Can someone tell me how to adjust the spots on my ultra down? Every time I ride at night with the spots on almost every cage coming at me flashes me with their high beams. If I switch the spots off the cages stop flashing me. I have looked at the spots in the garage this afternoon and can't identify how to go about adjusting them. May be the captain an coke keeping me from seeing what is right in front of me but...................

 

If you have not received a reply yet, try this. You can do it during the day in a shady area or around dusk works a little better. Position you bike approximately 10 to 12 feet in front to your garage door with it shut, (I am not up north, so some might to choose to do it inside the garage with the door shut because of the weather). Hold your bike upright (riding position) with your spots on, noting the height of the beams on your garage door (note: a wall may also be used, you might have to turn the spots on & off to isolate which is the spot beam from the headlight beam). If someone is not helping you, then estimate where you just saw each beam and mark the top if the beam with a 4" piece of tape placed horizontally, of blue masking tape (painters use from any hardware store, this tape removes easily when needed), them get on and check to see how close you are to having the top of the beams marked, if they are helping you have them mark them with the tape. NOW sometimes, if you do not have the tools to adjust the spots (some take a special cut away socket) you can lightly hit the top of your spot light with the palm of your hand to get them to move slightly (if done this way compare it with the other one and the tape mark) until it drops only about 1 inch. It will not take much because you are so close to the door or wall. Repeat the process for the second spot light. Try is and see .... if they still are flashing their high beams at you, just readjust again (this is why you leave the tape on the door or wall!). This may also help with headlight adjustment, if your state does not have requirements for exact positioning of headlights. I personally prefer my spots to point outward a bit, so I can better observe the sides of the road for animals ex: deer, armadillos, skunks, rabbits, etc, etc.....
Hope this helps .... good luck .....
HDDragracer

 

Thanks HDdragracer! The light on the wall or garage door was my first thought but the " (some take a special cut away socket) " part is what really has me stumped! I can't see anything to loosen/tighten to make this happen. Took the spot covers off, removed the bulb................nope, nothing in there to loosen. Other than that the turn signals hang under the spots with no visible means of adjustment..................time for another captian! Raining here anyway so I'll set in the garage and stare at it until it moves itself! LOL Thanks for the response!

 

You are correct, this is the reason I suggested the tap on the top of the spot. To really adjust them with a socket, you WILL have to remove the turn indicators (usually needs a 90 degree allen wrench, not enough room for the allen head socket) .... once you drop the turn indicators down, you will be able to access the 9/16” spot light adjusting nut. The tool you will need (if you do not cut your own socket out to access the adjusting nut with the wire going through it) is a Snap-On socket #FRX 181 (9/16" cut away socket). This will take care of it and is thicker than a socket you cut out.
HDDragracer

 

.... hummmm you and Captain Morgan must work closely together if the stuff like that moves itself in your garage.... usually if I have someone flash their high beams at me.... I just flash my high beam back (normally people think that if you have more than one light on it got to be the high beams) ..... that will usually let them know that you already ARE on low beam and will leave it at that .... remember ..... the main thing is that YOU DO WANT THEM TO SEE YOU .... whether it be in the daylight or at night .... but also, not completely blind them ... if you do not have lowers you might want to try HD part # 68913-98B, Engine Guard-Mounted Fog Lamp kit,page 485, Touring section of the 2009 HD parts & accessories catalog ...... actually I do not consider it a fog lamp .... because it does not have yellow light .... these throw a horizontal light which will also help light up the road all the way across! (later, once you get all this figured out .... if you still can’t see I will suggest a headlight bulb that well help you see real good!) LIGHT ‘EM UP!!!
HDDragracer

 

HDdragracer, thanks so much for the info. Go ahead with the headlight suggestion. I have been wanting better lighting from the headlight for some time now. Will be making trip to dealer near future could add that to my list unless it is after market then will check it out via this here pooooter............

 

anyone have any feedback on the alignment of the different lights?

like for example, headlight, vs passing/spot lamp, vs fog/running lights on the bars?

reason I ask, when I got my new to me 03 RKC, seemed to me my headlight was casting a low and left light, and my spot lights were casting a light in the same direction, like the right one went straight out, and the left one went over toward the right one, it was just all messed up

I started messing w/ the alignment and after every road test I'd adjust what I thought should be changed a little more

now that I've added the fog lights from HD, I spent some more time tweaking it and am as close to happy as I've been yet the pattern cast on the garage door looks something like this now, headlight, then passing lamp, then fog lamp...

.O
o o
= =

There's not that much separation vertically between the beams, but they do kind of stack like that. Even though the headlight and the spot lights are more or less on the same plane, w/ the low beam on, I have the headlight running a little higher than the spots, and have the spots angled very slightly to the outside.

After my first test, seems like on low or high beam, I have the maximum reach w/ the headlight, w/out over extending it, and I have a decent fill below the headlight between the spots and the fogs.

While my spots do go out w/ the high beam, the fog lights keep running, and this seems to still give a good balance of light.

I'm just curious what others do, if they stagger the height at all between the headlight and spots, or if they keep them all on the same plane.

In addition to seeing, I'm also interested in being seen. One thing I thought made sense about a slight alteration in plane between headlight and spot light was a better chance of having a more direct line of light catching someone's eye and noticing you, which the fog lights also help with, especially from the side angles, as I walk out in front of the bike from side angles, the flog lights catch my eye directly more than the round lights...

 

Mike, the bulb is an aftermarket bulb. It is a Bluhm Enterprises Flame Thrower, #BL-43C130 Halogen H4, P43T base, 100/130 watts! I am not sure what year you bike is, the bike I run these on is a 2003 EG Standard and it works GREAT! Some say that you have to have a high output charging system, but mine works fine and I think the Ultras have such a charging system already. Here are the links to the sight that I have found the least expensive, you still might want to check locally (depending on where you are located) there might be some after market shops in your area that handle them. I do recommend using some Di-Electric Grease (you can get this at most auto supply or hardware stores) on the bulb connections & socket that plugs on to the bulb. The bulbs do produce a little more heat than your stock HD bulbs that came in your bike. If I remember correctly I think they were a 55w for low beam and 60w. for high beam .... you will notice the Flame Thrower is rated at 100w low beam and 130w high beam. $15.00 is about the normal price for the bulb even at shops. If you like it they are cheap enought to keep a spare. Just confirm that a H-4 bulb WILL work with the headlight housing (not knowing which year model bike you have) in your bike AND that it WILL accomadate the extra heat! The best pricing I have found on line is at the site below, the second site is what the bulb packaging looks like (note the price)., you can also get an aftermarket housing for the bulb if needed that will give you a choice of optics and beams it will throw (see Drag Specialties or J&P Cycles) that WILL accept the extra heat, I think they are actually made out of glass NOT plastic! Let me knoiw how it goes or if you have trouble finding them. I am in TEXAS and is hot down here anyway ... and a local shop here does supply them.
Good luck! ~)
HDDragracer

http://www.scootworks.com/shop.cgi/page=partslamps.htm/SID=PUT_SID_HERE

http://www.scootworks.com/swcart/shop/pu/bl-43c130.jpg

 

Karz,


Ok, for proper headlight adjustment first start with your tires.

• Confirm that they ARE properly inflated to the motorcycle manufacturers or the tire manufacturers recommended tire pressures.
• Point the front of the motorcycle toward a screen, flat wall or closed garage door. Position the motorcycle 25 feet from the flat surface to where the front tire (the patch where the tire contacts the ground, or directly below the front axel) contacts the ground.
• While sitting on the bike have someone draw or tape a horizontal line (here is where I use the painters blue masking tape, it does NOT stick to stuff and IS easy to remove) on the wall that is exactly the same height above the floor as the center of the headlight beam. ( NOTE!!! you will have to turn the ignition on for this other wise your headlight will not be on,, I put this in for those of you that are not to mechanical.... )
• Basically what most of the motorcycle manufactures show is that at 25 feet away, the height of the headlights low beam will project on the wall at the exact same height as the distance from the ground (the patch where your tire contacts the ground measured straight up to the center of your headlight) to your headlight. They also say the spot/fog light are adjusted the same way.

ANOTHER NOTE!!! I prefer to go on a long straight road (with little or no traffic and when it’s dark is recommended .. ), with a good wide shoulder and adjust the headlights and the spot/fog lights to suit my tastes, to confirm that I have the beams adjusted to light the whole road up on high or low beam!!! It will also depend on your state and their motor vehicle laws! I prefer my spot lights to be a little higher and angled to the right and left just a bit. This will light up more road surface and might show you something in the road that your headlight will not, just your personal preference. If you have the fog lights as they call them, they will project a wide flat beam anyway and will light the shoulders of the roads. They all can be wired differently, usually the fog lights, light up with your high beam (if wired by the directions) and the spot lights are on when the switch is turned on and the low beams are on. You actually can wire both differently, depending on YOUR preferences, but that's another story....... ... ...OR another alternative IS to just ride during the day time (sorry .. I had to put that one in for all the people that have motorcycle garage ornaments and fair weather riders!!! ....)
NOW .... I'm going riding!

Good luck!
HDDragracer

 

Question, I have a 89 Softail Heritage Classic and I need to tighten a loose fog lamp. How do I do this and where is the tightening nut or bolt to do this. Lamp just moves from left to right, need to make it tight... Thank you!