Help me fix up this headlight please!

[figure8]

Hey guys

I got this pretty cool vintage headlight but I'd like to upgrade the inside to a dual filament bulb. The bulb is a press fit but it really doesn't "stay put". I wouldn't be opposed to drilling and rigging something up to make it run a dual filament. Any ideas suggestions of what to use/how to do it best?

 

[5twins]

I don't think that's a headlight, I think it's a fog light. It probably won't make a very good headlight. I'm not even sure a dual filament bulb is available and besides, the lens is yellow and the lens pattern isn't right.

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Yeah, that's a fog light. Looks like crimped ring, so can't be opened up and serviced like my headlight.

Did a web search, found some similar single filament rectangular headlights, but none like mine!!??

So, here I've been giving you advise on adjusting what was an everyday, simple, budget, mass-produced rectangular headlight, and they don't exist now??

Boy, I swear, this forum is like a time machine. Imagine waking up and it's 40 years later.
Then riding your bike to get a fillup, and folks are saying: "Gasoline? What's gasoline?"

There may still be a way to mod your unit, just gotta search thru more bulbs...

 

[figure8]

Thanks two many and 5t, can I just add a ground anywhere within the assembly?

 

[5twins]

The bulb probably grounds to and through it's base plate. There may have been some sort of retaining wire or snap ring to hold it in originally, as evidenced by the rust ring on the back of the base plate (pic 1). Maybe that retainer had the ground wire on it.

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

The bulb probably grounds to and through it's base plate. There may have been some sort of retaining wire or snap ring to hold it in originally, as evidenced by the rust ring on the back of the base plate (pic 1). Maybe that retainer had the ground wire on it.

Ditto! Here's one article on H3 bulb retension:

http://www.motoguzzicalifornia.com/2010/06/35watt-bulb/

And, found a dual filament H3 bulb:

http://www.hondaxr250.com/id28.html

 

[figure8]

Thanks guys! Two many you're the man...

 

[angus67]

Yeah, that's a fog light. Looks like crimped ring, so can't be opened up and serviced like my headlight.

Did a web search, found some similar single filament rectangular headlights, but none like mine!!??

So, here I've been giving you advise on adjusting what was an everyday, simple, budget, mass-produced rectangular headlight, and they don't exist now??

Boy, I swear, this forum is like a time machine. Imagine waking up and it's 40 years later.
Then riding your bike to get a fillup, and folks are saying: "Gasoline? What's gasoline?"

There may still be a way to mod your unit, just gotta search thru more bulbs...

Just wait till Rush's red barchetta becomes the norm

 

[gggGary]

get an HID or LED projector, wack away enough of the back of that thing that it fits in. Then shit can it all and find something different. Not a suggestion, just the way I do things.

 

[gene xs]

Many '80s Yamahas had rectangular headlights. I know for sure that there were headlights like that on the Vision (I owned one) and the Radian. You can probably find one on ebay for not too much.

If you are planning on doing any riding at night a fog lamp with a headlamp bulb is not a good idea. Not the right light pattern and the amber lens will make it dim.

I'd go with the Yamaha rectangular unit instead.