DDM HID headlight install step by step - Ducati.ms

sick50ford · Mar 8th, 2010, 12:09 am

I bought the DDM Tuning 35w 6000k H4 single bulb with high and low from this link. $44 + shipping

http://www.ddmtuning.com/index.php?p...=106&parent=61

Disclaimer-this is my first install of HID's and I had no instructions and did no research on the matter. I did this last night then today I rode 200 miles with no problems and the only issue being that it points a little high with the stock setting.

Start off by removing the seat, left side panel, and beak. Then remove and disconnect the headlight housing.

Because I didn't want to have to cut two holes in the housing I removed the original prong connector from the headlight by prying it free with a small screwdriver and by depressing the locking tabs on the connectors from the three prong headlight plug I was able to disassemble and completely remove original wiring in the headlight housing and reassemble outside the housing to add to the supplied HID harness.

You will need unscrew the rear cap and swap old bulb with new HID bulb. Cut a 15/16" hole in the back of the cap OFF CENTER toward the top for the new wiring. (this will be the only permanent scar of the job everything else is easily swapped back to stock) the cap says "top" in the same place I cut my hole. I cut a small piece of sheet metal to fill the void of the removed stock connection and siliconed it in place. I also added some silicon to the HID supplied seal for good measure.

This is the assembled harness configuration. Picture was taken while setting up a test run.

The wire marked NOT USED I didn't know what to do with and when I tested without it everything worked as planned so I chopped it off near the ballast so I didn't have to hide the additional long wire. (this wire has identical connectors as another lead in the harness but this removed wire is very long)

The connections not made in the image are the black and red eyelets which are the power and ground both of which I hooked up directly to the battery. Also the stock headlight connection on the bike gets attached to the same plug as before but now instead of the three prong headlight plug going to the bulb it connects to the supplied harness. Clear as mud?

That was the hard part, now just mount everything and use plenty of electrical tape on the exposed connector ends removed from the watertight headlight housing. I used white zip ties so it would be obvious in the photos what was getting installed. Check to make sure nothing is getting pinched or worn when the handlebars get their full rotation or you will have problems down the road.

The wiring harness groove in the gas tank was only big enough to accept one of the two wires to the battery so the other took the route of the fuel pump lines below the tank to the battery.

I know its not the best step by step but mostly I wanted to touch on some items that took me time to figure out, the voids should be easy to understand once you're knee deep in the job.

Start to finish it took about 4 hours to sort out without instructions and other distractions from the family and phone.

CAlexio · Mar 8th, 2010, 7:58 am

THANK YOU! that was very useful and informative. The job may be a little more than my tiny brain can handle, but I will save this thread and hopefully tackle it soon... what's the worse that can happen right?

johnchypermotard · Mar 8th, 2010, 11:50 am

ciao chris -

excellent step by step you have provided ... grazie mille fratello!!!

if you are riding over to ducati bike night this evening @ satan's row pizza antica, would be cool to see how bright the new HID system is.

ciao,
johnc

Jeff4510 · Mar 8th, 2010, 5:53 pm

so how's it work? worth it??

sick50ford · Mar 8th, 2010, 7:36 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff4510

so how's it work? worth it??

You could search the Internet all day long and find standard versus H. I D. comparison tests and sell yourself on HID.

I really like the light, it looks cool, it seems a lot brighter and for 50 bucks it's a no-brainer for me. If I had to do it all over again I could probably do it in only one hour.

CAlexio · Mar 8th, 2010, 7:48 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by sick50ford

You could search the Internet all day long and find standard versus H. I D. comparison tests and sell yourself on HID.

I really like the light, it looks cool, it seems a lot brighter and for 50 bucks it's a no-brainer for me. If I had to do it all over again I could probably do it in only one hour.

well, I have to say the install looks pretty delicate with all the rewiring you mentioned... "easy" is a relative thing eh?

sick50ford · Mar 8th, 2010, 8:14 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexio

well, I have to say the install looks pretty delicate with all the rewiring you mentioned... "easy" is a relative thing eh?

Honestly it's not bad,

I used a sewing machine needle to disengage the locking tabs on the individual connectors inside the three prong headlight plug and then put it right back together once I freed it from the headlight housing. Nothing on the hyper harness was cut or even modified. Its all plug and play.

bullet3z · Mar 17th, 2010, 1:49 pm

sick50, you beat me to this one. I also have been working on the HID DDM install the last 2 days. I purchased both the low beam only kit and the high low kit to try them both.

For anyone looking into getting this kit here is a word of opinion for you. Only get the 35w kit. After going for a ride last night I can say that the 55w kit they offer will be way to bright. I am really starting to think this 35w kit may be too bright and piss a few others off.

Also if you are looking into this kit the 35w low beam only kit is TRUE plug and play, nothing more nothing less. You will still have to drill a hole in the factory headlight seal. But there is NO additional wiring needed.

I put my transformer and small box in the duckbill using velcro. The hi/low box is on the frame like sick50's. I have not cut or drilled any holes in the headlight housing as of now. That may be a issue if it rains.

Thanks to Ducati as always for over engineering the whole headlight assembly on these bikes. Do they make anything easy to work on?

ccemn1 · Mar 27th, 2010, 6:56 pm

I got the exact same kit, installed it today, but I'm only getting a high beam? On low, only the parking light (tiny little bulb in the bottom) is lit?
Any idea of what might be wrong?
Thanks in advance!

sick50ford · Mar 27th, 2010, 8:58 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ccemn1

I got the exact same kit, installed it today, but I'm only getting a high beam? On low, only the parking light (tiny little bulb in the bottom) is lit?
Any idea of what might be wrong?
Thanks in advance!

strange, when you toggle hi/lo are you hearing the magnetic? actuator and seeing the bulb move slightly