How To: HID Projector
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How To: HID Projector - 3/8/2008 11:31:06 PM
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travisgarrison
Posts: 129
Joined: 8/1/2007
From: Portland, OR
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OK, I finally finished my project. The below to pictures show why you should never buy a HID "kit", but instead spend pretty much the same amount of money and do it the right way. If you can improve on my methods, by all means, post it.
On the left is the HID "Kit" with the reflector housing. You can see how scattered the beam pattern is. On the right is the the HID projector mod. The left one WILL get you a ticket, but the right is OEM quality.
 
Here is what you will need:
- Bixenon Projector (I used an BMW e46 projector)
- D2S Bulb
- Bulb Holder
- Ballast & Ignitor (some kits like mine have both in one container)
- Wiring harness for your ballast/ignitor/projector
- Marine grade toggle or rocker switch
- A little extra 16 or 18 guage wire
- male/female bullet connectors
- heatshrink tubing
- Matte or Flat black spray paint
- 12" x 6" sheet of 26 guage steel (this is for fabricating the bracket so you can keep using your adjustment screws)
- 4 stainless steel bolts and lock nuts (for mounting your projector to the bracket)
- A brand new toilet plunger (you'll see)
- Several beverages of your choice (I don't recommend hard liquor unless you want to redo the job a few times... I'm not speaking from experience though so by all means, be my guest)
- Favorite music of choice
Here is what I recommend for buying these things: Go to hidplanet.com and enter their forum. You can find guys selling exactly what you want/need. The connectors and switch can be found at any auto parts store.
Picking a projector:
- If you are riding an F4 or other bike that has only a single bulb, then get a bi-xenon projector. You just need one that will fit your light housing. I had to do a slight mod to my housing to accommodate the bi-xenon solenoid, but I'm sure there are projectors that wouldn't require mods to the housing.
Tools needed:
- Dremel or other tool with a cutoff wheel
- #2 phillips Screw driver (that's the most common size screw driver if you don't know)
- An oven
- Drill (this will be used to install the switch, and punch holes in your bracket)
- 10mm Socket or box wrench
- Wire dykes (that's used to strip wire in case you were wondering... so you can quit giggling that I said dykes ;)
- 5mm allen wrench
Step 1: Remove the light housing.
- Remove the mirrors
- Remove the screws attaching the front upper cowl to the side cowls
- Remove the cover panels that surround the instrument panel
- Pull off the upper cowl
- disconnect the wiring for your turn signals, and lights
- Remove the four screws securing the light housing to the upper cowl
Step 2: Disassemble the light housing
 
- Remove the rubber grommet surrounding the bulb
- Remove your bulb(s) (This is an H4 bulb on the F4 and previous 600s)
- Remove the screw and the bulb retaining clip that it holds
- Remove the vent tube (if you're looking at the back, its to the upper right)
- Preheat your oven for 250F (you heard me right)
- put the housing on a towel and and stick it in the oven.
- Set the timer for 7 minutes.
- Remove the housing after 7 minutes
- with gloves on, pull apart the housing
- If the glue is still to hard, stick it back in for a couple of minutes and repeat.
(Disclaimer: If you are an idiot and you forget about the housing and melt it, then don't blame me)
Step 3: Prep the housing for the projector
- Remove the reflector by unscrewing the two adjustment screws entirely
- You will have to pull the socket (attached to the reflector) off the ball (attached to the housing)
- Remove the socket that was attached to the ball f
< Message edited by travisgarrison -- 3/9/2008 4:13:12 PM >
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RE: How To: HID Projector - 3/9/2008 1:15:33 PM
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brveagle
Posts: 112
Joined: 6/8/2006
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Very impressed with your write up. Nice job
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RE: How To: HID Projector - 3/10/2008 7:17:44 AM
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Bumble Bee
Posts: 1323
Joined: 9/19/2007
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Looks kick ass man-great job! That's more work then I want to do, but WOW killer mod.
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RE: How To: HID Projector - 3/10/2008 11:00:39 AM
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bgneon
Posts: 15
Joined: 7/16/2007
Status: offline
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Are you talking about the fake HID kits or the real kit?? Because I put a real HID kit on my bike just by removing the old bulbs and replacing them along with the ballast and my light displacement is wonderful. Everything at night lights up alot clearer. Ididnt cut anything.
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RE: How To: HID Projector - 3/10/2008 1:11:35 PM
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travisgarrison
Posts: 129
Joined: 8/1/2007
From: Portland, OR
Status: offline
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There are three kinds of "HID" that you will see out there:
1- "Xenon" bulbs that say HID on them. Yes, these are as fake as they come. They usually have a coating on them to filter the light to look "whiter" but all they actually do is reduce light and they are not HID.
2- Aftermarket HID "kits" that come with a rebased bulb (to fit your housing), ballast/ignitor combination, and wiring. These kits are true HID, but they are illegal. If you notice the first picture I have up there, it's of the kit that I installed. It is brighter, but the light is not evenly distributed, and because the bulb is longer, and has a different arc position, it causes the reflector to scatter the light instead of focus it. If you notice my first picture, you will see what I'm talking about. those glare spots at the top go right into people's faces.
3- OEM Projectors. Same thing as 2, but as you can see from the 2nd pic, focus the light both evenly and have a clear cut-off.
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RE: How To: HID Projector - 3/10/2008 3:06:50 PM
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travisgarrison
Posts: 129
Joined: 8/1/2007
From: Portland, OR
Status: offline
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Please post a picture of your cutoff at night. I seriously doubt you don't have glare by putting an HID in your reflector.
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RE: How To: HID Projector - 3/10/2008 6:14:42 PM
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sixhundredrr
Posts: 2334
Joined: 6/22/2007
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Never had a problem with the light on my Honda Prelude and I never installed projectors like that. I did aim them down, but I never had a scattered pattern like that. I may do HID's this spring. I have not decided yet.
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RE: How To: HID Projector - 3/10/2008 6:44:46 PM
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travisgarrison
Posts: 129
Joined: 8/1/2007
From: Portland, OR
Status: offline
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That's what I'm saying. You had to aim them down because the cutoff was crap. That's not to say that you did a bad job with them, but even the best kit doesn't give near the cutoff of the projector. I'll shut my mouth if anyone can post a pic of their cutoff that they got with a kit and it actually looks decent.
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RE: How To: HID Projector - 3/10/2008 10:56:52 PM
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Blue Fox
Posts: 4218
Joined: 7/14/2006
From: Las Cruces, NM
Status: offline
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^^ IT'S NOT THE KIT.
You have an older model bike with a headlamp that displays that beam pattern. HID bulbs (nor regular halogen bulbs) display any sort of pattern. The headlamp reflectors in the housing is what makes the beam pattern (and the cutoff), and that's why you were getting a "glare" as you call it. I'm willing to bet your regular halogen bulbs did the same thing. (either that, or the HID bulb wasn't installed correctly.)
Not bashing on you man, but please do some research before going out blaming the kit as the reason why it didn't work for you. My previous 06 had an the eBay HID kit.........worked absolutely pronominal (the kit even survived the crash and stayed illuminated even when the bike wouldn't start.) My current 07 has HID's now............Perfect. Same goes for my roommates 06, and 07.......and another friends' 08. We all have the 6000k eBay HID kit...........all correctly installed...........each of them having the exact same beam pattern as the stock bulbs, but much brighter and whiter (and no glare to even speak of.)
Here's some proof...........No glare...........the exact same beam pattern and cutoff as stock bulbs...........
So please, stop spreading these rumors that the HID kits is to blame because this is just false. Your headlamp was the problem from the start (or incorrect installation and/or incorrect bulb-type installed)
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RE: How To: HID Projector - 3/10/2008 11:34:41 PM
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travisgarrison
Posts: 129
Joined: 8/1/2007
From: Portland, OR
Status: offline
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Blue Fox, I did do my research and your write-up was one that convinced me to buy the kit. You suggested that the kit wasn't installed correctly, but it is installed correctly. Blue, my rumors are backed up by my evidence. Look at the picture I posted and tell me that the beam pattern is normal. I read through that entire thread that you posted, and I'm not the only person that has told you the kit in the stock reflector isn't going to produce OEM results. Ok, here is where I agree with you:
- Yes the kit is brighter.
- *IF* the bulb is of the same length as the OEM halogen, then there is a good chance it won't look horrible.
The kit I purchased is a bi-xenon rebased bulb a full 3/4" longer than the OEM H4. When the solenoid pulls the bulb in for a high-beam it's still 1/2" past the tip of the H4 bulb.
I'll let other people decide for themselves when they see the beam patterns.
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Be careful about buying from cocky600.
Details here:
http://www.cbrforum.com/m_502677/mpage_3/key_/tm.htm
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RE: How To: HID Projector - 3/11/2008 12:03:29 AM
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Blue Fox
Posts: 4218
Joined: 7/14/2006
From: Las Cruces, NM
Status: offline
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I'm not saying that I'm 100% right..........but I don't see any pictures to compare the OEM beam pattern you had BEFORE the HID kit was installed. So I can't accept the one picture as proof that the HID kit is 100% to blame here.
And I'm not saying the projector modification isn't a great idea. It turned out incredible. But what I will say is that when you say that no one should buy an HID kit, it's just outrageous. Nissan, Mercedes, Lexus, BMW, Audi, etc, etc. all used HID systems in their cars way before they started using projectors..........so referring to OEM HID's as "projector HIDs" isn't accurate. The "projector" is just a different means of getting the light to the road (as opposed to using standard reflectors) The benefit is a smaller package with modern looks. The standard reflectors used in 600RR's have a "linebeam" cutoff and produces the same light output and similar beam style as the projector (which is why my beam is flat and even in the pics I posted). So to sum up, HID systems have nothing to do with projectors. HID systems are just an illumination source. They just use projectors as a means to get the light to the road. Car manufacturer's put halogen bulbs in projector headlamp housings as well.
And yes, since you have a "bi" based bulb, you might have had problems. HID's were never meant to have a high/low beam on one base (they had to be adapted for it with rather poor results)..........so naturally, the placement of the bulb will be off. When you install an HID retrofit kit, you should automatically assume that you will loose your highbeam (if your vehicle originally used a dual-filament bulb), and if you would have bought the H4 kit without the high beam, I'm willing to bet your light output might have been better contained. But that's just my assumption.
So what I'm really trying to say is that an HID kit for an older model bike (such as the F4) is probably not a good idea, as you proved. If you would have stated that, there would be no problem. But you are telling people who have 600RR's and other bikes with perfectly adaptable headlamps that HID kits are bad and that projectors are the only way to go...........and that is COMPLETELY false and that's why I'm arguing my point.
< Message edited by Blue Fox -- 3/11/2008 12:09:07 AM >
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