I have HID's in my low beam sockets now, but am not happy with the light dispersion on the street. I have PIAA 65 Watt H-9 Platinum White bulbs in my high beams and they are unbelievably fantastic!

Thinking of trying to fit another set of H-9 Hi Beam bulbs into the stock H-11 Low beam sockets and get better down the road lighting.

Question: Has anyone else done this?

If so does it work?

Do the separate light patterns meet up with each other, or is there a blank space as I have now between the top of my low beam pattern (HID) and the low patterns of the Hi beams I have in place now?

PIAA has a new low beam bulb, called H-11 Night Tech, 90% more light, + 35 meters longer range over stock, and 10% more white light in 3600 Kelvin, about $66.95 a pair.

If I were to try to fit the Hi beam bulbs into the low beam sockets, are there any modifications to the bulb flange necessary to make it fit properly and not move around?

Maybe....you might have to clip a teensy bit of the metal ear off of two(maybe just one)of the bulb flanges...I had to with my High beam HID's trying to install in the low beam socket....but yours may go right in...IDK.Not sure if yours will 'click' when it's fully tight where it's supposed to be...mine didn't,but they stayed solid in there.The stock bulbs will have a tiny 'click feel' when they seat as you turn em in the socket to tighten.

Look at those ears...see if they match up okay when it's 'supposed' to be tight in there.One of em may be a shade bit too long.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 11/3/2012 @ 8:16 AM *

Not 100% sure but besides a brighter bulb aren't the H beams aimed a little higher to get the light further down the road
Or are you looking for more light right in front of you

I want to fill in the gap between the low beams as they are now in HID configuration, and the high which hit higher down the road...the HID provide a wider beam...and it is broken, not focused like a PIAA bulb is.

So.....I want more controlled light in front of me...the PIAA Extreme White high beams are just unbelievably bright in daytime...so want to get the same focused brightness in the low beams.....I love HID, but want a more forward filling beam to compliment the Hi beam, so can see the road clearer for bumps, cracks, and debris.....

Want to see if I can use a stock high beam bulb in the low beam socket and get the light I want and need that is better focused than the HID' low beam I have in there now...

Looking at the low HID yesterday in daylight from a distance, they looked like a small flashlight and could not see the bike coming as well....but when turning on the high beams...looked like a 747 coming...very impressive...so want the same amount of light coming from my low beam lens too.

You'll be better off with the brightest stock H11 bulbs you can get for the lowbeams IMO. The headlights on the 14 are not made for HID bulbs, hence the poor light pattern.

55W bulb...either HID or your 'bright white' one should work fine.It's mainly in the beam adjustments.And the bulb of course...high beam bulb...you need that first off.Then you adjust to how you want that light to aim.Just trial and error...that's about all you can really do.If you set the lamps to their factory positions(in the manual diagrams)...then with having two sets of high beam bulbs is gonna need an adjustment of some sort to focus that "low beam" high beam(bulb).

You won't get the same light output OR pattern using a low beam bulb for what you want.You need that High beam bulb...and do the adjustments.Might take a few runs to get it where ya want it....but it's simple really.There won't be a 'gap' of light once they're set right.

If you look at the end of that low beam bulb...it's painted.You don't want that.That creates a certain light pattern that you are trying to get rid of.H9's.....that's what ya want.

If you end up 'mixing' the two bulbs..(hid and stock high beam bulbs)....it's gonna look strange(on the road at night)...you won't like it I don't think.Those HID's CAN be adjusted to work excellent in the low beam sockets...

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 11/3/2012 @ 12:03 PM *

I thought I would like having HID's in my new bike...so I switched out the ones off my 07...and installed.After a while,I thought...I'll see actually how well the new bulbs are at night...I hadn't really ridden at night with em yet.So I reinstalled the factory ones back in.....I was surprised to see that they were fine...PLENTY of light.Left em in after that.Nice frontal pattern(on lows)...high beams worked very well.The kelvins are a bit deceiving....during the day or off center,the stock bulbs appear pretty yellow looking...but at night...I found they had more than enough output.I won't be going back to HID's again.

The first mod I made after Brock CF duals was installing HID in the low beams..and put the PIAA H-9 Extreme White 4150K in the high beams.....yesterday I let someone ride my bike behind me and was very very impressed with the PIAA in my high beams...but the HID was a very disappointing projection...was almost embarrassed at the lack of adequate lighting out put from HID in the low beam sockets...

I think you are correct about getting some Hi beams and put them into the low beam sockets...will try my stock bulbs in there late tonight and see how they work...if I like them...will order another set of PIAA Xtreme whites and let her rip.....!

See the silver bolt(bottom)....If I'm not mistaken...that bolt will fine tune your low beam aim...not just 'up or down'...or 'side to side' with the high beam lamp.I didn't see it anywhere in the manual....but it will move that socket independently of the other one.That's on an 07 model....IDK if the 2012's have that in there.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 11/3/2012 @ 12:50 PM *

Ok I found that by grinding slightly on the larger Hi beam retainer lug, it will fit into the low beam socket...I also had to modify the inside of the female plug and remove one built up male slider inside the plug..then it was an easy install...

Have to tell you the results were fantastic! Was disappointed my HID bulbs did not offer me the lighting I wanted on the street...apparantly they are NOT suitable for HID and are made only for stock like bulbs...

So ordered another set of PIAA 65 Watt Platinum Hi beam bulbs....4150Kelvin....they will go in the low beam stock receptacly as soon as they get here....

The lighting is very impressive...the stock bulbs appear to be yellow in color when looking at them from the front of the bike...the PIAA and my PIAA 1100X offer a super bright white light which is what I have been looking for...and they produce the light pattern on the street I have been needing/wanting since bringing it home.

So..a lesson learned regarding HID vs. stock type bulbs..don't do it! Use an upgraded stock type bulb....the PIAA are on the cutting edge of lighting performance and you can get any Kelvin rating you want.

The silver bolt adjusts vertical adjustments only....the black bolt on the side may adjust horizontal...have not tried that one yet.....hope mine is ok.

Ninja

* Last updated by: ninjawarrior1244 on 11/5/2012 @ 7:23 AM *

The Black bolt on the left...that one will move BOTH sockets right or left.That Top one...vertical...both sockets.That's a right hand assembly.

To adjust side to side...you screw the black one in(clockwise)...that will move the beam(s)TO THE LEFT(on the RIGHT SIDE ASSEMBLY).On the upper one....clockwise will RAISE the beams(both).HOWEVER!!!!!!!On the LEFT lamp assembly...you have to reverse your turning direction to get the same results.The black one will go COUNTERCLOCKWISE to move the beam to the LEFT....and the upper one...that can be turned as the right side....clockwise to go up,and vice-versa.You probably knew that already;)

The manual only shows adjustments with the upper brass colored one,and that blackish bolt on the corner(center of the cowl when installed).But that silver one WILL adjust one of those sockets independently.Not sure right now which socket(hi or low)....but it does.

The PIAA's sound like a good deal....HID's can be finiky.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 11/5/2012 @ 8:19 AM *

I have some kind of a light film inside my lens on both sides....is there any way I can get in there and clean the inside of the plastic headlight lens?

When bulbs are lit....there is a small circle on the plastic and looks like it is somewhat dirty and needs to be cleaned out....came that way on the bike out of the crate.

I have only found two (2) adjustment screws for the 2012 Zx14r. The long silver ones are at bottom center and adjust up and down...

The small black bolt adjusts windage...side to side on each individual light nacelle....

So only two adjustment screws allow beam placement....both are independent of each other. To me it is far more important that the hi beams are perfectly aligned and zeroed in to where I want to see way down the road...the low beams can fill in the darker spaces below the high beams.

Also have the PIAA 1100x mounted on the side of front fenders..work very well.

* Last updated by: ninjawarrior1244 on 11/5/2012 @ 10:57 AM *

The film is normal.....mine had it....all the pics I've seen have it.It's the bulb color hitting the inside of the 'clear' lens plastic.It won't affect your lumens.Besides...I don't think you CAN get in there....not with the metal socket attached as it is...to the inside cavity.I'd leave it be....you might mess up a factory coating or something.IDK.The spots on the lenses are bugs in this pic...that's not inside.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 11/5/2012 @ 11:25 AM *

Got the new PIAA 65 Watt 4150 Bulbs today...modified the large locking lug and installed in both low beam receptacles....now have 260 watts of power in the 4 bulbs...and 110 watts with two 55 Watt Piaa 1100, total of 370 watts up front....all coming from a lithium battery that weighs 1.9 pounds!

This seems to be at least twice better than having the HID's in there in the low beam receptacles...the light seems more white and more focused.

The total wattage is irrelevant really. The important factor is that the available light is being focused in the right direction. The HID's will actually be giving more lighting power (lumens) then the PIAA's but, as you have found, if it can't be focused it's worthless. If the housings had been designed for HID you'd be getting 2-3 times the light with half the wattage. HID's don't seem to have caught on as OE on bikes, possibly because of the lack of space needed for ballasts and chokes maybe? The new generation of LED lights are starting to appear though. They're an option on the Ducati 1199 and possibly others too.

These Projector Beams/Lenses work very well with the conventional bulbs I am finally finding out. I thought HID was the answer to ALL motorcycle installations.....they are NOT! I am very happy and impressed with the results of the PIAA 65 Watt Platinum bulbs. I have 4 of them now up front, modified the two female plugs removed the top ribs in the plugs, and narrowed the wider retaining flanges on the bulb bases themselves.....

The results must be seen to be believed. At night when sitting on the bike I can see both my hi beam bulbs projecting a concentric round burn on the street about 15 inches in diameter....looks like a flashlight shining in a straight beam thru fog, almost laser like projections. So...they are doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing. They do not perform as well with the stock bulbs, when you do the upgraded bulbs...they will make you proud!

So you guys who are thinking about HID....think again, they just don't focus the beam as well as regular filament bulbs do.