Funny I thought it was only a Springer issue. Mine vibrates pretty well too. I saw it as a good thing though - a free oscillator kit. I don’t even have to switch between high and low beam. Its safer, right?!

 

This whole thread reminded me of when I had "borrowed" a really good friends 81 FXB Stirgus so I could ride with him one night. He was riding his other bike an older Suzuki GSXr1150 and I was trying to keep up with him on a very twisty, very dark road.
No chance of that I know, but we were having fun with him running on ahead and waiting for me every so often.
Well the old sealed beam car headlight they put onthat old FX was a bouncing thing too. But it seemed to be really bad that night and started pointing lower and lower the longer I rode it.
Suddenly I hit one bounce too many andwhen it stopped shaking it was pointing straight down at the front forks and fender.
This wasn't funny, I was still clipping along at 55 or 65 mph and the road was anything but straight and level. There were alsotrees on both sides that grew over the roadway blocking what little star light that "might" have helped.
I instantly hit the brakes and starteddownshifting,praying I didn't find a tree the hard way while reaching over the handle bars with my left hand to grab the light and hold it up.
I rode like that cooking my fingers inside my glove creaping along in second gear till he came back to look for me. He had been afraid that I had pushed the old FX too hard trying to keep up andcrashed.
When he passed me going the other way he said he nearly crashed himself trying to turn around because he was laughing so hard. Said I was the funniest thing he had ever seen standing up on the pegs while hunched over the tank anddrag bars trying to hold on to the throttle with one hand and the headlight with the other.
When we finally got to his house I tossed out the glove because it was well and truely cooked.
When we examined the light we found that the split ring that held the bulb to the front of the housing was missing its nut and bolt. It must have just vibrated loose, fell out and let the bulb fall out till it hung by its wires.
SCARED the crap out of me at the time, now its funny because everytime my headlight does a bad jiggle i remember that and wonder if history is going to repeat itself.

 

A friend of mine had this issue with his 06 Duece. We went to a swp meet and he picked up a Ness type light, about $100. It took a little doing to get the Bullet light mounted but now it doesn't look like a cop is shining a spotlight on you when you are in front of him. He tried with no success to get the stock one to work. I have a 65 Ironhead Sporty with a rigid mounted light and a rigid frame. Believe me, if this thing doesn't shake the filament loose nothing will. Go rigid, buy a good bulb and forgetaboutitt.....

 

take a couple pics and gimme your notes on that. i like to cheat on my tests. this seems like an exam i'm going to have to take.

 

I had this problem on my springer. The rubber bushing they used to mount the headlights dry rotted and separated. The mounting hardware doesn't go all the way through the rubber bushing. I bought a rubber bushing with a hole in it at an auto parts store and ran a bolt through it. Used the same nut on the outside.Problem solved. Not sure if the set-up is the same but this worked forme.

 

ok, i fixed the prob! took about $ 6.00 at the hardware. i replaced the 2 front rubber mount with a solid bolt and a nylon spacer cut to the same size as the rubber. this stiffend the headlight up about 80% once i ride i'll know if i need to do the same to the rear 3rd rubber mount. i have a pic of what you need. part on the right is the rubber hd stud(junk). you will need SS bolts nylon spacer rubber washers, and you can re-use the chrome nut

[IMG]local://upfiles/4583/505C60A4B7F24B6298E50F1C20C2689F.jpg[/IMG]

 

Been running a rigid Headlight since 84 with no bulb issues

 

06DEUCE,

Can you post a pic of the parts installed in the housing?
You got my interest with that simple, and cheapfix idea.

 

Nice 06DEUCE. Not to be a PITA but I'd love to see a pic inside the housing too.

 

I thought it was a Springer issue too. When I heard a RK guy tell me to stay away from springer because of it (and other reasons) I didn't agree. All his reasons werejust part of the old skool appeal to me. 'Course it doesn't seem to be an issue to me 'cuz for my own reasons (bags, windshield, backrest, etc.) I ended up getting a Heritage Classic and the headlight doesn't seem to vibrate. (I wish my balanced engine were a littleLESS balanced.) Maybe it's another one of Harley's signaturecharacteristics for Springer and FX, like its rough-neck looks, quaking engine and volcanic rumble. To quote Dr. Frankenstein: "IT'S ALIIIIIIVE!!!" Maybe it's an attempt to make passing mini-van drivers think, "Here comes a Harley. Must be one bad biker to ride a wild steed like that." And an attempt to make the Harley rider think. "I'm on a Harley. I Must be one bad biker to ride a wild steed like this."

That said, to stay alive and sane, why not switch from that wimpy, flimsyrubber washer to a washer of pure, hard, gleamingsteel.