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[REGGAB]

Can anyone tell me which is which on the dual element headlight?  I know the top is low beam and bottom is high beam, but what I need to know is which is H9 and which is H11?  Been searching here and found reliable confirmation that H11 is low beam, but then I find contradiction.  Please, lets straighten this out.  Thanks.

Henry

[Twolanerider]

Henry, the H9 is the high beam bulb.  H11 for low beam.  65w and 55w respectively in OE spec.  H11 bulbs in automotive also get used in a few foglight applications.

[REGGAB]

Henry, the H9 is the high beam bulb.  H11 for low beam.  65w and 55w respectively in OE spec.  H11 bulbs in automotive also get used in a few foglight applications.

Thx.

Apexcone HIDs from DDM tuning will go in one evening this week.  Just depends on which evening will allow the most time to get it done at one time.  Ballast mounting concerns me.  They're credit card sized, but thicker.  Should be able to find a place, but really don't want to "stick" them to the inner or outer fairing.  My luck, they'd melt it/them.  Fairing is off.  Once I finish cleaning up the Purple Bike from this weekend's trip, I'll start working a plan to get these things installed.  Read over your 2007 install and found it very informative and helpful.....and was also the reliable confirmation to which I alluded earlier.  Unfortunately, I do not have a Hawg Wired system to which I can mount the ballasts, so I'll have to find another method....keeping them off the plastic. 

[JZ3]

I was also interested in the wattage associated with the high beam halogen (H9) #68096-04 and the low beam halogen (H11) #68881-01 listed in the parts catalog.  The parts catalog (pg 628) cites the low beam at 55 watts and the high beam at 35 watts...can that be right, a 35 watt bulb does not sound right for a high beam bulb? The FLHXSE parts catalog does not give any reference to bulb size/wattage (H9, H11, etc) so where do I find the specs?

[Twolanerider]

Thx.

Apexcone HIDs from DDM tuning will go in one evening this week.  Just depends on which evening will allow the most time to get it done at one time.  Ballast mounting concerns me.  They're credit card sized, but thicker.  Should be able to find a place, but really don't want to "stick" them to the inner or outer fairing.  My luck, they'd melt it/them.  Fairing is off.  Once I finish cleaning up the Purple Bike from this weekend's trip, I'll start working a plan to get these things installed.  Read over your 2007 install and found it very informative and helpful.....and was also the reliable confirmation to which I alluded earlier.  Unfortunately, I do not have a Hawg Wired system to which I can mount the ballasts, so I'll have to find another method....keeping them off the plastic. 

If you've not already spent the $$$ and if they offer any discount for same pairs in an "automotive" kit might keep one thing in mind.  There's really not a lot of difference between the bulbs.  A little, but not much.  The real difference we notice comes from the reflectors.  The more focused high beam reflector shooting up the road farther.  In fact found out that at least some of the HID suppliers differentiate between H9/H11 (and others) only by part number reference; not by actual bulb.  So if a pair marked the same is cheaper than separate H9 and H11 kits one need not be concerned about getting two H9s. 

[naitram]

i ordered 1 of each and was shipped 2 of the same, so if you get the option of  a pair go for it

[Twolanerider]

i ordered 1 of each and was shipped 2 of the same, so if you get the option of  a pair go for it

Seems not an uncommon thing Neal. Way back "when" when I first did the red bike and then many of us utilized that same vendor for awhile I ordered one of each.  They had "auto" kits cheaper.  I just never gave it a thought before ordering. 

Identical parts showed then also.  I called to ask and was told that on the HIDs they just don't differentiate.  They're all so bright the difference is always going to be the reflector anyway.  At least they were nice enough to refund the difference in price when asked about it.

Have done maybe a half dozen other bikes for guys around here since.  H4 types are of course a beast unto themselves.  But the H9 style bulbs have always just been used in ordered pairs since then.

[REGGAB]

Don,
Now that I look at my dual element housing, low beam is H11 (we already knew that tho'), but the surprise to me is high beam is H8.  The H9 HID bulb will not fit into an H8 socket.  Perhaps I missed it in your explanation, Don, but how did you make an H9 fit in an H8 hole, OR, did the dual element housing you acquired come to you with an H9 high beam hole?  Thx.

Henry

[naitram]

i either recieved 2 H11 or 2 H9, cant remeber wich now, but they fit into the socket with not much more then a wiggle

[Twolanerider]

Don,
Now that I look at my dual element housing, low beam is H11 (we already knew that tho'), but the surprise to me is high beam is H8.  The H9 HID bulb will not fit into an H8 socket.  Perhaps I missed it in your explanation, Don, but how did you make an H9 fit in an H8 hole, OR, did the dual element housing you acquired come to you with an H9 high beam hole?  Thx.

Henry

Henry I couldn't tell you with any certainty.  What I remembered for sure was that the bigger number was the low beam (one of those counter-intuitive memory tools that sometimes stick in our heads).  From there I just went with your bulb numbers without looking.  Do have a handy chart from Sylvania on OE specs for the bulbs and the wattage for H9 and H11 came from that.  But H8 or H9 as our bulb in the dual element housing; I didn't remember and was just working with your numbers. 

Fortunately it makes no difference though as you caught it.  The "big-number-low-beam" memory tool worked though . 

[naitram]

gotta love IM log feature

Conversation with Xtralights on 3/14/2007 2:33:59 PM:
(2:34:24 PM) naitram113: i have a question re: an order i just recieved
(2:34:33 PM) Xtra Lights: ok
(2:34:46 PM) naitram113: i ordered DBXH9-8K
(2:34:52 PM) Xtra Lights: ok
(2:35:04 PM) naitram113: outter box has H9 checked, but inner box is marked H11
(2:35:23 PM) naitram113: lights also labeled 8K H11
(2:35:45 PM) Xtra Lights: that's OK, that must be a mis-marked
(2:35:56 PM) Xtra Lights: don't worry about it, they will fit perfectly
(2:36:06 PM) Xtra Lights: let us know if they don't
(2:36:16 PM) naitram113: are the bulbs any different ( H9 v. H11 )?
(2:36:24 PM) Xtra Lights: Not much
(2:37:05 PM) Xtra Lights: they are almost identical
(2:37:25 PM) naitram113: ok, i'll assume that they will fit then
(2:37:39 PM) Xtra Lights: exactly

[REGGAB]

Well, be all this bulb stuff as it may, it don't work.  Mocked it up this afternoon.  Of course, H11 fit perfectly in the low beam socket.  H9 wouldn't go into the H8 socket.  I was ready to get the Dremel out and make it fit.  Glad I didn't now, but for this little test, simply inserted it into the socket and slightly engaged one tang.  Hooked everything up.  Had Renea hold the outer fairing, while I applied power.  Nothing.  Zip.  Zilch.  Nada.  Nyet.  Powered down.  Rechecked everything.  Reapplied power.  Still nothing.  Powered down.  Swapped ballasts.  Still nothing.
Kit was a gift to me, so called the giver.  Will be returned tomorrow, but, I do have a question with a lead in story:

A couple years ago, during my first trip to Ft. Riley, KS, when I was still on my "I ain't ever rollin' with nothin' but stock Dunlop tires" trip, I dropped off the Green Bike at the H-D dealership in Junction City, KS to have the rear tire replaced.  While it was being replaced, the technician, and older gentleman, who'd been wrenching on Harleys longer than I've been alive, I'm sure, mentioned that he could wire my passing lights so they stayed on even when high beams are on.  I told him to go ahead and do it.  He apparently wired them to the accessory feed, since the passing lights will illuminate if the switch is on when I turn the ignition switch to ACC.  Looks like he did this work in the headlight harness itself.  I could figure this out if I pulled out the wiring diagrams, but would anyone know if having the passing lights wired to the accessory feed to stay on when high beams are on would make HIDs not work?

Or did I receive a defective gift?

Thanks.

Henry

[naitram]

did you verify polarity of your connections to the ballast?

[REGGAB]

did you verify polarity of your connections to the ballast?

Words cannot express how STOOOOPID I feel right now.
DOH!

2ln mentioned during my LED turn signal tribulations about the responsibility we accept when taking on aftermarket projects.  Such is the case here.  Never even considered polarity, since the kit is billed as "plug-n-play."  Then I saw Neal's post.  Limped out to the garage.  Lo-n-behold, there it is.  Simple matter of de-pinning the kits connectors which go to the stock headlight harness and pinning them to the bike's polarity.  Mocked everything back up.  Works like a champ.

Thanks Neal.  I really do enjoy the taste of crow when I'm wrong.   

[naitram]

just dont ask how i knew to ask you to check that first.....