Interesting stuff. I wonder if using spacers to recess the capsule deeper into the headlight fixture might tighten the focus thereby bringing the low beam up and the high beam down a bit. I read somewhere that as little as .125 will make a difference in the focus, but I wonder how the over-all effect would be on low and high beam postion. Maybe it would just narrow the vert spread of both?

 

I did an experiment with the depth of the HID bulb. I found the further I pulled the bulb back, the more spread and less focased the beam was. I also completely removed the sliver light shield, which only made things worse. Low beam had glare above the horizion line, while the high beam remained unaffected. Theres one more black light shield (located just behind the HID capsole bulge), but I don't think it will do anything, buts its still worth a shot.

Light output is amazing and clear, but now with that dead spot in the center. It does bother me some. High beam works awasome and no complaints there, just with the low beam. If it really annoys me enough after all the tries. I'll just spend the $50 and get the Silverstar Ultra bulb pack.

Edit: I think I may have a solution. Limit the amount of travel of the telescopic. But since there is so little material to work with on the bulb housing. I will need to take apart the telescopic mechism and space the bulb back about 2mm. This should lift the low beam up more and not affect the high beam. Naturally, I'll need to get some new tools. They use torx screws of something like T-5.

 

After just a few very short days. I call this little project BUST. Yes the light is brighter and clearer, but because of the few fell short perfections, I decided just to go back to a Halogen bulb. So tomorrow, I'm to install the SilverStar Ultra H4.

On further note. I was actually getting ready to install the re-version of the HID bulb (narrower low/beam travel) when the on/off relay failed. Not the ballast or HID bulb. And because of the utter design of the system, in engineer's terms, "simply is better".

Don't let this discourge you. If you want HID for your KLX, go for it. Just be warned its trial & error. My trial is just busted, not failed.

 

I went back, asked around and re-read some of the reviews from over here.

I had lazily used the term 'beam scatter' when I was talking about HID hi/low bulbs in the stock KLX relector/assembly, but my memory is not what it used to be. It turns out the major factor prompting people to switch the assy over here was exactly what Minako encountered..it all seemed to center around problems with the low beam. One of the guys solved it by going with the KLX450R heallight assy and the others went to an aftermark headlight of multi-reflector design.

Now I know BMWHD came here earlier and posted some of his success stories -I have mad respect the man's knowledge- but those where not on a KLX. So far, I haven't heard of any success using the stock assy with HID on our bike. That's not to say it's not possible, and I'm not sharing what I've read and seen just to be a 'naysayer.'

If any of you hear of success using the stock unit, please share as there are probably more than a few who like the merits of keeping the glass lens.

Thanks for sharing all of the info, LJ.