good replacement hdlt bulbs?

[JamminJere]

If you go with the A&R kit, call Rob if you have questions or concerns..  All HID lights come in different Kelvin ranges, depending on your preference. 4300-4500K is the top of the white spectrum of light. 6000K starts the blue spectrum.
I didnt want to draw attention to my lighting and stayed with the super bright white 4500K. I did recently have to replace one bulb (three years, was in on the first group buy on our forum) but decided to do both. I believe Robbie charged me 50 bucks for the two bulbs. I did not replace the ballasts.  The kits are.... Night and Day difference from the stock bulbs...pun intended

JJ

Ps.. Make sure you get them to throw in the LED city lights too!!

[Pokey]

The install is fairly simple. If a mechanic installs it for you, it should not cost more than 1 to 1.5 hours labor for the install.

It doesn't look hard, and I am actually pretty mechanically inclined. Now getting me motivated to do something like that is a whole other thing. I feel the C14 lighting is still better than most, but wouldnt mind a bit more of a white light. I will probably just give some better bulbs a shot, there are other items I want more than the HID kit.

[freebird6]

I had 4 Silverstars in 22K miles. Highs kept leaving me.....I replaced with a set of Hellas 3K ago from Pep Boys. They were 44 bucks for the pair but well worth it....These things are the same wattage as the stock but seem brighter and wider light path to me, my buddies always make me lead now so they can see better. I wanted Murphs but my high blew out on the Silverstar and I was forced to head into Pep boys to get home on a moonless night in rural Indiana

[B.D.F.]

The lights require separate (electrically separate) ballasts so they cannot use one instead. Each burner (HID lamp) needs its own power supply and igniter and they can't be combined.  Besides, it is actually easier to wire each side separately and closer to where each new bulb will be going on the bike. I just loosely tie- wrapped mine to the induction tubes just in front of the frame- they have been there for years with no sign of falling out yet.

I believe you could wire the HIDs in place by tapping into the original factory headlight circuit. It would take a couple of new parts, specifically H4 lamp connectors (connectors that emulate the physical appearance of the original H4 lamp) and a bit of wiring in the harness but I think it would be easier than running a pair of wires back to the battery. HIDs do draw a bit more current than stock H4s but only for a few seconds and then they ramp down to actually using less current; I measured mine at 42 watts per side vs. the stock lights at 55 watts. I believe the factory wiring will easily handle the small current surge at start up (it takes a wile to heat up wire by overloading it with too much current, not just a couple of seconds unless the overload is tremendous compared to the normal running current of the circuit).

Brian

Yeah, that is what was holding me back too.  Having to go straight to the battery and having to use two ballasts and two igniters makes it much more complex.  It is too bad a kit couldn't be invented that somehow could use a single ballast/igniter box that runs both bulbs and pull the power it needs from the stock connectors.

I already know one day I will do it, but right now, laziness wins.

[Jeremy Mitchell]

I love my A&R kit.  Two years and over 30,000 miles of well lit riding.

[Spanky]

It doesn't look hard, and I am actually pretty mechanically inclined. Now getting me motivated to do something like that is a whole other thing. I feel the C14 lighting is still better than most, but wouldnt mind a bit more of a white light. I will probably just give some better bulbs a shot, there are other items I want more than the HID kit.

I was lucky to have jamminjere install mine. It was very straight forward and I am sure I could do it now that I have seen it done. If I remember correctly, it took less than 1.5 hours and that was with him explaining the process to me .

[jonathan]

I use H4 Osram Nightbreakers from powerbulbs.co.uk. They are a high efficiency bulb that puts out more light than stock but doesn't draw any more power.

[Pokey]

I use H4 Osram Nightbreakers from powerbulbs.co.uk. They are a high efficiency bulb that puts out more light than stock but doesn't draw any more power.

How about these?


http://www.powerbulbs.com/us/product/osram-nightbreaker-night-breaker-h4-two-bulbs

[just gone]

I have the A&R kit and the lighting itself is great. Most likely just me, but it was my most difficult farkle
install because of wire clearance issues. It's dark down in there and hard to get my medium size hands
in there. If I were to do it over again, I would spend the extra money and get two totally separate sets
of lights and not the special combined unit that A&R sells for the C14.
My biggest problem was getting the brake line hose to not constantly hit the right HID wire coming out
of the reflector. The little two skinny wire combo coming across the front to go to the right side HID was problematic
as well. Several times I thought "there it's finished" then I would shine a bright light down there and turn
the front wheel lock to lock. Something wire or hose was always rubbing or binding on something else.

[maxtog]

I already know one day I will do it, but right now, laziness wins.

Damnit all.  I can't stand it anymore.  I just ordered the damn A&R kit.  The damn discount code still works, too.

[ZG]

Damnit all.  I can't stand it anymore.  I just ordered the damn A&R kit.  The damn discount code still works, too.

Congrats Max!     

[jonathan]

How about these?


http://www.powerbulbs.com/us/product/osram-nightbreaker-night-breaker-h4-two-bulbs

That's the ones.

[maxtog]

That's the ones.

I will point out that all those claims on halogens with "90% more light on the road!!" and such is mostly total non-sense.  When you get any real scientific info about it, you quickly find out that those are just made up marketing numbers that don't equate in any way, shape, or form to the real world.  I tried stuff like that and measured maybe a 10% brightness difference.  The biggest change is that they dip the low-beam area of the bulb in blue dye/paint.

Generally, Halogen at XX wattage in is YY total lumens out with not much variance.  What really remains to differentiate them is cost and quality/life.

[JamminJere]

Max,

Im sure you will love the HID's 

On the inside of the fairing, on both sides you'll see a flat spot near the main fairing brace. They send sticky velcro pads for mounting the ballasts. Dry fit the ballasts in those spots if you already have something tied to the induction tubes like a power commander, etc..  Once you see them fit in that fairing spot you will know what i am talking about. Apply the sticky velcro on the fairing and back of ballast and finish the wiring..

Dont forget to tell us how much you love them ;)

JJ

[maxtog]

Max,  Im sure you will love the HID's 

On the inside of the fairing, on both sides you'll see a flat spot near the main fairing brace. They send sticky velcro pads for mounting the ballasts. Dry fit the ballasts in those spots if you already have something tied to the induction tubes like a power commander, etc..  Once you see them fit in that fairing spot you will know what i am talking about. Apply the sticky velcro on the fairing and back of ballast and finish the wiring..

Dont forget to tell us how much you love them

Thanks, I will let you know.....  if I can get those canyons off first!  (eeek)
I am actually pretty good with electrics/electronics, so I am sure I can do it, I just need to get off my lazy butt when they get here and do it.

My last night trip last week I could barely go the speed limit from visibility issues- it just seemed especially dark (wooded area, no moon, no other vehicles, slightly misty).  And it is a route I go several times a year and I am always worried about being able to see deer or anything else in time.  The stock Concours lighting is so much better than my ZRX was (and yep, took the same route on that bike too, I would avoid that route at night if I could help it) but it just isn't quite enough to feel "safe". 

[h2smokin]

where did I miss the discount code or are my eyes getting worse?

[Pokey]

Since I avoid riding in the dark like the Black Plague, I have come to the conclusion that my lights are just fine as they are.

[VirginiaJim]

+1

[maxtog]

where did I miss the discount code or are my eyes getting worse?

It's in a thread actually about HID.  But so you don't have to search, it is "farkle", which is like $15 off plus free s/h.

[JamminJere]

Wow what a deal. Cheap enough even if your afraid to ride in the dark!

JJ