So after getting tired of old folks not seeing me here in SoFla I decided I had to get some HIDs. Based on WarbirdII's thread and his advice I ordered same as him from DDM tuning. 2 -35 watt single HID kits and one each H7 and H9 bulb to replace both. I also got two white LEDs from Autolumination to replace the running lights in the headlamp assbly.
After looking at WarbirdII's thread it seemed fairly easy and straightforward.
I PM'd him as well as texted him. He was always right there to answer and ease. Never met the guy but talks to you like you've know each other for 20yrs. Super nice...
Now on for the install. Sonce I had no extra harness or plug I decided to do it as a simple plug and play install. When I got it there were wires and plugs and OMG what have I done whent thru my head.
But again Tim was there to help.
So first take off two inner panels as well as chin skirt. Then two side panels.
Then remove windshield. After this you need to take off gauge cluster trim pieces. Be careful but some snapping and popping as they come loose is normal. Scares me but thats how it is. They 'snap' when they come apart.
Now lay a towel over triple tree so when you remove gauge cluster the possibility of scratching your gauge faces is less. Thanks again Tim for the tip.
Next remove both oem bulbs and lay them aside.
The top one is the low beam and bottom is high beam.
Low beam has a big rubber grommet on it that pops in to protect bulb.
Remove grommet and then you can unclip lowbeam bulb.
High beam twist and locks into place. Comes right out.
The new high beam HID unit will be a complete plug and use system ready to go. The low beam HID unit will have two spade connectors instead of a plug in harness. This is where my install and WarbirdII's differ.
Since he had an extra harness and has skills he cut and soldered his shorter. "Girls like guys with skills"
I have no soldering ability so decided to leave the extra wire there , no problem.
It is all very straightforward but from reading his post it seemed still one dimensional. Could not really grasp it until I started it. But once I got everything off and apart then connected the new units I was able to visualize it all going together. The new units come with clear plastic covers protecting the bulbs. One simply tapes off and the other is a two piece cover that screws over the bulb. The base of the cover that screws over the bulb can be removed by pulling each one of the wires from the bulb one at a time thru the collar and then thru the base of the clear protective cover. If you do one wire at a time each connector on that wire will fit thru both at the same time will not. Once you got the covers off you can put the bulbs in the bike. There are also two large rubber grommets that come on the new bulbs. Carefully cut these off. Each one of the four wires goes thru this so be careful and take your time. Again cut the rubber grommets on the new units not any grommets on bike or the large one you removed to get lowbeam out.
Per Tim's suggestion I installed both bulbs but left lowbeam unconnected.
I hooked up highbeam first. His explanation was that I would be able to test the highbeam first without constantly flicking lowbeam on and off while doing so. Great tip, thanks.
All went fine. Hooked it up and NO HIGHBEAM. HMmmm call Tim , run thru a few things. Then as he said I needed to turn the plug around.
The new HID plug can be connected either way and does not only go one way so I unplugged it, flipped it around plugged it in and BAM....DAYUM THATS BRIGHT !
Now for the low beam. This is a little more tricky but not so much to where you cant do it. The lowbeam has two sep spade connectors instead of the correct matching plug. You simply plug them each into the connector to make it work. I looped the wires and zip tied them to the conn body so they could not come out. Then I wrapped it well with elec tape.
The HID ballast I put in the same place as Tim did on the right side ram air tube. I used double sided tape to stick the ballasts together and then zip tied them to ram air tube. The resistors for the HID units I put in same place again as Tim. First I zip tied them together and then zip tied them to the frame work where cluster attaches to. The extra wiring TIm did not have I simply folded it up wrapped it with elec tape and secured the roll with a zip tie. All the other wires again I zip tied in a roll and secured them as forward as poss so they would not contact dampner when it moved.
Now things I learned how to do to make the bulbs fit tight and right.
First the new HID highbeam unit did not twist and lock as tight as the OEM unit so I slightly bent the three tabs on the bulb body up just a hairs width as well as put a pin head size drop of superglue on each tab. Then I twisted it in and locked it. It fits tight now. Believe me as much friggin' time and work as it took to get to the bulb the last thing I wanted was for it to come loose.
The new HID lowbeam came with a collar over it that has nipples on it .
This collar prevents the bulb from seating properly inside headlamp assbly unless modified. You need to trim the tabs on the collar as you see in my pics in order to get it to go deep enough into the assbly so you can secure it with the clip. Connect all plugs. Then you can test both to make sure the operate correctly.
If they both work you can secure ballasts to ramair tube, resistors to framework up front and wrap and secure all wires. After that put it all back together and your done !
WARBIRDII..(Tim)..Thank you...
After looking at WarbirdII's thread it seemed fairly easy and straightforward.
I PM'd him as well as texted him. He was always right there to answer and ease. Never met the guy but talks to you like you've know each other for 20yrs. Super nice...
Now on for the install. Sonce I had no extra harness or plug I decided to do it as a simple plug and play install. When I got it there were wires and plugs and OMG what have I done whent thru my head.
But again Tim was there to help.
So first take off two inner panels as well as chin skirt. Then two side panels.
Then remove windshield. After this you need to take off gauge cluster trim pieces. Be careful but some snapping and popping as they come loose is normal. Scares me but thats how it is. They 'snap' when they come apart.
Now lay a towel over triple tree so when you remove gauge cluster the possibility of scratching your gauge faces is less. Thanks again Tim for the tip.
Next remove both oem bulbs and lay them aside.
The top one is the low beam and bottom is high beam.
Low beam has a big rubber grommet on it that pops in to protect bulb.
Remove grommet and then you can unclip lowbeam bulb.
High beam twist and locks into place. Comes right out.
The new high beam HID unit will be a complete plug and use system ready to go. The low beam HID unit will have two spade connectors instead of a plug in harness. This is where my install and WarbirdII's differ.
Since he had an extra harness and has skills he cut and soldered his shorter. "Girls like guys with skills"
I have no soldering ability so decided to leave the extra wire there , no problem.
It is all very straightforward but from reading his post it seemed still one dimensional. Could not really grasp it until I started it. But once I got everything off and apart then connected the new units I was able to visualize it all going together. The new units come with clear plastic covers protecting the bulbs. One simply tapes off and the other is a two piece cover that screws over the bulb. The base of the cover that screws over the bulb can be removed by pulling each one of the wires from the bulb one at a time thru the collar and then thru the base of the clear protective cover. If you do one wire at a time each connector on that wire will fit thru both at the same time will not. Once you got the covers off you can put the bulbs in the bike. There are also two large rubber grommets that come on the new bulbs. Carefully cut these off. Each one of the four wires goes thru this so be careful and take your time. Again cut the rubber grommets on the new units not any grommets on bike or the large one you removed to get lowbeam out.
Per Tim's suggestion I installed both bulbs but left lowbeam unconnected.
I hooked up highbeam first. His explanation was that I would be able to test the highbeam first without constantly flicking lowbeam on and off while doing so. Great tip, thanks.
All went fine. Hooked it up and NO HIGHBEAM. HMmmm call Tim , run thru a few things. Then as he said I needed to turn the plug around.
The new HID plug can be connected either way and does not only go one way so I unplugged it, flipped it around plugged it in and BAM....DAYUM THATS BRIGHT !
Now for the low beam. This is a little more tricky but not so much to where you cant do it. The lowbeam has two sep spade connectors instead of the correct matching plug. You simply plug them each into the connector to make it work. I looped the wires and zip tied them to the conn body so they could not come out. Then I wrapped it well with elec tape.
The HID ballast I put in the same place as Tim did on the right side ram air tube. I used double sided tape to stick the ballasts together and then zip tied them to ram air tube. The resistors for the HID units I put in same place again as Tim. First I zip tied them together and then zip tied them to the frame work where cluster attaches to. The extra wiring TIm did not have I simply folded it up wrapped it with elec tape and secured the roll with a zip tie. All the other wires again I zip tied in a roll and secured them as forward as poss so they would not contact dampner when it moved.
Now things I learned how to do to make the bulbs fit tight and right.
First the new HID highbeam unit did not twist and lock as tight as the OEM unit so I slightly bent the three tabs on the bulb body up just a hairs width as well as put a pin head size drop of superglue on each tab. Then I twisted it in and locked it. It fits tight now. Believe me as much friggin' time and work as it took to get to the bulb the last thing I wanted was for it to come loose.
The new HID lowbeam came with a collar over it that has nipples on it .
This collar prevents the bulb from seating properly inside headlamp assbly unless modified. You need to trim the tabs on the collar as you see in my pics in order to get it to go deep enough into the assbly so you can secure it with the clip. Connect all plugs. Then you can test both to make sure the operate correctly.
If they both work you can secure ballasts to ramair tube, resistors to framework up front and wrap and secure all wires. After that put it all back together and your done !
WARBIRDII..(Tim)..Thank you...