HID's on a snowmobile

[BJorgy17]

Has anybody done an HID conversion kit on here? i am wondering how the functionality is at night and during storms or heavy fog? I want to put some 35watt 6000k HID's on my 12 pro. I Know there is numerous kits outs there so experience with any site or how you like the product is appreciated! Also would you buy them again after using them?
-Jorg

 

[Daltech]

Your only option to have hid work on a pro is with a converter from ac to dc current. One company that sells them in us, but the kit are like 450usd.

Daltech now Free

 

[4Z]

I am thinking about getting HID set up too. Have not pulled the trigger yet, but found these guys, they are sledders: HIDsource.com and cyclops

Have not pulled the trigger yet, as they have soooo many options including a helmet mounted HID light that is pretty cool.

 

[BJorgy17]

Your only option to have hid work on a pro is with a converter from ac to dc current. One company that sells them in us, but the kit are like 450usd.Daltech now Free

Are you sure that's the only way? I found I Canadian site that has the kit for $120, not sure if it includes a converter for ac to dc

 

[Daltech]

Are you sure that's the only way? I found I Canadian site that has the kit for $120, not sure if it includes a converter for ac to dc

You should post a link to the canadian site. I was involved in testing plugin converters last winter, and so was a canadian company. Maybe they liked the solution.

Daltech now Free

 

[BJorgy17]

Here is the link to the website
http://www.kbcarstuff.com/Volt-HID-Digital-HID-Kits-p/vdp-hid.htm

 

[PJ-Hunter]

I found some on ebay for my street bike and it was easy. Kit was a little over $100 bucks. Same bulbs as are in my sled. Plug and play. the harness was a little bulky for a bike so I had to do some inventive tucking.

 

[njk4o5]

ddm tuning has the best HID kits around. they are durable and excellent prices. the ebay cheapy kit will not work for a full season. ive tried many ebay kits. i run HIDs on my quad, truck, and had them on my old sled.

to put them on a sled that uses AC at the lights, i needed to put a small battery/capacitor and a AC to DC converter. The HIDs need a strong burst of power to start up, then they use less energy. a sled idling will not be able to fire the HID by itself. hence why i used the battery. I had around $100 into the kit

$450 is rediculous

 

[njk4o5]

Here is the link to the website
http://www.kbcarstuff.com/Volt-HID-Digital-HID-Kits-p/vdp-hid.htm

this site is for the HID bulb replacement kit only. you will still need some other small parts to make them work on a 2stroke sled that uses AC at the lights. Not sure what the pro rmk uses. but the cats use AC current for lighting. looks like a pretty good kit, but the ddm tuning kits are way less money and ive actually tried to kill one of thier kits on my quad and still havnt in 5 years. Its even been underwater twice!

 

[Wheel House Motorsports]

toss the lights in the trash, and mount some Rigid industries LED lights on the bars or something, there 16w dually alone has insane brightness out of a WAY less wattage. and bombproof cases.

 

[christopher]

I installed HIDs on my Nytro a couple years ago.
Absolutely LOVE the new light.
Brighter, Whiter, all around BETTER.

 

[Blown Motor]

Like stated above, the dc-ac current is what will be the tricky part. The guys that are using rigid lights like us either have a battery and a direct switch or are using a rectifier. As LED's do not like AC either.

 

[bgraff1]

toss the lights in the trash, and mount some Rigid industries LED lights on the bars or something, there 16w dually alone has insane brightness out of a WAY less wattage. and bombproof cases.

as stated above, IMO this is the best way. as bright or brighter as HID's, 2 wire connection, not bulky, will outlast the sled, doesnt care about moisture or vibration.

 

[thefullmonte]

http://www.yanashiki.com/35W_Premium_HID_Kits_s/3533.htm

Any dealer that can order from Tucker Rocky should be able to get these for you. Sold a few for motorcycles this year and I'm impressed with what I've seen. Very clean wiring and ballast and very bright light.

Another option is just a higher intensity PIAA bulb. They are about twice the performance of stock bulbs without pulling any extra wattage.

 

[eddy]

LED vs HID

For High Performance headlights the latest and greatest is LED. Cadillac XLR and most all hybrid/electric cars have proven this. Aftermarket HID headlights are a good solution to get more light, however folks have had both good and some not so good results on snowmobiles. The latest LED headlight bulbs are the best alternative to get more light (3 times stock), use 60% less electricity, last longer and have small size components. Snowmobiles also have very low output electrical systems, so caution is wise when selecting a headlight solution.

Fortunately, a new LED aftermarket system was released just this month. It uses a new LED technology that is both as bright as HID and projects forward just as far. All this while using less electricity than either a stock bulb or HID set up. LED is also "instant on" with no delay or warm up and will outlast the sled. This is what we have been waiting for!

HID has a bulky ballast and has electrical issues that a snowmobiler may not accept. Although a 35W HID (in 6500 Kelvin color- White/Blue) will produce about 1890 Lumens, the issue to be dealt with is HID's reliability (anyone have issues with HID's on Dodge pickups?). This new LED system uses less than 25 watts and is voltage stable in use. The driver is the size of a thin stack of business cards and is easy to mount. The best part is the new LED is 5000K in color (White/White)and produces about 1850 Lumens of output. The newest LED has a lifespan of 30,000 hours in use - 6 times a HID and is way more vibration resistant.

The advantage of LED headlight bulbs on a Ski Doo (where two bulbs are used) is the new LED's will free up about 80 watts for the hand warmers that we all know could use a boost! So more light and warm hands! What's not to like? Well, at the current time the only thing is the cost ($270 per pair MSRP). Other than that they are the superior solution no matter how you look at it. Nobody ever said the best stuff was cheap, so this should not be a surprise!

Riders that have been interested in a better headlight choice now have a great option. PM me and I will find you a dealer in your area who will have these kits. If you are in Alaska: Contact Chris at Alaska LED Industries (907) 978-2900. He will tell you why better vision from headlights would have changed his life and why you need better light to ride safely. Applications are now available now for all Ski Doo, Polaris and Yamaha. Newer Arctic Cat will be little later, however older models are covered.

Cheers, and yeah, pray for snow!

 

[off road rider]

There is no led bulb that you can plug into a factory socket and get far better performance than an HID.
LEDs require Very specific optics and the combo just will not work.
There are however great LED lights in specific LED housings that will far outshine any HID at less power draw and without the light scate associated with running an HID in a halogen can.
Lumen ratings mean very little, It's all in the optics. There are Lots of guys selling cheap Chinese junk, attempting to take your money who don't have a clue about what good lights are. Do your research, were will you get warranty work done? how long have they been in business, how long will they be in business?
Ridgeds are good, As are Cyclops Products.In light output there is no equal. We lifetime warranty all our LED products. We also support Snowest and actually ride.
Here is Alan from Timbesleds machine

 

[4Z]

Is it just me, my equipment that leads me to think that LED light is too narrow? Stated differently, HID and hooligan seem to have a wider or more scattered light. LED seems to be more narrow. Is this the optics thing you are talking about?

 

[eddy]

LED

New 25 W LED technology that currently makes about the same light output as a 35 Watt HID. Longer lifespan and uses less power while using a smaller driver. Is designed to replace the OEM headlight bulb.

 

[off road rider]

Is it just me, my equipment that leads me to think that LED light is too narrow? Stated differently, HID and hooligan seem to have a wider or more scattered light. LED seems to be more narrow. Is this the optics thing you are talking about?

Its all in the optics, not the light source.
Quality LEDs are available in different beam patterns, The ones I posted above are 10 degree or spots, We also have beam patterns up to 60 degrees . The most popular setup is a mix of 10's and 25 degree optics. That setup gives you the best distance and offers a smooth fill and wider pattern.
All LEDs are not created equal.
24 hr in goldendale this weekend. What better way to wait for the snow to fly.

 

[BJorgy17]

For the converter from AC to DC what type do i need to fit a pro? I talked to a rep from slp at the edmonton sled show, they sell a AC/DC converter but he was unsure to if it would do what i need, anyone familiar with this?