HID low-beam installed . . . now what?!

[messenger13]

The high-beams, that's what!!! But not HID, no sir. I wanted to add just a leetle bit of blueness to the high-beams, so I bought 3 pairs of these H7 lamps off of eBay (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=013&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&viewitem=&item=230074740534&rd=1). I really like the way they look next to the low-beam 5000K HID from CQLight.ca. And how can your argue with the price? $17.06 for 3 sets to my door. Sweet!


http://www.bmwlt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=9473

[zippy_gg]

The lights look cool Joe!

It cracks me up that shipping costs 4 times the price of the item!!!:rolleyes:
Just like when I bought the rings for my new QDs...:p
I think that USPS, Fedex, and UPS make more money than any vendor on eBay, or any vendor on the web for that matter!

[messenger13]

The lights look cool Joe!

It cracks me up that shipping costs 4 times the price of the item!!!:rolleyes:
Just like when I bought the rings for my new QDs...:p
I think that USPS, Fedex, and UPS make more money than any vendor on eBay, or any vendor on the web for that matter!That's why I bought 3 sets. 1 set costs $7.48 delivered, but I figure it's always good to have spares. And the more you buy, the cheaper the shipping gets (relatively speaking).

[dshealey]

It is just personal, but I would never buy anything from a vendor that says they are HID, as in this ad. It is false advertisement, and I have found that many unknowing buy these and think they have upgraded to HID! (I know you know the difference, but very many don.t) Those ads are so damnably misleading, first saying they are Mercedes CLK, etc. bulbs, then claiming they are HID. You can go to your local auto parts dealers and find these, and support your non misleading local dealer.

When I was looking for HIDs for my bike and cars I was searching eBay for HID, and would get HUNDREDS of hits, almost all these were ads for cheap colored bulbs that claimed to be HID. That made me so mad that I now absolutely despise these people and their false advertisements.

Yes, the color is a little whiter, but the coating decreases the actual light output drastically.

Well Joe, that is one way to get younger, put yourself in the same class as the 19 year old kids with the "fashionable" but less functional blue bulbs in their slammers.

I tried the Sylvania Silver Star bulbs in my BMW cars to attempe what you were trying, to get the color closer to the HID low beams, but not decrease overall light output so much. That failed, as the Silver Stars are only barely visibly whiter than the old halogens I took out. I like actually having good light output on high beam though, so will not be putting heavily coated bulbs in. That heavy blue coating blocks most of the yellow end of the spectrum from getting out, and that is the most "useable" light from the halogen bulbs.

[messenger13]

Yes, the color is a little whiter, but the coating decreases the actual light output drastically.FWIW, I hear what you're saying, and I don't have a leg to stand on. But...

I can't agree with the drastically part entirely David. This whole topic of "usable light" gets pretty interesting as I know you're well aware. I was speaking with a guy that seemed to know quite a bit about light and how the human eye responds to it. He told me that the reason HIDs are so effective is that they do in fact get rid of the yellow colors of the spectrum. So I figure any lamp that removes the yellow can't be all that bad. Besides, "it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that bling". (Do-wop do-wop do-wah!) :D

And with two of these puppies in the GT, the high-beams are still just fine. HID low-beam, these 2 bling high-beams, and 2 MotoLights...yes sir I can see just fine. :)

[jayjacobson]

The high-beams, that's what! But not HID, no sir. I wanted to add just a leetle bit of blueness to the high-beams....
Joe, is this "blueness" all ghetto bling or is there some function to it?

[jayjacobson]

It cracks me up that shipping costs 4 times the price of the item!!!

My ebay guru tells me sellers do this to lower the fees--which are based on the selling price of the item.

[dandiver]

It is just personal, but I would never buy anything from a vendor that says they are HID, as in this ad. It is false advertisement, and I have found that many unknowing buy these and think they have upgraded to HID! (I know you know the difference, but very many don.t) Those ads are so damnably misleading, first saying they are Mercedes CLK, etc. bulbs, then claiming they are HID. You can go to your local auto parts dealers and find these, and support your non misleading local dealer.

When I was looking for HIDs for my bike and cars I was searching eBay for HID, and would get HUNDREDS of hits, almost all these were ads for cheap colored bulbs that claimed to be HID. That made me so mad that I now absolutely despise these people and their false advertisements.

Yes, the color is a little whiter, but the coating decreases the actual light output drastically.

Well Joe, that is one way to get younger, put yourself in the same class as the 19 year old kids with the "fashionable" but less functional blue bulbs in their slammers.

I tried the Sylvania Silver Star bulbs in my BMW cars to attempe what you were trying, to get the color closer to the HID low beams, but not decrease overall light output so much. That failed, as the Silver Stars are only barely visibly whiter than the old halogens I took out. I like actually having good light output on high beam though, so will not be putting heavily coated bulbs in. That heavy blue coating blocks most of the yellow end of the spectrum from getting out, and that is the most "useable" light from the halogen bulbs.

Another reason for the extra lighting, i.e., Moto Lights, is to be seen, as opposed to seeing....... I think that my reason. By the way, Joe, it looks good.

[zippy_gg]

Joe, is this "blueness" all ghetto bling or is there some function to it?I think it is both. The blue tint must look really cool on that blue bike, and you are probably more conspicious on the road.:thumb:

[messenger13]

I think it is both. The blue tint must look really cool on that blue bike, and you are probably more conspicious on the road.:thumb:Couldn't have said it better myself...so I didn't. :)

[zippy_gg]

Couldn't have said it better myself...so I didn't. :)I am glad you allowed me, a Frenchman, to speak for you in your native tongue! :D :histerica

[meese]

Now come on, Gilles, can we please leave Joe's tongue out of this? :eek:

[deputy5211]

The high-beams, that's what!!! But not HID, no sir. I wanted to add just a leetle bit of blueness to the high-beams, so I bought 3 pairs of these H7 lamps off of eBay (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=013&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&viewitem=&item=230074740534&rd=1). I really like the way they look next to the low-beam 5000K HID from CQLight.ca. And how can your argue with the price? $17.06 for 3 sets to my door. Sweet!


Hey Joe, I just looked in my manual, and it shows the High is H3 and the Low is H7, but I see you added a pair of H7 as your High-Beams. Is this a function of the different year model and headlight design of our bikes (Mine's a '00)?

TIA

[grifscoots]

Hey Joe, I just looked in my manual, and it shows the High is H3 and the Low is H7, but I see you added a pair of H7 as your High-Beams. Is this a function of the different year model and headlight design of our bikes (Mine's a '00)?

TIA

I'm not Joe, I'm gonna leave Joe's tongue out of this, but yeah it's a different function.......



.........it's called a GT:rotf:

[messenger13]

I'm not Joe, I'm gonna leave Joe's tongue out of this, but yeah it's a different function.......



.........it's called a GT:rotf:I embedded a pic and everything . . . don't know what else I was supposed to do. :confused: But you know those LT'ers. They are SOOOooo narrow-minded. :D

[deputy5211]

I'm not Joe, I'm gonna leave Joe's tongue out of this, but yeah it's a different function.......



.........it's called a GT:rotf:

Yuppers, you got me fair and square on that one! :D

[jayjacobson]

Is this "blueness" all ghetto bling or is there some function to it?

I think it is both. The blue tint must look really cool on that blue bike, and you are probably more conspicious on the road.
Well, I will admit that vehicles with pink and blue headlights are more conspicuous. But, I usually use high beams during daylight for maximum visibility (to blind cagers). I'm not sure a blue tint would be visible then.

So then, I'm still wondering if we're just "blinging" here?

[jayjacobson]

I'm not Joe, I'm gonna leave Joe's tongue out of this, but yeah it's a different function................it's called a GT.
What?......Joe has a GT tongue?!

[zippy_gg]

Jay, do a quick check while in traffic: observe the vehicles coming toward you and you see a noticeable difference with bright white or blueish lights vs. standard halogens. They just stand out...

[jayjacobson]

Jay, do a quick check while in traffic: observe the vehicles coming toward you and you see a noticeable difference with bright white or blueish lights vs. standard halogens. They just stand out...
No doubt--the blue will stand out at night. I'm wondering, since we're talking about hi beams (which I use mostly during the day), if you would notice any difference?

[drmajor]

I think everyone has some points-

I find the Yellow makes things more contrasty and I like that-
The Blue looks cool, but I don't see it as well.

So OUTPUT is my game-

HID 4000K on low
HID 5600K on High
PIAA 1100s under radiator
Motorlights 55w Yellow on calipers.....I'm just about the only bloak on the road with 110w of yellow.

So, when they are all on, it's daytime...! Coming back from Bike Week last March I ran all ON, and the cars in front of me on I-95 1st changed their mirrors and often moved over.. NICE>

Deals Gap at 10 PM isn't too bad either except we found that all the light attracts some of the biggest bugs in North Carolina and TN.

[jayjacobson]

I find the Yellow makes things more contrasty and I like that-
The Blue looks cool, but I don't see it as well.

Dave, that's the exact same thing this dude tells me that wears yellow lens glasses. Go figure!

[messenger13]

Yellow lens glasses are VERY bad to wear when riding/driving, as far as I'm concerned. I tried them several years ago and found that they messed with my depth perception. Cars looked further away than I thought there were. I have had conversations with several people who have agreed with me on this. YMMV

[jayjacobson]

Cars looked further away than I thought there were.

WOW! That could be a big problem in SO KA--where an inch is a mile.

[Steve_R]

Ride yellow lenses in low contrast conditions, it is a major improvement as it filters out the blue light that takes all the contrast away. Not good for daytime driving though.

[jayjacobson]

Ride yellow lenses in low contrast conditions, it is a major improvement as it filters out the blue light that takes all the contrast away. Not good for daytime driving though.
Low contrast such as nighttime fog?