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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Headlight fell off, at night, at 65mph!
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Message started by revsin on 08/17/08 at 20:53:11

Title: Headlight fell off, at night, at 65mph!
Post by revsin on 08/17/08 at 20:53:11

This is just plain crazy. Check this out.

http://gallery.mac.com/ericcherry#100161&bgcolor=black&view=grid

I was driving on the highway towards home, no bump in the road, no collision with anything, the headlight just falls off the forks!

Still attached via the wires, but is now useless pointing at the fender bouncing around.

Luckily the moon was out and clear skies so I had enough vision to make it to safety.

Got it home in the daylight and gave it some inspecting.

I bought this bike used (and love it), and looks like the former owner had it break off at the yoke. What I admire is the ingenuity of using saw off hacksaw blades and wood screws to hold the original break together.

What I disapprove of is the cheap and dangerous nature of this repair for such a vital to life part!

Now it appears that the plastic headlight housing has become brittle and or cracked and broken right off at the mounting bolts.

This part is totally f'ed, but wanted to show off the kind of luck I have.

Anyone got a spare headlight housing part # 51810-38A03 they wanna sell me?

Title: Re: Headlight fell off, at night, at 65mph!
Post by Paladin. on 08/17/08 at 22:40:55

I let mine go a few months ago, but jirehcycles.com has 5.75" bottom or side mount headlights for $27, and a 7" bottom mount for $42, all with 55/60 watt H4 bulbs. You'll have to rig a mount. I did my bottom mount with a box made from aluminum angle.

Title: Re: Headlight fell off, at night, at 65mph!
Post by Rockin_John on 08/17/08 at 23:25:15

Just about anyone who formerly rode what are now "vintage" European bikes with Lucas electric parts can empathize with going around a corner on a dark night and having your headlight suddenly go out... It can be quite a thrilling experience that first acquaintance with "Lucas, prince of darkness" as was the common joke about the reliability of their electrics.

Anyways... I probably have one of those headlight buckets out in my garage if it isn't modified or cracked itself. They're made of a rather poor grade of plastic and are known to break off. I'd really recommend replacing it with a metal part, as Paladin suggested. The long necked pointy bucket one replacing the stock one on my 99 #1 is mounted on a piece of rectangular aluminum tubing to raise it up a bit (and to give an attachment point.)

I think I paid about $40 for my nice fluted chrome teardrop, and the last stock one in good condition that went through eBay sold for the same money. Why not upgrade as long as you have the excuse? :D

Title: Re: Headlight fell off, at night, at 65mph!
Post by serowbot on 08/18/08 at 00:16:04

You know what the Lone Ranger said to Tonto when Trigger died?...

"Well,.. he never did that before!"

....It gets funnier the more you think about it....

Title: Re: Headlight fell off, at night, at 65mph!
Post by Sandy Koocanusa on 08/18/08 at 04:12:10

It's funny alright. Just in case there's ever money at stake though, you'll want to remember that his horse was named "Silver."

"Hi Ho Trigger! AWAAAAAY!" wouldn't sound quite right.

Title: Re: Headlight fell off, at night, at 65mph!
Post by troglobil on 08/18/08 at 05:18:24

Trigger was Roy Rogers' horse.

Title: Re: Headlight fell off, at night, at 65mph!
Post by troglobil on 08/18/08 at 05:31:12

look here
http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1211834384

Title: Re: Headlight fell off, at night, at 65mph!
Post by prsavage on 08/18/08 at 08:57:22

Ya know why the English drink warm beer?
Lucas refrigerators.

Title: Re: Headlight fell off, at night, at 65mph!
Post by BurnPgh on 08/18/08 at 09:15:35

ba dum bum! chiiing!