BMW Don't Recommend HID - I have some questions?
- Thread starter gsbiker
- Start date
bustupbiker
Registered user
If you buy from Les you get what it says ont tin, the things work with CanBus bikes, no nasties popping up on the screen to say the lampf/r they just work.
divelandy
Registered user
When getting my front tyre replaced last week, i asked the the guy about installing HID lights and the impact on an MOT. His only comment was that there are 'brightness' test in the MOT, only alignment. So, as long as the replacement HID's do not alter this, then you sould be ok. I have my HID kit, just waiting until next week for the bike!
everywherevirtually
Registered user
Most of the cheap stuff on ebay is just that. Cheap nasty unreliable kit. Les has an unrivaled reputation on here for quality and support and you just cant beat that these days.
As for the links you posted, they all relate to cars. I've angled my hi and low beams such that they don't bother anyone. I've passed and drive towards plenty of police cars without any bother.
It's also noticeable how motorists do a double taken when they see you coming. In the past people would see me but still pull out. Now with the HID's you see them go to pull out but think twice.
For me the decision was easy
everywherevirtually
Registered user
hmmm isn't a concentration camp a British invention old boy?
"The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. defines concentration camp as: a camp where non-combatants of a district are accommodated, such as those instituted by Lord Kitchener during the South African war of 1899-1902; one for the internment of political prisoners, foreign nationals, etc.
At the time that Kitchener started the concentration camps in South Africa the war had entered the guerilla phase. By destroying crops, livestock and farmsteads under the 'Scorched Earth' policy the Boer fighters were deprived of supplies and shelter. It also left the women and children on such farms destitute and they were forcibly removed, against their will, to the camps where thousands died of disease and starvation."
I paid an extra £40 for my HID's from Les but he has a tried and tested reputation on this site and I knew buying from him would be a good experience.
True to form he dispatched my HID's before I'd even paid him!
I emailed him with a couple of install questions and got a very prompt reply answering my queries
For peace of mind and aftersales he's
True to form he dispatched my HID's before I'd even paid him!
I emailed him with a couple of install questions and got a very prompt reply answering my queries
For peace of mind and aftersales he's
For feck sake mate I thought I was a worrier.
Get over it .. you don't even fecking ride in the dark so why bother.
I suspect you won't even put more than 5k miles on your bike before you sell it. It doesn't matter if it has HID or not when it's sat in your garage mate. You are not going to fall off your fecking sofa!!
If the light is crap .. RIDE SLOWER. Feck me sherlock how the feck did I figure that one out. oh yeah ... I actually ride in the fecking dark
BMW says lots of shit. It's unstoppable ... yes their servo brakes are crap and you can't stop the fecking thing. So what did they do about it ... absolutely nothing. So why worry what a bunch of german pricks says. Get a good lawyer and sue the mother feckers if it goes wrong! BMW says there are no depreciation on their bikes .. try proving that when you got a year old bike to sell
BMW were part of the NAZI machine, so they are fecking cunts by nature. Believe them and you end up in a fecking concentration camp. I still can't get a BMW dealer to send me a replacement fecking receipt for a piece of shit tankbag they made. So why believe them on anything.
It's a fecking credit to you that your bike is still newer than when it left the showroom
OK own up... Who has cloned Indecisives logon details.
I did make an informed reply.
I read and was informed by your posts relating to:
(a) BuMW not recommending the conversion. Indeed to, "Stay away from them".
(b) The suitability of HID conversion, along with embedded links flagged up in a belief that what was in the links should be sufficient to turn our heads.
(c) The price and a suggestion that Les' were too expensive.
(d) A concern that your bike would fail its MOT and / or that the police would pull you over.
So, four very real (but unfounded) concerns posted and the implied belief that 100's on this site (and others) are doing something very wrong.
The honest reply is therefore that you should not buy or fit them, thereby relieving yourself - and the rest of us - of all your worries at a stroke.
Go in peace.
The warning is very interesting and was worth posting IMHO. The letter seems to take a reasonable approach - check of your lighting set-up is likely to comply!
My R1200GS has aftermarket HIDs fitted and passed it's MoT without problem. It's quite correct that the MoT test is about alignment, but there is a brightness standard; not less than 200 candelans and not more than 800 candelans, but the traffic division of our local police told me they don't know of any force that has equipment for measuring candelan output. They opined that 'you'll know if your lights are dazzling people because lots of them will flash you'; sounds a pretty sensible response to me! Like the video clip suggests, I've noticed HIDs give greater light 'scatter', but so far only about one in a hundred drivers flashes me, about the same as when I had the standard bulbs; presumably they were letting me know I had forgotten to switch my headlights off in broad daylight!
Deleted Member I
Guest
hmmm isn't a concentration camp a British invention old boy?
"The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. defines concentration camp as: a camp where non-combatants of a district are accommodated, such as those instituted by Lord Kitchener during the South African war of 1899-1902; one for the internment of political prisoners, foreign nationals, etc.
At the time that Kitchener started the concentration camps in South Africa the war had entered the guerilla phase. By destroying crops, livestock and farmsteads under the 'Scorched Earth' policy the Boer fighters were deprived of supplies and shelter. It also left the women and children on such farms destitute and they were forcibly removed, against their will, to the camps where thousands died of disease and starvation."
When did fact ever get in the way of a good rant
Deleted Member I
Guest
OK own up... Who has cloned Indecisives logon details.
I know!
It's those Mods at it again
ive seen enough dead bikers lying in the road caused by vehicle drivers who (just didnt see him? her) so frankly in this case i dont shive a git whether its legal or not just get a set on soon as poss ive done main, dip and the 2 spots my riding buds say they dont annoy but are incredibly visible my twopence worth
rudiemoto
Registered user
Therefore a HID headlamp unit sold in the after market should:
1. be type approved to ECE Regulation 98 as a component.
2. when fitted to the vehicle should enable ECE Regulation 48 to be complied with (although no government inspection will take place).
3. Comply with RVLR as far as "use" is concerned.
In practice this means:
1. The headlamp unit (outer lens, reflector, bulb) shall be type approved to ECE 98 and be "e-marked" to demonstrate this. That can only be done by the headlamp supplier - Hella, Valeo etc. who must test the headlamp in an independent laboratory.
2. Once fitted to the vehicle it must have headlamp cleaning and self-levelling (which can be for the headlamp or can be in the vehicle suspension - some expensive estate cars have "self-levelling suspension" and that is adequate). Also the dipped beam must stay on with the main beam.
3. The headlamp must be maintained in good working order, kept clean, and aligned/adjusted correctly like any other headlamp.
Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 it is an offence to supply, fit or use vehicle parts which are not legal.
In summary it is not permitted to convert an existing halogen headlamp unit for use with HID bulbs. The entire headlamp unit must be replaced with one designed and approved for use with HID bulbs and it must be installed in accordance with the rules stated above.
the fact is the h i d kits r type approved and so lamp .igot pull to night for a ...why r you driving wid spot on..reply ....i ride my bike
cops reply you think your smart ....my reply i am
turn them off .......reply by me there r driving lights ....cops reply you dont drive your bike ...off
1. be type approved to ECE Regulation 98 as a component.
2. when fitted to the vehicle should enable ECE Regulation 48 to be complied with (although no government inspection will take place).
3. Comply with RVLR as far as "use" is concerned.
In practice this means:
1. The headlamp unit (outer lens, reflector, bulb) shall be type approved to ECE 98 and be "e-marked" to demonstrate this. That can only be done by the headlamp supplier - Hella, Valeo etc. who must test the headlamp in an independent laboratory.
2. Once fitted to the vehicle it must have headlamp cleaning and self-levelling (which can be for the headlamp or can be in the vehicle suspension - some expensive estate cars have "self-levelling suspension" and that is adequate). Also the dipped beam must stay on with the main beam.
3. The headlamp must be maintained in good working order, kept clean, and aligned/adjusted correctly like any other headlamp.
Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 it is an offence to supply, fit or use vehicle parts which are not legal.
In summary it is not permitted to convert an existing halogen headlamp unit for use with HID bulbs. The entire headlamp unit must be replaced with one designed and approved for use with HID bulbs and it must be installed in accordance with the rules stated above.
the fact is the h i d kits r type approved and so lamp .igot pull to night for a ...why r you driving wid spot on..reply ....i ride my bike
cops reply you think your smart ....my reply i am turn them off .......reply by me there r driving lights ....cops reply you dont drive your bike ...off
littleredrooster
Registered user
...but we're not buying HID headlamp units, we're buying replacement lamps. Very different.
No - as I understand the regs, this only applies to OEM stuff, not aftermarket.
Not in this country, as far as I understand the regs. You can fit owt you want to any vehicle. Look at the number of jacked-up 4x4s, for example. As long as it passes the requirements for an MOT, anything goes.
Where in any regs does it say this, then? All the legislation that I have seen relates to new vehicles, i.e. OEM stuff. You can (largely) do what you want with an existing vehicle.
Unfortunately most TrafPol would need to consult the relevant regs (which are very vague) before being able to pursue a successful prosecution.the fact is the h i d kits r type approved and so lamp .igot pull to night for a ...why r you driving wid spot on..reply ....i ride my bike
turn them off .......reply by me there r driving lights ....cops reply you dont drive your bike ...off
Edit:
...and just to add...the guidance notes re. HIDs from the DfT seem to contradict the actual regs....
rudiemoto
Registered user
my word
over 11,000 hid kits r sold every mnth
surly its too late to stop the boat
over 11,000 hid kits r sold every mnth
surly its too late to stop the boat
I've got a car with standard fit HID's; I get flashed regularly, largely because the lights are very bright on dip beam, not because of alignment.
Not sure that being flashed is a good measure of the legality of a piece of kit.
No, I haven't had it checked, but the car is fairly new, not been into a wall, has no manual beam adjusters and the static beam pattern (car stationary on a flat road) looks as I'd expect - clear cut off in front of the driver, pattern spreading forwards at an angle on the nearside)
Next farkle for me on the Adv is the HID kit!
Mark
Not sure that being flashed is a good measure of the legality of a piece of kit.
No, I haven't had it checked, but the car is fairly new, not been into a wall, has no manual beam adjusters and the static beam pattern (car stationary on a flat road) looks as I'd expect - clear cut off in front of the driver, pattern spreading forwards at an angle on the nearside)
Next farkle for me on the Adv is the HID kit!
Mark
I've already decided that I'm going to get the HIDs off Les. Probably the brightest ones available 50w @ 5000K pure white light! Just getting the money together and I'll be placing my order.
That said, I was out for a ride last night in the dark riding around on A and B roads and I ended up riding behind a traffic police car. I had my aux lights on and was constantly thinking that he might flagged me down cause the back of his car with all the reflectors on lit up like a christmas tree. Thought If I had my HIDs on then I might have been in trouble! - but I'm still getting them cause I like bright lights. I'm the guy who tends to buy the biggest and brightest hand held lights so these HIDs are right up my street! The adventurer dip lights with aux on are good for a bike but it's when it rains and you are in the dark, then it's blimmin much harder to see. I also like the idea that it will make me safer during the day also!
Deleted account rno
Guest
So why worry what a bunch of german pricks says. Get a good lawyer and sue the mother feckers if it goes wrong! BMW says there are no depreciation on their bikes .. try proving that when you got a year old bike to sell
BMW were part of the NAZI machine, so they are fecking cunts by nature. Believe them and you end up in a fecking concentration camp.
And this from someone who sent half of the Scotland Section (me included) a mystifying PM saying he was leaving UKGSer because it was full of racist crap
You're a fecking weirdo Tom. 100%.
And this from someone who sent half of the Scotland Section (me included) a mystifying PM saying he was leaving UKGSer because it was full of racist crap
Not very p.c from some one who bangs on about racism IMO
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