Headlight insanity??

[halfmile]

I always thought this Yamaha IT400 headlight was neat because of the stone guard and I might use one on whatever it is that I`m building. $450.00 for the light & ring no bucket!. Oh well their 6V anyway. I`m over it now. Looks like China to the rescue.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/YAMAHA-NOS...041056?hash=item56c472bc20:g:R2cAAOSwTnBcyrHs

 

[JRay77]

Make them an offer. $100. Haha!

 

[willis]

I have that light on my tracker. I picked up a box of random TY250 parts including a mint gas tank for $75 on local c-list a few years back. I just wanted the headlight though. I found a NOS 12v bulb that slipped right in at the local bike shop. I also painted the bucket black. I like how the mount ears are so shallow and pull the light into the triples more too.

 

[gggGary]

I have that light on my tracker. I picked up a box of random TY250 parts including a mint gas tank for $75 on local c-list a few years back. I just wanted the headlight though. I found a NOS 12v bulb that slipped right in at the local bike shop. I also painted the bucket black. I like how the mount ears are so shallow and pull the light into the triples more too.
View attachment 165363

Tidy!

 

[willis]

There another one for considerably less at $129. These light are pretty salty for some reason. This one includes the bucket but no ears.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Headli...TT500-IT-TY-250-175-6v-BULB-G-2-/223859228016

 

[halfmile]

I saw those. The Vintagespoke is close to me here in Ks and has a ton of Yamaha parts. $129.00 is way out there for me. I`m thinkin about $30.00.
I too always mount the light as far back into the triples as I can get it.

 

[willis]

Those TY mount ears are a perfect fit and can be found reasonable. I though about mounting a stock light in them to see how it looks but never got round-tuit

 

[stinky78]

I’ve bought a few items like that off ebay from Thailand, if you check on Partzilla to see which biikes and years used it you can often pick them up NOS for cheap, Yamaha continued to use a lot of parts on little bikes in Asia long after they stopped using them in the west, I’m slowly getting parts together for a Yam 500 based on an XT but with IT forks and a different swingarm, wheels etc and managed to find a period correct TT500 speedo that was the same part number as the TT but was listed for a DT175 or something, if you can find an original one of those in the west they always go for heaps even second hand, you have to play ebay detective a bit but it can be worth it.

 

[DogBunny]

I discovered the IT400 headlight several years ago, and have been using one ever since. They originally had grills made from wire as shown above. The reproductions have stamped metal grills that look a lot cheaper.
That headlight was also used on the TY175 and TY250, and was an option on the TT500. The originals are very in-demand and are very pricey. I started hoarding them when I discovered them, and I have quite the stash of them now. halfmile, if you PM me, I might part with one for you.
It takes a little bit of doing, but it is fairly easy to retrofit these headlights to 12V. You break the filament out of the sealed beam, and there is an inexpensive off the shelf HI/LO bulb that slips right in. I solder it in place. I can look up the bulb number if someone needs it. The retro-fitted sealed beam will NOT throw a beam of light down the road like it's supposed to, but it will get your bike to pass inspection.

The 1974-1975 Kawasaki KT250 came with an almost identical headlight, but its grill used 5 instead of 4 wires, and the wires are a little smaller. The shell is identical, except the countersunk screw that holds the grill ring is on the left instead of the right. These lights are even rarer and more expensive than the Yamaha ones. I only have two of these.

 

[stinky78]

some of the little Hondas like the CT125 also had grilled headlights, at least for some years, not sure how common they were over there but they were fairly common here, getting harder to find now though.

 

[WideAWAKE]

Here is a $30 kinda-sorta

https://www.ebay.com/itm/6-5-Retro-...ispr=1&hash=item2888ca7811:g:wMgAAOSwbqddylLD

 

[willis]

This is the 12v bulb that plugs right in.

 

[DogBunny]

This is the 12v bulb that plugs right in.
View attachment 165412 View attachment 165413

Yeah, you're right, the IT400 does not have a sealed beam, and going from 6 to 12 volt is plug and play with a new bulb. I confused retro-fitting a burned-out Honda Express sealed beam -- those sealed beams are unobtainable. The Express electrical system is rudimentary. There is no voltage regulator, instead, the battery acts as a voltage "soak" or "sink". When the battery dies you loose your voltage regulation, and all your lights blow. Which is really common, and then you have to find a way to repair your unobtainable sealed beam, which is what I was describing.