HID's in my R1...

[slowmike]

I just got done putting in 2x 4100K HID lowbeams in the R1.. WOw; quite the difference...

I'm also running 2x 75W "for off road use" lights in my highbeams... In a word; that rocks...

They make lights like this for the SV also; bi-xenon hi-low lights that use an electromagnet to move the arc to acchieve both high and low..

[coupt_ed]

where'd ya get em?

[Tillers_Rule]

ya!

[slowmike]

ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7936339674&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT

and yes; they are sooo choice...

[mojo mofo]

and they are only $289 :rolleyes:

[slowmike]

and $20 shipping... So yeah; that sucked...... However I ride @ night quite a bit and I lanesplit quite a bit so that light is there for my saftey...

And I'd totally pay $300 to lessen the risk of being splatted by a cager who would have otherwise not seen me.. I might goto the HB bike night on wed if anyone has a burning desire to see them.

[Tillers_Rule]

So do you have a high/low beam in each one or would I need seperate(since I dont have 4 seperate bulbs up front like the R1)

[slowmike]

The R1 has a total of 4 bulbs; 2 lowbeeams on the inside and 2 highbeams on the outside. When highs are on all 4 lights are lit. Currently I've got HID's in the lows and 75W lights in the highs.

If memory serves the TLR and GSXR both use H7 lights but only have 2 of them (one high and one low) so you could either get a kit and split it with someone so you'd both have HID's in your lows or you can get an entire kit and do HID highs and lows. Keep in mind that the lights take a second or so to warm up and that was unacceptable to me in the highbeams so I went with halogens there (that and another $300 in the lights isn't something I can do).

Just remember that there are 2 types of bulbs; D2R and D2S. Bikes that have projector lights use the D2S and bikes with standard lights use the D2R. Also stay away from the chinese made kits (chinese made guys good; chinese made electronics = scary). I'd get either a phillips, denso, or raybrig based kit. Oh and make sure that the bulbs are propperly rebased for H7. Oh and run the lights off a dedicated relay with big-ass 12G wire as they draw close 15A each on startup; which will melt your wiring harness in time.

[Paco]

Keep us updated on the longevity of the bulbs. I heard that non-hid housing vibrate too much for the bulbs and they burn out way too fast. On top of that those things are supposed to go in special housings that can direct the light properly... otherwise you're probably blinding everybody in front of you.

Does it have a distinct cut off of the light, like when you see a BMWs light pattern?

To rice, or not to rice.... that is the question :p

[slowmike]

I bought bulbs that were rebased so that the arc is in the same place as the filament in the stock lights. There's a very sharp beam cutoff a little below eye level if there's a car in front of you. It deffinately doesn't blind unless you are in the path of the beam (rocking the bike side to side makes the light look like it's flashing). The beam pattern before was like an inverted T with the left side of the T being a hair lower than the right; beam pattern after is still the same inverted T but now the sides are much brighter and the end of the T is almost 3x as far.

So to answer your post; no it doesn't blind, not sure what longevity will be but suspect that it's better than a halogen under simmilar conditions b/c there is no filament to break from vibration and I've got everything mounted on rubber dampners. The only concern that I have is that I can't seal off the back of the light b/c the bulb and ballast protrude farther than the OEM so I'll have to make some kinda dust cover for it; possibly seal the little bit of light comming out with some high temp silicone.