High Beam During Daylight Riding

Just as an experiment, I've been riding around Canberra for three days now (daylight only) with the headlight switched to high beam. So far I haven't been flashed once by oncoming cars (or bikes, or trucks, etc). I know people have posted comments about how weak the standard headlight is so this is probably just confirming it. If I was really annoying anyone I'm sure they'd have flashed me (must have been hundreds of vehicles coming the other way over the 3 days). If I did this in the XR6 I wouldn't get five minutes out of the driveway before getting flashed. So is it a case on the Bandit that the headlight is poorly adjusted (ie high beam is pointing too low) or is it really crap? It's a 1250s by the way with the rear suspension set on 6 (out of 7).

could be a bit of both , I`d try adjusting it up a bit with the bike facing a wall about 4 mtrs away so you can see where its pointing . If that doesn`t work & you do some night riding & finding it a problem ,put in a different globe .

My 1250S is just getting it's 1000k service next week, so its a newie.

After my intro here and mentioning the poor headlights. Member "mustang sally" send to get Narvara 100+ plus H7 globes. I purchased them and after some vertical alignment they are just great and work perfect.
I rang narvara tech dept re the recommendation for non use by high users on the rear of the packet in fine print.
They (navara)were really talking about interstate and taxi, operating in night/day every day. They said Ok for what I will be doing knowing that the light comes on when riding. High performance globes have a shorter life for the above mentioned operators.
Last weekend I met up with my brother who has a BMW K1000RS and my new globes put his to absolute shame in an evening side by side test. In comparision it looked like he had yellow candles within.
He was sold on them there and then.

PS, he road the Bandit S and was stoked with it and called his fully faired BMW a "Bus" afterwards in comparision.
Other helpful members suggested other good globes to for use too.

I might have to look into these new candles after that endorcment.
Where in NE Vic Gazza??

2wheelsagain wrote:I might have to look into these new candles after that endorcment.
Where in NE Vic Gazza??

Albury/Wodonga.

The globes cost $$$'s, but years back I was riding in a group of bikes. The lead bike being two up hit a cow standing on the road at 11.00pm at night at Barnawartha near Wodonga at 100k's an hr. Good lights is a must have after witnessing that and I was side by side with the lead bike until moments before it happened.

Thanks for the recommendation Gazza's Back. I located a press release here:

http://www.narva.com.au/pressreleases/asset_id/84/cid/1/parent/0/t/pressreleases/title/worlds-first-plus-100-globe-now-available-in-australasia

Will definitely be pursuing one.

Might sound like telling you to suck eggs, but do the adjsutment on a wall to start with and then spend some time riding around the block (or what ever) at night time to check it out. I found I still needed to get some more adjusting done to get it spot on.

I always rode around with high beam on during the day, and told my mrs to do the same, found it makes the light stand out more which is hopefully a good thing for other road users attention.

On the stroms, I've gotta use low beam and have even been flashed by oncoming traffic when on low even tho I've spent some time adjusting the lights. Either they need a bit more adjusting or they stand out like dogs balls. << always a good thing in my book tho, better to be flashed caused you've been seen, than not seen at all. Bit worried about night time tho, time will tell I guess..

dhula wrote:Might sound like telling you to suck eggs, but do the adjsutment on a wall to start with and then spend some time riding around the block (or what ever) at night time to check it out. I found I still needed to get some more adjusting done to get it spot on.

I always like to adjust my headlights, most cars and bikes are adjusted too low, I start with the wall (local netball courts) then the road test, if I can't decide if they are too high or too low, then that means they are right.

Re-Cycled wrote:

dhula wrote:Might sound like telling you to suck eggs, but do the adjsutment on a wall to start with and then spend some time riding around the block (or what ever) at night time to check it out. I found I still needed to get some more adjusting done to get it spot on.

I always like to adjust my headlights, most cars and bikes are adjusted too low, I start with the wall (local netball courts) then the road test, if I can't decide if they are too high or too low, then that means they are right.

How far up the wall and how far back Peter?

First get someone to measure from ground to centre of headlight with you on bike. Then put mark on wall or garage door at that height ( tape is good as it comes off easy ) then mark 6" or 150mm to the top and bottom of mark. You can then remove center mark. From 25' or 7.62m back from wall to front of light, low beam should be middle of bottom line and high beam middle to top. With you on bike of course. Hope this is of some help.

Hammy wrote:First get someone to measure from ground to centre of headlight with you on bike. Then put mark on wall or garage door at that height ( tape is good as it comes off easy ) then mark 6" or 150mm to the top and bottom of mark. You can then remove center mark. From 25' or 7.62m back from wall to front of light, low beam should be middle of bottom line and high beam middle to top. With you on bike of course. Hope this is of some help.

That's very scientific and very helpful, I only use the wall to get in the ballpark. I go by courses of bricks, start close and observe the horizontal cut-off of low beam, then move further back to make sure it is going slightly lower ie pointed slightly down. If I have headlights with separately adjustable high beams I like to set them at night on a long flat stretch of road, so the bottom of the beam is just "touching" the road and most of the light is in the distance. Not very scientific but the trial and error method works for me.

Hammy wrote:First get someone to measure from ground to centre of headlight with you on bike. Then put mark on wall or garage door at that height ( tape is good as it comes off easy ) then mark 6" or 150mm to the top and bottom of mark. You can then remove center mark. From 25' or 7.62m back from wall to front of light, low beam should be middle of bottom line and high beam middle to top. With you on bike of course. Hope this is of some help.

That method will work for me. Thanks

Bought a pair of phillips 100+ off ebay $45. give them a try out on the weekend

Can I borrow someones jockey sized hands to change mine

2wheelsagain wrote:Can I borrow someones jockey sized hands to change mine

Quoted for truth. I get can the parking lights in and out ok, but the low and high beams.... I usually take the instrument panel and inner fairing out to get to them

Plenty of useful info thanks all. The user manual is pretty obscure re the actual adjustment process for the 1250s but I guess that's because I haven't tried to relate it to the actual bike yet. But do I need to go and buy a 5mm hex bit which the manual says I need as I don't remember that being in the toolkit?

Ewok1958 wrote:Plenty of useful info thanks all. The user manual is pretty obscure re the actual adjustment process for the 1250s but I guess that's because I haven't tried to relate it to the actual bike yet. But do I need to go and buy a 5mm hex bit which the manual says I need as I don't remember that being in the toolkit?

You'll need a hex kit in your tool box anyway

Ewok1958 wrote:Plenty of useful info thanks all. The user manual is pretty obscure re the actual adjustment process for the 1250s but I guess that's because I haven't tried to relate it to the actual bike yet. But do I need to go and buy a 5mm hex bit which the manual says I need as I don't remember that being in the toolkit?

Manual says to remove the instrument cluster and disconnect the plug to gain access to the low beam. No need to disconnect the plug, just lay the cluster to the left side with a small bath towel to protect it from scratches to the chrome rims of the tach/speedo.
Hardest part is the re installing the spring tensioner. Must get one of those very very thin pointy long nose pliers from SCA that I used to look at and say "what would I need one of those for". Access to the vertical alignment hex key socket is easy once done.