HID in Stock Bucket

[Leef]

I've looked over many of the HID threads but I'm not clear on whether one can install a HID lamp in the stock bucket (or one about like it) and still have hi and lo beams.  Certainly this can be done.

Additionally, is it possible to fit HID lo and hi beams?  If not, it seems like the hi beam would be the most important to have in HID.

My ride is a 2008 S2R.

[mmakay]

The easiest HID to install in a stock bucket are the kits that use HID low beam, and halogen high beam.  They fit without modification.  The high beam is worthless (though legal, if you live someplace that inspects such things) but you won't miss it because the HID low beam is so good.  This is the route I took.

There also exist "bi-zenon" kits that have a moving shield which employs a single HID bulb for both high and low beam duty.  Unfortunately, the motor assembly required to achieve this is fairly large.  Thus, you to need to modify the bucket to make it fit.  It can be done, though.  These give good high beam, but if the HID bulb goes out, you are completely light-less.

[TAftonomos]

An HID light stuffed into a housing that was designed for a halogen, is just terrible.

Look at the beam pattern on a projector HID light that is designed for that type light.  The cut-off is razor sharp, crisp, etc..

Now go look at a HID stuffed into a housing it's not designed for...like the monster.  It's not even close, hot spots, glare, etc.  Some bikes that have projectors can get away with a HID retro (like the 749/999 low beam) with a good beam pattern.  THe monster cannot.

Put yourself on the opposite end, in a car or moto headed toward that light.  Do you like being blinded by some truck/suv with their brights on?  The HID glare is 10 times as bad.

my 10 cents.

[He Man]

An HID light stuffed into a housing that was designed for a halogen, is just terrible.

Look at the beam pattern on a projector HID light that is designed for that type light.  The cut-off is razor sharp, crisp, etc..

Now go look at a HID stuffed into a housing it's not designed for...like the monster.  It's not even close, hot spots, glare, etc.  Some bikes that have projectors can get away with a HID retro (like the 749/999 low beam) with a good beam pattern.  THe monster cannot.

Put yourself on the opposite end, in a car or moto headed toward that light.  Do you like being blinded by some truck/suv with their brights on?  The HID glare is 10 times as bad.

my 10 cents.

That is pretty true to an extent. but the amount of light it generates is so massive that you can get away with it.  Well before i say that, do note that i run dual HID beams in a much smaller housing, so my focus is decent. not close to a projector, but its decent. not sure how a monster headlamp would work out too.

[mmakay]

An HID light stuffed into a housing that was designed for a halogen, is just terrible.

Cut-off on the stock bucket with HID is actually very good.  My HID equipped Monster doesn't have the ruler straight line my BMW's HID lights make (car), but it will not blind oncoming drivers.  At all.

God, it's great when people with absolutely no first hand experience tell you how things will or won't work.   

[Beyote]

I would love to do this.   Can you place something in the Tech Section.

[He Man]

I would love to do this.   Can you place something in the Tech Section.

see the how-to on the hid faq

the way it scatters is a matter of opinion. I agree with Taft though, the glare is pretty bad, but again, i have a different housing and if you see on the pic, my glare is almost 150 degrees. vice halogen is less than 90

[TAftonomos]

Cut-off on the stock bucket with HID is actually very good.  My HID equipped Monster doesn't have the ruler straight line my BMW's HID lights make (car), but it will not blind oncoming drivers.  At all.

God, it's great when people with absolutely no first hand experience tell you how things will or won't work.   

Go pull up against a wall with your beam on, and post up a picture.

I'm not speaking out of my ass when I speak.  I've been in and around the aftermarket "business" for the past 10 years, and I've got a little experiance when it comes to this.    The stock beam pattern/cut off is terrible, and the pictures will show you.

Stock beam pattern:   



Note, it's not THAT bad, has a decent cutoff pattern, but this is halogen.

Now, lets toss a HID bulb in there, what do we get:



Wow, look at the large hot spot, and how the cutoff is no longer cut off?  What's that....it's GLARE.  It annoys and blinds oncoming drivers.  The more passive of people will just look away, or might flash their brights at you.  The more aggressive drivers will simply turn on the high beams and blind you back. 

WHY does the pattern go to crap like this?  Well, for starters the housing isn't designed for the HID bulb.  The bulb is a bit longer, which changes the focus point, and creates a hot spot/glare on the beam pattern.

Here is what a proper HID pattern/cut off is supposed to look like:




Do whatcha want, there is a reason they banned HID retro kits nationwide.....

A proper projector housing designed for HID is the answer.

And now I've wasted 15 minutes of my morning, and I've got to go to work.  I'd be more than happy to share my "idea" later, but I've got to eat/run.

[greenohawk69]

Do whatcha want, there is a reason they banned HID retro kits nationwide.....

A proper projector housing designed for HID is the answer.

And now I've wasted 15 minutes of my morning, and I've got to go to work.  I'd be more than happy to share my "idea" later, but I've got to eat/run.

Please do. 

[TAftonomos]

I've done several retro fits of projector assemblies into a OEM housings.

The biggest problem with the monster headlight is the lens is diffused, which is going to scatter the beam pattern BADLY.  Even if I can squeeze a TSX projector in there, it's going to still have a crappy beam.

I'm looking/asking about how hard it would be to have a new lens made up.

Better yet, a pre-existing headlight with a clear lens.  There is already a round HID headlight solution out on the market, the JW Speaker light.  It's $400 though, and you still need a custom bucket mount, a different bucket, etc...

Nothing really easy here, if you want to do it right.   Getting a clear lens for the housing would be a LARGE step....anyone can retro a projector into the bucket...my dog without an opposible thumb can manage that.

[jesse370]

damn son, you getting into EVERYTHING....

but seriously, if the price is right it would be a really really really great mod for these bikes.

[TAftonomos]

I get bored easy, and I don't have tons of cash to spend, so I had to learn/self teach myself to do a bunch of stuff.

I must say I've been so impressed with my S4Rt from the get-go.  If I absolutily had to have one bike, it's be the monster.  The 999 would be parted/sold quick, same with some of the other stuff. 

Because I like it so much, I'm trying to systematically go through the bike, improving parts as I go.  I'm more of a minimalist, but  the headlight is a functional part of the bike.  Now that I'm in GA, I'm dodging dear almost everytime I go out.   It's hard to try and take in everything I'd like to "fix" at once, but the headlight is of high priority. 

If I only had all day to work on this stuff.   

Drink is gone, back to the garage to finish bolting on the new PC'd stuff

[sbrguy]

would it be possible to put one or two of the 999 lights inside the standard bucket and just put a piece of flat glass in the tub and work around it that way?

now when lit it won't look perfect but it will sorta look ok when the bike is sitting there.

[He Man]

the 999 lights still are not designed for HIDs and i dont know of anyone who has done HIDs in a 999 housing, so thats something youd have to try yourself. What i do know is, if you can afford to buy one with an HID kit, why dont you jsut get a whole new HID specifc bucket? lol

[TAftonomos]

My track 999 has a headlight setup I'm working on to let me bolt up a single 999 low beam projector.

Just so happens I've got a H7 HID kit so I popped it in the bulb.

Pretty darn SHARP really, I'll get some pics tonight if I get time.