VS-2 Headlight adjusted and still off

[Naked Stella]

I have the VS2 headlight on my 07. I have adjusted the entire headlight housing as far down as it will go, and it's still not low enough. I would like to get it down about another 2'-3' at about 30' out. Is there a way to adjust the bulb by itself without actually adjusting the entire housing?
Is there anyway that the headlight bulb itself be in upside down? I notice there is a little cup looking deal under the headlight filament, is it supposed to be under or on top?

I am talking about when the high-beam is on, not the low beam.

 

[Motogiro]

I can only assume you're running the H4 dual filament 55 watt lamp. If you look you'll see in the picture below that there are 2 filaments one is the hi beam and one is the low beam. The low beam filament is the the one that has that little tub shield. This shield keeps the light from the lo beam filament from shining downward on the reflector which would normally reflect the light upward.This helps keep the low beam light aimed more downward. When the hi beam is activated the low beam filament should turn off and the hi beam filament should light.If your bike has been converted to naked from a faired version FZ6 the factory wiring does not provide for turning off the lo beam so when the hi beam is turned on the lamp will over heat. When the hi beam filament is lit there is light reflected in all directions in the reflector including upward which aims light more upward for greater distance vision and illumination. The little tub shield should be under the lo beam filament. Check to make sure there is only the low beam filament that is lit when on lo beam and that the lo beam filament turns off when the hi beam is turned on. There should also be tabs on the lamp base the key the lamp in the right position.

 

[Naked Stella]

Thanks Motogiro, I'll check it out tonight and get back to you.

Weird question, my headlights only come on when the bike is cranked. Is that normal? Both of my previous bike's headlights came on when the key was switched on.

 

[Motogiro]

Thanks Motogiro, I'll check it out tonight and get back to you.

Weird question, my headlights only come on when the bike is cranked. Is that normal? Both of my previous bike's headlights came on when the key was switched on.

That is perfectly normal for the FZ6. The ECU/ECM (computer) keeps the headlamp circuit off until the bike is started. Once it is started the ECU allows the headlamp relay to operate, passing current to the headlights. All other lights (running and directional) operated with the engine off and just the key on. Once the bike is started you can turn the kill switch to the off position and the engine stops but the headlamp circuit stays live until the key is turned to the off position.

 

[iSteve]

Both of my previous bike's headlights came on when the key was switched on.

I've been riding motorcycles for a little over 30 years and can't remember any of my bikes headlight coming on before pushing the starter button.

 

[The_Paragon]

If your bike has been converted to naked from a faired version FZ6 the factory wiring does not provide for turning off the lo beam so when the hi beam is turned on the lamp will over heat. When the hi beam filament is lit there is light reflected in all directions in the reflector including upward which aims light more upward for greater distance vision and illumination. The little tub shield should be under the lo beam filament. Check to make sure there is only the low beam filament that is lit when on lo beam and that the lo beam filament turns off when the hi beam is turned on.

Dont mean to :hijack: , but mine is a conversion from a faired bike. It there a way to change that so when the high beam comes on, the low beam isnt also on. Mine does that and I was wondering how long the bulb will last like that.

 

[Motogiro]

Dont mean to :hijack: , but mine is a conversion from a faired bike. It there a way to change that so when the high beam comes on, the low beam isnt also on. Mine does that and I was wondering how long the bulb will last like that.

Contact member bd43. He makes a wire thy at provides the proper switching. If you have a problem contact me.
The lamp life will be shortened when using thy e hi beam with out proper switching. [MENTION=458]bd43[/MENTION]

Sent from Moto's Motorola

 

[Motogiro]

I've been riding motorcycles for a little over 30 years and can't remember any of my bikes headlight coming on before pushing the starter button.

My 07 Suzuki SV1000s has headlights as soon as I turn the key on and when I hit the starter button power to the headlamp is shut of only while the starter button is depressed .As soon as I release the starter button the headlamp come back on. Many vehicles use this function, termed unloading, during the cranking cycle. It does 2 things I can think of right away. One is it provides additional current during the crank cycle and the other function may also be to detach the radio and accessories from experiencing the spike that is often present during starter cranking.

 

[iSteve]

After I wrote that I was thinking I should have said "most of my bikes". I had a Suzuki GS 750 that worked like your SV. And I had several bikes that didn't have electric starters and had headlight on off switches. Oh god I'm old.

 

[Naked Stella]

Thanks Motogiro, I'll check it out tonight and get back to you.

Weird question, my headlights only come on when the bike is cranked. Is that normal? Both of my previous bike's headlights came on when the key was switched on.

Okay so here is my headlight. It's pictured as it sits in the housing. The little cup looking deal is on the bottom of the bulb (closest to the ground). The POV of the picture is standing on the left side looking at the bike.

 

[Motogiro]

After I wrote that I was thinking I should have said "most of my bikes". I had a Suzuki GS 750 that worked like your SV. And I had several bikes that didn't have electric starters and had headlight on off switches. Oh god I'm old.

Lol! As long as we keep swinging that leg over we'll stay young enough! Blah

 

[Motogiro]

Okay so here is my headlight. It's pictured as it sits in the housing. The little cup looking deal is on the bottom of the bulb (closest to the ground). The POV of the picture is standing on the left side looking at the bike.

That looks correct. I wonder if that headlamp unit has an adjustment for the reflector assembly only? I would imagine the whole unit would take care of all needed up or down adjustment. Keep in mind that the original bulb was also a low wattage (less lumens)

Make sure your lo beam is that filament with the little tub and that it is the only filaemnt that is lit while the hi beam switch is in the off position. Another thing that can happen is sometimes the filament can pop and bridge to the other filament. Usually the hi beam dash indicator stays lit when this happens. If all is working properly it could be the reflector is not designed for the H4. Could the reflector be installed upside down?

 

[Naked Stella]

Okay so I went for a ride today, and looked at the headlight. The front (low beam?) light comes on when in "low beam". The rear light comes on when "bright" is switched on except the front one also stays on. So both filaments are lit when high beams are switched on.

 

[vinmansbrew]

Huh, I guess I never looked to see if both filaments are on when High is selected. I just pulled a wire out of the unused connector and put it into the used connector and plugged things in. Don't use high very often so I might not worry about it.

As for headlights turning on, I have never seen a bike besides yamaha only turn the light on after cranking. Everything I have seen or owned, turns the light on when the key is turned. However, the headlight always on when running thing didn't start till about the early 70s. Most any bike before that used an on/off switch for the light.

 

[Naked Stella]

Yeah it's a law now to have a headlight on at all times. Some manufactures like Honda with the Gold Wing are making it standard to flash. I personally think that it's a bad deal. Yeah it gets people's attention, but it's distracting and also can be confusing with a police motorcycle.

 

[vinmansbrew]

Yep, law since the 70s. I don't care for the modulating headlight either. It can get attention, but I wonder if it can cause target fixation for drivers. Also, I wonder how well it can really work for HID or LED headlights as they don't really dim like a filament bulb can. I also wonder if that doesn't make the bulb burn out faster.

 

[Naked Stella]

Yep, law since the 70s. I don't care for the modulating headlight either. It can get attention, but I wonder if it can cause target fixation for drivers. Also, I wonder how well it can really work for HID or LED headlights as they don't really dim like a filament bulb can. I also wonder if that doesn't make the bulb burn out faster.

I would imagine that the manufacture that is running the flashing headlights is using a bulb built to do that to keep the life of that bulb rather high. Gold Wings are really about the only bike that I have noticed that does it.

 

[Motogiro]

Yep, law since the 70s. I don't care for the modulating headlight either. It can get attention, but I wonder if it can cause target fixation for drivers. Also, I wonder how well it can really work for HID or LED headlights as they don't really dim like a filament bulb can. I also wonder if that doesn't make the bulb burn out faster.

I would imagine that the manufacture that is running the flashing headlights is using a bulb built to do that to keep the life of that bulb rather high. Gold Wings are really about the only bike that I have noticed that does it.

Using a circuit that modulates the lamp with a slower rise in voltage as apposed to just on and off can extend the life of the lamp. So it may not shorten, but in fact could lengthen the bulb life of the lamp. Pulse width modulation is a popular type of current regulation used in many lighting circuits today
I don't really like modulating the headlamps. I have a switch on my Suzuki for momentary high beams and I often use it when I come to an intersection where traffic might not notice me and turn left in front of me. It helps you get noticed.

 

[FinalImpact]

Using a circuit that modulates the lamp with a slower rise in voltage as apposed to just on and off can extend the life of the lamp. So it may not shorten, but in fact could lengthen the bulb life of the lamp. Pulse width modulation is a popular type of current regulation used in many lighting circuits today
I don't really like modulating the headlamps. I have a switch on my Suzuki for momentary high beams and I often use it when I come to an intersection where traffic might not notice me and turn left in front of me. It helps you get noticed.

Yep, less current equals less heat and longer life. Just as you stated, as long as the in rush current is throttled back, the bulb will last longer.

LEDs: ever notice how much light they get from some LEDs and read the lamp rating vs fixture rating? Some of the fixtures these LEDs are installed in modulate at frequency high enough we don't see it flicker but they over drive the lamp getting more output without destroying it as that little bit of off time keeps it from overheating. Unlike an incandescent bulb the current is switch completely off / on for max cooling.

As for the bike and its aim, what is the rear spring set at? Depending on your weight, this could be a factor. Adding spring tension may help unless the ride/preload is correct for you there. Obviously the problem will be worse if riding 2up!

 

[Naked Stella]

[MENTION=15974]FinalImpact[/MENTION]

Looks like my rear spring is setup on # 1. I did a little looking around and it seems as though for someone like me (155lbs dripping wet) and 5'10" (70") it is supposed to be on # 3. Is that correct?

Also my bike rides awesomely in the rear. My right fork seal is going bad, but honestly I can't even tell.