Headlight lens crooked!

[Anonymous]

The headlight lens on my gs550 is a bit crooked. About 20 degrees from center. I have taken it apart and looked at it twice. I can't figure out how it got that way... I can't remember if it has always been that way. The wierd thing is that the lens on my Bultaco is exactly the same... 20 degrees off from center. I have never adjusted, replaced or done anything with either bike. What gives? Is it possible that the lens can move within the casing from vibration or something? I guess I can find a replacement if I can't get in there and turn it back myself-- I'm just curious if anyone else had this problem.

By the way, if anyone remembers, I posted a while back about rebuilding carbs and stuff. Well get this. I rebuilt the carbs successfully and got her running. I took her out that night (a saturday night) and parked at a bar. I had a few drinks so a buddy took me home. Went to the bar the next day and found my bike laid out on the ground. Signals, clutch lever, handlebars, and light switch were all destroyed. The tank was also badly dented and the engine casing *#@*ed on the stator cover. I worked over 20 hours on those damn carbs and some asshole just took her out in five seconds. Anyways, I got new bars and stuff and she is running fine. Just need to sync those carbs. Sorry, had to get that off my chest. Anybody got a cheap tank for a 1980 550?
Travis

 

[earlfor]

Re: Headlight lens crooked!

Sorry to hear about your bike getting smashed. Leaving your bike in a parking lot full of drunk drivers is asking for it

Earl

By the way, if anyone remembers, I posted a while back about rebuilding carbs and stuff. Well get this. I rebuilt the carbs successfully and got her running. I took her out that night (a saturday night) and parked at a bar. I had a few drinks so a buddy took me home. Went to the bar the next day and found my bike laid out on the ground. Signals, clutch lever, handlebars, and light switch were all destroyed. The tank was also badly dented and the engine casing *#@*ed on the stator cover. I worked over 20 hours on those damn carbs and some #### just took her out in five seconds.

 

[Anonymous]

bike

bike

Dispite what earls says congrats on being smart enough to not ride her home, I think you are talking about the normal off set that is in the headlite so that it does not shine in to the eyes of on coming drivers, there is an adjustment screw for this on the front edge of the headlite ring,

 

[Anonymous]

Earl has a great point though... park defensively! If I park near a bar again, I will leave her in a place that ain't asking for it.

It isn't about the adjustment screw on the headlight-- the acutal glass itself is crooked. If you look straight at it, the 'top' mark on the lens itself is 20 degrees from perfectly vertical. How does this happen?
Traivs

 

[earlfor]

If I remember correctly (its been awhile since I assembled a headlight fixture from scratch), the glass (with either sealed beam or halogen) sits inside a compression ring which has the ears on it to provide the nutplates for holding the assembly into the headlight shell. You should be able to remove the headlight from the shell, loosen the clamp ring and rotate the glass lens to any orientation you want within the ring. I suspect either the screw holding rotational alignment is loose or has vibrated loose.
The lens lines should be orientated horizontal and vertical, There isnt supposed to be any sideways refractive offset.

Earl

Earl has a great point though... park defensively! If I park near a bar again, I will leave her in a place that ain't asking for it.

It isn't about the adjustment screw on the headlight-- the acutal glass itself is crooked. If you look straight at it, the 'top' mark on the lens itself is 20 degrees from perfectly vertical. How does this happen?
Traivs