HID into R1150R

[BigJohn]

I bought an HID auto kit from VVME and installed one easily into my 1100RT. When I went to do the 1150R I quickly found that the bulb was about 1/4" too long to fit into the headlight shell. Has anyone else tried this and if so what did you have to do to make it fit? I'm thinking of placing the shell into a hydraulic press and pushing a recess into the rear to give the needed clearance. Also, the slim ballast has high voltage wires that are really too short to allow it to be fitted under the tank, so it looks like it will have to go into the shell as well. Any thoughts?

[jcridge]

I installed one on my wife's R1100R, basically the same headlamp bucket. I had to grind off the tang spot welds ( pressing won't work), reattached them 1/4 - 3/8" closer to the back of the bulb. Problem with that, is that I had to regrind the shade that operates the high low beam. Real PITA, but a 6000K HID system is the most impressive headlamp I have seen on any BMW or motorcycle on the road to date. It is comparable to an arc flash color, very easy to pick out in traffic.

I called the supplier, that was the first complaint they ever heard of like this..... ....sure.

It was such a PITA I have not installed one on my R1150R yet, waiting to see if another manufacture has a better fitment on the bulb.

John

[Colin]

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech ... sions.html

[DMM]

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech ... sions.html

Have you used his bulbs or other products? If so, what have you used (e.g., bulbs only or bulbs and relays, etc.) and what has your experience been?

[gsmonkey]

Will be interested if anybody has been successful. I've put a 50W HiD on my 1200GSA and its a beast, so want the same for my 1150R.

The guy who supplied me my 50W HiD for the GSA is going to give me a broken burner to trial fit. Plan then would be to get some extra long HT leads to install the ballast under the tank out of the way.

Don't worry about the legal rubbish, never been stopped in the UK or in Europe. Police and VOSA in the UK aren't bothered.

[jcridge]

I would like to hear from anyone who has installed a HID bulb in an R1150R , without having to massage it.

My wife doesn't ride at night, and her main goal was to get noticed in traffic during the day...HID is perfect for that. Not that she can't ride at night, like I mentioned, I had to grind the bulb reflector to properly align it with the reflector in the factory housing. Wouldn't recommend doing that, but the light it produces when your done is acceptable night riding light. It's not as good as a pair of PIAA's but better then stock. There is still a cutoff, but it's horizontal and not objectionable to on coming traffic. The heat doesn't seem more then stock, and its a steel housing with a glass lens of a good size.

I will not install another one if I have to go through the same rework of the bulb. I prefer the 1100 PIAA's and a good halogen.

John

[Colin]

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech ... sions.html

Have you used his bulbs or other products?

I haven't. I linked the page because it's a worthwhile read for those considering plug-and-play HID conversions. Dropping an HID bulb into a halogen housing makes a ton of glare and hot spots, annoys other drivers to no end, and often times provides less useable light than a halogen bulb in the same housing.

A friend of mine put drop-in HIDs in his Buell Ulysses, and I can no longer ride with him at night. Even with his low beams on, the majority of oncoming drivers flash their high beams. If he rides slightly behind me, the scatter in my rear-view mirror is blinding. The stock headlight on my Rockster is just as bright as his HIDs. Junk!

[Rog(UK) - Yorkshire Dales]

Thanks for that link, Colin; I found it very interesting. I was thinking of doing the conversion, but will now give it a miss. I would actually like a little more light scatter for increased visibility, but I draw the line at blinding oncoming motorists.

When I bought my car, I spec'd it with HID lights. I remember reading that during the development of the lights, BMW found that the reflecter/HID bulb combination was TOO precise, leading to a very sharply defined beam. This resulted in the lights being almost invisible to oncoming cars. The solution? BMW dialled in a slightly different formula for the reflector, to give just a slight amount of scatter - or at least that's the story which BMW gave in their glossy brochure!

Rog.

[bimrluvr]

Check these out.

http://www.webbikeworld.com/lights/moto ... ng-lights/