Appalling headlights

[Dean01982]

Just wondering if anyone has the same problem on a fazer 1999 or any other bike. My fazers lights are terrible, may aswell be riding by candle light, does anyone have any good fixes for this or recommend a solution? I have fitted 2 led spot lights which are OK but by no means great, as iv had to fit them onto the indicators and 1 keeps on moving.

Cheers

[Mr Fro]

In my experience, most older bike headlights are turd.

Some people fit upgraded bulbs (who I'm sure will chip in soon) and wiring can be fiddled to increase light output a smidge but ultimately, I've not found a quick and easy way to massively increase headlight performance.

[TimR]

Just wondering if anyone has the same problem on a fazer 1999 or any other bike. My fazers lights are terrible, may aswell be riding by candle light, does anyone have any good fixes for this or recommend a solution? I have fitted 2 led spot lights which are OK but by no means great, as iv had to fit them onto the indicators and 1 keeps on moving.

Cheers

 

Check the bulb

Over the years they go weak and tarnish

Check the headlight unit reflector is not corroded or damaged

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

I fitted a Halfords 150% brighter bulb a while back and there's a marked improvement. It's not blown quickly either as some people suggested.

[Ian Frog]

As [mention]TimR[/mention] has said you will be amazed how much difference a good reflector or clean bulb will make.

Also if you are riding a lot at this time of year it is worth getting someone with a mop to polish your lens as salt and corruption scour the surface more than you might believe.

Cheers

Ian

[fastbob]

I've never had a bike , and that includes those with twin headlights , with lights that could be described as anything better than adequate in the dark . I think it's just a case of adjusting your riding style accordingly . Better to arrive late in this life than early in the next .

[iangaryprice]

I have a GSX600F 2003 not impressed with my headlight either.

Low beam a terrible pattern, bascially 3 patches of illumination.

High beam has no pentration,it barely reaches any further than the low beam,it actualy seems to have a wider spread of light than the low beam. (I even checked they weren't connected the wrong way around)

I put a +150% bulb in last week, its lot brighter, definite improvement, but still got a bad light pattern.

[onesea]

My Triumph Trophy has a pair of H4 bulbs 6" apart which is the same as cars of the era. Which works well without the spread of a 6' wide car.

My TDM900 has 2 x H7 bulbs 1/2 the equivalent of a car of that age, which work 1/2 as well..

[skyrider]

I've never had a bike , and that includes those with twin headlights , with lights that could be described as anything better than adequate in the dark . I think it's just a case of adjusting your riding style accordingly . Better to arrive late in this life than early in the next .

yes and thats why i try to do all my riding in the daylight hours instead of at night

[onesea]

yes and thats why i try to do all my riding in the daylight hours instead of at night

 

I guess you don't work shifts then....

[skyrider]

not being a self employed gardener no

[dynax]

This is a snapshot from a video from one of my night rides on Xena

 

[Stu]

I have recently notice my headlights are pretty much shite in the dark

I will be replacing my bulbs ([mention]rennie[/mention] Is that the right term? ) over the winter period

[raesewell]

What about an HID conversion?

[gogs01]

I had a 2001 Fazer 600. I wired up the second dipped beam to come on with the sidelight (through a relay). This meant I could have one dipped beam, two dipped beam or two dipped beam with main beam. I found that pretty good, and it could always have been improved with upgraded bulbs.

[bonio]

I put a brighter Halfords bulb in my 2003 CB500. Was quite a big improvement.

[JRH]

I have recently notice my headlights are pretty much shite in the dark

I will be replacing my bulbs (@rennie Is that the right term? ) over the winter period

 

Lamps glow, bulbs grow.

[rennie]

Lamps!

[Stu]

Lamps!

 

I was talking about gardening

[rennie]

The headlights on older, up to about 2001 I think, Fazers were notoriously poor!

The small rectangular lights.

After that they had wrap around, elliptical? lights which were much better,

could you retro fit a newer fairing from a breakers maybe?

[James in Brum]

Lamps!

 

Years ago when I did a bit of my electrician training everyone would say that.

What does it say on the packaging of domestic lighting lamps/bulbs? These days?

[rennie]

I think it says bulbs nowadays, doesn't make it right though!

[James in Brum]

It is a quirk of the english language that it evolves. If it is now Bulbs then perhaps Bulbs is no longer wrong.

[learningtofly]

I've not ridden my TTR at night yet, but my previous R9T had an appalling stock headlight. I switched the bulb for an Osram H4 Night Breaker and it made a dramatic improvement.

Edited November 8, 2020 by learningtofly

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

The headlights on older, up to about 2001 I think, Fazers were notoriously poor!

The small rectangular lights.

After that they had wrap around, elliptical? lights which were much better,

could you retro fit a newer fairing from a breakers maybe?

 

Someone who knows about thse things told me that rectangular or square headlights will always be ineffective as the shape of the reflector wastes most of the available light. Rounder reflectors work much better.

Several of my 1970's cars had rectangular headlights and they always needed auxilary lights fitting if you wanted to make any progress in the dark.