Headlight

[awafan]

Hey everyone! So far I have had great luck reading and searching the forum for info on the '72 XS650 restoration I am doing but I am now stuck with another question.

I want to keep the original headlight bucket. It appears my only recourse is to replace the sealed assembly with THIS assembly from MikesXS and then order the clips as suggested.
Does anyone have any creative solutions besides this?

It appears that the bulb is help in with 6 little bent over "tangs". Has anyone just taken the bulb out and replaced the bulb? If so what bulb would work.

Thanks in advance...

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Here's a shadetree solution for the early `70-`73 bikes.
Use an automotive 6024 or H6024 halogen sealed-beam headlight bulb.
Wrap a few layers of electrical tape around the glass rim, until it fits snug into the headlight trim ring. Then tie it down snug with safety wire, per the pics. The bulb is shallow, so doesn't interfere with the shell wiring, and uses the standard 3-prong connector.

I suppose you could use those 'conversion clips', if you want, never tried them.

This was my 'make do' solution 17 years ago, still working fine, nice and bright. The auto beam shines a little to the left on hi-beam, a little to the right on low-beam.

You can still get these at $10 - $15.

 

[sdxs2]

I will have to remember that. I have a 72 also and low beam is broken and was considering a new headlight bucket and everything but may go this route now!

 

[sdxs2]

I would maybe find some gasket material depending on the size difference from the glass to the housing.

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

It's pretty close. The headlamp I used has an outer ring recess that fits nicely-tightly into the trim ring flange. Let us know what you find...

 

[kshansen]

I'll butt in here on what I find in the parts off the 1972 I have been partsing out over the years.

This one has a sealed beam Wagner 6014 head lamp. It is held into the chrome rim with four spring clips like the one in the following picture. The center point marked "a" pressed on the back of the lamp and the two ends marked "b" snapped into the rolled over edge of the chrome rim.

The chrome rim has the hole for the adjuster screw and the ears for what I would call "pivot points" and also the tab opposite the adjusting screw hole for the adjusting spring. However there are no signs of anything ever having been in any of those holes. Not until this afternoon have I had any reason to remove the head lamp from the chrome rim and back when I disassembled this bike I did my best to keep all parts together with their mating parts. I can not speak for who or what may have been done to it be fore I got this bike.