headlight

 The low beam on my '83 Suzuki GS450L burned out.  OK, no problem, just
replace the headlight.  Wrong!  Suzuki used this strange headlight with
mounting ears built into the headlight.  A standard headlight can't be
used.  And of course Suzuki no longer makes the headlight :-(.

So I've got to find a regular 6" headlight nacelle that'll mount to the
450 so I can use regular headlights.  I'll make a run to the salvage place
Thursday.  I don't expect it'll be a problem, but just in case, I posted
here.

Anyone had to do this?  Did you run into any problems?  Is there a
specific model that you know works?

 Larry Blanchard wrote:

Lots of motorcycle replacement headlights are available at mail order places
like Dennis Kirk and JC Whitney, I am sure there are others.  JC Whitney
sells halogen replacement units in 5-3/4" and 7" diameter, yours is probably
the 5-3/4" size.

--
'01 SV650SK1  '99 EX250-F13  '98 ZG1000-A13
OMF #7

 On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:47:38 -0500, Mark Olson wrote:


I guess I wasn't clear enough in my first post.  I can't find a headlight
bulb to fit because it's an oddball mount and no longer made.  I need to
replace the ENTIRE HEADLIGHT HOUSING with another so that I can use a
standard size/shape headlight bulb like those sold by the aforementioned.

My Yamaha housing is so standard I can even buy bulbs at any auto parts
place - but Suzuki seems to have adopted the Sears model of marketing.

 Larry Blanchard wrote:

http://alpha-sports.com/suzuki_parts.htm  appears to have the sealed beam
for about $43 + shipping.

Looks like those ears are part of a metal ring around the bulb, which
doesn't seem strange to me. Maybe you could pry the old ring loose and
wrap it around a std. bulb.

 
    I once or twice installed a Cibie' halogen insert into a headlight
shell instead of the Suzuki sealed-beam unit; both were a universal size
and things fitted together with wire "W" clips.  I'm sure one was a '77
GD550B; blew both beams on the Hay Plains one Easter and continued on to
the Bathurst races after fitting in a Holden sealed-beam unit.  The
advantage of the inserts was that they took a standard halogen bulb and
were MUCH brighter than standard bike lights at the time.

--
Ivan Reid, School of Engineering & Design, _____________  CMS Collaboration,
Brunel University.    Ivan.Reid@[brunel.ac.uk|cern.ch]    Room 40-1-B12, CERN
GSX600F, RG250WD         "You Porsche. Me pass!"   DoD #484     JKLO#003, 005
WP7# 3000   LC Unit #2368 (tinlc)   UKMC#00009   BOTAFOT#16    UKRMMA#7 (Hon)
        KotPT -- "for stupidity above and beyond the call of duty".