H4 Headlight conversion...

[Guest]

Has anyone used or had experience with these:
7" Curved Replacement Housing

The price seems great, and it comes with a bulb. Here's a list of the other 7" headlamp replacements from the same website: list

[wkmpt]

I've been debating H4 vs HID, seems that the H4 is a simpler conversion, and I can't seem to get any straight answers about a legitimate and proper HID housing in the 7" size.

[Ghostgs1]

Hi Matt, I don't know anything about it, but it looks ok. As it meets European specs, I would guess it should work well. Sad that nothing is made here anymore. Ray

[kdo58]

I bought a similar housing but it was a hella, then I did the hid conversion.

http://www.ddmtuning.com/Products/DDM-HID-Kit-Slim-Ballast-35W-or-55W

I got the hid from dd, I got the 35watt -5000.

[trippivot]

a H-4 is so much better than regular 'ol headlight bulbs!

I think the E diffuser points the light straight ahead.

American diffusers have a little down and to the right direction projection.

[Steve]

a H-4 is so much better than regular 'ol headlight bulbs!

I think the E diffuser points the light straight ahead.

American diffusers have a little down and to the right direction projection.

Yes, an H4 is better than a sealed beam.

The E-code lights do have a different pattern on the road, personally I think it should be standard here, too.

Personally, I have a Hella housing with an H4 bulb in my bike and an aftermarket 7" housing (don't remember what brand) with an H4 on my wife's 850L.

If you go for HID, do yourself a favor. Get a complete assembly, not an adapter kit to convert an incandescent housing for an H4 to HID. The arc in the HID source is not quite in the same place or orientation as the H4 filament, which will affect the beam pattern. It is better to go with a housing that is designed around an HID source.

.

[wkmpt]

Yes, an H4 is better than a sealed beam.

The E-code lights do have a different pattern on the road, personally I think it should be standard here, too.

Personally, I have a Hella housing with an H4 bulb in my bike and an aftermarket 7" housing (don't remember what brand) with an H4 on my wife's 850L.

If you go for HID, do yourself a favor. Get a complete assembly, not an adapter kit to convert an incandescent housing for an H4 to HID. The arc in the HID source is not quite in the same place or orientation as the H4 filament, which will affect the beam pattern. It is better to go with a housing that is designed around an HID source.

.

I think I am going to go for the H4's. I think they have the best price point I can hit for now.

If I go HID, I'm definitely going to make sure and do the conversion the right way, with a housing specifically designed for them. But in the meantime, it's H4 for sure.

[Steve]

I could not see your initial link here at work, but for some comparison shopping, look at Candlepower and AutoPal.

.

[GS1000G Shopper]

I stumbled across this thread looking for something else, so while I'm here I'll share my headlight experiences on the GS, which I hope may be illuminating for those that read this later.

I tried an HID in the stock housing. It was like daylight in front of the bike. No need for a high beam. It also did not put out a good pattern. I got "flashed" regularly on 2 lane roads. I have yet to find a 7" projector type housing for HID.

What I replaced it with was an IPF housing and 55/60W bulb- their lowest power bulb. I did a lot of reading on he subject, and the trick is in their housing along with the bulb's design. It throws a half bowtie (for lack of a better description) beam, with the bulk of it on the right side. Properly aimed, and it is actually better on high beam than the HID was.

Here's the link:
IPF headlights

You have to buy a pair of the housings, $63 plus a pair of bulbs is $34, so it's a $100 upgrade. You can of course split the cost with another member, or use it on another of your bikes if you have more than one. I put it on my ST1100 before the GS, and really liked it.

[Normk]

A friend just picked up his wife's bike tonight which was an HID conversion into an H4 reflector assembly. The reflector was one with a pattern which I don't like as well as a standard smooth reflector but the difference over the stock sealed beam is graphic!

I did two others yesterday and have lost count of the HID conversions.

IMO, many of the reservations are over stated. One should ensure that the HID conversion kit chosen has a separate power supply wire with relay so that the HID is not powered from the stock wiring. A 35 Watt HID (roughly equivalent to a 55 or 60 Watt H4) has a 3.2 amp. draw when fully in operation but they draw in the 6 - 8 amp. range, depending on the unit, when warming up. This higher draw may be too much for the stock switches.

I recently did a little 250 Honda Rebel which could not power a 55/60 Watt headlight but is happy with the 35 Watt HID. The difference in lighting is huge over the bulb in sealed beam 34/35 Watt stock light.

My GS850 had a fantastic improvement over the stock 6014 sealed beam but not to compare with the Rebel which had the stock illumination of a birthday candle. Think I'm exaggerating?

Another consideration is that some HID bulbs have a large shutter motor on the rear of the bulb and this may be too large to fit into a headlight housing. The GS850G accommodated the large version but some of the smaller housings such as found on cruisers or smaller bikes using a 5-3/4" or 5" sealed beam or reflector will not accept the larger bulb.

I very much prefer the HID bulbs which use a shield and shutter over the ones which simply shift the bulb forward and back because the lighting pattern seems to be more effective. The ones I have compared have a better control and more difference in lighting pattern between high and low beam.

Not arguing with anyone's position but simply attempting to explain my own. I seem to be doing nothing but installing HID's lately.

[GS1000G Shopper]

It has everything to do with the housing, reflector, and lens. The Concours I sold used the same HID setup in the factory housing and I never had any issues on it. The GS had a Bosch housing I found on a search for very little $. Both bikes have a 10 gauge power feed to a fuse panel that powered the ballast. The only function the stock wiring did was to trigger high beam when needed.

HID done properly is like a big flashlight. Done improperly it is like a big floodlight. I was debating "going big" with the more powerful IPF bulb on the next bike with relays to power the bulb off the panel, but the 55/60W unit works very well.

Glad you've had good results w/ HID.

[Normk]

It's hard to beat the newer headlight systems whether with stock QI bulbs or converted to HID, as you said.

It is very useful to look over someone else conversion and observe the lighting effects. The patterned reflector would not have been my choice but that's what they could find so.....

Which Connie, the latest version or one of the old, single headlight ones?

A friend has one a couple of years old, lovely machine although wouldn't trade for my ST1100. He'd disagree and be equally correct.

I yearned for one of the collector age Connies but they are too tall for my short legs and poor balance. The GS850 is lighter and narrower and somehow not an issue. I'm also, so far, resisting the temptation to modify other than HID headlight which was a survival thing plus bar heaters because I whine and cry when my paws are cold.

[GS1000G Shopper]

My Connie was a 2006, the last of the first generation. I would also prefer my custom ST1100 (which seems huge compared to my GS1000G) over it due to the now upright riding position. I'd pass on both of them for a shaft-drive GS-G (not GL) any day.

I think maybe a better option for HID is the hybrid bulb setup where you retain halogen for one side (I think it is high beam though). I like the IPF so much that it's no longer a concern.