Headlight and turn signal replacements?

[motoman]

Dave............have to differ with those saying it's a special...............beating you have an 81Venturer1100(H) model. Some of accessories such as carrier rack and backrest, engine which has black lower cyl. and valve covers(which was also on the 81 Special). Betting bars were changed to the Special buckhorns. Serial no.'s will be on case above clutch cover housing on motor. Actual correct I.D. will be on neck of frame, left-side. May show as being June, July, August, etc. of 80, but were all sold as 81's in 81................AHAaaa, the dead giveaway, TCI module makes it an 81..............more specifically again.............81 Venturer1100...........and not many of them around, as most back then bought a Wing or a Beemer for touring instead of these models of XS's.............They just didn't know they could of had the sport tourer of the day!

[fredintoon]

Wanna fix it cheap?

Hi Datter,
your least-cost fix goes like this:-
If you can't find them used, a round generic chrome headlight from a catalog and(oddly enough) turn signals for a Buell are about the cheapest. Make two triangular headlamp ears from 1/8" thick aluminum. don't try forming it round the fork tubes, leave them flat and hold them with stainless worm-drive hose clamps from Canadian Tire. The headlamp bolts to the front, the signals part way back. Make a fancy engine-turned finish on the ears by smearing them with grinding paste and pressing a 1" diameter wooden dowel spinning in a drill press down on them to make the pattern.
Fred Hill, S'toon.

[datter]

ahhhhhh see that's the good to know. I knew I was going to like this forum.

thanks!

[datter]

For the record, according to the serial number on the engine, and on the frame... referenced against the list at the link provided earlier in this thread, this is in fact a 1981 XS1100 H.

I do actually have what I think are the original handlebars here though, so I suspect the ones on the bike are from a special.

Anyway, thanks for helping me sort that out once and for all.