

Originally Posted by Skippii

I was referring to the OP's link, where there's an option to select between the H7 and H4 bulbs. The H4 bulb cost $20 more because it includes the magnet and extra wiring stuff, already done.

Yea thats why I was wondering if it was as easy as installing a standard HID. Since everything is prewired I didn't think splicing into harness had to be done but I can be wrong. I'm sure that each bulb has an individual HI/LO function so I would essentially be getting two full headlights for 60$, which is good if something ends up happening to the first set.

I would like to get projectors but I'm gonna end up vinyling the top of the headlight. On a side note, I am buying a 2007 headlight assembly off ebay for 40 bucks since mine is dirty and I notice it has a black strip across the top like similar to the way I would put the vinyl, did they address this problem they on newer headlights or do I still have to apply vinyl the top ?

And don't worry I'll be taking pictures and doing a write up, thanks for all the great help so far, you guys are cool people

[NYC Diesel]

Skiipi, thanks for the suggestions, the reason I wasnt to use this kit is because I thought they were Bi-xenons (I have always understood this as a one HID bulb that has two light intensities ie. high/low). The telescopic mount looks cool though

And to follow up my earlier post, I was just seeing things, their are no major changes in the headlight assemblies from 88-07, oops

[Skippii]

Originally Posted by NYC Diesel

On a side note, I am buying a 2007 headlight assembly off ebay for 40 bucks since mine is dirty and I notice it has a black strip across the top like similar to the way I would put the vinyl, did they address this problem they on newer headlights or do I still have to apply vinyl the top ?

That's a strip of some kind of tape to seal the headlight from rain.

[Skippii]

Originally Posted by NYC Diesel

Yea thats why I was wondering if it was as easy as installing a standard HID. Since everything is prewired I didn't think splicing into harness had to be done

Correct

I'm sure that each bulb has an individual HI/LO function so I would essentially be getting two full headlights for 60$, which is good if something ends up happening to the first set.

Yup.

[el250]

That tape doesn't seal the headlight for rain. It stops before the seam of glass to plastic.

It is meant to block the light coming out from behind and up the front upper fairing between the windscreen and gauge cluster.

[choneofakind]

There's sort of a DIY here: http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showt...ght=HID+pregen

might just want to add your stuff to it instead of doing a whole new thread. Take pictures of your process and what you did differently etc