[DrumScum]

I have upgraded my RK to the HID from H-D. I think its well worth the additional price to upgrade to HID. I was running a Sylvinia SilverStar H-4 lamp and thats way brighter then stock H-D bulb, but the HID is even brighter yet. As is with anything in life, Money talks. You know the rest of the story.

I just recently picked up the Harley catalog and saw the HID kits.. Holy ****...$525. What I find interesting is that they don't show the Kelvin rating (color temp). I just replaced my low and high beam with a 6,000 k kit for a little over $200..I got in on a group buy and had mine shipped from overseas. Another thing I find interesting is that the kit is DOT approved. Ever wonder why you don't see HID kits in stores? They are illegal for road use in the states....with the exception of vehicles that have HID installed form the factory as OEM equipment. They don't even state in the Harley catalog that the kit is intended for off road use like they warn you about SE exhausts. Before you drop the big green for Harleys overpriced kit, have a look at this website who specializes in HID. Try and get an answer from your Harley dealer on what the Kelvin rating is. I have a feeling that Harleys kit isn't all that they'd like you to believe it is. Here is a website that specializes in HID kits.

http://www.xenonking.com/5000m.htm

 

[DrumScum]

I'm using the Harley HID kit, and I like it a lot.
Excellent light output, far better than the stock H4 and the (similar-looking) dual bulb halogen upgrade.

Yes, the kit is expensive, but don't be fooled by the cheap price tags of some of the HID kits on the market. They won't perform as well or last as long as the Harley HID kit. It is made by Sylvania/Osram, and is top-shelf equipment. You'll get what you pay for.

How do you know the Harley kit will outperform the other kits on the market?
They don't tell you what the light output of the kit is. The Philips and McCullough kits state clearly the output of the different kits they make. Why doesn't Harley? After reading the description in the Harley catalog, I failed to notice that the Harley kit uses a Halogen bulb for the high beam...not HID. Now I really feel that is way too much money for the Harley kit, especially since it only has one HID bulb in it. I still find it odd that Harley states the kits are DOT approved when all HID lighting is illegal unless installed at the factory. This leads me to believe the light output isn't as much as some of the other kits available. I'm sure some of the cost of the Harley kit is due to the necessary reflectors that focus the beam. That wasn't necessary on my bike as it already had it. You couldn't just buy one of these other kits as a plug and play system. I'm not saying the Harley kit is bad, just that it's overpriced for what you're getting. I also don't see them offering replacement HID bulbs. Those alone from what I've seen are around $100. It would be interesting to see if the dealers carry them and how much they want for them.