6th Gen HID Replacement Issues

Hi Guys and Gals,

I'm looking at getting a set of HID low beam H4 replacements for my `02 6th Gen (from Wire My Bike). Technically they're illegal in New Zealand where i'm from, but I'm not too concerned about that. What I was wondering was if anyone had done the conversion themselves and if they'd had issues with any of the following:

Headlight alignment (and getting failed on a Warrant of Fitness)
Plastic Melting
Electrical Issues

My main concern is really to do with headlight alignment, as I've seen a few reports saying that because the bulbs are different to Halogens the beam pattern is different and "unsafe" (glare for other road users, beam not focussed etc.). If that's so then I won't be able to get a WOF (Government Safety Certification) and thus, no insurance cover.

Which would be bad.

Thoughts?

 

Howdy Paul_C,

I have purchased stuff from wiremybike.com
I believe that "Tightwad" as he is known on VFRD, will truthfully answer any questions that you may have about his products, to the best of his ability.
Basically, if he says that you will be fine, I think that you will.
Ask him-

Mac

 

I did this over the winter with the kit you reference. Initially I did have some issues with intermittent firing of the units (one or the other would flash then go off, other times they would light fine). It seemed to be related to poor / insufficient ground. Rather than grounding to the frame I ran a dedicated ground wire from the harness back to the battery - I used a 12 ga wire for good measure. I routed it to the left side of the front fairing stay, inside the plastics then over to the frame and down the inside of the left frame spar and secured it to some other wiring with zip ties. That seemed to take care of it. I think the kit was changed to have a battery ground since. No issues what so ever with melting, heat etc. I left the alignment as normal. I'm going to ride with them a while and see if they seem to annoy oncoming drivers. If so, I may aim them down 1/2 to 1 turn on the adj. screw, but no need so far. If you have issues, they're great about helping your out. Just email Josh and he'll get right back to you.

Can't comment on the NZ authorities' view of these . . . bikes are not inspected where I live so it's not an issue for me. They are far brighter than the stock bulbs - so much that they can be difficult to look at up close when they warm up. You will probably draw more attention to yourself by using the 6000 color temp (more blue). I used the 5000 and they're just very white - no blue tint at all like the 6000's. The high beams seem very yellow now in comparison. I'm told the 4500 color temps are more like stock in color . . . maybe that gives you better odds of passing your vehicle inspection. The pattern is different - the bulbs have a shade on the bottom so the reflectors don't bounce light up in to other driver's eyes. How would the inspectors be able to determine what pattern your lights make - subjective? It's an easy mod to reverse, so you could just put the H4's back in, plug 'em in and switch 2 wires that go to the LB relay and you're back to stock for the inspection, then switch 'em back when you're done. Maybe a few hours' work.

I rode with a group last August where 1 other rider that had this kit. Looking in my mirrors, everyone else seemed to have flashlights on their bikes compared to the HID kit - they really pop - almost the way landing lights on aircraft grab your attention from a long way off. I highly recommend this mod. You'll also confuse your friends who will tell you that you have something wrong with your headlights when they come on one at a time. :biggrin:

If you're ordering, consider purchasing the VFRness at the same time - a very worthwhile upgrade to your R/R for any VFR. There are lots of threads about it. It's a very well made kit and very reasonably priced - and you could combine shipping charges.

Here's a youtube vid someone posted of the HID install process

YouTube - VFR Front Fairing Removal & HID Install

 

If I remember correctly from reading the writeups on VFRD about the HID kit buildup, Tightwad provides bulbs with a reflector/blocker for the lower side of the bulb so reflection is confined to being forward and downward only reducing chances of blinding oncoming traffic. I think, as others have said, Tightwad will be happy to answer any and all questions you have. Good luck and :welcome:

 

i put a set of H4's on my bike about a year ago. best upgrade ever! but, back then the ballasts made a little noise when firing up. i figured a year has passed and perhaps ballast technology has since improved so i bought a cheap set off ebay from some guy who claims to have the smallest ballast available. $37.99 + free shipping. worth a try.
now my old set had a ballast and an igniter. both pretty small but once you get the center cowl off you'll see space is tight in there.
this new set i bought is amazing. ballast is a mere 2"L x 7/8"H x 3/4"W (51mm x 22mm x 19mm) and no igniter. these ballasts fit nicely just above the front turn signal bulbs under those plastic pieces you remove to access the fuse boxes. and no noise whatsoever. my old set left bulb (globe) aimed a little high so oncoming traffic did high-beam me occasionally. hey, at least they're seeing me. this new set aims perfectly. i recommend the 5000K temp bulbs as they are the whitest available.
here's his ebay ID should anyone want to try out a set:
xentecxenonstore items - Get great deals on Parts Accessories items on eBay Motors!

he does have a "make an offer" option which i tried unsuccessfully at $33 but did win at $35. so there's no reason you shouldn't either. shipping to Oceania will probably be an issue but maybe someone on this board can help you out with a cheaper rate as ebay sellers tend to "inflate" their shipping charges.

here's a pic of my right H4 low beam.


oh yeah, i am neither affiliated with nor do I represent this ebay seller in any way. i'm just a satisfied customer :smile:

 

Hi guys,

Thanks for the great response! I've decided just to crack on and buy the kit. I've been in touch with Tightwad through the site and he's answered all of my questions and i'm pretty happy so i'm going to give it a go. At least, I will when I can get my stupid PayPal account to work...

If you have a look at this link (YouTube - Illegal HID Convesion Kits Explained) It describes the same issue in the UK, where the road rules are roughly the same. @Cogswell - if you skip to about 1:23 you'll see exactly how the WOF technicians measure the beam pattern.

It's probably a 15 minute job max to replace the bulbs with the original halogens so if the worst comes to the worst I can just swap them out every 6 months when the bike gets examined. I didn't know about the reflector/shield below the bulb, so that will probably cancel out most of the upward glare. I may just need to find a 'friendly' testing station.

Anyway, thanks for all of the help and tips!

Paul