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    Lower headlight for cafe project?

    Does anyone know how to lower the headlight for a cafe project? I'd like it to look more in line with the body, rather than upright like a cruiser.

    #2
    Make some new offset arms from the forks to carry it lower. The hardest thing will be getting them to look good. Some of the GS headlight brackets are shorter than others, you may be able to run one of the shorter ones with an additional spacer on top. There are also generic ones that clamp on that would probably allow you to move it lower. Lots on Fleabay...

    You'll need to be careful that your fender can't touch the bottom of it though depending on how low you go & also note that the wiring might not stretch that far & need re-configuring.
    1980 GS1000G - Sold
    1978 GS1000E - Finished!
    1980 GS550E - Fixed & given to a friend
    1983 GS750ES Special - Sold
    2009 KLR 650 - Sold - gone to TX!
    1982 GS1100G - Rebuilt and finished. - Sold
    2009 TE610 - Dual Sporting around dreaming of Dakar.....

    www.parasiticsanalytics.com

    TWINPOT BRAKE UPGRADE LINKY: http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...e-on-78-Skunk/

    Comment


      #3
      Some of the aftermarket ones allow themselves to be clamped upside-down, lowering the light.
      ---- Dave
      79 GS850N - Might be a trike soon.
      80 GS850T Single HIF38 S.U. SH775, Tow bar, Pantera II. Gnarly workhorse & daily driver.
      79 XS650SE - Pragmatic Ratter - goes better than a manky old twin should.
      92 XJ900F - Fairly Stock, for now.

      Only a dog knows why a motorcyclist sticks his head out of a car window

      Comment


        #4
        Thanks! I didn't even think about fender clearance, but I'm not looking to go too low, just more in line with the tank and the lean-forward look of a cafe racer, instead of the stock upright position.

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by salty_monk View Post
          Make some new offset arms from the forks to carry it lower. The hardest thing will be getting them to look good. Some of the GS headlight brackets are shorter than others, you may be able to run one of the shorter ones with an additional spacer on top. There are also generic ones that clamp on that would probably allow you to move it lower. Lots on Fleabay...
          You'd probably do well to look at brands other than Suzuki as well, those bracket/tube combo's where a pretty popular way of mounting a headlight across the board.
          1980 Yamaha XS1100G (Current bike)
          1982 GS450txz (former bike)
          LONG list of previous bikes not listed here.

          These aren't my words, I just arrange them

          Comment


            #6
            You could easily make some brackets by bending 2 pieces of stock steel strap around the stanchions...1" wide or so? They'd need some holes drilled to clamp to stanchions and hold headlamp ...and some paint, but that's about it.

            Comment


              #7
              google "crappy motorcycle headlight mount"
              on amazon $12
              GSX1300R NT650 XV535

              Comment


                #8
                +1 Ya you can just mic the forks to check diameter then google/Ebay/Amazon shop headlight brackets. Lots to choose from and some look pretty decent for a good price.
                Jonesz

                1979 GS850 current project
                1978 GL1000-naked
                1983 GL1100-Aspencade stripped
                1999 Valkyrie Tourer-long ride bike

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by Grimly View Post
                  Some of the aftermarket ones allow themselves to be clamped upside-down, lowering the light.
                  I was thinkin the same thing Grimly. This can work great.
                  Ryan

                  1979 GS850G - currently undergoing a major overhaul
                  1986 GSX-R750 - I'm figuring it out

                  Comment


                    #10
                    A smaller headlight, like the one from an L model, might be somewhat more lower-able.

                    Following a violent deer attack, my KLR is wearing a donated chrome headlight bucket from a GS650GL. Works quite well with an H4 LED. You can see the fairing of a normal KLR to the left.


                    As you can see, there's very little space to work with there, so a larger headlight probably wouldn't have worked. As it is, it's nearly touching the fender, and it's very close to contacting the instrument pods.

                    I'm using a really cheap set of generic headlight brackets. Something like this; there are better and more expensive/flexible options, of course:


                    Dime City has a nice selection of headlight buckets, mounts, etc.
                    1983 GS850G, Cosmos Blue.
                    2005 KLR685, Aztec Pink - Turd II.3, the ReReReTurdening
                    2015 Yamaha FJ-09, Magma Red Power Corrupts...
                    Eat more venison.

                    Please provide details. The GSR Hive Mind is nearly omniscient, but not yet clairvoyant.

                    Celeriter equita, converteque saepe.

                    SUPPORT THIS SITE! DONATE TODAY!

                    Get "The Riding Obsession" sport-touring motorcycling podcast at https://tro.bike/podcast/ or wherever you listen to podcasts!

                    Comment


                      #11
                      What's the guy in the red and black jacket doing!!
                      Jonesz

                      1979 GS850 current project
                      1978 GL1000-naked
                      1983 GL1100-Aspencade stripped
                      1999 Valkyrie Tourer-long ride bike

                      Comment


                        #12
                        That’s Bwringer, the bike must be still running well as he’s not peeing on it....
                        1980 GS1000G - Sold
                        1978 GS1000E - Finished!
                        1980 GS550E - Fixed & given to a friend
                        1983 GS750ES Special - Sold
                        2009 KLR 650 - Sold - gone to TX!
                        1982 GS1100G - Rebuilt and finished. - Sold
                        2009 TE610 - Dual Sporting around dreaming of Dakar.....

                        www.parasiticsanalytics.com

                        TWINPOT BRAKE UPGRADE LINKY: http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...e-on-78-Skunk/

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by Jonesz View Post
                          What's the guy in the red and black jacket doing!!
                          That's Scott -- his bike is the desert tan KLR650 to the left.

                          And he's just, you know, admiring the view. It was a scenic mountain top meadow.
                          1983 GS850G, Cosmos Blue.
                          2005 KLR685, Aztec Pink - Turd II.3, the ReReReTurdening
                          2015 Yamaha FJ-09, Magma Red Power Corrupts...
                          Eat more venison.

                          Please provide details. The GSR Hive Mind is nearly omniscient, but not yet clairvoyant.

                          Celeriter equita, converteque saepe.

                          SUPPORT THIS SITE! DONATE TODAY!

                          Get "The Riding Obsession" sport-touring motorcycling podcast at https://tro.bike/podcast/ or wherever you listen to podcasts!

                          Comment

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