Correct Aiming of the Headlights

[BallaRAT_ST1050]

Don't we just love these new Headlights .
I fiddled and Fart Arsssed with the alignment till I thought I had it right - actually there not to bad on low beam if you get it right but the old high beam still does sweet f all.
Anyway, happy with the set up until I had an adult pillion on the back the other night and I kept getting flashed by oncoming traffic, so obviously the extra weight on the back had raised up the front giving them an eye full of my Osram Silver Stars.
Question (finally) is it that I have to do a pre-load adjustment everytime I'm two up or do I have to lower the alignment and try and reach a happy medium, what can you suggest to have the front stay relatively level whether I'm solo or two up??
Any suggestions would be appreciated

[ This message was edited by: BallaRAT_ST1050 on 2007-05-09 00:39 ]

[Simmo]

Depends on how many times you have varying load. Its probably best for you as rider to have the lights adjusted when solo and put up with the flashes when with pillion. Pillion for longer trips adjust the preload, not to difficult. I share your thoughts on high beam. Have you considered the HID solution. I see that Phillips now offer auto kits but I think for a twin light set. If I can find someone to share with I might consider this option.
Cheers again - Simmo

[BallaRAT_ST1050]

Hey Simmo,
I'd be interested in going halves in a pair of the Phillips lights.
If you can find out a price let me know or get me some more info so I can do some more research.
I've been interested in these new ones from this company - http://www.xenonoz.com
Their agents are Peter Stevens Motorcycles in Geelong.
PSM said that a single light kit is about $500.00 inc GST - a bit to pricey for me. But they did say that I could purchase and try for 2 weeks and if I didn't like them or think that they are worth it, I could return them for a full refund.
Let me know what you think

[nibbs]

I was a bit worried about this but my 07 has brilliant headlights. Well "brilliant" compared to previous bikes (wish I could say the same for the saddle!).

Did they change that much between the 06 and 07 or am I just easily pleased?

[airrider03]

Sounds like the factory is adjusting the beams properly on the 07's.
When my 06 was new, the beams were angled severely down, giving me no forward vision above the cutoff.
Each time I rode the bike at night I wondered...
Just recently I think I cracked the code and you have to agree with item 'a' and 'c' before reading on....

a) The beams are shaped like a soup bowl.
b) The horizontal cutoff is the rim of the soup bowl...
c) Your beams are way too low and equal, so that when you corner, there is nothing illuminating your path.

Here's how I fixed mine:
Adjust the rim so it's above the oncoming car and will not blind the them. Even with a pillion, this beam will not blind others.
The 'edges' of the soup bowl have a slightly higher intensity, these are your cornering beams that lay down as you lean into a corner.
The bottom of the soup bowl should be at road level, this is not an intense beam, but enough to see in front without the main beam on.
I think Silver Stars or similiar adjusted this way will increase forward illumination yet not blind others.


[ This message was edited by: airrider03 on 2007-05-09 07:47 ]

[duckie]

Here's another idea on the old headlight issue... how about installing dual hi/lo bulbs in the lo beam lights and just tapping them into the hi beam lighting circuit so that on hi beam not only does your center light come on but your lo lights switch to hi beam? :???: Is that just a goofy idea? :???: Any thoughts?

[sprintny]

read somewhere that it is the cut off design that is the problem in the reflectors themselves, bulbs only partly help , you would have to reshape black cutout on high beam, i would say very messy?

[ This message was edited by: sprintny on 2007-05-09 18:05 ]

[oldndumb]

sprintny hit the nail on the head.

[duckie]

So the lo beam lights have reflectors that wouldn't allow you to utilise a hi/lo beam bulb - is that what you're saying? :???:

[Aske]

On 2007-05-09 10:21, duckie wrote:
Here's another idea on the old headlight issue... how about installing dual hi/lo bulbs in the lo beam lights and just tapping them into the hi beam lighting circuit so that on hi beam not only does your center light come on but your lo lights switch to hi beam? :???: Is that just a goofy idea? :???: Any thoughts?

I'd be worried about overloading the wiring, which wasn't designed or spec'ed to carry that much juice.