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Message started by philthymike on 12/31/16 at 12:34:51

Title: DIY Post style headlight bracket
Post by philthymike on 12/31/16 at 12:34:51

I'm having to fabricate something to mount my new headlight. Adapting the universal type bracket I ordered wasn't going to work. So I put on my thinking cap and went for some back alley engineering armed with my trusty ruler.

I'll post pics for now and then do a write up with measurements at the end of it.

The lines drawn on the tape:
The center line at 1 inch from either side. The horizontal line is 1cm in from the end. The mounting hole X's are 1.5 cm away form the center line.

Title: Re: DIY Post style headlight bracket
Post by philthymike on 12/31/16 at 12:36:02

Drilling bottom mounting holes - 1/4"

Title: Re: DIY Post style headlight bracket
Post by philthymike on 12/31/16 at 12:36:54

Checking my work against the OEM headlight

Title: Re: DIY Post style headlight bracket
Post by philthymike on 12/31/16 at 12:37:37

Setting up the headlight post hole. It is 1 cm from the end

Title: Re: DIY Post style headlight bracket
Post by philthymike on 12/31/16 at 12:39:45

Not fun with a hand drill! Nearly got my wrist twisted off when the bit bound up. :-[
Finished it with a round file.

Next time I'll be less lazy and step up my drill sizes one size at a time instead of every other size....

Hole size 1/2"

Title: Re: DIY Post style headlight bracket
Post by philthymike on 12/31/16 at 12:40:27

Almost done

Title: Re: DIY Post style headlight bracket
Post by philthymike on 12/31/16 at 13:20:41

After some more grinding and sanding - black, is the new black

Title: Re: DIY Post style headlight bracket
Post by philthymike on 12/31/16 at 13:22:13

this should have been the 1st picture. The raw channel stock. 2 inches wide from Home Despot
Pick an end of the channel stock.
Measure in 1" from that end and draw a line across it.
On the bench grinder use the edge of the wheel to grind a shark fin shape into each curved up end of the U. The points of the fins should be pointing to the 1" line with the longer side of the fin toward the end of the channel and the more obtuse angle toward the rest of the channel's length.
Make sure you grind all the way down to the flat portion of the channel.

Now tighten the end of the channel in a vice so that the 1" line is just visible above the top of the vice's jaw and aligned with it. Attach a magnetic bubble level to the top of channel lengthwise. With a firm grip on the top of the channel carefully bend it down until the bubble level shows nearly perfect horizontal bubble.

With a measuring tape measure 2 5/8" from the end and around the bend and draw a line. Using a hacksaw cut off the channel at that line.

Clean up cut end with grinder.
Apply tape as seen above and layout holes as described above.
Drill, grind, sand and paint. It's Miller time!

Note: the 2 5/8" cutoff point was ideal for the headlight I'm using but depending on the height of the headlight you may want to play with this measurement for the best fit.

Happy New Years!

Title: Re: DIY Post style headlight bracket
Post by philthymike on 12/31/16 at 14:07:36

I ran out of daylight waiting for the paint to dry. I did a test fit and it works perfectly. Tomorrow, after hangover wears off, I will shoot some pictures of the final result.

Title: Re: DIY Post style headlight bracket
Post by philthymike on 01/01/17 at 14:37:45

Mounted to triple tree

Title: Re: DIY Post style headlight bracket
Post by philthymike on 01/01/17 at 14:38:25

it works!

Title: Re: DIY Post style headlight bracket
Post by philthymike on 01/01/17 at 14:39:16

Done!

Some notes about the Highway Hawk headlight.
The wiring fits inside but it's a tight fit.
The pivots bolt is junk. the hex head strips out before its even halfway tight. Replace it with something more robust.
The little bezel screws are tiny evil little things. Not fun to chase them around when dropped.

Title: Re: DIY Post style headlight bracket
Post by IslandRoad on 01/01/17 at 14:54:47

It looks great!

Title: Re: DIY Post style headlight bracket
Post by philthymike on 01/01/17 at 14:56:03

Thanks! :)

Title: Re: DIY Post style headlight bracket
Post by philthymike on 01/02/17 at 06:40:35

Some more notes about the headlight. It projects light in a seemingly perfect box shape on low beam. It is really unsettling at 1st but you get used to it. I went and rode down some unlit backroads last night and noticed that the box isn't seen with the high beam on and there's plenty of spread to see the sides of the road to watch for deer or pedestrians.
It may be a fashionably designed headlight but it has good functionality too.

I imagine from the point of view of a spectator watching you ride by the "light box" projection probably looks cool. In fact while riding through town people were waving at me. And they didn't look angry.

I put in a bluish high brightness bulb from kuraykn. It works fine and is brighter than the original bulb. The bluish light seems to not play well with my yellow tinted goggles though. The effect is.... weird! :-/

Title: Re: DIY Post style headlight bracket
Post by philthymike on 05/23/17 at 09:21:34

bumping for George Palickar

George you can build your own like this or wait until folks here start selling the one they have in the works

Title: Re: DIY Post style headlight bracket
Post by batman on 05/23/17 at 15:22:43

Looks like a Cheavy! :)

Title: Re: DIY Post style headlight bracket
Post by Andy RN on 05/23/17 at 22:00:28

Nice work, thanks for sharing! Did you do the cylinder bore work on your bike too?

Title: Re: DIY Post style headlight bracket
Post by philthymike on 05/24/17 at 11:58:56

485C494E4A44250 wrote:

Nice work, thanks for sharing! Did you do the cylinder bore work on your bike too?

No I ordered a kit from windsor cycles for it