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[1abastarsmda]

Success!  I installed the HID Xentec Pure White 5000K H11 replacement bulb in the low beam slot with the Digital Slim Ballast.  The only problem I ran into was finding a place to mount the ballast.  Thanks to Twolanerider for suggesting that I mount it on the bottom side of the XM radio antenna bracket.  I mounted it on the bottom side of the bracket with the included 2-sided tape, and then used 2 plastic wire ties to further secure it to the bracket, one on each side of the XM antenna...so it's not going to move now.  Other than that, everything was completely plug and play.  There was no cutting and no splicing.  It sure does make the passing lamps look dull now.  I think I'll give the Luminics bulbs mentioned above a try in the passing lamps.  I haven't had a chance to take it out to try it out, and only turned it on to check for adjustment on the garage wall.  I didn't measure it, but there is a nice horizontal line on the wall probably about 3 to 3.5 feet off the ground without making any adjustments at all.  I'm figuring that it should be pretty darned close to perfect right where it is.  I paid $55.48 for the kit including shipping, and that included 2 of everything.  Assuming it works as well as it looks like it will, I'll recoup about half my cost putting the other one in my friend's SEUC.  I checked out all sources of audio, and there doesn't seem to be any interference whatsoever.  I can't believe I was ever worried about this install.  Other than time talking on the phone to Twolanerider and LarryB, I don't think it took me an hour from start to finish.  I can't wait to take a ride at night now.  If they perform as advertised, I'll probably do my SUV next week.  By the way, I saw others for even less money for the same exact kit...which again, will give you 2 of everything...so you can do 2 bikes if they take the same lamp.

[1abastarsmda]

I tried the new headlamp tonight and it works quite well.  I have now ordered the Luminics 881 Ultra White bulbs for the passing lamps ($21/pair on Ebay).  I hope that they are closer to the same color as the headlamp, as it looks pretty ridiculous with that bright white headlamp and those 2 badly faded yellow passing lamps.  At some point, I may just get the proper setup for the high beam also, since it definitely produces a longer path and when the high beam is on, you can see 2 distinct beam colors on the road in front of you, and also, it too looks pretty ridiculous when high and low are both on and they are completely different colors.  By the way, I did notice on Ebay that there are several other 881 replacement bulbs claiming the same type of results for prices as low as $7.50/pair including shipping, but they just didn't look like they were of comparable quality to the Luminics, so I went with the Luminics.  I'll be sure to make a post and let everyone know how this little lamp project works out.

I did find one type of electrical interference caused by the mounting location of my ballast.  As I mentioned in a post above, I mounted the ballast on the underside of the XM radio antenna bracket, which is inside the fairing on the clutch lever side of the bike and just above and slightly toward the center of the fairing from the left fairing speaker.  I noticed that everytime I turned my bike on, the alarm went off.  I have a habit of taking my keys out of my pocket and placing them in the left pocket of my 3 pocket windshield bag, which just happens to be directly above where the ballast is mounted.  After taking the keys out 4 times and the alarm stopping immediately, I put my keys in the right pocket of the windshield bag and turned the ignition on again.  The problem disappeared.  Apparently, there is some interference between the ballast and the alarm FOB.  I guess I'm just going to have to get used to reaching to the left pocket to get to my cigarettes, and if I decide to upgrade the high beam, and mount the 2nd ballast on the right side antenna bracket, I'll just have to keep the keys in my pocket when I ride.

[SBB]

I tried the new headlamp tonight and it works quite well.  I have now ordered the Luminics 881 Ultra White bulbs for the passing lamps ($21/pair on Ebay).  I hope that they are closer to the same color as the headlamp, as it looks pretty ridiculous with that bright white headlamp and those 2 badly faded yellow passing lamps.  At some point, I may just get the proper setup for the high beam also, since it definitely produces a longer path and when the high beam is on, you can see 2 distinct beam colors on the road in front of you, and also, it too looks pretty ridiculous when high and low are both on and they are completely different colors.  By the way, I did notice on Ebay that there are several other 881 replacement bulbs claiming the same type of results for prices as low as $7.50/pair including shipping, but they just didn't look like they were of comparable quality to the Luminics, so I went with the Luminics.  I'll be sure to make a post and let everyone know how this little lamp project works out.

I did find one type of electrical interference caused by the mounting location of my ballast.  As I mentioned in a post above, I mounted the ballast on the underside of the XM radio antenna bracket, which is inside the fairing on the clutch lever side of the bike and just above and slightly toward the center of the fairing from the left fairing speaker.  I noticed that everytime I turned my bike on, the alarm went off.  I have a habit of taking my keys out of my pocket and placing them in the left pocket of my 3 pocket windshield bag, which just happens to be directly above where the ballast is mounted.  After taking the keys out 4 times and the alarm stopping immediately, I put my keys in the right pocket of the windshield bag and turned the ignition on again.  The problem disappeared.  Apparently, there is some interference between the ballast and the alarm FOB.  I guess I'm just going to have to get used to reaching to the left pocket to get to my cigarettes, and if I decide to upgrade the high beam, and mount the 2nd ballast on the right side antenna bracket, I'll just have to keep the keys in my pocket when I ride.

Put the keys in the tour pak Dave!
And thanks for all the info on these lights!

SBB

[1abastarsmda]

If I can find the opportune time to do it, I'd like to take photos with my bike and my friend's SEUC side by side and see if I can get photos of the light beams from each separately.  First, I'll have to find a way to trick him into being out after dark on the bike, and do it before he changes his over also.  I know he'll want this setup once he sees mine.

The tourpack won't work for me to put the keys in.  About half the time, I sit on the bike and realize they are in my pants pocket and I just reach in and grab them and put them in the windshield bag.  I'd have to get back off the bike to put them in the tourpack...and that ain't gonna happen!  Maybe I could make a necklace out of them...not!

[1abastarsmda]

In reply to a PM from Twolanerider, you were 100% correct.  I could kick myself for not switching both high and low while I had it apart.  I am now going to put in the high beam also, but not so much for the light that it emits, but because it just plain looks stupid when both lamps are on and they are of such vastly different color spectrums.

I originally purchased a kit for a car, so I received 2 of everything, and I noticed that the tag on the wire from the bulb says H8, H11, and a few others...so I am assuming that they are sending the exact same bulb for either application.  However, I ordered a single H8 kit from another source for the high beam.  The low beam (H11) that I put in has a strong bluish tint to it and I have to wonder whether the color temperature that they sent me was actually the 5000k that I ordered.  There is nothing there to indicate to me what color temperature I received.  I ordered a 4300k from a different source and I'll see if it's the same or not.  Initially, I'm going to put it in place of the low beam to check out the color and see if it has such a blue tint or not.  If not, I'll probably order another 4300k from this source and then I'll have a complete set of H11's left over, but those will also fit my SUV, so they probably won't go to waste.  Then again, I may just sell them real cheap.