Cleaning headlight housing and HID

[clcorbin]

Gents,

Now that my bike is back on the road and getting dialed in (still need to fine tune the carbs, but it is run-able at this point), I have been reminded just how crappy the stock headlight is!!!

One, I DO know that if I intend to keep the stock type bulb, then I should replace the 20+ year old bulb with a SilverStar (or similar). But, I don't want to keep that type bulb, instead I want to upgrade to HID instead.

So, I have a couple of questions:

One, what is a good method of cleaning out any "crap" out of the inside of the headlight housing? I was thinking about swirling mineral spirits around inside there followed up by a good rinse in denatured alcohol to make sure it is as clean as I can get it. A new housing would be best, but that just isn't going to happen at this time, unfortunately.

Two, any last minute suggestions on a good bi-zenon system? I have searched for "HID" on here and found several links. Right now, I am looking at eBay HID Lights. Does any one know of any better systems? I don't mind paying a bit more if it gets me higher quality ballasts/bulb/hardware. My headlight shutting off in the middle of nowhere at 80+ mph some night is NOT my idea of fun!

Thanks for all the help!

[RODS454]

HID light

Check out this link. I think this is what I'm gonna get.

http://www.ddmtuning.com/index.php?p...=106&parent=61

Regards, Rodney

[crazy steve]

....what is a good method of cleaning out any "crap" out of the inside of the headlight housing? I was thinking about swirling mineral spirits around inside there followed up by a good rinse in denatured alcohol to make sure it is as clean as I can get it. A new housing would be best, but that just isn't going to happen at this time, unfortunately....

Unfortunately, there is no 'good' method. Anything you're likely to do will only damage the delicate silvering. I'd recommend just gently blowing it out with clean, dry compressed air like the canned stuff the photo/computer guys use. If the silvering is going bad, the only easy fix is a replacement. If you can get the lens and reflector separated, there are places that can re-silver the reflector, but don't expect cheap.

I'm on a Jaguar board, and some of the guys over there with the same problem have tried all sorts of stuff on their 'euro' headlights, none with good results. Replacements are over $300 per side...

And putting a brighter lamp into a bad housing will probably only piss off oncoming traffic. The light 'scatter' from bad optics won't gain you much in better coverage but may blind everybody coming towards you.

I think if a guy were willing to do some minor fab work, it's entirely possible to install common automotive-type headlights for both the round and square versions.

'78E original owner

[CatatonicBug]

I think if a guy were willing to do some minor fab work, it's entirely possible to install common automotive-type headlights for both the round and square versions.

That's how mine arrived in my hands. I don't know whether the LH is unique in that aspect, but it had a regular 7" round automotive bulb in it. The rings and other holding hardware seemed to be designed to hold that bulb, so something tells me The LH never had the little bulb that everyone else has. The Windjammer also has the same bulb in it. The 3-prong plug on the back is exactly the same. I know, because I just replaced mine this last weekend. Cost about $11 at Advance Auto Parts IIRC, and You don't loose the RLU.

That RLU keeps the night from going dark if the low beam dies on you in the middle of nowhere. It automatically uses the High Beam at a lower wattage to temporarily fill in for the low beam.

[crazy steve]

That's how mine arrived in my hands. I don't know whether the LH is unique in that aspect, but it had a regular 7" round automotive bulb in it. The rings and other holding hardware seemed to be designed to hold that bulb, so something tells me The LH never had the little bulb that everyone else has. The Windjammer also has the same bulb in it. The 3-prong plug on the back is exactly the same. I know, because I just replaced mine this last weekend.

Yamaha used different headlight setups on the various-year specials. I think the earlier ones had 'dedicated' headlights with all the mounting brackets attached to the headlight shell, with the later ones (like yours) accepting a 'standard' automotive lamp. All the standards use the 'dedicated' style, so you're pretty much screwed for a cheap bolt-in. Use OEM, fab something, or switch to a 7" round like you have.

The dust/moisture seal Yamaha used on the H-4 assemblies is a POS and when it gets hard and doesn't seal well (or worse yet, gets thrown away), the heating/cooling cycles will cause the headlight to suck dust and moisture inside ruining the silvering.

The only real difference in light output between the motorcycle and car lights is the cars have a 'bias' on the low beam cutoff (it's level on the left side and angled up on the right side) where the bikes have the bulb rotated slightly in the shell mount to make both sides the same. They both use the same lamp.

'78E original owner