The headlights on your Ducati are the result of a number of design compromises and legal restrictions. So, before you go changing them let me list a few points to consider first.
The light patterns of high and low beams are legally restricted, because otherwise the light from oncoming vehicles can blind you and you can blind them. So reflectors and bulbs are designed in combination such that there is a sharp cut-off to the light pattern to prevent this glare.
The color of the our headlight beam affects our ability to see. The more yellow and less blue the beam, the better we can SEE WITH IT at night. The more blue and less yellow the beam, the better it can be SEEN during the day. This is a function of the way our eyes work. (See comments below)
The brightness of the headlight increases as the electrical current through the bulb is increased. Bulbs with a higher wattage rating are brighter. But, given that the heat and electrical demands on the charging system and wiring increase with higher wattage bulbs, 55 watt bulbs have become standard on most vehicles. High wattage bulbs will melt adjacent plastic parts.
You can't get something for nothing. Some headlight bulb manufacturers advertise getting the equivalent of 85 watts of light while consuming only the standard 55 watts of electrical power. They do this trick by concentrating the light beam more at the center and less at the edges so you can't see objects to the side as well.
True high intensity discharge (HID) lighting systems are more efficient than halogen gas-filled bulbs so for the same wattage used they produce a brighter light. But, they're also bluer in color. These expensive systems first appeared on high-end luxury cars that use a government-mandated self-leveling system to avoid blinding oncoming traffic. It's illegal to fit these lights to your car without the leveling devices for a good reason.
The blue-colored light from true HID's has created some confusion in the marketplace that is being exploited by headlight bulb manufacturers. True HID's use an entirely different arc-discharge (like a movie projector) technology to produce their brighter light, but because the resultant light is bluer (higher degrees Kelvin) buyers naturally think that blue light is brighter so they switch to blue bulbs in an attempt to get brighter lights.
To add to the confusion, the term HID is often seen on packaging of standard halogen bulbs that have simply been given a blue dye coating. The coating absorbs light so they may be bluer but they're NOT AS BRIGHT as the same bulb without the coating.
Short of a true HID system there IS a better bulb available that increases the usable light output by pressurizing the bulb with a higher percentage of the gas Xenon. The BimmerXenon 30% Xenon bulbs for example, use this technology.
http://www.bimmerxenon.com/
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