HID Headlight

Has anybody tried putting an HID bulb and ballast on an XJ650? I would imagine that it would work, HID bulbs are only 55 watts typically.

 

There is no decent H4 HID design. If you want more light, go with an overwattage bulb on a battery-direct relay.

 

i've made a few LED lights that really light up the road, great for deer country and being seen in the daytime

 

HID bulbs in a normal H4 lamp shell will usually be badly-controlled, light-spilling, dazzling annoyances to other drivers. The rider might think they're great, though.
Otoh, there's no telling what a particular combo of HID bulb and H4 shell will be like until you try them - so have at it - you might find a good pairing. Same applies to LED conversion H4s.

 

the conversion kits aren't a real good idea.
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/conversions.html
the LED lights i made do use LED specific lenses and i'm sure they don't look nice to oncoming cars but if they let me see a deer on the side of the road, i don't give a hoot

 

have you thought about going with an H4 LED? I just installed one from cyclopsadventuresports and it is super bright. The link to what I bought is http://www.cyclopsadventuresports.com/3800-Lumen-H4-LED-Headlight-bulb-_p_83.html

 

I was thinking an HID in a projector would be good. Then it wouldnt throw light everywhere

 

Yeah; made for the job. Fortunately, there are enough older projectors in high-end cars that have hit the breakers now, for it to be cheap enough to go breaker-yard shopping.

 

I have bought a number of LED H4 bulbs, and have had great results...
ebay....
http://www.ebay.com/itm/231628869340?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649

18 bucks.... Not too much to risk... I liked em....

 

Yeah; I got a cheapy cheerful Chinese LED H4 bulb a few months ago and fitted it to a Kwack z1100 lamp unit of the early 80s, that's been fitted to the GS850 for 25+ years. It's a large rectangular light with big reflector and excellent optics and a halogen bulb in it is one of the best conventional bike lights I've had. The LED was up against some stiff competition in that. However, it acquitted itself well, with a decent beam pattern and well-controlled dip, even if the dip cut-off wasn't quite as neat as I would have liked. The only thing I didn't like was the lack of far-distance penetration on main beam, but that can be compensated for by one of the 27W LED distance-beam worklights set to come on with main beam.
It came off one of these...

 

How about posting some beamshots - light on flat (wall) surface for pattern analysis?

 

I've already said it's satisfactory. I'm not in the habit of driving around dazzling others, so I've been reasonably careful with this.

 

here's some beam shots of a auxiliary light i made
low beam http://i.imgur.com/X1cCJiN.jpg
high beam http://i.imgur.com/JWlUzLI.jpg
high beam with led http://i.imgur.com/q8xkJOI.jpg
the light http://i.imgur.com/3Mi9otN.jpg

 

I think i see big foot!

 

that's why i keep the led on in bigfoot country
http://i.imgur.com/yM1fy6g.jpg

 

That's my ex-wife!

 

i think i might have dated her back in high school

 

I'm sure she was a lot more fun then.

 

Daniel Stern is one of the smartest guys I've ever talked with, and he certainly knows and understands optics and vehicle lighting. Dismiss/ignore his advice at your own risk.

 

Yes I put in LED but it wouldn't pull enough current to shut off the warning light so I installed a resistor kit but it got too hot so I had to set it onto a heat sink inside my fairing working well great light high and low took off original lower fog light and replaced it with a full LED unit which gives me long distance bright light straight down the center of the road love the modifications if somebody's coming I turn them on low and shut down the fog light not to blind them the secondary late didn't need a resistor as it doesn't go through the control panel on the 82Seca.

 

Hi Tim,

Could you tell me what kind of led bulb and resistor (ohm value?) you used. I see stand-alone led bulbs and led bulb kits with adapters etc. on ebay. Which kind did you buy? Also, after installing resistor, do you think there was any less load on the charging system? I'm trying to save some amps

Thanks.

 

At this point just not sure of its value as far as saving amps I used a headwinds led with ribbon heat sink .and way to much resistor to gain true value but I did get value from installing a small but supper bright spot light as driving lamp commonly found at four wheel drive shops just look for one that fits .but I looking for a sacrificial PC board two play withand modify to work with led bulb and no resistor stay tuned I am getting a lot of help from another member.on it and I am not going to give up love seca want light to be updated if possible

 

they already have those constant current power supplies, about 15$

 

Who for what

 

i don't understand why you would put a resistor in with those headwinds led lights, they seem to have a driver built in.

 

Didn't work makes light bulb out on instrument cluster warning go on so by adding resistance I simulated the bulb but that negates the reason for using the light less energy and more light still have light but you same amount of energy maybe too much energy working on it