[The CyberPoet]

As far as "conversion", the only thing I did was remove my headlight housing, pop out my old bulbs, install the new bulbs, reinstall my housing, and mount up the ballasts.

I'm curious -- where did you end up mounting the ballasts? At that price-point, I'm likely to consider following the same upgrade path (in the past I kept putting it off because of cost).

Though I do admit I am a little nervous having "The Man, The Myth, and The Legend" digging too deep into my "less than professional/potentially dangerous/highly explosive" Katana modifications...

Knock it off... I'm just a guy like many others (I was going to say like everyone else around here, but that would be doing a grave injustice to some of our female members).

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[yellow_kitty_kat]

I'm curious -- where did you end up mounting the ballasts? At that price-point, I'm likely to consider following the same upgrade path (in the past I kept putting it off because of cost).



Knock it off... I'm just a guy like many others (I was going to say like everyone else around here, but that would be doing a grave injustice to some of our female members).

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

Come on man, you're a Kat Stud and you know it! While we do appreciate your humility, everybody always seems to know where to go for "the answer". I was not joking - you are THE guy!

The ballasts each have a black metal "cradle" - the black tabs on the ballast in in pic #2, and the tab with the 2 off-white grommets in pic 3. I simply hooked up the wires, secured any excess harness wiring, and zip tied the cradles with the grommets facing up to the underside of the dash, behind the light housing. The kit comes with an assortment of mounting options: zip ties, double sided tape, and some nuts & bolts. As far as the suvlights.com wiring harness, I unbolted the tank, and ran the harness directly under the tank to the battery. There was enough clearance, and it is not too close to the motor. If the split loom catches on fire, shorts out, and causes my tank explode while I am riding, well I guess that would prove me "wrong", so to speak...

But, I guess I will cross that bridge (on fire and screaming apparently) when I get there!

Is it the cleanest install? I don't know yet, as I don't have my body back on - but it seems to me that they will hide well. But since I am an Engineer by certification & trade, I may have drastically lowered the "accessibility" factor by zip tying the holy hell out of that thing...

[The CyberPoet]

(about the fire-potential).
I would have run it up the right side to stay away from the engine heat... Make sure where the wiring cross the support bar under tank and above the valve covers, it crosses against the underside of that bar (use zip-ties). The tank has a tendency to abrade anything set between it and that cross-bar if it's not perfectly centered...

And as for the other comments -- seriously... knock it off.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[yellow_kitty_kat]

I had some medium density rubber matting from work that I used as a buffer to sandwich the harness under the tank, so I should be G2G as far as abrasion resistance is concerned.

And I'll stop. But I'll still buy you lunch in Daytona...

[Nero]

Another reason for the price point; to get their items above many like-items in people's searches (when they sort them by price). If they sell them for $52 and the shipping is $19, the price would put them at the bottom of many people's search, but inverting that helps them to sell more items. I've seen Ebay items that sold for $20, but the shipping was $250+.

Anyway, the only thing that I was concerned about with my HIDs when I first got them was the heat being emitted by the ballast housings. -They seem to get extremely hot, but I watched them for awhile and they've never had a problem...

[Mat0302]

And I'll stop. But I'll still buy you lunch in Daytona...

CP doesn't have to buy lunch, free access with the ducati keys!

You goin to post some pics of the after product? I gotta see these HIDs in effect.

[tnvatdreamland]

Regardless, I paid $72.00 shipped for a decent set of headlights that:
- A. Did not cost me a ton of money
- B. Give off hella light
- C. Look cool as all hell!

The shipping is so "high" so the seller is not paying a ton of $$$ to eBay in listing fees. If I paid $52 for the bulbs, but only $19 for the shipping fees, would that give you the warm and fuzzy feeling you are looking for? Why are you so confused? This seller, like anyone, is trying to make a few extra bucks skirting around some eBay regulations. Additionally... It is only $72! That amount does not even register on my discretionary funds radar.

As far as "conversion", the only thing I did was remove my headlight housing, pop out my old bulbs, install the new bulbs, reinstall my housing, and mount up the ballasts. In addition, I put in a new wiring harness, which SHOULD be done because of the headlight upgrade anyway. The low beams HID's are bad, and I mean BAD - I only have one in right now, because I had to get ready for the party we were having for the game on Sunday - and it pretty much lit up my block. The high beams give off the standard "non-HID, but still only $30 more than Sylvania Silverstars" yellow tint... But any headlight would when you put them next to set of 5000K HID's.
...

Well...now then, it all makes sense. I'm not an experienced EBay seller. Thank you for enlightening me on how to circumvent EBay "fees" for maximum profits. I agree $72 is well worth monies spent if it works as well as you say.
Would like to see detailed pics of your installation, so I may consider this upgrade.

[yellow_kitty_kat]

I will definitely post some pics of the set up before I get the skins back on, and with the lights activated.

Even with just one installed and hooked up, the difference is amazing. I put the seat on, secured some dangly wires (turn signals), and took her around the block with the port side light running. It is truly an impressive difference.

I guess now cagers with stop saying that they "could not see me", and start saying "I was blinded by the uncontained nuclear reaction taking place on the front of his bike".

CP doesn't have to buy lunch, free access with the ducati keys!

Where do you think I was gonna "buy" him lunch?

Yeah, I think I still have my key from my first bike back in '95: a 1987 Ducati DePaso 750.

Now that was a mans bike! My left forearm was HUGE from trying to yank in that stupid clutch... And that thing would turn on a dime, and give you 9 cents change. Did not have a scratch on it, but it was still God-awful ugly... I sure do miss that bike.

[The CyberPoet]

Yeah, I think I still have my key from my first bike back in '95: a 1987 Ducati DePaso 750.

The Paso! The "hidden behind the fairings" Ducati!
I love it!

Now that was a mans bike! My left forearm was HUGE from trying to yank in that stupid clutch... And that thing would turn on a dime, and give you 9 cents change. Did not have a scratch on it, but it was still God-awful ugly... I sure do miss that bike.

Your love for the Kat makes great sense now (following a trend -- fully-faired in bikes).

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[yellow_kitty_kat]

Your love for the Kat makes great sense now (following a trend -- fully-faired in bikes).

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

It's funny, but I never really looked into the psychological aspect of owning my Katana, but I guess you may be right. After all, it looks like I may have subconsciously expounded on that theme by doing the mesh mod to my Katana, therefore "completing" the fairing enclosure...

And for those of you that have no idea what Cyber and I are talking about (What?!? Ducati made bikes before the 916?!?!), I have included a couple of pics of a Paso - Gods gift to ugly riders: Because the bike is so ugly, it makes you look good:



The learning curve on this thing was VERY steep. I never wadded it up or laid it down (thank God, because at like $90 a pint, Ducati red would have been waaaaay to expensive on a USAF E-4's salary back in 1995), but there was many a time I had to pull the seat out of my butt just because of the pucker factor. Then I sold it to buy a 888 Super Sport (the 2nd ugliest bike ever). My buyers remorse is still strong 12 1/2 years later.


I promise to get some pics of the HID lights up tonight. Hopefully, I will get that other ballast installed for the full effect. If not, then I'll show you guys what it looks like with just one in. It's still pretty freaking bad - that is fo' sho!

[Mat0302]

And I'll stop. But I'll still buy you lunch in Daytona...

Where do you think I was gonna "buy" him lunch?

I was assuming Daytona...


Very nice Ducati!

[soulpatch]

(about the fire-potential).
I would have run it up the right side to stay away from the engine heat... Make sure where the wiring cross the support bar under tank and above the valve covers, it crosses against the underside of that bar (use zip-ties). The tank has a tendency to abrade anything set between it and that cross-bar if it's not perfectly centered...

And as for the other comments -- seriously... knock it off.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

Do you mean the right side of the fairing on the outside of the frame or still up and under the tank but on the right side of it? I will be doing this mod as soon as parts come in and I get my bike back so curious where I should run the upgraded wire harness.

[The CyberPoet]

Do you mean the right side of the fairing on the outside of the frame or still up and under the tank but on the right side of it? I will be doing this mod as soon as parts come in and I get my bike back so curious where I should run the upgraded wire harness.

Watch where the main wiring harness bundle to the headlights/dash go and follow that routing...

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[kwebbel]

I did bolt both ballasts too the bracket for the topfairing/headlights, just needed to find the proper place didn't even have to drill a hole, that bracket is full off holes..

[Clipity]

I have included a couple of pics of a Paso - Gods gift to ugly riders: Because the bike is so ugly, it makes you look good:

No way I loved that bike almost traded my 90 CBR600 for one, the only problem I found was it didn't like taking off at anything under 3000rpm