Hid installation

I have completed the HID installation on my VFR800. I have posted the info here:

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http://members.cox.net/powerusers/HID/hid.html

Enjoy,

Randal

edited to show pics

Very Interesting mod you say the cost was about $1000 or so? Including the lights you have mounted on the mirrors.

The price breakdown is as follows:

K2 8000K H4 HID kits - $390 x 2

PIAA P1000XT lamps - $157 (Normally $239)

5200K H3 HID bulbs - $170

PIAA Solitaire 001 lamps - $50

Brackets - $2 for the 3/32" scrap aluminum from a local supply yard.

Total damage so far - $1159

It is all worth it.  Full speed ahead, photon blaster at standby.

Enjoy,

Randal

This is my next project.  A friend of mine just did this to his RC51, total cost with both modules and lamps was $600.00.  I was going to wait untill March to do mine, they are going to have a new kit which will be cheaper then (rumered to be $350.00).  Ill get the name of the company and list it here if anybody is interested.

If you use the same type of bulb for separate high and low beams, you can get the kits for less than $400 complete.  The hardest thing about the kit is mounting the ballast.  They are about the size of a 3.5" floppy and about 1.25 thick.  

The RC51 has the advantage of using separate bulbs for each beam, making the light pattern stay more consistant and easier for the installation.

If you are serious about getting a set, check out:

http://www.misterjung.com/  

He seems to have a good selection of bulbs and very good prices.  A set of 2 bulbs, two ballast, wiring and instructions is going for $379.

Enjoy,

Randal

Randall,

The HID bulbs I have seen are not recommended for motorcycle use due to the vibration and shock loads in a MC application.     Are you using standard auto bulbs, or does someone have bulbs for bikes?    The light of HID's is fantastic, but it's a lot of money to spend if they go dark on the second big pothole.

Thanks, LEE

WOW!  I always wondered what was the big deal with PIAA and HID lights. I still don't get why they are so expensive, though. Anyway, that is a really informative post. Larry

Lee,

After having my share of the fancy H4 bulbs quit working from the excessive vibration motorcycles can induce, I can see your concern.  What happens to the halogen bulbs is the filament gets stretched and/or brittle while current is running through them, creating metal fatigue.  They can stand only so much.  

With the HID, you have two small tungstun electrodes inside a gas capsule filled with Xenon/Krypton gas.  Here is what the electric arc looks like in action:

http://www.sylvania.com/xenarc/images/hidarc.gif

Their size is so small and supported by the surrounding glass housing.  There is nothing to fatigue with vibration.  When I was testing the PIAA's, I turned them on and then hit the housing with a hammer to simulate the torture they could encounter.  They did not fail.  So far they seem to be very stable, even down the washboard surface known as the I-405 freeway in L.A.  Check out the picture on my page showing the difference between the two bulbs.  

There is nothing special about these bulbs.  They are the same Philips bulbs you would use in a car.  From what I have read, Philips makes the best HID element around.  Different companies buy the elements and then install them in the different mounting bases for the multiple bulb types.  The glass element on my H4s look exactly like the one for the H3s.  The mounting is the only physical difference.  

One thing to be aware of is the Kelvin rating of the bulb.  They use a mixture of different gases to get the desired light output.  For a reference, natural sunlight has a rating of 5700K.  The higher you go in the Kelvin rating the more blue the light will appear.  If you are looking at the different shades, the two best for the most light produced are 5200K and 6000K.  The 6000K will give you a very slight blue tint to the light produced.  I have seen one set for auction on ebay, boasting a 12000K rating.  For all practical purposes, it will not produce enough usable for night time riding.  It will be way too blue and not appear to be very bright.  Also, you should never buy a bulb that had a colored coating on them.  The coating acts like a filter, blocking the total amount of light produced, similar to the coating on halogen bulbs.

A fellow rider has had a 6000K HID low beam in his 2000 BMW K1200RS for almost a year with no problems at all.  When he installed the light, we would follow behind him, comparing the difference.  He could produce more light with his low beam than several of us combined.  

If the bulb lasts two years, it will more than pay for the multiple pairs of Super/Hyper/Ultra/Xtreme white halogen bulbs I used to buy.  I was burning out one of these "higher output" bulbs every four months or so.

Enjoy,

Randal

Did anyone try the HID concersion on a VFR 2002 .... it should be easier because of the 4 H7 type bulbs ?

talk to you later

JM

Jean-MichelDid anyone try the HID concersion on a VFR 2002 .... it should be easier because of the 4 H7 type bulbs ?

talk to you later

JM

Humm, I have to wonder why would anyone want to make the 02 VFR headlights any brighter?

Here are some of the comments I've been hearing about the 02 VFR brightness:

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.....from what I've read on this board, is that the big H used the same alternator but added those gazillion watt headlights.....

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.....that rabbit melting headlight!!!.....

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...Since we learned that VTEC standard headlights are one hell of a high intensity retina burners, we are contented to ride without the highbeams for now. They really do make the cagers snap at attention, even in daytime.....

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....you actually melt small animals at 100 paces with the VTEC headlight....

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I could go on.....

:D

Brendan

Nice lights, I was amazed at how anemic the stock headlights were, especially on low beam. $1000.00+ is rather prohibitive though, it would be nice to see the price come down.

i was going to install HID in my 2000 VFR but I would have lost my highbeams and didn't want the hassle at inspection time.  I could have done the one-eyed CBR set up but I think that looks silly.

:bow:    Good write up!

This thread hasn't seen any news in a while.  Found this at MrJung's place.

MisterJung.com Dual Beam HID

I wonder if it works as well as he says.  Also seems as though replacement bulbs would cost an arm and a leg.

I have the MisterJung kit on my 02 and I'm 100% satisfied....

The Dual Beam kit?

Sorry...I have the single beam H4's...I don't see a need for high beams with a HID system installed. No state inspection to worry about here in Colorado.

I am also interested in the H4 kit for my '03.  Where did you mount the ballasts?  Does the ballast get the power from the existing plug?

Thanks!

Just a little correction. Phillips only makes 4100K and 6000k bulbs. Any other Kelvin rating and your more then likely getting a cheap asian knockoff that will burn out/die prematurely.

And 5200K, 6000K is not the brightest. The standard 4100K capsules have the highest Lumens. The higher up in Kelvin you go, the less Lumens (usuable light) you will have. 8000K and higher HID capsules are a waste since they put out as much Lumens (and less as you go higher in K) as the brightest Halogen bulbs.

For those of you who dont want to go down the HID route, I suggest putting in some Sylvania Silverstar or Phillips Vision Plus halogen bulbs in your rides. Thier the brightest bulbs (Lumens) you can get. Much cheaper, and not to mention brighter (Lumens) then any of the $40+ each "ricer" tinted bulbs.

BTW, I recommend avoid Mr. Junk. Too many bad stories and pratically all he supplies is asian market hardware. Really cheap products that die an early death too many times. Not to mention that the NHTSA sould be getting in contact with him real soon, if they havent already. HID conversion [aka drop-in kits] are illegal No Classifieds On The Forum. Fines of $15,000 per bulb/$30,000 per kit sold are being enforced on all HID sellers. So all those rebased HID capsules are slowly going away. By the time a quality (Phillips) rebased capsule burns out, you'll have a hard time finding a replacement. And if you do, I hope your wallets ready for the hit.

But if you still want to go with a drop-in kit, stick with the name brand Phillips bulbs and Hella ballast.

HID conversion [aka drop-in kits] are illegal

Where did this come from?  Why?

Nomad

HID conversion [aka drop-in kits] are illegal

Where did this come from? ?Why?

Its always been. Its just that now because of 30,000+ complaints, the law is finally being enforced.

I believe the reflector construction is unique for HID vs quartz bulbs.  Dropping a HID bulb into a reflector setup made for quartz will not make it a HID light.

Whole light assembly replacements are available for some sedans but I have never seen one for motorcycles.  Probably a volume thing.

IMHO.

gscott I believe the reflector construction is unique for HID vs quartz bulbs. ?Dropping a HID bulb into a reflector setup made for quartz will not make it a HID light.

Whole light assembly replacements are available for some sedans but I have never seen one for motorcycles. ?Probably a volume thing.

IMHO.

You are correct!

But I also believe you mean "halogen bulbs" and not "quartz", since HID capsules are also made from quartz glass. :D

And whole light assemblies are available for many vehicles if thier out of country twins have them available. Take the VW Golf for instance. In the US, they are only supplied with the standard Halogen based assemblies. However, in the Euro, better equiped, better lighting nations, they have the assemblies available with lo-beam HIDs. Thier pratically a drop in replacement with the US spec models, aside from a different harness plug and some extra wiring (leveling motor).

And the reason motorcycles may never get HID (or at least not for a long time to come) is because of space and weight concerns, not to mention cosmetic. But thats not stopping me from retrofitting my two wheels. :wheel:

I am glad that you jumped into this thread.  I was about to make a potential big mistake going with Misterjung.  There are several automotive/HID discussion forums out there, with hundreds of postings of nothing but bad things to say about Misterjung.

As far as what kit to buy, I read that Philips does not make the HIT kits.  However, Philips acts as a third-party supplier of parts to the person or company that manufactures the kits.  So, you have to be very careful in choosing the place you purchase an HID kit.

Here is link on some useful info on HID kits:

http://faq.auto.light.tripod.com/hl-hid-kits.htm

I am still interested in HID for my VFR, but I am not really comfortable about purchasing a kit yet.  There are too many unknowns.

I finally get vacation next month. I was going to just bum around the US and put some serious mileage on the ViFfeR, but I dont think my wallet would survive the trip. So instead, I'm just going to mod the hell out of the bike. Hopefully, I'll have a full write up on a retrofit for a 2002-2004 VFR to full HID, complete with pictures. :wheel:

Hopefully, I'll have a full write up on a retrofit for a 2002-2004 VFR to full HID, complete with pictures.

Looking forward to reading this one.

I don't know about the HID set up. I have HID on my Acura TL and in all honesty, I wouldn't recommend it for motorcycles. HID is very flat, thus does not get soaked up by bumps in the road, and are terrible in foul weather. So, I upgraded my VFR800 bulbs to Sylvania Silverstars--about $40 for the set of two. Cheaper, whiter light, that is a huge improvement for night time driving. That's my two cents worth.

Any 6 th gens with the HID install out there???? Anyone??? :beer:

The H4 kits you see out there are not a true dual element HID set. It has a HID bulb and ballast for low beam, while a second halogen is put in the same general location as the high beam filament would be in a normal H4 bulb. There is NO way the halogen portion will be anywhere near as bright as the low.

For those who got to see my bike on the last Saturday gathering VFR in San Diego, I was able to show what is possible. I have now had the quad photo cannons on the VFR for over three years and I have not been questioned once about my lights. I even had a CHP motorofficer wanting to know how he could get his lights to be as bright. One of the local sheriffs followed us while soapboxing from the top of Palomar Mountain to Valley Center and complimented on the five bikes that were running the HID's. it also helped that he rides a 2000 VFR.

If interested, I can take some pictures to show my installation and post them here.

If interested, I can take some pictures to show my installation and post them here.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

PLEASE DO SO!! Thanks.

Prior to a trip to Prince Rupert, BC over the 4th, I installed a drop-in kit from XenonPros. They swapped a 5000k bulb for a 3000k bulb (one of each-actually the same bulb with a coating) in their Hi & Lo beam H4 kit. My last trip up north, I was dodging moose, black bear, deer, and one rabbit. The bulbs are actually one intensity with a motor driven shield covering some of the output for the low beam. I am extreamly satisified with the performance of this conversion. Hitting anything with it's own mind at anything over 40 vs bulb/whole system replacement down the line wasn't even a consideration. The installation took about an hour due to wire routing and component attachment inside the fairing of my '79 VFR.
One question: Are those speed limit signs in km or mi? :rolleyes:

I too have the silver stars on my 02. Very good product. Just make sure you buy the MOTORCYCLE lamp and not the one for the cars. The cycle lamp has a much heavier filiment due to lamps running all the time. If you get the car lamps you will be replacing them too often as they only last about three months. But, these will give you about 40% more light/vision than the standard lamps... much whiter light!
Kevin

The H4 kits you see out there are not a true dual element HID set. It has a HID bulb and ballast for low beam, while a second halogen is put in the same general location as the high beam filament would be in a normal H4 bulb. There is NO way the halogen portion will be anywhere near as bright as the low.

For those who got to see my bike on the last Saturday gathering VFR in San Diego, I was able to show what is possible. I have now had the quad photo cannons on the VFR for over three years and I have not been questioned once about my lights. I even had a CHP motorofficer wanting to know how he could get his lights to be as bright. One of the local sheriffs followed us while soapboxing from the top of Palomar Mountain to Valley Center and complimented on the five bikes that were running the HID's. it also helped that he rides a 2000 VFR.

If interested, I can take some pictures to show my installation and post them here.

Please post some pictures!!

i was going to install HID in my 2000 VFR but I would have lost my highbeams and didn't want the hassle at inspection time. ?I could have done the one-eyed CBR set up but I think that looks silly.

i was also thinking about installing them on my 2000 vfr but without installing the projectors they are just way to brite, i had them installed on my SUZUKI and I was blinding everybody in front of me and also oncoming traffic.i was always worried about pissing off some nut in a cage who might do something real dumb.