headlight retrofit, how and why.

I meant to post this like a year ago, but better late than never. The result is better looking light color, and a defined cut off line, while making them look aggressive. before(10HID's on factory reflectors) and after (6k with projectors). The purpose of the Cut off line is instead of light being reflected out of the headlamp in every direction (wasting light going in directions you dont need), it is focused were you need it. it also will not created glare that can blind other drivers. A silinoid can move the focus and physically bring it higher for "high beams". that being said the low beams produce an equal amount of light as the high beams, but dont "bright light" people since i have them aimed lower than the average mirror. the color of the cutoff line is just because i think it looks cool. factory lights (with 10k hid) on and off. (almost factory, i added the red LEDs a while ago, but they will be gone in the end) u can see the reflector in no way focuses the light beam i added bi-xenon HID projector. that involves projector buckets, light shields (motorized by a silinoid), and lenses, shrouds, HID bulbs (6k for white color) and AC ballast to increase output from the bulbs. Shrouds just make it look nicer in the head lamp assembly. Painted the shields for looks. when you look at the light through the curved lenses, it warps your vision and makes the lens appear to be red, even though it is clear. I mounted it with the shrouds i bought (pictured above) but did not think it looked right. Since i didnt like the look i got some plastic (a for sale sign) heated it up in the oven, put the light on a homemade vacuum table and molded the plastic around the light. For future reference, dont use a for sale sign, it is not the right material. Then timed it to fit Then primed and painted. (in this picture u can see the red painted shields, making the lense look red). now the projectors look built into the light not just mounted and floating there. Since i mounted the projectors to the factory reflectors, the factory adjustments for aiming the lights still work. allowing me to line up the cut offs from each light right on top of each other, giving me a very defined line. It is also fully reversible if i ever wanted to, without having to buy any new parts. I doubt i ever will, but it is nice to know i can. hove not done a night ride yet, but im sure it will be much better whenever i do.If your cousin is such a good installer, and he will install anything for a 6 pack; why are you talking to me?

Interesting. And good to see lighting improvements - that's something I've done since my first days of driving. (LOL! Drivers in front used to slow down because they thought I was a Police - Police generally being the only vehicles with halogen lights back then.) And to make things fully reversible - yeah! My reversible motivation has more to do with the status of my "collector" vehicles, but also for fast future replacements or transfers to other vehicles, and of course the ability to return to stock should there be some Regulatory hassle or vehicle sale. IMO sharp cut-off lines are essential even if they can be hairy during cornering on bikes. (Maybe I'll fit a gyro's gimbal to keep the headlights horizontal?)    But some things you have done are illegal here... Red lights on the front of a vehicle - definitely banned - and will be pulled over quickly by authorities. White and amber/orange are legally acceptable whereas some other colors aren't addressed. And blue should be banned. Retrofitting of lights can be illegal - eg HIDs into non-HID vehicles - even if the legally required leveling stuff and washers are fitted. [ AFIAK there are no regulations re LEDs other than max electrical power (ha ha) and the overall requirements that no 'Regulatory' mods be done on vehicles without approval (engineering certificates etc). The latter IMO means not even substituting LEDs for bulbs in flashers, brakes, parkers etc but I think that is considered trivial except where the undesirables occur - eg, sun washout; source concentration (too bright for onlookers). ] Washers for blue? You mean moving into the "undesirable" fringe region? (The light source out of its focal position.) As wrote, IMO blue should be banned. For systems that are designed for blue - fine - but why would anyone limit light output by reducing the non-blue colors? (As yet we do not use UV road marking systems.) I'm bypassing HIDs altogether. I still prefer halogens (apart from the legalities, I don't like the HID night-time peripheral blindness) but they'll migrate to LEDs once they become more economic; or my reflectors need rechroming.    Thanks for the detailed pics. The amount of effort you have saved others... My ramble is intended as cautionary to avoid people having regulatory issues if they are applicable in their region.

U are right about some of the illegal things. The hid retrofit into a halogen reflector is illegal, but I retrofit a hid projector to house the hid light, so it gets to a blurry part of the law, as my hid is in a hid projector inside a halogen reflector could go either way on that. Fingers crossed, and the vaccume mold housing makes it look factory enough I doubt many cops could tell the difference. I do loose some light by creating the blue cut off line, but I really like the way it looks. And it is far less blue than all the 10k hids I see in my town, so I hope the police go bother those guys befor they bother with me has worked so far... fingers crossed. As far as red lights on the front goes, I have none. The globe/lense looks red with the lights off due to painting the shield, but with the lights on, there is no red to bee seen. It is an optical illusion. Caused by the red shield behind o a curved glass lense.   U saw the output pic. No red light there either. Only looks red parked with the bike off. If your cousin is such a good installer, and he will install anything for a 6 pack; why are you talking to me?

Ah!!! With thanks. Now I see the front red is not lighting . How cool - a "light" that matches the color of the fairing. The no-retrofit here is to prevent accidents etc by preventing people performing ignorant mods. Most Police etc probably won't worry if a "non-sanctioned" mod is done ok - ie, it does NOT adversely effect safety and other road users - especially if it does enhance vehicle safety.      And usually light substitution does not work - eg, LED bulbs in OEM reflectors or HIDs in halogen reflectors - the optics are wrong and falring/glaring often results if not poorer lighting. But IMO if cut-offs & lighting are unchanged or improved with no blue flare etc then why should it matter? (Tho halogen bulb explosions and HID lens deterioration etc can be issues.)    Such ok albethey illegal mods are usually no problem - unless an authority wants to get you for something. And of course I would never condone nor suggest illegalities, but for illegal mods that are ok - especially improvements - why should they be an issue? Decades ago I failed roadworthies etc because of various mods. Ironically those mods are now a requirement else OEM on most vehicles! (Needless to say I'm still frustrated by designs and legals that IMO are so backward**. As to authorities that implement actions that are known to be more hazardous... Ah well, they get what they deserve. Unfortunately tho such ignorance and stupidity usually effects individuals far more severely.) ** FYI - many twin-headlight motorcycles needed local mods because of a Law requiring headlight symmetry - you had to have both (motorcycle) headlamps matched - ie, on or off, hi or lo. Luckily that (motorcycle) stupidity has since changed - as has the requirement to have indicators/flashers separated by at least 18" (~450mm). Mind you we still have the occassional irresponsible and stupid regulation. F.ex recently another state (NSW) had a speed limit for P-platers (drivers with less than 4 years or 1 year experience) of 80kmh - even when on 100 & 110kmh roads and freeways. I could not believe it! I thought our "Slowing Down Won't Kill You" roadside signs were bad enough, but speed limiting went out decades ago. That was thanks to repeated motorcyclist demonstrations to repeal an 80kmh limit for pillion passengers. [Imagine that, someone thinking that riding SLOWER than prevailing traffic somehow enhances safety! At least we also killed their motorcycle seatbelt proposals before they killed us; mind you I still think those proposers should have been executed. But recently I saw some re-emergence of airbags for motorcycles crap.] I'm torn between embarrassment living under authorities that are so inexperienced and uneducated and the pleasure of seeing them admit that they allow and License road users that are (in practice) unqualified to drive on our roads. And I look forward to the day they realise their irresponsibily (and agree with me ). (Note the "Wipe Off 5" - a local campaign for drivers to reduce their speed by 5kmh. Like, seriously....?!! That yet again IMO shows how untrained and unknowledgeable Australian drivers are wrt to License testing.) Thanks again. Apologies for my roaduser female-canining - a topic best avoided unless discussion and intelligence is involved. And of course, keep riding! (Legally of course! )