Xenon HID conversion kit advice

[DaineseMan]

Today I replaced my existing H4 halogen bulb on my Yamaha XJ6 Diversion with an H4 Philips X-treme Vision bulb; http://www.philips.co.uk/c/car-lamps/x-tremevision... . The difference is phenomenal.

However, I just noticed that you can also purchase HID xenon conversion 'kits', for example http://www.hids4u.co.uk/h4-motorcycle-35w-pro-plus...

Does anyone know what would be the difference - if any - between having a full conversion kit fitted as opposed to merely replacing the the halogen bulb with the Phillips one as I have done?

Edited by DaineseMan on Thursday 23 February 02:24

[dabofoppo]

Well theyr a hell of a lot brighter but can dazzle other road users and iirc are illegal unless fitted with self leveling headlights and headlight washers dunno if that applies to a motorbike though.

[mybrainhurts]

MoT fail, unless OEM, I think....

[DaineseMan]

I was mistaken in thinking that the Philips bulb I bought was a xenon bulb. What Philips say is that they use a mix of halogen and xenon gasses, which create a brighter light; however, this isn't the same as an HID kit, which is probably much brighter.

[Rich_W]

So long as the HID conversion still projects a proper beam "image" (the horizontal line with the kick up to the left) then it will pass an MOT. Lots and lots of the kits don't though. They just project a "blob" of light, which is a fail.

IF, the car is fitted with headlight washers and/or a leveling system it HAS to work (with the proviso that the benefit of the doubt be given to the presenter/driver) but there's nothing in the MOT that says you HAVE to have them when you have HIDs. Whether there's a legal angel there I couldn't say.

I gather the kits prefixed "R" still give a pattern. So H7R or H1R etc. But I can't say for sure having never seen these.


HTH

[DaineseMan]

Does anyone know of anywhere in London or Manchester that do HID conversions or is it a possible DIY job?

[TypeR]

I fitted an HID conversion to my Moto Guzzi about 4 years ago. The original halogen light was pathetic in it's output and I felt very uncomfortable riding on unlit roads beacause I couldn't see where I was going.
The kit I bought came with all the necessary conectors and took me less than an hour to fit. The difference between old and new is incredible!!
I can't remember what output the bulb has, but I chose the lowest on offer. The headlight is adjusted so that it shines downward ever so slightly more than standard just in case of dazzle to oncoming traffic.
The bike has been through at least 3 MOT's without a single mention of the non standard light.
The kit cost about £55 from Ebay and I would recommend upgrading if you can.

[G600]

dabofoppo said:

Well theyr a hell of a lot brighter but can dazzle other road users and iirc are illegal unless fitted with self leveling headlights and headlight washers dunno if that applies to a motorbike though.

What he said is it just me or do bikes generally dazzle more than cars anyway?

[DaineseMan]

I really want to order a kit now, but my only concern is whether it may invalidate the warranty with Yamaha. Would anyone know the answer to this?

[Codswallop]

It would most probably invalidate any warranty work to areas that you changed (the wiring harness/ headlight assembly in this case). Or at least that was the case when I made some modifications to my Honda Civic whilst it was under warranty - when I asked the dealer, I was told that any areas that the modifications may have an influence on would not be covered.

[DaineseMan]

Also, which brand is best for H4 size xenon lights? No branded products like Philips or Osram seem to exist in the conversion sizes (i.e. H4, H3 etc).

Edited by DaineseMan on Friday 24th February 11:08

[mybrainhurts]

Even though someone has passed MoT with this kit, I'd still be careful.

Police were having a purge somewhere and a PHer was booked because his car lights had an E mark, but plod said he could have scratched it on himself. He reckoned his kit was OEM and this was the basis of his complaint here.

One MoT station giving a pass doesn't mean another will.

[mcford]

The MOT requirement isn't any different to halogen headlamps. As long as they work, the alignment and beam image are OK, it shouldn't be a problem. It's the construction and use regulations that they may fall foul of.