Headlight Mod

[Ryan Stanley]

Alright, I'm planning on doing a lot to my XS11 over the Winter. One of the things I'm planning on doing is removing the fairing and replacing it with a different headlight. I really like the look of the headlight from the Midnight Special, but don't know where to find one like it. Any ideas?

Also, would replacing the fairing with a regular headlight require any modifications? Would it complicate wiring or anything?

[XSPastor]

I've seen the headlights on ebay from time to time. You may have to but one a part at a time as they become available but it can be done. As far as the wiring, it should be pretty straight forward. Are your current turn signals in the fairing?

[daddyp]

I did this exact mod to my 79 standard. I bought the bucket & lense/chrome trim seperately. Got aftermarket mount for the light but I have seen several used stock ears/ mount to forks. If you want the light to stay set, you will have to fab a little bracket to go with the slide tab under the bucket if using special light on standard. I bought 2 L brackets cut them down bent them a little put them togeather, working well. bolts to lower triple tree right side (looking @ front).

[daddyp]

my faring was wired to the head light triple plug & turn sgnals with this long intermittent wire-set. I just took it off completely. several extra wires in head light wireing some conectios are constant power, some are switched with ignition, 2 are blinkers, I didn't find ground, just ground to the bucket or run exta to frame.

[Ryan Stanley]

Yeah, my turn signals are in the fairing. Although, right now I have the headlight wiring rigged up because the switch didn't work when I bought the bike. I wired it so that the headlight and parking lights go on when I turn the key, and just stuck a little $2 switch in the fairing that contols my brights.

[XSPastor]

If you want to buy new, there are some at this site that would work on your bike. Scroll down the page. You'll see 'em. Pretty good prices too.

MikesXS

[mro]

the switch didn't work when I bought the bike. I wired it so that the headlight and parking lights go on when I turn the key

Stock 81's don't have an "on/off" head light switch, just the high/low switch on the left control.
Head light only comes on after the bike is started when the head light relay is activated by the generator.

mro

[Ryan Stanley]

Yeah, I know. None of the front lights worked at all when I bought it. Maybe the relay was the problem. Someone told me it was the "solid state resistor," but I dunno.

Anyway, the easiest way to wire it was to the ignition wire coming off the fuse box, so the ignition key turns on the lights.

[mro]

head light relay, under the cover


mro

[XSPastor]

Man! My eyes must be going bad. That relay looks like a giant blurry blob to me.

[daddyp]

I never realized that that was a problem... the relay that is. My head light comes on with the ignition, not the starting of the engine. It hasn't caused me any problems so far but I can't help but wonder how many cranking amps are lost during start up. If the relay is bad will there be any other problems other than the light coming on before the engine is running?

[subike]

The ears on my bike rattled at speed.
So when I did my rebuild I had them off.
Upon replacing the "ears" onto the forks, I used the old seal rings from my front Brake calipers, (which I had just rebuilt)
They are the exact size to sit under the crome rings, and to put that little preasure on the wings to stop them rattling.

[mro]

If the relay is bad will there be any other problems other than the light coming on before the engine is running?

Your relay has been by-passed.

mro


That relay looks like a giant blurry blob to me
must be it's solid state