Group buy - Xtralight HID H4 Bi-Xenon conversion kits

[jzulaski]

I've contacted the Xtralight sales department to find out info and arrange a group buy.

They said they would be happy to give us a really low wholesale price if we can get 15 or more orders but they will need to know exactly how many orders before they'll give me the exact price. Apparently, the price goes down as the orders go up.

If I was going to order the kit to convert 2 H4 lights, the price is $439.00. Note that the web page lists the kit to replace 1 low beam bulb for $249 or 1 hi/lo beam bulb for $314. The guy I spoke with wouldn't quote me the discounted price until I can confirm the number of orders.

So, here's what I want to do. Email your interest to me at jzulaski@hotmail.com . Please make sure that you are ready to buy. Indicate 3 things:


the 1 bulb kit or the 2 bulb kit.
Just low beam or both Low/High beam bulbs.
what tempurature level bulbs you want (3000K Yellow, 4300K White, 6000K Blue, 8000K deep blue or the 10000K purple).
(I recommend going with the 4300K Crystal White bulbs as they light up the darkness the best but, that is up to you)

I am going to post this note on multiple ST1300 forums that I am currently on. I will wait one week and then total up the orders and call Xtralights for ordering instructions and a price. I will then post the instructions and price here and on the other forums on how to get this wholesale price.

Personally, I want to order the 2 bulb Hi/Lo 4300K kit.



Remember, I will leave this up on the forum for 1 week only. So respond quickly as I will call them next Saturday, Feb 9th to get the discounted wholesale price and ordering instructions.

Hopefully, we can save a few sheckles.

Regards,

Joe Zulaski

[dennism]

Joe, Have you looked here?

www.vvme.com Dennis Martin

[gene]

Thanks Joe , Dennis are those prices for real ?? Biexeon that cheap sound to good to be true.

[juddspaintballs]

I can't find these kits anywhere online to check them out :shrug2:

Got more information on them?

[dennism]

I was led to them by a posting on advriders.com. One of their riders set up his side lights, and was real happy. I'll try and find the post for you. I'm thinking to buy a twin bulb set for my Alfa 164, which has lousy lighting.

Sooner or later, you'll get all sorts of BS from the hair-splitter pseudo engineers, but the general improvement in lighting can not be denied...and running wattage is only, are you ready for this, 35 watts.

I think they're well worth a try, at those prices. If they STink, well, I tried!

Dennis Martin

[dennism]

I found one, not the one I'm thinking of, but maybe better, when you look at the bike he's riding... His name BTW, is Andy Kirby.


I'll jump in and tell what I know. Basically I looked at all the options, for a long while, last year for my Honda ST1300. I do have a 1100GS and I'll probably do the same thing to that when I get around to upgrading the headlight so no need to toss this out of GSpot

Basically the H4 bulb works by having 2 separate filaments, in different positions so they utilize separate areas of the reflector in order to produce a High and Low Beam. In addition a small shield is fitted under the Low Beam filament to direct the majority of the light to the top of the reflector where it is then reflected down to the road in front.

There are two main types of Hi/Lo, single filament HID capsule, those that move the filament in and out with a solenoid to utilize the different area of the reflector housing and those that use a couple of 'wings' to shield and unshielded the filament.

As you have probably noticed they each only do half a job, one does not have the necessary shield and the other does not move the focal point so both are suboptimal to say the least.

The solution that I and many LD Riders adopted was to use a Low Beam only kit for the main headlight and use Axillary lights for High Beam duties, in my case a pair of PIAA 600's.

Not a simple solution as it was necessary to find a way to fit 4 ballasts and igniters in the nose of the ST and Aux. HID's are not cheap but they are getting less expensive.



All in all I have to say the results are stunning, I converted the low beams to stay on all the time and they fill in the area left by the highs very effectively. It also means that for the few seconds it takes for the high beams to come up to brightness, I'm not without the low beam output. During a couple of rallies this year they provided the rolling stadium lighting effect I was after and I don't regret a penny spent or any of the long hours fitting and refitting the components.

When the time comes I'll probably do the same for the GS and use either PHID's or the new Solteks that have an internal ballast and igniter with a low beam kit.

Electrosport have produced a dual filament HID kit but the results to date have not been promising and the size of the ballast used to fire up the twin capsules is huge. Maybe if they get the bugs ironed out I'll be able to have a true high and low HID lamp but until then I'll stick with what I have.

As every YMMV

Andy

[juddspaintballs]

Ah, thank you. I wondered how they were bi-xenon and that answered my question.

[dennism]

I found it! The original post that got me started.

Go to www.sport-touring.net/the tech zone/ mods & maintenance/my HID experiment. You'll see the kit in question and the results. Pretty enlightening!! Dennis

[juddspaintballs]

link not working even with a copy and paste all the way to "my HID experiment" with the %20 inserted in all of the space locations

[MARCUS ST1100]

I paid around $150.00 for my ST1100 H4-3 Bi-Xenon and they work great.. I won't go back to Halogen.

[jzulaski]

This kit is the first DIGITAL setup with the most compact resistor/igniter combination on the market.

http://www.xtralights.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1349

Of course, there are cheaper HID units out there but, this kit offers more reliability, more stable color, and 30% longer life than those other HID kits.

That's why we're targeting this particular kit - for it's technological features, not for the cheapest price. Although, we are trying to get a group wholesale price.

I have converted two bikes to HID (my 98 ST1100 and my 02 GL1800) and the results are amazing. On my 98 ST1100, I only converted the right side low beam (much like Andy) but now want to try the bi-xenon hi/lo conversion. I figure that even if the High beam isn't focused correctly, it will still be a vast improvement over the stock headlight. Heck, I found that I no longer really needed a High beam with just my HID Low beam.

But, we'll see how it works and report back the results.

We've already got 13 kits "spoken for" and it is only Monday. I'll keep taking names down until next Saturday. The more kits, the cheaper the price.

Regards,

[dennism]

Jed, That wasn't intended to be a link. Just go to www.sport-touring.com and follow the rest of the choices. It's worth a read. Dennis Martin

[jzulaski]

We're already up to 19 kits so, we've already met our initial minimum of 15.

I think I'm going to call Xtralight on Friday to get a quote on the group price.

BTW guys, you are talking apples and oranges when you start comparing this kit with some of these other kits based on price. We're interested in the features of this kit. Yes, we are trying to get a wholesale price on them.

And yes, there are some cheaper kits out there. Most of them are not bi-xenon and none of the others are digital. Read the description closely.

http://www.xtralights.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1349

This is the ONLY digital setup out there right now. The advantages of the digital kit are:

- Much more compact resistor box which also combines the igniter.
- digital ballast maintains stable electrical output for 15% higher light output.
- World's thinnist (.45 in) Titanium casing and carbon ceramic ballast allows it to last 150% longer than standard ballasts.
- 30% longer life than other non-digital setups.
- The Hi/Lo for this kit has both the metal shield and the solenoid that moves the focal point forwards and back.

I'm am hopeful that this last feature will mean a better focus on the High beam reflector but, even if it is off a bit, I am sure it will still be much better than the stock High beam. Besides, with an HID Low beam, I found that I never needed to use my high beams anyway. But, as I said, I think this kit will work well.

Now, you may wonder why you would care about maintaining a stable color/temp. I can tell you that my last conversion had this problem. I converted my two low beams on my GL1800 and the right side almost immediately started causing me difficulty. Sometimes it would ignite upon startup and sometimes it wouldn't. When it did, it would sometimes be a bluer color. If it did not ignite, I would wait a few seconds to let the bike warm up and then hit the start button again to reignite both sides. We traced this down to an igniter that wasn't putting out a stable power output consistantly upon ignition. I should have taken it back immediately and gotten it replaced but I waited too long. Man, was it was annoying.

The other problem I had (and why I didn't replace the Hi beams) was the size of the resistors and igniters. I couldn't fit any more in the Gold Wing.

But, with this digital kit, I could (if I were going to convert all 4 bulbs on a GL1800). The combination resistor/igniter is compact enough that I could have fit two of them on either side under the two glove boxes.

So, while I appreciate that some of you have found other kits that are cheaper, you're really not comparing them with the same type of product here.

At any rate, we have enough orders for the group buy wholesale price already. Any more will be gravy but, every bit helps reduce the price a bit more.

I'll post a report once I get a couple of these installed in my ST1300 and then we'll know more. I'm sure that if others want to buy later, that we can get them to honor their group price quote.

Regards,

[Steve H]

Let us know what the final negotiated price will be. I am interested.

Thanks!

[STPaulK]

Sorry for coming out of the woodwork. I am interested as well.

[Raven]

:fe1: :popcorn

[jzulaski]

Hi guys,

First of all, this offer is only good until TUESDAY, 02/12/2008. So, get your orders in quickly.

I just called and got their rock-bottom wholesaler price for our group buy. We managed to collect up 37 total orders but when the rest of the other riders hear about this discount, I'm willing to bet that others will jump on the bandwagon too.

They gave us a 35% discount on their retail price for one kit. They then added their usual discount if we order 2 kits in an order (remember, each kit only comes with 1 bulb/capsule so, if you want to replace both headlights you'll have to order 2 anyway).

What does that mean to you?

I just ordered 2 Bi-Xenon H4 4300K kits and my total price with shipping and tax (there was no tax for me BTW) was:

$381.16

Here is how it broke down:

Retail price: $569.00
Shipping: $ 11.30
Discount: -199.14
Tax: 0.00

Total: $381.16

To order yours, follow the instructions below very carefully. Remember, I am not ordering these for you. You must order your own and be sure to enter in the Discount Code MGB088X to get your discount price.

1. Go to their web page: http://www.xtralights.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1349

2. Click on the type of kit displayed lower down on that page by clicking on its picture. I clicked on the H4 type.
3. Under "Product Options", select the various options you want. I selected 4300K for Light Beam Color and High & Low Beam Xenon (Bi-xenon).
4. Then select the quantity you want just above the Product Options.
5. Then, click on the "Add to Cart" button.
6. Check your order over and if you're satisfied, click on the "Check Out" button. You'll have to enter your name and create a login.

Note, your discount price will NOT yet be displayed but, be patient.

7. Now enter your shipping information and continue.
8. Eventually, you will be sent to a window that has a field in it called "Discount Code". This is very important. To get your discounted price, you MUST enter the following code in the "Discount Code" field:

MGB088X

9. Then enter in your credit card info and continue. Your new discounted price will displayed eventually and you can print out the order. So, just follow the rest of their instructions to complete the order.

I'm going to document and photo my installation as I do it and will post a report on our WWW.ST1300.US forum and perhaps other forums if you want to wait and read how we do it. But, I don't think you folks will have much difficulties installing these.

Thanks for playing and I hope you enjoy your new "Eyes of God" Headlights. ;-)

Best regards,

Joe Zulaski

[carrotzilla]

The HID's on my CBR came from Xenonrider.com for $110. Might want to shop around.

[jzulaski]

Dude,

You might want to read about the advantages for the one we're getting. It's the first digital kit available and it has several very powerful advantages over any other kits now made including the most compact combined ballast/resistor unit around.

I'm just saying... ;-)

Z

The HID's on my CBR came from Xenonrider.com for $110. Might want to shop around.

[Louie Louie]

Great to see you Joe. Are these things easy to inSTall/convert. What procedure is involved.? Are these the lights that all most new Japanese/German cars have?
TIA

Louis

[Delta88]

Thanks to Joe for doing the legwork on this for everyone who is interested.

I just placed my order and, with condolences to Joe, Xtralights offers a FREE UPS/FedEx Ground shipping option. It may take a day or two longer to arrive but it saved me $11.30. You're welcome.

[jzulaski]

Hi Louis,

I see you're still full of questions. :-)

Yes, they're pretty easy to install if you're mechanically inclined. They come with pretty good installation instructions but, I'm also going to photo document my install. By then, however, the group buy will be over.

Sorry, I'm not sure if they are the ones in most new cars now over there.

Best regards,

Joe Zulaski

Great to see you Joe. Are these things easy to inSTall/convert. What procedure is involved.? Are these the lights that all most new Japanese/German cars have?
TIA

Louis

[ajaugust]

Joe,
Many thanks for the information you provided via my emails with you. There is a great deal of knowledge I now have about HID's.
Thank you for your putting together this Group Buy!!!
I put in my order for two sets, Hi and Lo beams, Crystal White 4300K.
Looking forward to receiveing the goods.
I will be liberated at night!!
Alan

[stump_shooter]

Hey Guys,

I just logged in to this thread today (2/13/08), want the lights, and tried to buy them at the discount. No luck. A day late and $200 short. The website said the cost would be $569.

That means that I will wait around a little longer.

Gary

[jzulaski]

Here’s an update from XtraLights. Our orders have been slightly delayed.

Apparently, we surprised them a bit with the amount of orders for the H4 Bi-xenon Hi/Lo kits. There were 40 orders for just these kits alone and they didn’t have that many in stock.

So, they will be getting in an order from their Japan warehouse this next Monday which they will then turn around and ship out to us.

I was wondering why mine was “ready to ship” for the last few days but hadn’t gone out yet.

Regards,

Joe Zulaski

[crazykz]

Looking forward to getting mine.

Curt

[spotz]

Ordered on the 9th, just got an email saying order shipped (the 20th), should start showing up, we shall see.

[jzulaski]

Well, guess what came in the mail today.

Wa-hoooo!

I posted a short note with pictures of the kit on my ST1300.US web forum for those interested:

http://groups.msn.com/st1300us/general.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=95054&all_topics=0

Remember, if the URL gets split into two lines, you'll have to copy/paste the second line to the end of the first in your Browser.

Then go to the bottom of the thread to see the pictures and my comments.

The kit looks like a very high quality kit and the resistor/igniter is amazing in its compactness.

Regards,

Joe Zulaski

[crazykz]

And it comes with a free can of Bud? Kick *** Joe! Whadda-deal. :)

Thanks for posting it Joe and thanks again for putting the buy together.

Curt

[Delta88]

Well, guess what came in the mail today.

Wa-hoooo!
......The kit looks like a very high quality kit and the resistor/igniter is amazing in its compactness.

Regards,

Joe Zulaski

Yes, the resistor/igniter is very small but, remember, it was in the pool. :D

[jzulaski]

Well, there appears to be a problem with some of the kits. Not all of them have been sent out yet as they were missing one of the wiring harnesses.

Also, I see that my kit is missing installation instructions. But, I'm pretty sharp and can see how it needs to be installed. I do notice that there is one plug that you have to assemble yourself. But it seems straight forward enough. We'll have to solder two wires to two pins and then insert the pins into the plastic plug. That shouldn't be too difficult but, I am going to contact Xtralights anyway and find out if there are installation instructions that are supposed to be included anyway.

Dick Seng tells me that his kit is delayed because of the missing wiring harness. I think I'll ask them about that too while I have them on the phone.

Regards,

[SilverSTreak]

I also received my kit today - no instructions. The Xtralights website does have PDF's with instructions.

The connector that needs to be made - looks to be crimp on - wasn't plannin on soldering.

[crazykz]

Got my kit today also. I see I'll have to crimp the pins but I'm prepared for that.

No instructions but I'm not sure I need them and apparently they're on the site.

All in all it's still a great deal. Thanks again Joe.

Curt

[carrotzilla]

Hmmm. Seems my suggestion of quality HID's at much lower prices not to mention sold by a Honda head (Xenonrider.com), could of saved some frustration. I'm just saying that sometimes reputation is more important than a gee wizz factor. Personally my ST is plenty bright (OEM) but I hope you guys get satisfaction from the distributor.

[jzulaski]

Pffft, frustration?

Come on, Carrot, you can do better than that. ;-)

The installation instructions are on their web site. I've printed them out now. They're generic but it is easy to see where everything plugs in.

They generally recommend that professional installers do this but, we're farklers. Have soldering iron will travel.

Hell, this is a piece of cake compared to the very first HID conversion we did using Warchild's recommended kits from Baja Designs. On that one, I had to fabricate a 3-pronged plug out of a film cannister, solder in a diod between High and Low beams, and also a bunch of my own wiring.

All we have to do here is crimp or solder two pins onto two wires and push them into the plug provided. My wife could do that.

We also will have to modify (or file down) the bottom plastic on the capsule itself and remove two of the tabs off of it so that the Honda H4 conversion shim will fit.

But, that's easy.

I'll take pictures all along the way and put it up on a web site for those interested.

Regards,

[crazykz]

Hi Joe,

I agree the couple things you have to do to make this kit operational look pretty easy. Apparently there's people that think they can do better but I don't see any working towards providing a group buy or displaying the proof that they believe they have a better solution.

You've found a kit that provides the right light for a good price and is small and compact. I'm looking forward to your install pics/write-up.

I would start on mine but I'm getting ready to move and don't want to get into it until I'm in my new place.

Thanks again Joe.

Curt

[jzulaski]

Well, I've got my HID's all wired up and working. I learned several things along the way about this kit that I will share. I also took a lot of pictures that I will share too.

The kit installs pretty easily.

The hardest part is getting the nose cone off the ST1300. I cheated a little bit and didn't remove all the side plastic panels and only took the dash off along with removing the nose cone so I could more easily get access to the back of the headlight assembly.

I did note a few things that you will need to be aware of:

1. The pins that you have to solder and insert into the female plug do not stay in the plug reliably. So, you need to put a squirt of glue from a hot glue-gun in the holes that the wires press into to secure them.

2. The same plug's male and female parts may not have the same "key" slots. My male had two slots but the female had one. So, I just used my soldering iron to melt the middle on the male down so that the female would fit. You might want to go find the correct female plug end or have Xtralight replace them. I didn't want to wait.

That's about the only issues I had. The lights work great and the Hi/Lo works instantaneously.

My granddaughter came over for a visit so I knocked off early to play with her. I'll get the bike buttoned up tomorrow and put together some web page instructions and pictures.

I'll know more tomorrow on whether the High beam will focus well after I get it all buttoned up again and aim the headlights.

Regards,

Joe Zulaski

[crazykz]

Looking forward to it Joe. Thanks for the update.

I've read some of the discussions on HID conversions and the subject of having the bulb in the proper position so it hits the reflector correctly. Do you know if that needs to be done here or will you get plenty of light just the way it is?

Curt

[jzulaski]

It needs to be done as closely as possible and I think we can do it.

We do have to use the Honda H4 conversion shim. It is very thin and shouldn't throw off the alignment very much at all.

I think that we'll get oodles of light focused on the right place on the reflectors.

I will be able to tell you more later today after I get the bike buttoned back up and start with the aiming process.

Regards,

Joe Zulaski

[crazykz]

It needs to be done as closely as possible and I think we can do it.

We do have to use the Honda H4 conversion shim. It is very thin and shouldn't throw off the alignment very much at all.

I think that we'll get oodles of light focused on the right place on the reflectors.

I will be able to tell you more later today after I get the bike buttoned back up and start with the aiming process.

Regards,

Joe Zulaski

Thanks Joe. I'm using the shims right now for the bulbs I have right now.

Curt

[SilverSTreak]

I started my installation today. I didn't try to rush or cheat anywhere - removing the upper fairing panels in order to remove the headlight assembly. I wanted to be sure I got everything right. I have taken lots of pix which I intend to share, BUT -

After all the connections were made and before I began buttoning everything back up I checked the operation - and only one of my lights is coming on.

I verified power to the one that isn't working and it IS available at the three prong headlight connector so now I am not sure how to proceed. It appears that either my lamp or ballast for that side is bad. I hope its not the lamp because if it is I am sure they won't honor a warranty replacement after I hacked off the tabs and filed it to fit the adapter ring...

Just as a precaution - you all might want to test the lights BEFORE you modify them to be sure they work...

[SilverSTreak]

OK - the GOOD news is that it is NOT the bulb. I switched the ballasts between bulbs and the problem switched with it - so the ballast has to be the issue. I triple checked that power was making it to the ballast that doesn't work - and it is so I don't know that there is much else I can do now but wait for a warranty replacement of the ballast.

[jzulaski]

Everything was working and I started to button it back up. Before I reinstalled everything, I tested it again and one side wasn't working.

One of the pins (that I soldered) had been pulled back out of the female plug. It wasn't even pulled out very far (it actually looked like it was still in place but, when I pulled them out and re-inserted them and tested again, everything worked again.

So, check the plug that you had to manually put together. I found that the pins easily pull out of that plug. I had to hot glue them in to get them to stay reliably.

Joe

[SilverSTreak]

So, check the plug that you had to manually put together. I found that the pins easily pull out of that plug. I had to hot glue them in to get them to stay reliably.

Joe

Yeah Joe I went over that. When I read your post I took extra time on those connectors. At first I had the same issue you did but I discovered that the problem was that the pins we inserted in the connector were too close together at the tips so when you try to plug them in they would not go into the female pins and instead push out. I used a pair of needle nose pliers to spread them slightly and after that both sets inserted and locked in fine - no glue needed. Even after repeated plug/unplugs during my troubleshooting they work like you would expect them to.

Just to be sure I checked the voltage across that side of the connector. If either pin is not correctly seated you wouldn't have 12 VDC - mine had good voltage on both.

I explained this in an email to Xtralights and they agreed that it sounds like the ballast is bad - I now have to send the ballast back - and I am not too happy that they want a $20 return shipping fee...

[ajaugust]

Damn!!!
I still don't have mine.
They ran out of white capsules (bulbs).
Said they will get them in today and ship tomorrow.
I must have patience... I must have patience... I must have....

[jnsgardner]

I got my two 4300 light kits just 1/2 hour ago. No instructions, but they're on the website.
There was wild talk of pictures??. Any additional help besides the notes on soldering and the pin problem would be appreciated.

John

[SilverSTreak]

OK,

Don't know how or why, but I decided to try the "bad" ballast one more time and bingo if it didn't work this time! I am Soooo glad I tried again before sending in.

I have pics - may take me another day to get them up online.

These will be for an install into an 1100.

[jzulaski]

YMMV.

That said, this is how I did my install: http://tinyurl.com/2a3ufr

Now, some of these kits have been delayed due to backordered parts or missing parts. I fully take the blame on this one as I surprised Xtralight with an incorrect estimate on the number of kits that we were going to order.

I had gathered an accurate count from all the ST1300 forums and LDRider list. We had a total of 40 kits being ordered by about 30 people.

Just before I announced the Group Buy instructions, I decided to also share the instructions with each of the ST1300 forums and the whole LDRider list (and not just with the people from the lists who signed up).

Apparently, some folks who hadn't "signed up" with me, also sent in orders. So, instead of the expected 40 orders, they were swamped with almost 80 orders.

This caused them problems because they didn't have that many of these kits in stock.

I apologize to those of you who have had to wait patiently (and some not so patiently ;-) as Xtralight tried to fill all the orders. Next time, I won't be so free with our group buy information.

Here's hoping that you will all get your kits soon and be as happy with them as I am with mine.

Please post feedback on how the install goes for you and how the lights work. Some other people want me to setup another group buy with Xtralight but, I want to hear some feedback from you first.

Best regards,

Joe Zulaski

[SilverSTreak]

OK Gang,

I posted up a lengthy description of my install with plenty of pictures. It is presumed you will also have downloaded and read the manufacturer's instructions as well.

I made the post in the articles section:

http://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?p=401579#post401579

Regards,

[jzulaski]

Any more feedback about the XtraLight company's "customer Service" would be appreciated.

Others have asked me about them and I am hesitant to recommend them not because of the quality of their product but, because of their poor customer service.

I would like some more feedback, however.

Thanks,

Joe Zulaski

[spotz]

In regards to feed back about Xtralight, The product seems to be good to above avg just finishing up the install still got the nose clip off doing other stuff so can't really tell yet if it will be worth the expense or effort. Retail would never have bought the set up, group buy price can eat the cost if not satisfied.

Customer service not to sure about, I had no trbl my self, a bit longer wait than I would have expected but with the group buy and free shipping was perhaps a factor. The thing that would concern me was the statement Bill made about return shipping

"I explained this in an email to Xtralights and they agreed that it sounds like the ballast is bad - I now have to send the ballast back - and I am not too happy that they want a $20 return shipping fee..."

This to me is a deal breaker a brand new and very expensive item DOA and I am supposed to eat the return shipping cost, that and the hoops he alluded to about getting an RMA number

so I would call and have a chat with them before buying if the need was to come up again. But the product for me works as advertised fairly straight forward install up to this point.

I am curious about any feed back from any of the installs in use and if the light output is as good hoped for

[jzulaski]

I plan on doing a quick ride this weekend at night and will give you my feedback. If they're anything like other HID setups I've had on my bike, it will turn the night into day. ;-)

Z

[jnsgardner]

I sneaked in on the group buy even though the time had expired. I got the Hi/Lo 4300k version. I finally got around to putting them in last week. I reread everything, printed out Joe's and Silver Streak's work instructions, stripped off the Tupperware and got to work. Modifying the base for the shim was no problem (though I should have wrapped the bulb because of Dremel dust). The connector seemed straight forward though I didn't solder. I pre-checked and they lit right up. I stuck the ballast/igniters on the flat shelf area over the headlight location. After buttoning everything back up, everything worked and nothing rubbed when I turned the steering head.
Off for a short ride and I came back to having the left not working. RATS!! I knew that the left light was suspect with halogen bulbs. I wrote Joe with some trouble-shooting procedures like switching plugs and it was not the igniters and not the bulbs. Joe suggested using hot glue in the connector which did the trick. Off today on a ride around east San Diego county. Come back and the left was out again. Back into the Tupperware AGAIN! Rechecked everything, fiddled with the connector, and the left came back on. Was this going to keep happening? I'd gotten the Tupperware strip down to a 1/2 hour process.

Then it dawned on me!!!! If the plug was causing the problem, eliminate the plug. It wasn't a complex 20 pin plug, but just a red/black in and out. I cut the wires, threw the plug in the trash, and used Posit-Connectors to splice red to red and black to black. Why had I and others been sweating crimping, soldering, and hot-glueing for no good reason. If the bulb needs changing, the connector doesn't need to be undone and, in the rare case that the igniter needs changing, simply cut and re-splice. I felt like a fool (or a slave to instructions) to have worried and fretted over getting a connector just right... when a connector wasn't needed in the first place. Live and learn :-) Everything is working perfectly even with the connectors gone. I'd give Xtralights the benefit of the doubt, and imagine the connectors must be needed for an automotive install.

John

[crazykz]

Thanks for posting that John. I have a bunch of posi-locks from when AutoZone cleared their's out.

Did you use the smaller ones or the medium size ones? Any pics?

I'm also curious about how you got both ballasts to sit above the headlamp. I thought about actually using some bushings and stacking them on top of one another but I'm not sure what would work yet.

Thanks again for the post.

Curt