HID Headlights Any good? How do you install them?

[leopard_pagan]

"maybe LP can tell me if she can start her bike with the light on? "
> yes i can now. could not before i fitted this kit.
a time delay would be good. personally id fit a on/off switch. but your bike is an import of sorts? (other than grey that is?)

[Davez29]

a time delay would be good. personally id fit a on/off switch. but your bike is an import of sorts? (other than grey that is?)

Hi, well I agree a switch (I think would look messy) or a new left hand switch would be ideal, but Im unsure if an earlier NC29 switch would fit my bike as the wiring appears a bit different on the R model if you look in the Haynes, Im no auto electrician though, Plus there is the cost of a new switch.

The reason (for those wondering) I need this TDR is that when I turn my bike on the lights come on and I cant turn them off, then when I press the starter the lights go off momentarly while the starter is engaged, once started the lights come back on. No problem for Halogen but HIDS work different.

Now then HID lights and ballasts although would work this way, they would actually burn out much quicker because of something called hot striking, in other words they dont like to be re-lit quickly in an on and off fashion, such as what happens to my bike while starting.

Adding a time delay relay means that I can actually start my bike without lights and they only come on at a preset time in seconds. As an added bonus the TDR also can be set so that it does not turn the lights off for a preset time, so if you have problems with turning between Hi & Lo the lights wont turn off. The tests I have made with my system indicate I get no problems in this area as the lights seem to switch quickly with a satisfiying clunk.

I am just waiting for this TDR to arrive before I can fit this HID system.

[leopard_pagan]

"they dont like to be re-lit quickly in an on and off fashion,"
> no bulbs like that.
sounds like a good plan so far.
i think you could get a nice 2nd hand switch gear and wire it in. or give the lot to a auto leky and get them to fit it .

[Waza4]

Durka Durka
You could always ballast up a relay so it only picks up with the extra charge voltage.

[JZH]

Not to rain on anyone's parade, here, but these photos actually help illustrate why other drivers HATE these HID conversion kits, and one reason why they are illegal in most western countries...

As you can see, the OEM low beam is fairly weak, but all of the light is below the "cut-off", which keeps it out of the eyes of other drivers. In the "after" photo, you can see how much brighter the HID is, but also how much of that light is now above the "cut-off" line. So, not only is it 5x brighter than before, it's now reflecting right in their eyes. Lovely!

But what you can't see from these photos is how much light is most likely now flooding the foreground in front of the bike. You may think that is great, but there is a reason why automotive lighting engineers design headlamps so that the foreground is generally not illuminated very much, and that is because the more you can see, the more your eyes are drawn to things that appear in that area. But, as you know, when riding your bike you are supposed to be looking up, as far ahead as you can see, not down onto the road surface or to the immediate sides of the road. Perhaps you can train yourself not to look in those areas, but maybe you can't (i.e., maybe they know what they're doing after all!)...

The main problem with "upgrading" headlamps is that they are designed for a particluar level of light output and a particular type of light source, and by changing the light source, you are basically just bodging-up a functional (if not ideal) lighting system in ways that could have significant drawbacks not only for the rider, but for other road users as well. HID capsules produce light in a completely different way than H4 halogen bulbs. The brightest part of an H4 is the middle; the brightest parts of an HID arc are at the ends; moreover, the shape of the light source is much different. Reflector headlamps just reflect what they're given, so if you give them a big blob of light where there was once a thin filament, the reflector will simply reflect the extra light in other, unintended directions. That is called "glare".

To a certain extent, adding additional light in the form of a high-powered H4 could also cause problems, because not only are you doubling the light where you want it (distance), but you necessarily also double the light where you don't (foreground), but given that the rest of the design specification is the same, at least you don't have the additional reflection of glare all over the place. Also, given that Honda did produce NC30 headlamps designed for "regular" H4s (UK-spec), it is possible that the J-spec headlamp units are already designed for the higher-output H4s (even if the bulb holders are different).

As far as NCs go, you're probably okay with doing a regular H4 upgrade (for the above reasons), but to really realise an improvement you need to change the whole lighting system, not just one part of it. That's where Xenon retrofits come in. A retrofit involves taking the headlamp unit from another vehicle and retroftting it to another vehicle (i.e., your bike). You don't need the housing if the headlamp system uses a projector, which is convenient, because you're unlikely to be able to accomodate any complete car headlamp systems on any bike, much less a tiny NC29/30. Fortunately, some OEM projectors are quite small (I've retrofitted Infiniti G35 projectors into VFR800Fi and ST1300 headlamp housings), but they may not be small enough to squeeze into the limited space behind the fairing on an NC. There are smaller OEM projectors, but I have not had a chance to play with any.

Yes, I have HID conversion kits installed on two of my bikes, so I am familiar with the attraction, and I was initially quite happy with the results. But I've subsequently learned a lot more about the subject, to the extent that I will be removing my kits at the earliest opportunity. Anyone want some cheap, somewhat used, imported HID junk?

Ciao,

JZH
London, UK
http://www.vsource.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[leopard_pagan]

so where can we find these retrofit units?

[JZH]

You have to DIY, unfortunately. There is no plug-n-play option. I purchased several sets of different xenon projectors off US-eBay (very rare to find in the UK--and there is that pesky LHD issue as well) before I found a set that I could adapt for use in my big bikes. Surprisingly, Honda used the exact same reflectors in the US-spec VFR800Fi and ST1300, so I was able to make an adaper plate that works in both housings (you have to "bake apart" the headlamp units in an oven, by the way). But there's probably no such luck to be had with the NCs (though the '29 and '30 headlamps do appear very similar).

Once you find some used projectors, you also need to get an OEM ballast, bulb holder (because they use regular D2S HID capsules/bulbs) and wiring, though that need not be from the same manufacturer as the projectors. Actually, you could use the non-OEM ballasts you already have, saving a few bucks, but you'd probably have to replace the connectors. Then it's a matter of mounting the projectors in the bike's headlight housing/fairing in such a way that it is roadworthy and retains all of the adjustability of the OEM headlamps--and that it looks like it could have been OEM. That's the real trick! (I should note that even a retrofit may not be considered legal in the UK--but it should be!)

With OEM xenon appearing on more and more vehicles in the UK, you'd think people would realise that they could sell crash-damaged headlight housings to retrofitters rather than just bin them, which must be what they're doing now, since they don't seem to be flooding eBay.co.uk--and such vehicles are certainly being crashed! (Personally, I'm still in need of a pair of UK- or J-spec '06 Nissan V35 coupe projectors...)

Ciao,

JZH
London, UK
http://www.vsource.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Wozza]

Is vsource your website?

[JZH]

Is vsource your website?

Yep.

Ciao,

JZH
London, UK
http://www.vsource.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Davez29]

Hey JZH good to finally meet (sort of) the guy behind the best site with info for these great bikes. Wish you would update with any info you have on the NC29, that was sort of promised on your pages if I remember correctly. Also dont know if its just me but some of the pages regarding the NC29 (specs) have lost their colour and I have to highlight them to read the page, any chance of an update then?

Regarding the negatives on HIDS, I read most of what you wrote last year somewhere and this did put me off fitting them but after going down a very dark country dual carriageway with no markings and blended in roadside edging with my NC29 pathetic lighting system I really had to add something that gave me extra lights so added them mainly after reading this thread. I know they may not be perfect but try fitting them then going back as you know after such a bright light the standards look like two candles. So if you find out how to do those projector lights for the NC29 please post.


dave