Adjusting Headlight?

[Promethean]

While installing my new windshield, I had to take off the headlight. Now, how do I adjust the R1150R headlight back to factory spec? Any thoughts?

-Abhijeet

[Dallara]

Hey, Abhijeet...

Glad to hear you go the windshield mounted without too much trouble. Like you it seemed like I had to disassemble half of the front of the motorcycle to get it on, but then it was tits.

Good rule of thumb for getting a good starting point for headlight adjustment...

First, set the lens of the headlamp perpedicular to the ground while the bike is OFF the centerstand. Then, wait until dark...

Find a nice flat wall - a white one works best, and I use my garage door - and face the motorcycle at it about 20-25 feet away. The headlight mounting bolts should be tight. Put the headlamp on low beam, and sit on the bike with the wheels on the ground, off the centerstand. At that distance the horizontal *cut-off* of the beam should be at about the same level as the center of the headlamp itself. Bump the headlamp up or down as necessary to get the *cut-off* at about this height.

Now, go out and ride the bike on the most deserted, dark, unlit streets you can find. Play with the low beam first, and bump the lamp up or down as necessary. Don't worry about the aim while accelerating or braking. Pay attention ot where it is aiming cruising steady-state.

Now, check the high beam... The high beam should illuminate as far down the road as possible, and actually light up objects (signs, etc.) up off the roadway pretty far away (up to about a 1000 feet or so), but the majority of the beam should still be on the roadway. If you end up where it looks like the high beam is just shining out in front of you with very little light actually spilling on the road, then it's aimied too high.

If you want to get really picky, you can go to just about any car dealer and have them check the height with a headlamp aiming machine, but to tell the truth, whenever I have doen this it aims the light too low for my tastes. You'll also know you have it aimed too high if people keep flashing their high beams at you when your lamp is on low beam...

Hope this helps.

Cheers!

Allan (Dallara)

[Deans BMW]

Gee, Allan.....with an ST, .............none of that is necessary.

[Dallara]

Well, Dean...

I understand that none of that is necessary to be able to see from the saddle of an R1200ST, but...

Who would want to be SEEN in the saddle riding an ST? :104:

Geez, even you are dumping that ugly duckling for an R1200S... :eusa_clap:

Cheers!

Allan (Dallara)

[Bones]

I thought it was because the ST goes faster than the speed of light, so with that bike, you have to adjust the MIRRORS so that the light from the headlight doesn't get in your eyes as it comes from behind you.

Ab,
What I do is "rough" aim using the garage door or wall at night with me sitting on the bike, from about 25 feet, as Allan said. Then, I ride with a friend and he tells me when it is annoying in his rear view mirror. Then I know I have it just about right. I adjust it down ever so slightly. If it is just about annoying to him from behind when we ride in the day, it is just right for me.

I never RELY on conspicuity to keep me safe, but being seen by drivers isn't a negative. I find that if it is adjusted to what is supposed to be exactly spec. it is almost invisible from head on. Then, it obviates the need to have the headlight on for daytime riding anyway, which is the current law in all the states I know about.


Jeff

[Promethean]

I'll try out this method of "adjusting the headlight" after I get my two missing bolts.

-Abhijeet

[DJ Down Under]

If my headlight is ever pointing a little too high I just do a wheelie and dropping the front wheel down usually sets it right...:003:

DJ

[Promethean]

I'd like to see that....a boxer bike doing a wheelie. :)

-Abhijeet


If my headlight is ever pointing a little too high I just do a wheelie and dropping the front wheel down usually sets it right...:003:

DJ

[Dallara]

Oh, it can be done, Abhijeet...

Boxer's aren't the easiest bikes to loft the front wheel with, primarily because of crankshaft orientation, but it's really not that hard if you want to.

Cheers!

Allan (Dallara)

[DarthRider]

Um...yeah.
Hate to admit *this* but one cool morning in a fit of over-exhuberance I "jerked" the throttle of my 50R to induce what I intented to be a nice little "power wheelie". Only I caught it in the absolute best part of the power band and jerked too hard, too quick.

Next thing I knew, and I mean in an instant, the bitch was pure vertical and comin' fast!

Then I made my next mistake and slammed the throttle *off*. And that "throttle cut mode" in the Motronic kicked that monster engine braking ON and the bike slammed back down hard.

I didn't drop the bike but it did pop the headlight out of the bucket and it was dangling by the wires!

Don't ever let anyone tell you that a heavy, shaft drive bike will not wheelie (a popular "Internet Theory" now and then), but there are certainly better ways of doing it than I just described.

The best one I have found is called a "Speed Triple"!

Dave