1100GS HID Bixenon install

[slartidbartfast]

The HID color temperature I chose was 4300K. A bright white color, similar to daylight. 5000K and up would look blue or violet. Halogen lights have a color temperature of about 3000K and are noticeably yellower.

Here are photos taken from about the 90-foot mark, approximately four feet from ground level. Again, I kept the camera settings the same (at F3.5 and 1/60) for both shots.

Low beam:


High beam:

[slartidbartfast]

Since posting all the preceding, I have installed the second HID of the kit into my 1985 R80RT. The results were similarly pleasing and (despite my original intentions) completely unphotographed.

I made the RT installation in a similar manner to the GS, tapping directly into the power feed for the headlights, immediately after the lighting relay, and obtaining power for switching from low to high beam directly from the H-4 socket. Once again, I used a couple of short lengths of wire and avoided using most of the remaining portions of the supplied wiring harness.

I propose that this is the best installat6ion method, avoiding, as it does, the addition of several new potential failure points and a seemingly unnecessary and difficult to replace relay.

Comments?

[slackmeyer]

So it sounds like the high beam solenoid is always sucking up power when on high beam? I imagine that's fine, but I was just looking at BMW car projector headlights, which use a system that has a large solenoid to move the shield, and a smaller, lower draw one to hold it in place.

So it sounds like the light pattern in the 11GS reflector works ok with the bixenon? I might go ahead and get one, since it looks like I could use another H4 on my DRZ. . .

Thanks,

[slartidbartfast]

The solenoid moves pretty smartly but is moving a very small mass against a fairly weak spring. The current it is drawing either means the electromagnet is total overkill - more powerful than it needs to be, or it is very inefficient - perhaps with only a few windings. The truth is probably a bit of both. As I noted, I intend to try installing a resistor in-series with the solenoid to reduce the current it draws. This is not a big deal on the GS but on my airhead RT, I need to save every watt I possibly can.

Ideally, I'd have a clever circuit to cut the current to minimum once the solenoid has moved - but that would be adding potential failure points again.

[slackmeyer]

Yeah, no reason to scrimp on wattage where the oilhead is concerned.

Take a look at this ebay listing, though: Solenoid-Controllers

[slartidbartfast]

Interesting! The part about solenoid current causing heat and thus reducing the life of the solenoid is the bit I'm potentially concerned about. I don't think the little relay box that came with my HIDs (and which I'm not using) has a circuit to reduce solenoid current. Perhaps I'll cut it open to see.

The particular controllers in that eBay auction are for Bosch Bixenon HIDs which have two solenoids - a high-power one to move the shield and a low-power one to hold it in place.

[slartidbartfast]

Anyone interested in this conversion should note the following:

I installed a kit with the slim (digital?) ballasts. These have a space-saving advantage and in my case, also ignite the lamp instantly (which means I still have a functioning high-beam flash function, albeit a bit dimmer and different color than when the headlamp has warmed up.

A bit of research appears to indicate that the big ballasts not only take longer to warm up and actually turn the light on but they draw a lot more current during initial start up. This means it my not be a good idea to wire them straight into the factory harness as I have done with both my oilhead GS and airhead RT.

[Poolside]

Originally Posted by slartidbartfast

Where did you get these? I'm looking for an HID with a slider hi/lo function. Thanks for the report, it looks like the hi/lo beam pattern works pretty well.

I didn't see any external coil for these lights. Maybe a 1"x1"x2" plastic enclosure that is part of the wiring harness. Does this kit use an external coil?

- Jim

[slartidbartfast]

Originally Posted by Poolside

Where did you get these? I'm looking for an HID with a slider hi/lo function. Thanks for the report, it looks like the hi/lo beam pattern works pretty well.

I didn't see any external coil for these lights. Maybe a 1"x1"x2" plastic enclosure that is part of the wiring harness. Does this kit use an external coil?

- Jim

These HID lamps were an eBay purchase. The seller was kassabian9898

It's probably hidden under the tangle of wiring in this photo but there is an igniter (I assume that's what it is - it's a small black box in appearance) in-line with the cable from the ballast to the capsule. I'm not sure of the exact reason (probably has to do with the inductance or capacitance of the cable) but I have heard that the length of the cable is important to the proper operation of the lamp and should not be adjusted.

Regards,
Philip

[Poolside]

Originally Posted by slartidbartfast

These HID lamps were an eBay purchase. The seller was kassabian9898

It's probably hidden under the tangle of wiring in this photo but there is an igniter (I assume that's what it is - it's a small black box in appearance) in-line with the cable from the ballast to the capsule. I'm not sure of the exact reason (probably has to do with the inductance or capacitance of the cable) but I have heard that the length of the cable is important to the proper operation of the lamp and should not be adjusted.

Thanks, Philip. The 'igniter' is a coil of wire, a large inductor. The HID controller, together with the coil, form a boost-type switching power supply.

The controller sends a low voltage switched voltage to the coil, and 'flyback' from the coil creates a high voltage to strike the plasma arc in the lamp. Once the arc is formed within the lamp 'envelope', the voltage drops to a very low DC level. That voltage level is set by the physics of the elements in the plasma arc. With some gas/metal mixtures the 'arc voltage' is as low as 6 volts.

After the plasma arc is formed, the controller becomes a DC current supply. The current through the plasma can be varied to adjust the brightness of the lamp. I haven't seen any automotive controllers that do this.

The wire lengths are not too important, especially on the low voltage side of the coil. Some lamps have the inductor coil built into their base. Those type of lamps use typical light gauge PVC-insulated automotive wire running between the controller and the lamp.

If you decide to make a change to the high voltage side of the coil, between the inductor coil and the lamp, a teflon or silicon insulated wire would not be a bad idea. It isn't too critical, it's only high voltage for the short time before the arc is struck. Some 10s of milliseconds.

- Jim

[tetsuo69]

Awesome write up, you have a great writing style. Thanks for posting the beam pics, its convinced me to do my ride.

From the EBay link it looks like they are selling H4-3 (sliding shield or tipper) bulbs versus H4-4 (bulb sliders). I guess they might have changed their product, but you have bulb sliders correct?

[Poolside]

Originally Posted by slackmeyer

So it sounds like the light pattern in the 11GS reflector works ok with the bixenon? I might go ahead and get one, since it looks like I could use another H4 on my DRZ. . .

Hey there Zak. As an interim step, maybe replace the 1100 headlight with a free form reflector type. I say maybe because I don't know if the standard 6x7 rectangular headlight fits the 1100. The 6x7 is commonly referred to as a replacement for H6054, H6052, 6053, and 6052.

It doesn't cost too much to see if they fit, or if they are an improvement.
http://search.stores.ebay.com/Autopa...774186QQsofpZ0
http://www.streetbeatcustoms.com/rectangle.html

[slartidbartfast]

Originally Posted by tetsuo69

Awesome write up, you have a great writing style. Thanks for posting the beam pics, its convinced me to do my ride.

From the EBay link it looks like they are selling H4-3 (sliding shield or tipper) bulbs versus H4-4 (bulb sliders). I guess they might have changed their product, but you have bulb sliders correct?

Yes, mine are bulb sliders. From the latest sale pages, it does look as if the seller I purchased from is now selling a different type of Bixenon lamp. Oh well!!! Keep looking!

[slartidbartfast]

I have now made the same upgrade to a third bike - Yamaha GTS 1000. In each case, I have been able to throw away 95% of the harness that came with the HID lights and still do a plug-and-play install. Here's the post about the GTS

Next related tasks will be to replace the 35W HID in the GS with the other 55W I bought for the GTS. Then I can take the 35W and put it in my DR350.

I have also since added a euro-switch to the GS to control both the HID and aux lights.

[def]

Originally Posted by Poolside

Thanks, Philip. The 'igniter' is a coil of wire, a large inductor. The HID controller, together with the coil, form a boost-type switching power supply.

The controller sends a low voltage switched voltage to the coil, and 'flyback' from the coil creates a high voltage to strike the plasma arc in the lamp. Once the arc is formed within the lamp 'envelope', the voltage drops to a very low DC level. That voltage level is set by the physics of the elements in the plasma arc. With some gas/metal mixtures the 'arc voltage' is as low as 6 volts.

After the plasma arc is formed, the controller becomes a DC current supply. The current through the plasma can be varied to adjust the brightness of the lamp. I haven't seen any automotive controllers that do this.

The wire lengths are not too important, especially on the low voltage side of the coil. Some lamps have the inductor coil built into their base. Those type of lamps use typical light gauge PVC-insulated automotive wire running between the controller and the lamp.

If you decide to make a change to the high voltage side of the coil, between the inductor coil and the lamp, a teflon or silicon insulated wire would not be a bad idea. It isn't too critical, it's only high voltage for the short time before the arc is struck. Some 10s of milliseconds.

- Jim

Are you sure about this?