'97 HID Upgrade Install (pics)

[Obby]

Finally got HID 8) . Not too bad to install. Pretty tight in the upper cowl area, so I removed alot of the plastic to make the job easier. It was time to change the oil anways, so 2 birds with one stone deal.

1) Removed windscreen and upper plasic around instrument cluster (both sides).

Back of headlight enclosure and analog dash.

HID on the left and Phillips Vision Plus (former upgrade) on the right (good light btw).

Installed HID using a garden hose washer and black foam from packaging on the back. Nice tight fit.

Mounted the little black box to the instument cluster stay.

Mounted the ballast to the right-side frame using the supplied double stick tape and extra long zip ties (willxx method :wink: )

Ran all the wiring up the right side, behind the main wiring harness.

HID's in.

Time to fire it up!!!

And that's it! GOT HID! 8)

I took the bird out for the first time with the HID installed this morning at 5am on my commute to work (pretty dark out still). The HID is noticealby brighter and whiter than my Vision Plus light. The light seems to travell farther and wider too. I could see my headlight , i'd say about a mile or so down the road. I may need to lower the adjustment a little , but I didn't get any oncomming traffic high beams so I'll leave it for now.

Well that's all, hope you enjoy the pics.

-Obby

Ps. Edited: THANK YOU RAY for your assistance, bitch :twisted:

[RDosdorian]

No "thank you Ray" for driving 40 miles to assist you. I see how it is. =;

[CBRRider]

Obby,

Your light bulb is position wrong. The brown tube supposed to be facing downward. I think you had it upward.

Please correct it. Your beam pattern will be much better.

[Obby]

Obby,

Your light bulb is position wrong. The brown tube supposed to be facing downward. I think you had it upward.

Please correct it. Your beam pattern will be much better.

Is that right? It seemed to fit really well like it is, but it's no big deal to give it a turn if needed.

Thanks for the info. Does everyone concur? Brown igniter thingy should be on the bottom?

[willxx23]

Nice work Steve, I like where you located the Ballast. :wink:

Real clean install, now yer gonna have "High Beam Envy"

Dammn I love to ride at night now.

[Obby]

Nice work Steve, I like where you located the Ballast. :wink:

Real clean install, now yer gonna have "High Beam Envy"

Dammn I love to ride at night now.

Thanks Will,

I already do :evil: . Do you know where I can find a half/HID? :roll: (jk)

-Obby

[Fiona]

What's up with all the fucking bandaids? You gotta be smarter than the knife!! :poke:

[willxx23]

Steve just looking back at your pic's again, I haven't seen a 97-98 naked... :oops:

Seems like the early birds :wink: have a bunch of room under all the plastic trim.

The ram air tubes run under there on mine and def get in the way of routing the wiring. :x

I like how you put the little black box in I wonder if I could attach both of mine on there in the same manner just opposed to each other? :?

[Obby]

Steve just looking back at your pic's again, I haven't seen a 97-98 naked... :oops:

Seems like the early birds :wink: have a bunch of room under all the plastic trim.

The ram air tubes run under there on mine and def get in the way of routing the wiring. :x

I like how you put the little black box in I wonder if I could attach both of mine on there in the same manner just opposed to each other? :?

I doubt it. You'd need a longer bolt to get two on there (at least on a '97). I bet you could put them on the lower 2 bolts though (if you can get your hand in there).

...and yes there is alot of room by the sides, none of all that FI shit hogging up all the space :wink: .

As for all the bandaids, I was wondering who would notice that first. Joelmikel wins a look at the carnage...

It happened during my oil change before I did the HID install. I'm sure this isn't in the Honda Repair manual...

First grab a nice long screwdriver and pound the f'cker through the oil filter.

Next, Grab the screwdriver and give a nice hard twist counter clockwise.

Works for me everytime...

This time I forgot to let the screwdriver do all the work and grabbed the back side of the filter and turned (bad idea). All I can say is that I was rushing so I could get on with the HID upgrade :oops: .

No harm done, my finger are all fine already.

That's all.

[willxx23]

Wow I never had that much trouble changing my oil.

I don't even take the fairing off just put my hand up there and twist it off like taking a light bulb out. :wink:

Your right the bolt isn't long enough for both boxes so I attached the right side box.

As a benefit now my gauge cluster doesn't shake.

Oh and Steve I think you put your light buld in upside down

That rod outside the bulb is supposed to face the ground. :wink:

I don't know why but somewhere it was asked and the selller told us that.

It doesn't seem to hamper it but you never know............... :wink:

[Obby]

Yeah, so I'm hearing. I just lined up the notches till it fit in.

As for the oil, the '97 and '98 don't have any room to reach underneath the lower fairing. From what I've been told, the later models do??? Go figure :? .

[MileHi]

Yeah, so I'm hearing. I just lined up the notches till it fit in.

Not necessarily guys... The bulbs I have (from a previous install... different ballasts) has the bulb base notched so that the ONLY way to get it in, is with the wire on the top... The chamber that produces the light is a globe inside the outer bulb. If the wire is gonna block some of the light, I'd rather it block light going up not down on the road where I want it. I've been running these bulbs this way for months w/o any problems.

[Obby]

Well, I re-adjusted the low beam at about 34" high so I wouldn't irritate anyone (it was a little higher before), and I turned the bulb while I was in there too. I didn't really notice any difference by turning the bulb (brown wire down), but I'll let you know when it's really dark out in the morning on my commute (dont' really think it mattered IMO). Love the HID conversion in general though :wink: .

-Obby

[2equis]

Next, Grab the screwdriver and give a nice hard twist counter clockwise.

But how do you keep oil from leaking out of the hole after you install the new filter like that? :roll:

:wink:

[Mikey]

Where did you hook the power up to? Right into the old socket? Is anyone worried about extra stress on the ballast by the on/off/on cycle of starting the bike?

[Obby]

Where did you hook the power up to? Right into the old socket? Is anyone worried about extra stress on the ballast by the on/off/on cycle of starting the bike?

Yep, the black connector that comes with the kit is obviously not the correct one for our bikes. I just pushed the pins from the kit into the stock connector, then electrical taped the whole thing.

Not really worried about the ballasts, they should be designed for this type of operation.

Edited: As for the difference of the brown wire on top or bottom... I couldn't really tell, but re-aiming the light to 34" high was better.

Something funny on this mornings commute. Here I'm riding along enjoying my bright as HID, lighting up the whole damn freeway a mile down the road, then a BMW comes up from behind me with (count them) 3 HID lights (low beam and two driving lights) :evil: . Well hell, it's not a contest, is it? Anyhow, I love my lighting now (it was always pretty weak). Go HID!

[Mikey]

Why do you think that these ballasts are designed for this type of operation? They aren't designed for bikes at all. Cars don't do the "lights off on start" stuff that the bikes do, do they? My car doesn't turn it's lights on until I flick the switch and if they are on when I turn the car off, they turn off and stay off until the key is turned back on. Stay on during starting too (which I wish they didn't when it's -30 and an unhappy battery :])

I'm just asking, not going for an arguement. I'm just debating putting it on a switched ON as apposed to the headlight.

[Obby]

Why do you think that these ballasts are designed for this type of operation? They aren't designed for bikes at all. Cars don't do the "lights off on start" stuff that the bikes do, do they? My car doesn't turn it's lights on until I flick the switch and if they are on when I turn the car off, they turn off and stay off until the key is turned back on. Stay on during starting too (which I wish they didn't when it's -30 and an unhappy battery :])

I'm just asking, not going for an arguement. I'm just debating putting it on a switched ON as apposed to the headlight.

A switch does seem like a good idea. I was thinking the same thing. Not really sure if any damage is done with the current hookup. Time will tell I guess.

[RDosdorian]

When we were installing the HID, this came to me as well. Especially when I saw the abrupt way the light does come on. I remember asking Steve is there was a need to upgrade the current wiring to handle the extra power.

I know that when you add some of these higher powered lights to cars you need to upgrade the wiring. However, with the ballasts, I just don't know.

The newer Hayabusa's don't turn the headlight on until after the engine actually starts. However they accomplish that would be a great way to handle part of the potential problem here.

Just my $ .02

[CBRRider]

the ballast itself only takes 12V in, only the ignitor is increasing the voltage 24,000 volts to ignite the xenon gas. there is no need to upgrade any of your stock wire.

[Redbird]

Hold down the starter button before you turn the key, lights won't come on until the engine fires.

[Dotetcher]

Yeah, so I'm hearing. I just lined up the notches till it fit in.

As for the oil, the '97 and '98 don't have any room to reach underneath the lower fairing. From what I've been told, the later models do??? Go figure :? .

K&N oil filters have a nut welded to the top of the filter. Think its 12mm. I never take plastic off or use a screwdriver to change oil on my '97. Couple of bucks xtra for the filter is well worth it IMHO.

[RDosdorian]

Yeah, so I'm hearing. I just lined up the notches till it fit in.

As for the oil, the '97 and '98 don't have any room to reach underneath the lower fairing. From what I've been told, the later models do??? Go figure :? .

K&N oil filters have a nut welded to the top of the filter. Think its 12mm. I never take plastic off or use a screwdriver to change oil on my '97. Couple of bucks xtra for the filter is well worth it IMHO.

How do you even get to the filter if you do not remove any of the plastics?

[Obby]

It's my understanding that the later model birds, like yours, have a space under the fairing that you can get you hand through to the filter. No way on mine, only about 2 inches there.

[MileHi]

Why do you think that these ballasts are designed for this type of operation? They aren't designed for bikes at all. Cars don't do the "lights off on start" stuff that the bikes do, do they? My car doesn't turn it's lights on until I flick the switch and if they are on when I turn the car off, they turn off and stay off until the key is turned back on. Stay on during starting too (which I wish they didn't when it's -30 and an unhappy battery :])

I'm just asking, not going for an arguement. I'm just debating putting it on a switched ON as apposed to the headlight.

Hey Mikey... Ever hear of DRL (Daytime Running Lights)? GM seem to luv 'em. My Tahoe runs with the lights on whenever the vehicle is running and in gear.