Safe Speed Forums

Just had this from my friend who owns a KTM, but it applies to other bikes too.

I have a KLV1000, (VSTROM), and I have never been satified with the lights, in fact they're quite poor, but there isn't a direct HID relacement for A H4 fitting - or so I thought.

This guy looks like he knows what he's doing! In fact, when I have been to KTM dealers they all know what they are doing. They all seem very passionate about KTMs - it's not just a job.

So me and my mate are going to have a try. If it's good I'll post again. It looks very clever.

BTW, if you've ever compared the best filiment bulb to a HID you'll know there's no comparison.

http://www.ktmforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=12515

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

What the legal situation with these? Unless they are factory fitted you'll probably have to swap back to std for the MOT.

Barkstar

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The difference between intelligence and stupidity is that intelligence has limits.

Well, there's a good question I don't have an answer to!

My KLV1000, (what's that?), just past its first MOT last week

Three years old and near enough 30,000 miles, both here and abroad. (France loves bikers )

"get to the question nob head!"

Oh, sorry. I don't know but I'll try and find out.

Cut me some slack....

_________________
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

My Hayabusa has an H4 and an H7 headlight fittings, and I've had HID's in it for almost 2 years. The difference is that the busa doesn't attempt to use the second filament. A friend of mine fitted an HID to a Dullsville and lost his main beam, but said it didn't matter as the dip beam was now so good.

I've had the busa through one MOT and no comment was made. I asked afterwards and was told they only check that they are working and that they are aligned correctly.

Hope this helps.

That's interesting Are you saying a vehicle can get through an MOT without having a main beam? Is it a case that if you have one it must work but is it optional so if you don't have main beam then that's okay?

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

Sorry, BT, I didn't communicate very well. My Hayabusa has 2 seperate headlights, one H4 and one H7. I can't remember which way round they are at the moment, but it doesn't matter. This bike therefore has main and dip beam, both HID, and has passed an MOT with this set up.

A friend has a Deauville, which has an H4 light with both dip and main filaments in the same bulb. He has replaced this with a single H4 HID and therefore has no main beam. This has not been through an MOT and would certainly fail However, forgetting the MOT, the friend is not concerned about not having a main beam headlight as the HID dip beam is far better than the original high beam.

Sorry about any confusion.

Hey - no prob dude and thanks

The problem I have actually isn't so much my lights but my suspension.

If I set my lights up for myself, when little Mia, (My ex ), sat on the back, the lights were too high and I was geting flashed. Her big ass weighed the back down tilting the front up. (I can get away with it now she's gone)

So then I adjusted the lights with her whale-like torso bogging my bike down, making it feel like a moped, and they were okay.

Trouble was, when she wasn't on it, which was most of the tiime, my lights were too low for me - dangerously low really.

It's not good and there's no cure.

(Well, I've cured it by saying goodbye to her. But now I miss her and still love her - but that's not what this is about )


'xcuse me, I'm filling up

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

On topic of H7 lamps - my car uses H7 dip,which I've upgraded to same wattage ,whiter,higher output ) lamps. Made by Ring , who also do various other colours .Got mine at motorworld about xmas, when Ring was doing a special offer of 2 lamps for about £15.Certainly notice the difference.

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

I use blue printed standard bulbs in my sprint which are about 50% brighter you can get this from a number of manufacturers including philips. I use Philips X-Treme which are good

see http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/home.php

they sell both blue printed, Hid and +60 watt bulbs

I have those at the moment and they may boast they're 50% brighter but the increase in brightness was hardly noticable IMHO.

My advice would be don't waste your money on bigger/better filiment bulbs; they're not worth it for the extra candle power it looks like it gives out.

Now HID on the other hand?... Even a blind person would see the difference.

I'm beginning to sound like a commercial for HID, but they seriously are that much better.

_________________
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

how long ago? - the reason I'm asking is that they used to be +30% and only about producing a 'cleaner' whiter light. Now though I've got +80% and can easily see the improvement. But then I have twin lamps, which may make a difference.

They might be three times the price but its the easiest improvement to fit.

Hmmm..

You've got me wondering if this isn't like an audio thing. i.e. Twice the output, in watts, isn't twice as loud to our ears. (Hence the db scale)

So they can, quite truthfully, make these claims but which in terms of what your eyes can perceive it's a different matter.

When I put my 50% better bulbs in, I did see a difference but 50%? Uh uh - no way!

Some instrument which accurately measures Lumens may say that but, here I go again, a HID was noticeably and very obviously head and shoulders above ANY filament bulb I have ever seen.

Much more of the energy is going into rich white light - not heat and a 'yellow' light!

I've seen this in practice. The only drawbacks I have heard against HID is that they are expensive, (that would change with mass production and widespread use), and they do degrade over time with many switches on and off.

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

Take it you mean 3dB= twice(sorry , old transmission eng joke ,and it's not ) - I noticed the difference between standard H7 (as fitted ) and Ring H7 ---difference was almost that between main /dip (for me )

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

You got me.

Of course it depends if you're talking PD or EMF on a 50 ohm output

Oh I used to know all the formulas when I wuz young and handsome

But I admit I'm a bit rusty these days. You're like the TV picture whereas I'm the ghosting

(Oh no, it doesn't happen any more so the only people who will know what I'm on about are over 40)

We should get together some time and talk about SMPS and the virtues of Forward Converters verses Flyback.

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

Sorry -BT - ( sorry if abrev is an insult ,like as in company that is supposed to provide comms) - transmission ( or getting it there ) is my forte ( or it was pre 40 ) --once it gets there and the SMPS has powered it up - I know little of what happens after .

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

Oh I didn't see it as an insult - you're fine

In truth, I'm a bit of a Jack of all master of none these days. If I had to go back into comms I'd be like a fish out of water but in my day I knew a bit.

I started at Eddystone Radio, in 1975, where I served my apprenticeship. Then, in the late 70s - early 80s, they took on contracts from the BBC to make transmitters. I eventually left to go work for BSR, the record player manufacturers, where they also made SMPS for computers. I worked in R&D, not doing heavy clever stuff though, until I was made redundant

The early days put me in good stead for America when in 1997 I took on a two year contract to build 16 KW transmitters for over the horizon radar and for cancer research at Stanford university. It was a pleasure and privilege to do work for NASA (JPL, Jet Propulsion Laboratories) and an experience I'll never forget.

In a world where everyone wanted computer technicians and IT people, there was a dearth of people who had experience of these things so I was more than welcome over there. (Still am)

I came back here in 2000 because I was worried about my daughter and my brother, who past away three years ago. That's when I started with the NHS. It went all downhill from there

Are you asleep yet?

(Soz - I do prattle on sometimes)

_________________
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.