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Right oh, so those of you following along know that about 4 members of NN ordered HID conversion kits from DDM last week. Being that I'm completely insecure and suffer from a very tiny peeper, I thought I would quickly get mine wired up and post a thread so that all of you can compliment me on my impeccable work and therefor, I'd feel a little better about the size of my peeper, or at least be distracted from it in the heat of fame.
No really, it's late, I've been amped on nicotene, caffeine, and really hard rock for the last 5 hours, so I'm bound to say something stupid right now. Anyways, if you're thinking about going to HID's, it's a cinch to install the kit. Lots more light for lots lets electricity (opening up the stator's juice for other farkles, like heated grips, etc).
I installed a 55w, 8000K HID in place of my low-beam, and oh boy, I wish I'd gotten a 35w, 3500-6000K kit. It's brighter than hell, and all of a sudden, those "blinding" H7 Halogen high-beams seem like a match in comparison, both in color and intensity. I doubt I'll EVER need to flip my high-beam switch again! Um, I used my dad's fancy camera to take pics of light-comparisons, and will get the pics from him tomorrow, so I'll post those up tomorrow evening, or maybe later. I might get busy farkling with a bike again tomorrow night.
Anyways, enough talk, get to the pics already, eh?
When you open the kit, there are 2 bulbs, and 2 "ballasts", hooked together, with some instructions. Under some quick investigation, it seems DDM has wired the power leads to the inside of the headlight assembly. I don't know about you, but there isn't a 12V source in my headlights, so I clipped these little guys right off:
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The bottom bulb is the one I'll be using, now, free of power leads:
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The very special, very delicate bulb, encased in a prehistoric quartz for ultra-safety.
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Very carefully unscrew the top:
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Then smash the bottom part into parts so you can get it off (I have no idea how DDM intended for some mere mortal to get this thing off the bulb without breaking it... It can't be freed backwards or forwards)
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Ah, a free bulb, with adapter plate fit onto the back:
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Modification with bench-grinder to adapter plate to make it fit in ninja headlight housing:
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Fit into housing with special, soooooper gooey rubber sealer on the back. I guess HID's are more afraid of water than cats!
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And stock weather seal fitted:
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OOOOOO, look, HID bulb leads, they look all high-tech and stuff!
![]()
The place I'd like to mount the HID percolator, uh, I mean ignitor/ballast! Right behind the instruments. Out of the way and safe! I could have just glued it up there, but being me, I had to make it a little more challenging!
![]()
I find this little tabby on one side, and start thinking:
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I grab a piece of aluminum, and grind, file and bend a little.
![]()
More:
![]()
So what? It's got a little tabby with a screw hole, how beautiful! ... ... um, what she said?
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More bending, look how it's fitting, eh?
![]()
Awe, and look at that darling little screw, just fits right in ther ya know!
![]()
Backside:
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So there's the jobber, and there's the rubber that's gonna keep the jobber from scratching peculator, er... Rubber came from an old road-bicycle tube I had lying around.
![]()
This stuff is not only wonderful for gluing things together, but is fugging GREAT to get high off of... Too bad I'm not a stoner. Anyways, apply on both surfaces, go have a smoke. If both aren't almost completely dry, beyond being "tacky", go have another smoke. Once it seems that both are dry beyond being usable glue anymore, stick 'em together, and make sure you got good aim, cause they aint coming apart afterwards....
![]()
Ah, how purdy, sitting up thar all by itself.
![]()
Another vantage point of the mount:
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And everything all bundled and purdy for testing. I added an extra zip-tie to the ballast just for safe measure. Once I'm happy with the setup, I'll permanently solder the power leads to the low-beam power leads. For now, they got little blade type jobbers just plugged into the contacts:
![]()
Um, as stated above, comparo light shots coming tomorrow/later in the week. Enjoy, ask questions, and pardon the crazyness, I'm awful tired!
Edit 4/12/2010: Here are the comparo shots I promised: These were all taken at the same exposure, aperture and ISO to make sure the difference in light was shown.
Stock, Halogen H7, 55w, 3500K low beam:
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Stock, Halogen H7, 55w x 2 (110w), 3500K low beam AND high beam:
![]()
HID, H7, 55w, 8000K:
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HID, H7, 55w, 8000K, AND stock, Halogen H7, 55w, 3500K high beam:
![]()
Color comparison between 8000K HID and 3500K Halogen, both H7:
![]()
No really, it's late, I've been amped on nicotene, caffeine, and really hard rock for the last 5 hours, so I'm bound to say something stupid right now. Anyways, if you're thinking about going to HID's, it's a cinch to install the kit. Lots more light for lots lets electricity (opening up the stator's juice for other farkles, like heated grips, etc).
I installed a 55w, 8000K HID in place of my low-beam, and oh boy, I wish I'd gotten a 35w, 3500-6000K kit. It's brighter than hell, and all of a sudden, those "blinding" H7 Halogen high-beams seem like a match in comparison, both in color and intensity. I doubt I'll EVER need to flip my high-beam switch again! Um, I used my dad's fancy camera to take pics of light-comparisons, and will get the pics from him tomorrow, so I'll post those up tomorrow evening, or maybe later. I might get busy farkling with a bike again tomorrow night.
Anyways, enough talk, get to the pics already, eh?
When you open the kit, there are 2 bulbs, and 2 "ballasts", hooked together, with some instructions. Under some quick investigation, it seems DDM has wired the power leads to the inside of the headlight assembly. I don't know about you, but there isn't a 12V source in my headlights, so I clipped these little guys right off:
The bottom bulb is the one I'll be using, now, free of power leads:
The very special, very delicate bulb, encased in a prehistoric quartz for ultra-safety.
Very carefully unscrew the top:
Then smash the bottom part into parts so you can get it off (I have no idea how DDM intended for some mere mortal to get this thing off the bulb without breaking it... It can't be freed backwards or forwards)
Ah, a free bulb, with adapter plate fit onto the back:
Modification with bench-grinder to adapter plate to make it fit in ninja headlight housing:
Fit into housing with special, soooooper gooey rubber sealer on the back. I guess HID's are more afraid of water than cats!
And stock weather seal fitted:
OOOOOO, look, HID bulb leads, they look all high-tech and stuff!
The place I'd like to mount the HID percolator, uh, I mean ignitor/ballast! Right behind the instruments. Out of the way and safe! I could have just glued it up there, but being me, I had to make it a little more challenging!
I find this little tabby on one side, and start thinking:
I grab a piece of aluminum, and grind, file and bend a little.
More:
So what? It's got a little tabby with a screw hole, how beautiful! ... ... um, what she said?
More bending, look how it's fitting, eh?
Awe, and look at that darling little screw, just fits right in ther ya know!
Backside:
So there's the jobber, and there's the rubber that's gonna keep the jobber from scratching peculator, er... Rubber came from an old road-bicycle tube I had lying around.
This stuff is not only wonderful for gluing things together, but is fugging GREAT to get high off of... Too bad I'm not a stoner. Anyways, apply on both surfaces, go have a smoke. If both aren't almost completely dry, beyond being "tacky", go have another smoke. Once it seems that both are dry beyond being usable glue anymore, stick 'em together, and make sure you got good aim, cause they aint coming apart afterwards....
Ah, how purdy, sitting up thar all by itself.
Another vantage point of the mount:
And everything all bundled and purdy for testing. I added an extra zip-tie to the ballast just for safe measure. Once I'm happy with the setup, I'll permanently solder the power leads to the low-beam power leads. For now, they got little blade type jobbers just plugged into the contacts:
Um, as stated above, comparo light shots coming tomorrow/later in the week. Enjoy, ask questions, and pardon the crazyness, I'm awful tired!
Edit 4/12/2010: Here are the comparo shots I promised: These were all taken at the same exposure, aperture and ISO to make sure the difference in light was shown.
Stock, Halogen H7, 55w, 3500K low beam:
Stock, Halogen H7, 55w x 2 (110w), 3500K low beam AND high beam:
HID, H7, 55w, 8000K:
HID, H7, 55w, 8000K, AND stock, Halogen H7, 55w, 3500K high beam:
Color comparison between 8000K HID and 3500K Halogen, both H7:
