Head light adjustment for europe

[SteveS]

Just picked up a s/h GS1200 from ebay and have t say I am seriously impressed. Does anyone know how or if you can adjust the lights for europe or do you need the black stick on patches, I have read the manual I I have found the load adjuster for the lights but can you use this for changing to LHS riding.
many thanks

Steve

 

[trainman]

welcome!

i am not sure of the legal position but I know that for France no one seems to bother and I have yet to find anyone who has been pulled for it. I have also never been flashed by oncoming Frenchies.


just make sure that when fully loaded the dip beam is still well dipped (flick the lever on the back of the lamp) and if you are still worried take a roll of tape, just in case but i reckon you wont have any probs

 

[Pablo1]

welcome!

i am not sure of the legal position but I know that for France no one seems to bother and I have yet to find anyone who has been pulled for it. I have also never been flashed by oncoming Frenchies.


just make sure that when fully loaded the dip beam is still well dipped (flick the lever on the back of the lamp) and if you are still worried take a roll of tape, just in case but i reckon you wont have any probs

i agree, bought something from halfords on my first trip but never since, no issues

 

[mrsroynie]

I had a 2005 1200 registered in France until April this year. Never bothered to change the headlight unit. Like trainman, it never seemed to worry anyone and I was never pulled.

 

[cookie]

welcome!

i am not sure of the legal position but I know that for France no one seems to bother and I have yet to find anyone who has been pulled for it. I have also never been flashed by oncoming Frenchies.


just make sure that when fully loaded the dip beam is still well dipped (flick the lever on the back of the lamp) and if you are still worried take a roll of tape, just in case but i reckon you wont have any probs

what he said, but i never bother with the tape.

 

[Spike]

done tens of thousands of miles in frnace spain italy germany etc in the car and the bike and never been flashed once or pulled over for it.
Personally I would not bother

spike

 

[Roymondo]

I still do the beam deflector/blocker thing when I take the car on the Continent, but I've never bothered on the bike. The asymmetric "kick up" on the dipped beam appears much less pronounced on a bike, so shouldn't cause Johnny Foreigner any problems. Besides, the standard GS lights are pretty poor anyway, so I'd rather not go masking off what little illumination they do produce...

 

[GSmonkey]

I do what European drivers do to their headlights when in the uk.

 

[Engineer]

Just picked up a s/h GS1200 from ebay and have t say I am seriously impressed. Does anyone know how or if you can adjust the lights for europe or do you need the black stick on patches, I have read the manual I I have found the load adjuster for the lights but can you use this for changing to LHS riding.
many thanks

Steve

On my 1200GS there is a left-right twiddler on the side of the reflector so that the direction can be adjusted

 

[CuzGS]

Forget about it, waste of time entirely. I've done 1000s miles every year and never had a drama.

Don't sweat it, just get over there and Kane it

 

[Roberto]

+1000 to what has been said.

Just don't bother, just back from 7k miles and 24 countries in Europe, not flashed once

 

[littleredrooster]

On my 1200GS there is a left-right twiddler on the side of the reflector so that the direction can be adjusted

Interesting. What model year is that?

 

[Popell]

Are you sure that the beam is even 'handed'?, haven't looked or had a problem on the GS but previous honda had a flat beam with no kick either way!

 

[Roymondo]

On my 1200GS there is a left-right twiddler on the side of the reflector so that the direction can be adjusted

It is not the directional aiming of the beam that potentially causes problems when riding on the "wrong" side of the road - It is the assymetric spread of the dipped beam, which is designed to "kick up" and show more of the nearside kerb while not dazzling oncoming drivers. If you adjust the aim of the headlamp further to the right (or left) all you will achieve is to point the light where you are not going...

 

[Sooty09]

For my first trip to France in 1982 I had to paint the headlight glass yellow and make a beam deflector. I Could see nothing at all in the dark and nobody could explain why it was required.
Thirty years later the French are still inventing silly driving rules. The one about deflectors seems to have been relaxed but not abandoned so expect a large group of Gendarmes to pull you over and give you a massive fine when they realise the revenue they are missing.

 

[(RIP) andrewgsadv]

If you must found this on me travels.

Never use it though



View attachment BMW HeadlightMASK.pdf

 

[Engineer]

Interesting. What model year is that?

On my 2005 and on my 2010 standard GS - It's in the Manual

 

[littleredrooster]

On my 2005 and on my 2010 standard GS - It's in the Manual

Ah - realisation dawns - it doesn't actually adjust it for Continental driving, it merely points the unit slightly left or right. Right?

 

[Engineer]

Ah - realisation dawns - it doesn't actually adjust it for Continental driving, it merely points the unit slightly left or right. Right?

Correct, but as far as I know the beam is symmetrical so that's all you need - just point the reflector in the other direction using the twiddly knob when riding abroad and then twiddle it back again when returning to the UK - that's what I do.

 

[Engineer]

I fibbed a little - the left right twiddler is not shown in my 2010 Manual only up and down one BUT I think that the left right twiddler is the one to use - looking at the low beam reflector and lens it looks symmetrical to me???? perhaps someone knows differently??