HID Bulbs and the New MoT = Fail

JDB

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Interesting to read here https://www.mot-testing.service.gov...ors-and-electrical-equipment.html#section_4.1

That "Some motorcycles may be fitted with high intensity discharge (HID) headlamps. Existing halogen headlamp units shouldn’t be converted to be used with HID bulbs. If such a conversion has been done, you must fail the headlamp."

I guess a few people will be busy once a year swapping over.....

Fortunately spot lamps are OK "Apart from headlamp security, the check only applies to mandatory lamps." and LED bulbs are OK - "A ‘light source’ means any bulb, LED or other means of emitting light."
 
strangely, but I guess that is because they lack the power in a single insert bulb to dazzle.
 
I had mine converted by Les from the parish, best Improvement in safety and night driving I have done!

So does anyone know how simple it is to convert back? And leave all ballast where it is.

Steve
 
Mine passed without question last week.
4x HID’s in the ZZR14 - beam pattern in the projectors perfect.
The “issue” is idiots that fit them to standard reflector units without using the correct types with the proper black ti[s to prevent glare from forward projected light.
There’s a reason halogen bulbs have the black tips.
 
I had mine mot'd at end of May and was specifically asked if the headlight was HID. If it had been, it was made clear that it would have failed. Fortunately, I'd been warned and had removed the HID bulb and refitted the halogen, then bagged up and lashed the loose cables from the ballast. All reversed when I got home and got ready to go to the IOM...

Suffice to say, it's clear from the link in the OP's post that HID dip/main beam are not supposed to pass MOT, and it does seem clear that LEDs are ok :thumb
 
Section 4.1.4 makes the rules perfectly clear. What is there to debate?

Apart from the HID beam scatter issue, they can be sluggish in reaching full brightness during the switching process. Yes, I know this can be addressed with the right kit/fitting, but all three MOT guys I have spoken to recently are pretty firm on failing HID whatever. Personally I can't be bothered farting around with swopping back to Halogen for the MoT, so use those Osram nightrider/nightbreaker bulbs when anything blows. A buddy of mine has switched all his family's bikes/cars from HID to LED since the new regs - cost him a pretty penny too.

Still, it's your bike, your buck, your choice.
 
Ahead of my recent MOT I asked my man what might be important in 2018.

Mustn’t be noisy” was the reply.

Asked about my HID headlamps and was told that they’d be OK as long as they didn’t flicker / flash.

So I popped my Akra baffle back in for the day and it sailed through.
 
i use 4 different MOT testers , not 1 of them would fail a bike with HID lights if the light is properly adjusted .

on the grounds that they are an improvement to safe driving at night . The wording has come over from twats who fit HID kits to cars and then fail to adjust them .

OR we are on track to get a " Brief " , a German document that lists EVERY change from standard that has been done , this includes , tyres , brake pads , panniers , screen , anything you can think of .

http://nurburgring.org.uk/trip_reports/trip34/index.html

just read the first paragraph .
 
I had my GSA for test at the end of May. It has passed with an HID in dipped for the last 5 years but this year failed. The tester said nothing about it being an HID but said the beam cut off pattern was indistinct. However he did some fiddling with the alignment and got a pattern sufficiently distinct to pass it. It now looks like it should have failed until the HID was replaced.

I have now reverted to a standard halogen bulb but it looks like a dim candle in contrast the HID that was fitted and the LED main beam that is still fitted. I have not tried it in the dark yet but am dreading riding on dipped beam.
 
The problem with HID Units in standard reflectors is they dazzle any on coming traffic, The light source is the wrong shape for a reflector to cut the beam properly. You you may think being so bright and dazzling other road users is a good idea, but...... If dazzled it much more difficult to calculate the approach speed, difficult enough with a motorcycle at night but dazzled they have no chance so are more likely to just pull out.
Same with using high beam whilst filtering dazzles drivers who will tend to look at the light, and where you look is where you go so the gap you where aiming for suddenly get narrower
 


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