I have one pointing correctly and one lighting up the trees? Is there an easy ay to adjust them?
Thanks..

2012 RKC.

 

Yep, ya need a long ball end Allen,and a deep socket with a slot cut for the wire,I forgot the sizes. And you also need a third hand,at least . The Allen lets you remove the signal light to access the adjuster nut

 

I had a socket, 9/16" deepwell I had already cut for another job, set the ride on a work jack at considered level pointed to a wall and adjust the lamps according to where the headlamp illuminates the wall or have someone sit on it while you make the adjustments. The lamps sit on a 1/2 round washer so will adjust fairly easy with the nut backed off but not sloppy loose. The allen wrench is to remove the T/S from the mount.

 

Yea same here, ya need to cut a slot in a 9/16 deep socket. the slot is for the wire that runs to the light, otherwise you can't turn the nut without twisting the wire. I used a cut off wheel to slot the cheap socket I bought just for this.

 

I have a theory about these lights - that there is a dark foreboding corner of the factory where nobody dare tread and out of which comes those lights, pre-assembled. Notice how they don't seem to have changed in decades? Forget the Burmuda Triangle, this is a REAL mystery. Adjust them at your peril.......

 

There is a M/F spherical washer assembly (Swivel block p/n 68721-62) that allows to set each light. I greased mine before tightening.

 

When I had the bike apart to repair it after the wreck that resulted in my obtaining my Street Glide, I thought ahead because I was installing 100 watt aircraft landing light bulbs in these lamps. I was going to wire in a Bosch relay and increase the size of the wires, so while I was at it, I wired in a quick disconnect into the wire that went into each lamp that I could get to without removing the outer fairing. I use shrink tubing over that connector to keep things secure and dry. When it's time to adjust the lights (and it may take several tries until you're happy with where they are pointing) I just cut the shrink tube off, disconnect the wire, and use a Craftsman Max Access ratchet set which has a hole down the middle for the wire to pass thru. I loosen the nut and do my adjustment, check the light against a black sheet hung in my garage, and off I go.

Greasing the spherical adjuster is an excellent idea, or use anti-seize. For most of these lights with 35 or 55 watt bulbs, getting real fine with the adjustment is kind of a moot point a lotta times...with either of those two size bulbs, they just don't put out enough light to make much difference over installing a 100/130 watt bulb into the main headlight. However, when you drop an aircraft landing light bulb in there with larger wiring and a relay, NOW you're making some serious light, combined with that aforementioned big headlight bulb.

For the folks getting excited about the ability of the charging system to keep up with those, I'll just tell you that the volt meter still registers that the system is charging. However, living in riding in SoCal, there are rarely any times that there isn't other traffic on the road, and you're just NOT gonna leave those lights on for any extended amount of time. Very handy in the twisties, but you're gonna need to be on your game to turn them off when you approach traffic. My lights are not wired to be dependent on the headlight; the switch turns them on and turns them off. Very simple.

As far as where I aim them, I like them aimed just a skotch higher than the low beams, but lower than the high beams. That puts these monsters where I need them. I also use them during daylight when I split lanes, and this adjustment puts those lights into the side view mirrors of the cages, where the light needs to be.

 

As you can see, tightening and loosening them is a pain, even with the right socket. That being said, I have yet to see a set on a late model bike (say 2010 or newer) that was so tight you could not simply adjust it by hand. Just grab the housing and move it. Its on a simple ball/socket type mount. If you do it too many times, you will loosen it up and be forced to tighten it. Act like a freakin' gorilla and your on your own. But I have been grabbing and moving those lights for as long as I can remember, and never encountered a frozen one, and never had one mysteriously loosen up after it was pointed in the right place. I expect forum members for tell me that's the wrong way to do it because that's not what the "manual" says. But its worked countless times for me. Just use common sense.

 

1953




mike

 

You need one of these. It's a 9/16 deep with a slot milled in it to get around the wire.