Fitting an HID Ballast - Falco (possibly others)

[D-Rider]

When converting the Falco’s dip beam bulb to an HID lamp, it is often difficult to find a good way to mount the ballast.

This is how I fitted mine:

Fitting the H7 HID bulb was relatively easy – follow Aprilia’s instructions for changing headlight bulbs.
The ballast was more of a problem as there is little spare space at the front of a Falco and the ballast must be fitted close to the bulb.

The HID that I have was previously fitted to a Futura (I won it on ebay). The ballast that came with the kit was able to fit into a space just forward of the instrument cluster. There are some convenient holes in the instrument cluster support structure that I used to affix a bracket to hold the ballast.

Firstly remove the screen and the cover below that fits over the instruments – parts 1 & 6 shown below:



Then remove the connector from the back of the instrument cluster.
Looking down from the front of the bike at the back of the instrument cluster, you will see that it is held on place by 3 nuts (with washers). Remove them (think it was a 10mm spanner) and remove the instrument cluster.

I used a piece of aluminium plate to form a bracket to bolt into 2 holes in the support structure for the dash. You will need to sort out your own sizes depending on the size of your ballast. Be aware that you need to leave sufficient clearance for the instrument cluster fixings and for access to the right-hand main-beam bulb.

The bottom mounting required a small stand-off from the bottom bracket to ensure the ballast didn’t foul one of the dash support cross-members – all I needed to do was use a nut on the mounting screw that holds the bracket in place.

The previous owner of the HID had mounted the ballast with Velcro. I just applied the mating Velcro part to the bracket on which the ballast is mounted and then made doubly sure by clamping it together with cable ties.

The electrical wires were then attached to the ballast and it was bolted in place.

The instrument cluster was then replaced and the connector pushed back in. The cover and screen (parts 1&6 in the diagram above) were then refitted.
Of course, the cluster needs to be reset into mph (if applicable), the clock reset and the red-line indicator reset.

The following pictures should help:

Bracket and ballast (with Velcro in place).



Ballast fitted to bracket (front)



Ballast fitted to bracket (back)



Ballast mounted to instrument cluster support (instrument cluster removed)



Ballast mounted to instrument cluster support – looking down from above (front of bike at bottom of picture)

[Falcopops]

very nice install mate, much neater than my effort

[Goldie]

....Firstly remove the screen and the cover below that fits over the instruments – parts 1 & 3 shown below:

Don't you mean 1 and 6 ??

But well done Andy, and very timely, ...my HID kit arrived today.

[D-Rider]

Don't you mean 1 and 6 ??

But well done Andy, and very timely, ...my HID kit arrived today.

Spelling mistake!

yeah - dunno how I cocked that up - I'll go and change the first post.

Cheers.

[falcomunky]

No offence is meant here, but is it only me who doesnt see the point in doing this mod?....

[woodbutcher]

No your not on your own falcomonkey i dont see the point either.But i do see the benifit of having the dipped beam on the same time as the main.I suppose some bright spark will come back with us not seeing the point because our lights arent bright enough,

[falcomunky]

Heh. Brightest lights Ive ever had on ANY bike Ive owned!
I reckon ya shorten the bulbs life with the extra use as well.

[Goldie]

No offence is meant here, but is it only me who doesnt see the point in doing this mod?....

No offence taken... but is there any reason why you question this particular mod rather than any of the other "pointless" ones?

(I'm assuming aesthetic = pointless???)

Life would be boring if none of us modified our bikes, but it would not be a lot better if we all went for exactly the same mods.

[Kwackerz]

I considered fitting HID to the TT600 a while back. The thing that sold the idea to me was the ability to make your presence known from a distance, moreso than on a standard bulbed bike, also the benefit of extreme lighting during those 'thru the woods at night' scratching sessions out in the countryside. The ability to explode rabbits's heads at half a mile was cool as well. Blinded? just a tad!

This was summat one of the sites wrote on the subject:

Hit the switch. A hundred yards ahead the dim interior of some stranger’s car is lit up with intense whiteness. The driver visibly flinches - hunching down and forward as if he’d suddenly received an electric shock. (I’ve watched this happen..) Now you’re runnin’ an illegal HID headlight that replaced your bike’s regular headlight bulb. (And you’re gonna get a ticket if you are not more careful..) All HID lights are powered by a weatherproof mini-transformer smaller than a pack of cigarettes mounted inside the fairing or under the gas tank. This kit is an easy plug-and-play install, with all wiring and components necessary. HID tech was originally developed as a long distance fiber-optic transmitter light source, so it’s ultra-reliable, runs cooler than halogens, and the HID bulbs themselves last about 2500 hours - far longer than regular types. It draws only 35 watts but produces about 160 watts of intensely white (8300k) light. In comparison, regular headlight beams draw and produce 55 watts on low and 60 on high. So this quality conversion is for off-road use only - Specify kit and bulb type: For two-bulb headlights: One H1, H3 or H7 single bulb/transformer/wiring to convert either the low or high beam side, or for single-bulb headlights: One H4 hi/lo beam conversion. See and be seen!

I guess (without checking) the use of the dip bulb for Hid and using the main (?) at the same time just provides floodlighting akin to those sad little extra lamps they shove on Vespas and GS BMWs, but in a much better manner.,. ?

[Goldie]

...the ability to make your presence known from a distance...

Of course the real reason for fitting it is to irritate any of my mates who dare to overtake me!

...so I've installed it just before our annual european tour to ensure that they remember who was leading all the way!!!

[D-Rider]

Well, I've been out for a long ride today and found the HID was of no benefit whatsoever.
In fact the extra weight of the ballast may have compromised both acceleration and fuel economy.

There again, on a dark winter's night when I'm on a country road without road markings and it's pissing down with rain, I'll actually have the light turned on and, hopefully, it will come into it's own.
Gone will be the memories of my old Honda 50 with it's 6v gloworm ... Many's the time when riding home from Reading to the village where I lived that I'd plough through an 'invisible' puddle, water would swamp the plug and HT lead and I'd have to dry it all out to continue home. Those memories make me glad for every extra bit of light I can get.
Yes the standard Falco lights are good but that extra illumination for the £23.50 the HID kit cost (ebay) seems worth it to me.

[Aladinsaneuk]

Remind me to look over your beast next week end andy - assuming you will be at the aprilia meet??

[D-Rider]

Remind me to look over your beast next week end andy - assuming you will be at the aprilia meet??

..... sooner you looked at my Falco!! (if it's all the same to you)

TBH, I'm a bit worried that I might not make it next weekend. The calendar shows that it's the Mrs friend's wedding. Now, normally I'm never invited to anything to do with her .... but knowing my luck, this will be the one occasion when I'm expected to go.
Obviously the simple way to find out is to ask the Mrs .... but that's just a bit too scary! I'll be expected to have known and get a right bollocking if I've made the wrong assumption.
I'm sure everything will become clear during the week.

I really do want to get to the Aprilia meet - it does sound as though it will be really good.

[Aladinsaneuk]

nod, I am looking forward to it... no sodding nappy changes for a start LOL

also I get to catch up with my old friends in hampshire, and in the nice way I get to give young jane a ride....

I will think on that comment as I head to bed LOL

either way, i am going and hope you make it down - and if you do, where we going for tea on saturday night?? a curry sounds good LOL