Triumphrat

Irishguy

So Mrs. Irish and I got back from an overnight trip this weekend on our Bonnevilles and I noticed that not only was her headlight cloudy, but it didn't light well. When we got back on Sunday I went about rectifying the situation. Once I dissassembled the unit I realized the the OEM headlight housing was all dry rotted in the back plastic part of the housing and was just crumbling in several places.

So I searched in Twins Talk for the term "Headlight housing" and really didn't find a lot of usefull information. So I was looking at my BMW 318is headlights and they looked like they would fit, so I went down to the local Advanced Auto parts even though they assured me over the phone that they had no lights that would fit a modern Bonneville.

I bought the Sylvania H6024 sealed beam unit after comparing it with the Bonneville housing and it fits like a charm and provides much better light than the OEM unit.

After I got back and figured out how easy the Sylvania H6024 went in, I started searching for those terms and came up with some threads where folks had used them too.

Of course I ditched the "City Light" and I am going to use those extra leads and wire up a USB charger for her... Bonus!

The light cost me $15.

tsmgguy

The clouding up of the headlight lens and reflector is a slow process. It took me quite a while to realize that this had happened and that my Bonneville's headlight was almost worthless.

I removed the assembly, its H4 lamp, and the parking light bulb. Then I poured a bit of Windex inside of the lens/reflector assembly and swirled it around for a while. After pouring out the Windex, I stuffed a clean cotton rag inside, using it to clean the lens and reflector and to blot up the excess Windex. Now, the fogging is gone. The headlight and reflector are clean and bright. The headlight now works as it was designed to.

That said, my stock headlamp will never be as good as a Bosch/Hella/Sylvania replacment, but it is original, and the parking lamp function is maintained.

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2003 Lucifer Orange Triumph Bonneville T-100, completely stock except for chromed fenders.
2007 Anniversary Red Ducati GT-1000

Photo: The GT1000 at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats

Trophy4

How's the lighting pattern? Does it provide the shape needed on both high/low beams?

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J Goertz
Birmingham, AL

DUCKMAN

Good Catch...my concern is for vibration

Easy13

I've had the Sylvania sealed beam on mine for a couple years now with no complaints. It took some adjusting to get it to throw a good beam, but it does fine, certainly better than the OEM. I'm sure there are better headlights out there, but not for $15.

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"Cognito Ergo Wrenchum"

Papa Weeley

Who knew is right. What a great tip!

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“The strong survive, but the courageous Triumph.”
― Michael Scott, "The Warlock"

artful bodger

This would be my concern but handy information. Thanks.


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grebmrof

I've been running the sealed beam for a few years, find its pattern isn't ideal but not bad. I like the rounded shape too, some additional appeal, looks a bit more traditional.

Irishguy

Like I said in the first post, after I got the Sylvania installed I searched the forum for that particular light and read several good reviews about the light and the pattern. So I'm not sure yet, but I am encouraged by other's reviews, and I'm sure it will take some adjusting.

I can say that I have the Hella reflector on my Bonneville and I don't really like the pattern it casts. I don't like the way that the Hella has this horizontal line where the light just cuts off above a certain point. In a car the horizontal line that some modern lights cast is fine, because a car is pretty much going down the road level, whereas a bike has to lean in the corners and the horizontal line of the light pattern is constantly tilting from one side to the next and in many cases you come around a corner and the cut off line is never quite as high as it needs to be. I know that I can adjust the Hella up more, but then when you are driving in a straight line it seems too high.

If the Sylvania cast a more dispersed pattern then I may sell my Hella and switch over to the Sylvania myself.

Irishguy

That was the original plan, but like I said in the first post, the cheap a$$ plastic part on the back was toast, so I had no choice but to get a completely new reflector.