HID clarifiations

Hello again guys,

I hope you don't mind me asking a few questions I still have about HID lights even after going through the forums.

1)from what I have read those H7 55W should be fine, am I right?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-x-H7-H-7-HEADLAMP-HEADLIGHT-BULBS-BULB-12v-55w-/320561758508?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item4aa2f8412c

2) Is it possible to change both high and low beam? How about turning lights and rear brake lights?

3)I have read HID take time to warm up and don't really like to be flashed? is that true? if so that might hold me back since I flash A LOT in London to make myself known to unaware car drivers. Or I would have to only change the low beam and keep high beam stock.

4)I am a bit confused are they plug and play or are modulators critical to install in order to use them?

off topic 5)
Before following one of the pic tutorials I realized that the front cover was loose on one side, after opening it I realized that one of the 2 plastic clips was slightly broken but looked fixable. Is there a specific type of glue you guys have used successfully on the Swing plastics? should I just use any type of superglue or something else?

Thanks in Advance guys

Hugo

Hugo: with regard to super glue - don't bother, it will at best be a temp repair; I worked as a motorcyle custom painter for 10 years, and did plenty of crash damage repairs as well. It was never designed to withstand the extremes that motorcycling exerts on products.

For a permanent repair its best to replace the fitting. There is only one product I know of that is gauranteed to repair plastic motorcycle fittings permenantly, it was on sale at a bike show but I'm dammed if I can remember the name of it!

The guy selling it knew his stuff, he was a chemist doing a side line home business, unfortuantely I've never seen the stuff forsale commercially. I'll ask a mate of mine who's brother I think got some..........

As far as lights are concerned, I'd stick to the set up that the bike uses as standard, you could improve it a bit by using Halogen bulbs but HID etc, in a city seems a bit of a waste of time, try some aux riding lights if you actually need more light!

Are headlight modulators legal in the UK?
If you are constantly flashing now, they might be a better investment than HID's.

SwingLondonUk wrote:

off topic 5)
Before following one of the pic tutorials I realized that the front cover was loose on one side, after opening it I realized that one of the 2 plastic clips was slightly broken but looked fixable. Is there a specific type of glue you guys have used successfully on the Swing plastics? should I just use any type of superglue or something else?

I have used both of these products on ABS plastic with good results.

The JB Weld works well for cracked or broken plastic where you can scuff the surface, form, sand and refinish the panel.

The epoxy kit from E.C. works well on broken mounting tabs and filling in and redrilling stripped screw holes.

http://jbweld.net/products/jbweld.php

http://www.electricalconnection.com/non-electrical/08006.htm

BB, unfortunatley no, headlight modulators are not legal to use here in the UK.

I think you'd get away with a rear light that pulsed, 'most of the time' but suspect even then the Old Bill will eventually pull you if they were bored and had nothing better to do.

Without being funny its not so much the Police that you have to worry about over here as the insurance companies. If a vehicle inspector found an item like that fitted to a bike that had been involved in an accident, then in all probability they would use it as an excuse to completely negate your insurance policy. In turn dropping you right in it with both the Police and the Courts.

Things are starting to get a bit silly over here now, I recently read an article in which a rider had a claim refused over a stolen bike because he's added some 'racing sponsorship type' stickers to his fairing and the insurance company claimed it was an unauthorised modification that contributed to the theft, due to it (the bike) being more visually desirable!!!!

There was a time over here when the likes of BSH, AWOL, Ride etc. all gave away stickers a freebee's; I wonder how much my 'designed in the pub, built in shed' sticker has added value to my SWing

Skippy wrote:

BB, unfortunatley no, headlight modulators are not legal to use here in the UK.

I recently read an article in which a rider had a claim refused over a stolen bike because he's added some 'racing sponsorship type' stickers to his fairing and the insurance company claimed it was an unauthorised modification that contributed to the theft, due to it (the bike) being more visually desirable!!!!

That's not even sad, it's just plain stupid.
Oh well, back to the HID idea for you then.

What ... Bigbird... are you gonna let the Scratch Your Ass Officers of SW UK off the hook that easy. Come on, you can do better than that.

BTW Skippy.... that is a little silly. Might as well not have insurance if they can change your coverage over things like that.

Just filling up with fuel increases the value of your ride.

Any excuse not to pay out.
It does have some sense when people start adding non-standard parts, especially those which may affect the handling of the vehicle.

I read on one of these forums several years ago of someone mixing super glue (not the gel) and bicarbonate of soda and using it to repair broken plastic. Never used it and don't know the proportions and never verified the result. I haven't needed anything yet but it is an idea. Free ideas are usually worth what they cost, I guess.

I have used JB Weld and would make a tv commercial for them free if they asked. That stuff is great. I once broke a plastic nipple off a part that attaches to the water pump. We were going on to a rally in two days and I could not get a new part in that time. I ordered the part, but in the mean time, I used JB Weld to reattach the broken piece. Let it set up and reinstalled it. I still have the new piece in a drawer. The old one was left on the bike and went with it when I sold it.

Guys,

Its not just the UK that has this sort of policy or rather Insurance Firms, they are everywhere! Although I must admit that the refusal to pay out because of 'stickers' was a step way to far and so did the independant insurance adjudicators as well - fortunatley the lad did get his money eventually!

However what you don't get compensated for is the hassle, loss of ride, loss of enjoyment, time and the investment of money trying to recover what you've lost already!

If the Eurocrats have their way very soon we will all be in the same situation that the riders in Germany have had for years. No mods, no specials, not aftermarket fittings that haven't passed severe Government imposed testing and restriction. DennisB armrests that my Sally so loves would be illegal, so would home brewed trailer hitches, rear racks, flag holders etc....

The Single Vehicle Approval test or SVA as its become know was introduced a few years ago and has by and large stopped 'X' amount of death traps from going on the road - before that anybody could build a vehicle, put it through a rather perfunctory garage based inspection, then register it and drive quite legally on the road! Thankfully thats now changed, perhaps its also stifled inovation and experimentation, it certainly has driven engineering standards up to an acceptable standard.

As far as I can work out which ever way you look at it, riders of all two wheeled machinary are being squeezed off the road, by legislation, over charging for insurance & fuel, and the imposition of ever tighter and tighter rules regarding our right to ride!

Its all a conspiracy and I blame 'them' for it!

SwingLondonUk wrote:

3)I have read HID take time to warm up and don't really like to be flashed? is that true? if so that might hold me back since I flash A LOT in London to make myself known to unaware car drivers. Or I would have to only change the low beam and keep high beam stock.

HID do take time to warm up ... so flashing is not helpful. There are a couple of other choices
1) Swing the at the vehicle and then away a couple of times ... the oncoming vehicle perceives it a flash by the change of intensity.

2) Alternate light ... the are some LED auxiliary lighting that are very powerful and have good distance which can easily be flashed.

Changing only one light bulb is possible, though when you have the bulbs running side-by-side the original bulb will look underpowered.

After the HID(s) are full powered, they use about 1/2 the amount of power of the halogen bulbs. HID headlights do not have filaments so they are not prone to filament burnout.

SwingLondonUk wrote:

4)I am a bit confused are they plug and play or are modulators critical to install in order to use them?

HID headlights require a ballaster (most external though some have internal) to ignite the gas in the bulb.

Modulators should not be used HIDs.