Headlight help needed...
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Not Smart Enough To Be A Member of HDF
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 428
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From: Huntingdon, TN
Headlight help needed...
This is a pic of the stock headlight on my '09 FXD. The bulb itself sorta sits up inside the blackish mushroom-like thing inside the headlight. The mushroom-like thing has a piece of metal that goes back through the inner shiny part of the headlight.
What I want to know:
Can I yank/cut/bend this thing out of the way? Why is it there in the first place? It looks like it's part of the problem of such crappy lighting at night.
Thanks for any assistance with this. I can't really afford a new aftermarket light at this time, nor even a take off from another bike model that doesn't have that thing. I'd really like to fix the one I have so that I can get better lighting out of it.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...d_p1010033.jpg
What I want to know:
Can I yank/cut/bend this thing out of the way? Why is it there in the first place? It looks like it's part of the problem of such crappy lighting at night.
Thanks for any assistance with this. I can't really afford a new aftermarket light at this time, nor even a take off from another bike model that doesn't have that thing. I'd really like to fix the one I have so that I can get better lighting out of it.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...d_p1010033.jpg
Last edited by Yonaton; Jan 11, 2009 at 05:50 PM.
Club Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 14,564
Likes: 9,223
From: the 50s & the 60s
This is a pic of the stock headlight on my '09 FXD. The bulb itself sorta sits up inside the blackish mushroom-like thing inside the headlight. The mushroom-like thing has a piece of metal that goes back through the inner shiny part of the headlight.
What I want to know:
Can I yank/cut/bend this thing out of the way? Why is it there in the first place? It looks like it's part of the problem of such crappy lighting at night.
Thanks for any assistance with this. I can't really afford a new aftermarket light at this time, nor even a take off from another bike model that doesn't have that thing. I'd really like to fix the one I have so that I can get better lighting out of it.
What I want to know:
Can I yank/cut/bend this thing out of the way? Why is it there in the first place? It looks like it's part of the problem of such crappy lighting at night.
Thanks for any assistance with this. I can't really afford a new aftermarket light at this time, nor even a take off from another bike model that doesn't have that thing. I'd really like to fix the one I have so that I can get better lighting out of it.
I think you need to leave the blackish mushroom-like thing where it is.
mud
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 992
Likes: 1
From: Mechanicsburg, PA
yeah you wouldn't want to take that off. The beams focus comes from what light reflects from the inside of the bucket. If that piece were removed you would have a lot less focused light. The bulb might just be weak. I have read good things about the Silverstars.
Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,530
Likes: 1
From: Upstate, SC
That is called a "bulb shield." Its function is to prevent stray light from the low-beam filament from exiting the lamp and reflecting back off of rain, snow, or fog and causing glare to the rider (or driver for cars.)
I removed the bulb shield in my Sportster headlight because I wanted to use a selective yellow envelope on my bulb and it would not fit with the shield in place. The shield is held in place by the same screw that holds the spring clip which secures the bulb in the lamp. Just unscrew it, take it out, and then take a hacksaw and cut the shield bracket off right at the point where the hole for the screw is. You'll need to put that part back in there otherwise you can't re-attach the spring clip for the bulb.
Here's a pic of what my light looked like with no bulb shield and the selective yellow envelope on the H4 bulb:
I removed the bulb shield in my Sportster headlight because I wanted to use a selective yellow envelope on my bulb and it would not fit with the shield in place. The shield is held in place by the same screw that holds the spring clip which secures the bulb in the lamp. Just unscrew it, take it out, and then take a hacksaw and cut the shield bracket off right at the point where the hole for the screw is. You'll need to put that part back in there otherwise you can't re-attach the spring clip for the bulb.
Here's a pic of what my light looked like with no bulb shield and the selective yellow envelope on the H4 bulb:
Thread Starter
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Not Smart Enough To Be A Member of HDF
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 428
Likes: 0
From: Huntingdon, TN
Hmmm...I hope someday something better is figured out for stock lighting on bikes.
Anyway, thanks for all the answers. I guess I could try one of the Silverstars (believe it or not, Wallyworld has them) and see if that makes any difference.
Anyway, thanks for all the answers. I guess I could try one of the Silverstars (believe it or not, Wallyworld has them) and see if that makes any difference.
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