Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > Headlamp conversion

[ChrisBushell]

Has anyone done an HID conversion on a 998? Looking to upgrade the lighting on both of our bikes and would like to know which kit to get!


Chris

[nelly]

Seen it done on a few bikes of late. You obviously don't need the more expensive kits that negate any CANBUS errors but the better kits tend to use smaller ignitors which help with installation.
Beware though......There are changes afoot from January which will outlaw any aftermarket upgrades to cars, trikes etc. Basically use and construction states that where fitted, the headlights need to be self leveling and have washer facilities.........
The new MOT rules are a bit sketchy around motorcycles but there's a fair chance that once clarified you may be taking them off

[ChrisBushell]

Originally Posted by nelly

Seen it done on a few bikes of late. You obviously don't need the more expensive kits that negate any CANBUS errors but the better kits tend to use smaller ignitors which help with installation.
Beware though......There are changes afoot from January which will outlaw any aftermarket upgrades to cars, trikes etc. Basically use and construction states that where fitted, the headlights need to be self leveling and have washer facilities.........
The new MOT rules are a bit sketchy around motorcycles but there's a fair chance that once clarified you may be taking them off

Thanks for the advice, just want to be able to see after dark!

[nelly]

I've used some of the aftermarket "superbright" lamps to good effect in the past. Halfords own brand are pretty good. I wouldn't go too over board on the wattage though as the wiring/charging can suffer.
Just putting new lamps in can make a marked improvement if the existing ones are old and the glass is "browning".
The problem with the lights is the lens. The focus is pretty poor, especially low beam. It suffers with too sharp/short a cut off.

[Shazaam!]

Here's a picture comparison of my 55W low beam and my 35W HID high beam using the same exposure.




The basic limitation on a HID conversion is that there are no HID arc capsules that have a transverse (side-to-side) arc path. They're all front-to-back.




This picture shows a H1 bulb on the left with the ruler's top edge passing through the center of the wound filament. On the right is the HID arc capsule with the ruler's top edge passing through its center. Note that in order to place the HID arc center correctly at the focal plane of the headlight reflector, the distance from the base (near the lower edge of the ruler) is the same distance as for the H1.

So you can only convert an H1 bulb (or an H4 high/low bulb.) Otherwise the light pattern is all screwed-up because the arc isn't placed at the focal point. The superbike low beam is a H3 projector-type unit so it can't be converted.

The problem is that a H3 bulb has a transverse (left-to-right) filament that sits at the focal plane of the optics. If you move the filament out of the lens focal plane it screws-up the light pattern creating hot spots and glare to oncoming traffic. So, if you put a HID front-to-back arc in the low beam fixture, the major part of the arc that runs forward and behind the focal plane cannot be focused and the light pattern is nonsensical for good night vision and preventing glare to oncoming traffic.

[nelly]

Just a follow up now the new rules are in place. Fitting HID to bikes is still allowable. Cars, trikes and Quads only need to have washer systems and self levelling in place.

[Bionicle]

Thanks for the heads up Neil, thinking of having mine converted

[John W]

I did both high and low beam on my ST4S and they worked perfectly.
I brought my kit from autolamps-online, and wrote fitting instructions too.

They aren't cheap from them, but the owner worked for philips lamps, so knows his stuff, and his lamps are manufatured by philips now so are correctly focused, regardless of base type.

I did fit them to my 996 before the ST4S, but didn't write instructions, and that is a long time ago now too, so b allast / ignitor technology has moved on.

Chris, ask me about it on Saturday