Change the Headlight on your Harley Davidson Softail

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The headlight on a Harley Davidson Softail is not only one of the more distinctive features of the motorcycle from an appearance standpoint, but it's also crucial to the ability to drive the motorcycle at night or in dark areas. Headlights for Softails are generally quite long lasting. However, they will burn out eventually. When you need to replace the headlight on the Harley Davidson Softail, this task can be accomplished quickly and easily at home for a small amount of money. Follow the instructions below to replace the headlight.

Step 1 -- Gather Materials

You'll need the following materials in order to change the headlight on a Softail:

Gloves
New headlight
Towels or cloth
Small container
Needle-nose pliers
Screwdriver

Step 2 -- Remove the Headlight

Depending upon your exact model of Softail, you may need to remove the fairing protector from the front of the headlight. This should snap off easily. Take the chrome ring off from around the rim of the headlight as well; remove this by pulling it straight off of the headlight by hand, not by pulling it either up or down.

Take the screws out of the front of the headlight container as well. Use the screwdriver to do so. In most cases, there will be approximately three screws arranged in a triangular formation. Put the screws in the small container and set it aside in a safe place so that you'll be able to reinstall them later on.

Step 3 -- Remove the Light and Plug

Once the screws are removed, pull the headlight out of the headlight frame by hand. Once again, pull it straight outwards and avoid pushing it down or pulling it up at all. The headlight will be attached to the inner workings of the motorcycle via a three pronged plug in the back. Remove this plug carefully by hand. If you're unable to reach it by hand because the wires are too short, do not pull the headlight further away from the bike. Rather, use the needle-nose pliers to remove the plug from the back of the light instead.

Step 4 -- Install the New Headlight

Put on your gloves so as not to get any residues, oils or dirt on the new headlight. Set the old bulb aside to be discarded later on, and pull the new headlight bulb out of the packaging carefully. Wipe it down with the towels or cloth that you have. Place the end of the headlight up against the plug and push the plug into the socket on the headlight. Wipe down the plug as well, if it's at all dirty.

Next, push the new bulb into the headlight housing and fix it in place there with the screws once again.

Step 5 -- Adjust the Headlight

To be sure that the headlight will shine exactly where you want it to, turn the light on and examine where the bulb is pointed. Adjust the screws to change the orientation of the bulb so that it's pointing in front of the bike and slightly down. When you're satisfied, attach the chrome ring around the headlight and the fairing protector as well.

If there are any fingerprints on the headlight bulb, or if there is any dirt, it's a good idea to wipe down the headlight bulb once again before you drive the vehicle. Test out the headlight to be sure that it works properly.

New headlight bulbs can be found at motorcycle repair shops; the other materials for this project are available at hardware stores.