"One of your headlights is out!"

[white06S3]

Anyone else tired of this comment coming from the guy/girl in the car next to you at a light? I've had my bike for about 2 months and it happens at least a couple of times per week. I was thinking of having a t-shirt made that says "No I don't have a headlight out, that's the way they are." Of course, then I'd have to go through the trouble of unzipping my extra-safe, armored, jacket to show them the t-**** because I never ride squid. Like my friend Chris says on a 100 degree day when some genius asks, "Aren't you hot in that?" It's more comfortable than a skin graft.

[203MPH]

Both headlight give light on the 05 and 06 S3.

The older S3 (before 2001???) have 1 light burning on low and the other on high beam.

Are the new ones the only ones like that? I have an 00, and both are lit. I wonder if the previous owner did a mod? I did notice that the bulbs look blue.

[kuhlka]

Both my lights are lit on low and only one on high on my 03. However, when I hit the passing beam both light up really bright. I'm thinking I might switch around a couple blocks since the passing beam gives a better 'bright' spread at night. The high beam is pitiful.

[white06S3]

That's funny. I have an 06 and when the low beams are on, only one headlight is full on, the other just has a very weak light (just that tiny lower bulb is on). It's really hard to tell from a distance that both have some light coming from them because one is so much brighter than the other. When the high beams are on, it's like I turned on the sun, both are ON.

[203MPH]

I think you can better replace the bulbs. Both lights burn on low and high beam.

My advise is to get some Philips Motovision lights. They give an orange glow in the light. You stand out better in traffic.

[Diego]

Sorry to tell you, white, but you do have a headlight out. Either the low beam filament is out in the bulb on that side, or there is a bad connection somewhere in the circuit. All US models are supposed to operate both lamps, high beam or low.

[Diego]

Skyler asks: Are the new ones the only ones like that? I have an 00, and both are lit.

They should be. The single headlight thing was a European requirement at one time, and did not apply in the rest of the world.

[white06S3]

Well I'll be a...

Bike was like that from the shop when I picked it up new. No one at the dealer said anything so I assumed it was like that. I know many euro bikes run with only one light on so I figured that was the way it came from the factory. It even had it's first service with no one mentioning a thing about the head lights. Guess I'll call the dealer tomorrow to schedule a fix.

Glad I posted, even though I feel kind of stupid now.

[jdub3]

i personally wouldn't waste much time at the dealer until i checked the bulbs. bulbs are cheap and it's a 3 minute job. better than scheduling an appt, bringing it in, and waiting around. plus you can upgrade them in the process:

http://www.newspeed3.com/html/xenon_headlights.html

if they don't work after replacing them that's a whole different issue. i had an issue with mine a couple months back and replacing it fixed the problem.