Windjammer Headlight

[Kynan C.]

Has anybody replaced their headlight with anything better? What are the suggestions for a lamp? LED? This came to mind last night when riding home and I noticed my headlight brightness is not so good. At least not compared to other headlights I have seen.

 

[roncar]

The Windjammer on my 78 GL1000 has an H4 halogen. I tried one in the Windjammer on my 76 GL1000 and it kept blowing bulbs. Suspect it may be related to the reserve lighting unit in the earlier GL1000's. Don't know for sure.

 

[Kynan C.]

There has to be a solution that is better then stock or exact replacement. This may be a good project.

 

[Terraplane Tom]

I have the H4 bulb in my 77 GL1000.

 

[steppenwolf]

I had put a car headlight in mine but it didn't light the road up any better than a candle in the wind so last year I got another light from a fellow XS er and now it works great..will have to see what it is latter.

 

[roncar]

I have the H4 bulb in my 77 GL1000.

It may be totally unrelated to the RLU, but after 3 bulbs I gave up. Maybe someday I'll get back to it. As a rule, I try to avoid after dark driving, so not much of an issue right now.

 

[steppenwolf]

I admit I don't like to ride at night anymore,the night vision is not what it once was and the dang deer are every where..

 

[brianinpa]

Deer, or forest rats as I like to call them, are a big reason I put wide angle driving lights on my crash guards. I have them aimed so they shine light onto the shoulders and just a little further than the low beam does. I am still looking for a pair of driving lights to mount that will turn night into day when I have the high-beam on. I just worry about the stator output.

 

[roncar]

... driving lights to mount that will turn night into day when I have the high-beam on. I just worry about the stator output.

Back in the day, (late 70's) I was living in New Mexico, with lots of wide open spaces. I had 2 pair of driving lights that definitely turned night to day! Wasn't thinking about the charging capabilities, just knew that horn and turn signals were not an option when they were on.
ops:

 

[Kynan C.]

Yeah, I am looking into these Xenon motorcycle headlights. There are few out there. Does anybody have exp with these?

 

[brianinpa]

The only experience I have with them is riding in front of someone that had one. It didn't take me long before I had to get behind him.

 

[Kynan C.]

Good point.

 

[steppenwolf]

Years ago there was a headlight that drove me nuts,can't recall the name but it rotated...it was an eye catcher but if behind you..shoot it.

 

[Kynan C.]

Sounds interesting, but strangely enough I think I did hear something about that as headlight too. In past years.

 

[Metal_Bob]

I purchased a modern H4 housing and a LED headlight from TruckLite (Phase 5 or 6 - The 12V military style one) in my fairing.

The LED is still installed. The company makes a newer Phase7 version that looks more like a normal headlight assembly.

 

[rob.lafady]

Any updates on how these are working? I'm really interested to find out how well an LCD headlight would work long term.

 

[Kynan C.]

I second Rob.

 

[rob.lafady]

So does the windjammer use a sealed beam headlight that you have to get a replacement lens and bulb, or does it just take a bulb you replace?

 

[Larry Fine]

I believe they take standard 7" sealed beams, but there are also reflector/lens assemblies that take separate bulbs, so any given fairing could contain either.

 

[rob.lafady]

I thought it was probably a sealed beam, I was wondering what all needed to be replaced to switch to an LCD bulb and where to get it.