Trev

If it helps, the sort of bulky kit you're referring to is common here in the UK (many people use Philips/Hella all-in-one ballast/igniters). There's a few of us who've mounted the ballast on the "shelf" underneath the ram air tubes on the bottom of the nosecone. Mine seems very happy there - over a year and two UK summers (you can't get more miserable damp weather!).

Both the ram air ducts and the back of the instrument cluster look like a better bet than where I've got it now! I'm 99% sure that I wouldn't do the instruments any harm by sticking the Hella ballast on the back of the clocks - just needed a bit of reassurance from those who'd done it before! I'll probably try and copy XXBird's installation (I followed the link to his - excellent - guide on this site). What's the worst that can happen...? :sad: I'd be grateful for a picture of your installation should you ever take it apart (or of anyone else's, for that matter), but in the meantime thanks a lot for all your help. Have fun Trev

Greetings from across the pond... Just fitted HID and impressed with the results, but for the time being I've fitted the ballast on the upper fairing "shelf" (below the light unit, and where the ram air tubes exit). This is about as soggy a location as I could have (not) wished for, and given that the weather here in the UK is living up to expectations (cold, damp and generally grey) I want to shift it somewhere drier. I've seen from your post (and XXBird's installation pix) that you've mounted your Hella ballast/igniter unit behild the instrument cluster. I've checked, and my Hella unit will fit - are there any issues about having something that draws so much power on start-up so close to all those delicate Japanese electronics (my 'Bird is a 2002 with digital instruments)? Sorry about the long post, but you guys seem well clued-up about HID wheras in the UK it's only really just beginning to catch on! Thanks in advance Trev