First run in the dark headlight shake

[Santa-2512]

From behind the headlight, the rh screw controls the L/R axis

The screw in the centre controls the U/D axis -

The flip up / down lever compensates for additional load on the bike, and offers a quick way of moving the lamp assy.

If the centre screw comes off the mount , the HL will have very little U/D movement. ( cup and ball)

The other defect is that the thread strips in the plastic bracket, so the HL will move U/D initially, but the spring pressure will cause the lamp assy to slide down the adjustor as the threads (in the plastic bracket are shot)

Fear not we have a fix , Take an M6 wing nit, and cut one of the wings off, file a notch in the other wing to make it more of an L shape

turn it round and so the wing faces the back of the light unit. using a bit of blue tac and a skewer, pop the wingnut onto the M6 adjustor bolt. turn the adjustor screw until the L part of the wing stops against the bracket.

Providing you dont uncrew the nut completly, it act as the failed nut in the bracket, and allows you to adjust the lamp unit up and down again .

Do a youtube search for reseating the ball / socket using some cord (leap of faith stuff, but i used that method and it worked)

 

[Bendy toy]

I suspect that users forcing the Hi-Lo lever strip the threads in the plastic ball/socket mechanism. If it's not behaving properly take the lamp off the bike and check it out.

While you have it apart, replace the central mounting rubber grommet.

 

[Bryn]

Sounds great..read it 6 times and i'm lost once one of the wings are cut off

 

[Bendy toy]

Sounds great..read it 6 times and i'm lost once one of the wings are cut off

Take the headlamp off the bike and all will be clear.

 

[Bryn]

I suspect that users forcing the Hi-Lo lever strip the threads in the plastic ball/socket mechanism. If it's not behaving properly take the lamp off the bike and check it out.

While you have it apart, replace the central mounting rubber grommet.

Will have a mess with it tomorrow evening

 

[Bryn]

Take the headlamp off the bike and all will be clear.

It's Santa's suggestion i'm having trouble with.... I'll take the headlight off if I can't sort it

 

[Bendy toy]

It's Santa's suggestion i'm having trouble with.... I'll take the headlight off if I can't sort it

I got that but if you've not looked inside it does look like gobbledygook. Check it on YouTube and get a proper look inside your headlight. You really wont be able to see much with the headlamp on the bike.

BTW, if the ball joint pops off it's socket, the reflector will point steeply upward. It can be popped back on - with care of course.

 

[Popell]

Drilling a hole is pointless, you cant work out where to drill, so you end up with either lots of little holes, or a bloody big one.

i stopped after realising i was going to feck the unit up worse than the way it was in the first place

Do a search on youtube for putting it back using a cable tie, leap of faith, but it goes back in far easier that way

Got to disagree with you here, I drilled one hole and if memory serves managed to get a loop of wire ( might have been strong nylon cord) round the cup and pulled it back onto the ball. Hole was filled with a small rubber bung of dental origin, Justin in case I needed to repeat the fix-haven't had to so the fix seems good.
The ball will come detached if the adjuster is wound too far in one direction-can't remember which but I suspect trying to lower the beam height. I needed to drop it after having an HID fitted that was violently bright!

 

[Santa-2512]

It's Santa's suggestion i'm having trouble with.... I'll take the headlight off if I can't sort it

I'll have a look for some pics if i still have them ...

Best way to simplify it --- wing nut = \-/. Cut one wing off \- . Invert it /-.

Thread it onto the adjustor screw
I
/-
I

The wing will foul againt the bracket and the becomes the threaded insert that has failed

 

[Bryn]

I'll have a look for some pics if i still have them ...

Best way to simplify it --- wing nut = \-/. Cut one wing off \- . Invert it /-.

Thread it onto the adjustor screw
I
/-
I

The wing will foul againt the bracket and the becomes the threaded insert that has failed

Thanks for that, I guess it will become clear when I take the headlight out as Bendy suggests

BTW, if the ball joint pops off it's socket, the reflector will point steeply upward. It can be popped back on - with care of course.

Now here's the thing, the headlight reflector is not pointing steeply upwards, it looks normal, and can be moved with the lever between up and down.... which sounds like its just the threaded insert that has failed..... as when I turn the plastic nut nothing is happening.. when the lever is set on 'down' ( for heavy loads) it is just on the point of possibly dazzling.....

 

[Bendy toy]

Now here's the thing, the headlight reflector is not pointing steeply upwards, it looks normal, and can be moved with the lever between up and down.... which sounds like its just the threaded insert that has failed..... as when I turn the plastic nut nothing is happening.. when the lever is set on 'down' ( for heavy loads) it is just on the point of possibly dazzling.....

Sounds like the ball joint is connected but the threads in the plastic adjuster have stripped. The wing nut fix should sort it. Don't worry about the adjuster thread being long enough. Getting it to dip low enough is more likely than not having it go high enough.

 

[essjay]

I'm going to take a look at mine over the weekend. I seems ok on the motorway, perhaps a little high, but once I'm going through a town the headlight is bouncing all over he place. Butting the bike in 2 + luggage and COMF seems to annoy drivers in front of me less but that's not a fix.

 

[Bendy toy]

Bouncing headlight is due to the grommet around the bottom peg being worn. If the light is too high, keep the worn grommet & pack the front of the peg and hold it with heat shrink sleeve. That wedges the grommet to reduce wobble and slightly lowers the beam angle.