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[rheiner]

Has anyone else noticed that the HID H9 & H11 bulbs sold from every manufacturer that I am aware of or have purchased from, have the same focal length and look identical? As a result, putting an H9 HID bulb in the high beam headlamp location of late model touring CVOs does not put the light down on the road where it's needed, but instead the light beam is scattered or shoots way too high. I get virtually no benefit of an HID ballast and bulb in the high beam location of my SEUC4&5s, both of which have HID in the low & high beam locations in the stock headlamp. It really hit home when I took delivery of my new 2011 cvo SG and when I rode at night for the first time & hit the high beam switch I actually got a dose of light on the road where I need it.

Unless I can find a solution, which I'd love to because of the extra candlepower HIDs put out, this time with my new motorcycle I think I'll just replace the stock low beam with HID.

[Twolanerider]

Not news.  Most of the aftermarket HID kits use the same bulb.  The difference down the road isn't really the bulb though.  It's the reflector.  Have you adjusted the light up or down to attempt to put the beam where you want it.  That's all I had to do.

[hdbrad03]

Usually with the dual headlight fixture you will need to raise the beam height. You will most likely need to shorten the top spring by at least two rings.


 
      Brad

[rheiner]

Not news.  Most of the aftermarket HID kits use the same bulb.  The difference down the road isn't really the bulb though.  It's the reflector.  Have you adjusted the light up or down to attempt to put the beam where you want it.  That's all I had to do.

The headlamp reflector adjustment controls both the hi & lo beam since it is one housing. I adjusted my reflector for the low beam, which is used most of the time, and by doing that the high beam is off. I don't know how you can adjust hi beam bulb. It needs to sit flush on the lamp and with the twist lock, there isn't a way to move the bulb forward or backward. I've seen new HID kits that allow you to adjust the focal point of the bulb once it's in the headlamp (they claim it allows the HID kits to be legal in all 50 states because the glare due to improper focal point location in the headlamp is eliminated) but those are just becoming available on automobile headlamps, and they are not available in H9, H11, or H4 yet.

[Twolanerider]

The headlamp reflector adjustment controls both the hi & lo beam since it is one housing. I adjusted my reflector for the low beam, which is used most of the time, and by doing that the high beam is off. I don't know how you can adjust hi beam bulb. It needs to sit flush on the lamp and with the twist lock, there isn't a way to move the bulb forward or backward. I've seen new HID kits that allow you to adjust the focal point of the bulb once it's in the headlamp (they claim it allows the HID kits to be legal in all 50 states because the glare due to improper focal point location in the headlamp is eliminated) but those are just becoming available on automobile headlamps, and they are not available in H9, H11, or H4 yet.

Don't know what luck you've had or not had.  Just know that in the half dozen or so I've put in with each I adjusted them up to get the high beam at a point you'd want it to be going down the road.  That also put the low beam in a good spot.  It worked.  At least on those bikes.