Kawasaki Concours Forum

The C10, aka Kawasaki Concours - The Original => Accessories and Modifications - C10 => Topic started by: Tele130 on June 17, 2011, 03:21:50 PM

Title: Opinion about H.I.D. systems
Post by: Tele130 on June 17, 2011, 03:21:50 PM
If going this route, do you see a need to have a "High" beam?  The Bi-Xenon HID Kit is both beams, the Xenon is just the low beam...........if I got that right  ;D.


What do you think? :chugbeer:
Title: Re: Opinion about H.I.D. systems
Post by: gtr1000 on June 17, 2011, 03:26:46 PM
No, the Bi-Xenon is exactly what it says. It's a single H4 HID bulb with a movebale electric shutter that alters the beam pattern. You get HID intensity, albeit a different beam pattern, in high beam as well.

When you switch from low to high beam on the handlebar switch, the shutter (with a cut out in it) moves about 1/4" over the fixed bulb which gives you a high beam. Most folks will say that whilst the low beam Bi-Xenon is great, the high beam pattern isn't that good.

Either way, with a low beam HID pattern, there's very few occasions I flick to high beam with my HID set up.
Title: Re: Opinion about H.I.D. systems
Post by: mlf73 on June 17, 2011, 06:13:37 PM
Based on what little usage that I've gotten out of my HID system so far, I would agree with Paul that the high beam isn't quite as good as the low beam and that in most cases you'll rarely even want to switch to the high beam.
Title: Re: Opinion about H.I.D. systems
Post by: Daytona_Mike on June 17, 2011, 08:10:08 PM
I just  now drove at night with HID's. High beam is  super friggin bright and I uses it every single  chance I can, as soon as there are no cars to blind.
Compared to low beam I can see way way way down the read.
What are you guys talking about? Bi-Xenon kicks butt in high beam compared to low beam.
Title: Re: Opinion about H.I.D. systems
Post by: DaveO430 on June 17, 2011, 08:17:13 PM
I don't know about the H4 Hid but the H7s  I have in my wing you can see next week. On high beam you can see through walls.  ;D
Title: Re: Opinion about H.I.D. systems
Post by: timsatx on June 17, 2011, 09:00:33 PM
In the city, at night, I am unable to use my hi beams as they are too bright. If I am outside of the city then that is a different thing and I will use the brights. It is amazing how much light they put out. In the city during the daytime I usually leave my lights on bright.
Title: Re: Opinion about H.I.D. systems
Post by: gtr1000 on June 18, 2011, 02:22:05 AM
I just  now drove at night with HID's. High beam is  super friggin bright and I uses it every single  chance I can, as soon as there are no cars to blind.
Compared to low beam I can see way way way down the read.
What are you guys talking about? Bi-Xenon kicks butt in high beam compared to low beam.

With my low beam set to give me max vision down the road, I find that the high beam is just that bit too high. Having said that, I do use it to see way down the road, it's just that there's then no light in front of me on the road. A compromise I guess and IIRC, this was discussed before the crash. I can't remember if this was the same with the stock H4 set up  :-\

I seem to remember that someone tried either masking the glass headlamp or masking the shutter on the H4 HID bulb to reduce the marked difference between high and low beams. Please come forward if it was you  ;)

Title: Re: Opinion about H.I.D. systems
Post by: kzz1king on June 18, 2011, 08:46:59 AM
gtr 1000 hit it right on the head. I have tried adjusting and cannot find a happy medium. My limmited night riding is all rural so I finally adjusted the low beam to be a bit high. This would not work well for in town use I suspect. I have tried it on high and miss that nice light in front of me which I think would pick up eyes better also.

Wayne
Title: Re: Opinion about H.I.D. systems
Post by: tvpierce on June 18, 2011, 09:34:11 AM
My experience is the same as Daytona Mike's: my low beam is great, my high beam is brilliant.

I did have to adjust the low beam a little lower than I'd like... but it puts out so much light that it's still at least as good as the stock H4.  The high beam allow me to see into the next county!  :D

I wonder if some on here have a diffent HID set up... because mine doesn't have a shutter that moves, but rather, mine moves the HID element itself fore and aft to achieve high and low beam.
Title: Re: Opinion about H.I.D. systems
Post by: Uglydog56 on June 18, 2011, 11:52:31 AM
I have the bi xenon and I use both.  When I'm on hi beam in Seattle, people in Boise pull their shades at night.
Title: Re: Opinion about H.I.D. systems
Post by: Daytona_Mike on June 18, 2011, 01:47:57 PM
the Morimoto has a shield that moves. None of the kits for H4 has a shutter that moves.
If anyone can figure out a way to mount one or 2 of these  inside our stock lens  then that would be the bomb!
Bi-Xenon HID Projectors Explained (Morimoto Mini) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFF2XoZJIBo#ws)
Like Tvpierce says, I had to move my low beam a little lower then I would like and high beam is great. No way would I even think about going back to stock.
Title: Re: Opinion about H.I.D. systems
Post by: gtr1000 on June 18, 2011, 02:37:42 PM
I wonder if some on here have a diffent HID set up... because mine doesn't have a shutter that moves, but rather, mine moves the HID element itself fore and aft to achieve high and low beam.

Yes, my mistake, you and Mike are both correct. I've just pulled mine and yes, it's the bulb that moves up and down. The shutter, with cut outs in it, stays still.

Now I feel  :-[ :-[
Title: Re: Opinion about H.I.D. systems
Post by: timsatx on June 19, 2011, 06:59:32 AM
To reduce the glare  what some folks have done is to cover the bottom of the headlight. That is what gives you your upper level lights (as oppose to the upper part of the headlight which is what shines down low). When I installed mine the light was in pretty much the same position as the H4 and so I get good lighting to the side and up close, but because of the brightness it still shines down the road. Once it goes to high then I lose the up close lighting, but at highway speeds that is the least of what I am worried about, and man does it shine down the road. When on my SS100 and driving thru the desert I got plenty of light down the road.
Title: Re: Opinion about H.I.D. systems
Post by: Gitbox on June 19, 2011, 07:41:26 AM
I'm going to be going to HID soon and would like to know what brand/model you guys are using.


Thanks.
Title: Re: Opinion about H.I.D. systems
Post by: Tele130 on June 19, 2011, 08:32:53 AM
I'm going to be going to HID soon and would like to know what brand/model you guys are using.


Thanks.
:popcorn:  I'm thinking of doing the same. I have a set of Hellas driving lights mounted on a light bar and the sure do open up the road.. But they don't throw much down range. I've been looking at getting a car (H4) kit to have an extra ballast and bulb.