adventure headlight dual 4" HID light swap

[Yellow Pig]

This looks fantastic!

[RoundOz]

I recently received my kit and just started the install last night. I have to say that getting the light shell apart was a bee-atch!!! I had the light in and out of a 265 deg oven about 6 times before it finally came apart. The adhesive KTM used is more like high temp silicone than any compound that softens with heat. I had to apply a lot more force than I expected and the heating helps stop the shell from cracking more than anything else. I will follow up with my progress.
Just wondering if you have had any issues with the 50W unit. TRS steered me clear of it as they thought it would be too much heat inside a small headlight housing ( I always thought a 60W halogen ran much hotter than a 50W HID anyway, but whatever) They also said the 35W is more reliable long term. I figured I didn't need a ton more light, just light in the right place , which is the whole point of the projector assembly.

[ultrachrome]

I'm using a 50W morimoto kit from TRS in my SMT with no issues after a month of commuting. I ordered mine over the phone and asked them about the 50W and they said, no problem. I'm surprised they steered you away from it.

I do recommend ditching the provided harness and making your own. Mine had two relays when only one was required. I added a time delay circuit so I can start the bike before it comes on.

The D2S projector pattern isn't superior to the H4 out of the box but with a nibbler along with the extra lumens, it can be.

[RoundOz]

[QUOTE=ultrachrome;20369215
The D2S projector pattern isn't superior to the H4 out of the box but with a nibbler along with the extra lumens, it can be.[/QUOTE]

Can you elaborate on that...not understanding.

Here is the quote from one of the emails regarding heat:

>>>with the 35W setup, heat of the unit is actually lower than the stock 55w halogen.
>>> The 50w HID setup, in contrast is hotter than the stock 55w halogen
>>> so you are more likely to have heat-related issues with that

He also said that the 50W ballasts can have heat related issues over time. My fuel range and aging butt give the ballast plenty of cool-down opportunities.

I asked about heat because some inmates had reported signs of heating using 50W HIDs in stock reflectors. This is a little different situation as very little of the light is hitting the original reflector with a projector setup, but I rarely have the time to do things once, let alone twice. Obviously his reply is not based on experience and he was working with a customer who was limited to a $160 price tag (more or less a gift certificate situation) so I got what I paid for. Maybe I will see if they will do an exchange...

[mydlo]

Originally Posted by RoundOz

I recently received my kit and just started the install last night. I have to say that getting the light shell apart was a bee-atch!!! I had the light in and out of a 265 deg oven about 6 times before it finally came apart. The adhesive KTM used is more like high temp silicone than any compound that softens with heat. I had to apply a lot more force than I expected and the heating helps stop the shell from cracking more than anything else. I will follow up with my progress.
Just wondering if you have had any issues with the 50W unit. TRS steered me clear of it as they thought it would be too much heat inside a small headlight housing ( I always thought a 60W halogen ran much hotter than a 50W HID anyway, but whatever) They also said the 35W is more reliable long term. I figured I didn't need a ton more light, just light in the right place , which is the whole point of the projector assembly.

Hey RoundOz,

Currently, I have a littler over 10K miles on my retrofit and haven't had any major problems with the 50W D2S kit. A few weeks after I got everything installed the shroud around the projector fell off after some trail riding; I took the light apart and pushed the shroud on further and it hasn't come off or wiggled since.(I guess I didn't push it on all the way originally.) Then a few weeks after that, the high beam solenoid started sticking on causing the High Beam to stay on. I took the projector out and cleaned up the solenoid and added some powdered graphite and no issues since! (This problem seems to be well documented when I researched the Morimoto projectors.)

I'm hoping to inspect my wiring soon and I'll probably open up the headlight housing to take a closer look at the projector and make sure everything is ok.

Overall, I'm still very happy with the swap and glad I installed the light!

[RoundOz]

Thanks for the update. I seem to remember that you were of two minds about the sharp cutoff. I thought I would pass along what TRS told me in one of their emails (especially since you plan to disassemble it again). They suggested adding spacers between the lens holder and the body of the projector to make the cutoff a little defocussed - it might be something you could experiment with if it still bothers you. I'm not sure how it will affect the beam spread...probably something that should be bench tested before sealing it all back up. I understand some auto manufacturers use a frosted finish or something similar on their factory projectors to soften that hard edge.
I was planning to add a remote level adjustment so that I could try to get the cutoff as far away from the bike as possible under all loading and suspension conditions to alleviate the bouncing edge. I know this doesn't help the dark dark areas while cornering, but I have driving lights to fill-in the shadows and hopefully this combo will work.

Originally Posted by mydlo

Hey RoundOz,

Currently, I have a littler over 10K miles on my retrofit and haven't had any major problems with the 50W D2S kit. A few weeks after I got everything installed the shroud around the projector fell off after some trail riding; I took the light apart and pushed the shroud on further and it hasn't come off or wiggled since.(I guess I didn't push it on all the way originally.) Then a few weeks after that, the high beam solenoid started sticking on causing the High Beam to stay on. I took the projector out and cleaned up the solenoid and added some powdered graphite and no issues since! (This problem seems to be well documented when I researched the Morimoto projectors.)

I'm hoping to inspect my wiring soon and I'll probably open up the headlight housing to take a closer look at the projector and make sure everything is ok.

Overall, I'm still very happy with the swap and glad I installed the light!

[ultrachrome]

Originally Posted by RoundOz

Can you elaborate on that...not understanding.

Here is the quote from one of the emails regarding heat:

>>>with the 35W setup, heat of the unit is actually lower than the stock 55w halogen.
>>> The 50w HID setup, in contrast is hotter than the stock 55w halogen
>>> so you are more likely to have heat-related issues with that

He also said that the 50W ballasts can have heat related issues over time. My fuel range and aging butt give the ballast plenty of cool-down opportunities.

I asked about heat because some inmates had reported signs of heating using 50W HIDs in stock reflectors. This is a little different situation as very little of the light is hitting the original reflector with a projector setup, but I rarely have the time to do things once, let alone twice. Obviously his reply is not based on experience and he was working with a customer who was limited to a $160 price tag (more or less a gift certificate situation) so I got what I paid for. Maybe I will see if they will do an exchange...

Just to be clear, I ditched the stock reflector and mounted a Morimoto Mini D2S projector assembly in place of it.

A 50W HID bulb in the stock reflector is just all kinds of wrong.

While I've not personally verified the claim, TRS stated the 50W ballast "gets warm to the touch but never hot, so it does very well in confined areas."

Here are the stock and Morimoto Mini D2S beam patterns.


Note that the HID isn't adjusted as high but the high beam is much narrower. I tend to only use my high beam when I need extra light on the scene so the narrowness wasn't helpful. So I took the projector apart and widened the cutout with a nibbler.

I don't have a pic of the new pattern but you should get the idea.

[RoundOz]

One of my main goals is to light up at least 200-300 yards ahead without throwing tons of stray light on reflective signs as they go by me about fifty feet away...kills my night vision. How do you find the beam pattern in this regard?

Also, how did you reseal the headlight? I was thinking I would just use silicone rather than reheating the whole shell. Whatever was used on my shell was not softened noticeablyl by the oven.

[mydlo]

Originally Posted by RoundOz

They suggested adding spacers between the lens holder and the body of the projector to make the cutoff a little defocussed - it might be something you could experiment with if it still bothers you.

That is a good idea. While the sharp cutoff is nice because it throws the maximum amount of light without blinding anyone (unless you wheelie in front of oncoming traffic, then you can watch as the entire interior of the car lights up!), it would be nice to not see the sharp edge bouncing around. I'll play with it when I get it apart.

Originally Posted by RoundOz

I was planning to add a remote level adjustment so that I could try to get the cutoff as far away from the bike as possible under all loading and suspension conditions to alleviate the bouncing edge. I know this doesn't help the dark dark areas while cornering, but I have driving lights to fill-in the shadows and hopefully this combo will work.

This would definitely help when first setting the bike up. I spent a lot of time hopping on and off the bike to get the level adjusted so I can see and not blind everyone in front of me. I still have to adjust my light when I'm loaded/unloaded because the bike pitches so much when weight is added.

[mydlo]

Originally Posted by RoundOz

Also, how did you reseal the headlight? I was thinking I would just use silicone rather than reheating the whole shell. Whatever was used on my shell was not softened noticeablyl by the oven.

I heated the housing up and just pressed the lens back on. The clips hold the lens on securely, while some of the adhesive helps with the rest. In the 10K miles I've had the light installed, I haven't noticed much (if any) dust accumulate inside the lens or any moisture problems. Plus, doing it this way makes it MUCH easier to take apart in the future if the need arises!

[pdxthmper]

Ultachrome: did you use the motorcycle retrofit kit, and will you post a picture of the light installed in the housing from the front? intersted to see how it looks in the housing. Thanks for the pictures and the write up, nice set up.

Originally Posted by ultrachrome

Just to be clear, I ditched the stock reflector and mounted a Morimoto Mini D2S projector assembly in place of it.

A 50W HID bulb in the stock reflector is just all kinds of wrong.

While I've not personally verified the claim, TRS stated the 50W ballast "gets warm to the touch but never hot, so it does very well in confined areas."

[RSC E]

I second that not resealing the lens. Mine had enough glue in it to make a tight seal and the clips hold it tight. As far as heat, my 35w lower projector as making so much heat it was melting my upper projector. I can feel the heat on my hand 1 inch away from the lens. I ended up mounting a fan up in the fairing to blow air into the assembly.

[ultrachrome]

Originally Posted by pdxthmper

Ultachrome: did you use the motorcycle retrofit kit, and will you post a picture of the light installed in the housing from the front? intersted to see how it looks in the housing. Thanks for the pictures and the write up, nice set up.

I started with TRS's sportbike kit.

I've started compiling some info and pics in a tumblr account you are free to peruse. http://brianjwills.tumblr.com.

I've not bothered with the shroud (Apollo) as I'm still in the debug mode and frankly the one I received with the kit was ugly. There are better looking shrouds but I'm liking the raw look.

[RoundOz]

Originally Posted by RSC E

I second that not resealing the lens. Mine had enough glue in it to make a tight seal and the clips hold it tight. As far as heat, my 35w lower projector as making so much heat it was melting my upper projector. I can feel the heat on my hand 1 inch away from the lens. I ended up mounting a fan up in the fairing to blow air into the assembly.

I havent heard of other KTM owners needing to do that for projectors...is that with a HID? 35W or 50W?
In theory a HID produces more light because it produces less heat (incandescents are about the least efficient electric light with halogens not much better) and it was most likely a 55/60W bulb that came out of the headlight...

[pdxthmper]

Thanks! very nice work.

Originally Posted by ultrachrome

I started with TRS's sportbike kit.

I've started compiling some info and pics in a tumblr account you are free to peruse. http://brianjwills.tumblr.com.

I've not bothered with the shroud (Apollo) as I'm still in the debug mode and frankly the one I received with the kit was ugly. There are better looking shrouds but I'm liking the raw look.