Proper Halogen Bulb Orientation Post-upgrade?

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  • kirkn
    #1

    Proper Halogen Bulb Orientation Post-upgrade?

    OK, I've got an odd situation:

    I've just discovered the previous owner of my 82 GS450T had 'upgraded' the headlight to a halogen bulb. He looks to have done this by snipping / butchering out the original bulb from the sealed beam unit and JBWelding a generic halogen bulb in it's place.

    Now that I've got a battery back in the project (it's not road-worthy yet), I'm not sure if he put the bulb in correctly - that is, I think it's 180 degrees out - it's upside down.

    I say this just by looking at the headlight from the front while it's on. Usually while on low beam on a halogen light, the upper half of the headlight appears brighter while the lower half appears dimmer. On high beam, the full area appears bright. With this deal, when on low beam, the lower half appears brighter. My son's Honda XR650L, for example, shines opposite to my GS.

    Anyone know if this is correct or not? Anyone got a halogen light they can do a quick visual on? What's the orientation of the bulb? Of the 3 prongs out the back?

    Thanks for any insights...

    Kirk
    Tags: None
    • Steve
      GS Whisperer
      • Jun 2005
      • 35924
      • southwest oHIo
      #2
      Standard orientation of the bulb will have two terminals vertically at the sides and the third terminal horizontal across the top.

      More importantnly, though, is the pattern that is projected on the road. On high beam, it should throw a decent beam relatively straight ahead. On low beam, the main portion of the projected beam will be a bit lower, maybe even shifted a bit to the right.

      Are you saying that the whole lens/reflector assembly is JB welded into the housing, or that he somehow cut a hole in the back of the stock bulb and stuck an H4 bulb in there? If that is what happened, please do yourself (and other motorists) a favor, get a proper light. Complete housings are available relatively inexpensively, and you can install a proper halogen lens/reflector/bulb assembly for about $40.

      .
      sigpic
      mine: 2000 Honda GoldWing GL1500SE and 1980 GS850G'K' "Junior"
      hers: 1982 GS850GL - "Angel" and 1969 Suzuki T250 Scrambler
      #1 son: 1986 Yamaha Venture Royale 1300 and 1982 GS650GL "Rat Bagger"
      #2 son: 1980 GS1000G
      Family Portrait
      Siblings and Spouses
      Mom's first ride
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        Comment

        • kirkn
          #3
          This bulb is installed with the two prongs vertical and the horizontal prong across the BOTTOM.

          Yes, he just removed whatever bulb/filament/? was there to begin with, leaving a ragged open hole in the back of the reflector. The bulb appears to be a 'standard' H4 bulb with three little integral metal tabs around it's circumference that would ordinarily fit into locating slots. The bulb is just inserted into that ragged hole and JBWelded right to the back of the reflector.

          Yeah, it's a bit of a bodge, given that my understanding is that the filament and reflector and lens are normally "all of a system".

          When the bike gets back on the road in another few weeks, it'll be interesting to see what pattern it puts out, but, yeah, I suspect a new headlight is in my future.
          Last edited by Guest; 08-16-2012, 11:37 AM.

            Comment

            • Steve
              GS Whisperer
              • Jun 2005
              • 35924
              • southwest oHIo
              #4
              Originally posted by kirkn
              When the bike gets back on the road in another few weeks, it'll be interesting to see what pattern it puts out, but, yeah, I suspect a new headlight is in my future.
              Why wait?

              1. You can take the headlight out to your driveway, use jumper wires to connect it to the battery in your car and see what pattern it projects.

              2. You should already have a pretty good idea that it's wrong, why not get the new headlight and have it ready when you get the bike back on the road?

              .
              sigpic
              mine: 2000 Honda GoldWing GL1500SE and 1980 GS850G'K' "Junior"
              hers: 1982 GS850GL - "Angel" and 1969 Suzuki T250 Scrambler
              #1 son: 1986 Yamaha Venture Royale 1300 and 1982 GS650GL "Rat Bagger"
              #2 son: 1980 GS1000G
              Family Portrait
              Siblings and Spouses
              Mom's first ride
              Want a copy of my valve adjust spreadsheet for your 2-valve per cylinder engine? Send me an e-mail request (not a PM)
              (Click on my username in the upper-left corner for e-mail info.)

                Comment

                • kirkn
                  #5
                  Excellent idea about testing it out via jumpers to some other battery. Never even thought of that. I was thinking 'well, it's not worth the effort to drag the bike out of it's workstation just for that', but that's a great idea.

                  If it 'tests' bad, I'll indeed get a new one. But, not just on a suspicion... I'm too cheap for that.

                  Thanks!

                    Comment

                    • Guest
                      #6
                      A good place to start. http://store.candlepower.com/ca53mohe.html

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