How to adjust the headlights?

[Marker]

After changing bikes with my friend the other day and leading, I was shocked how little the headlight was visible in daylight.

Just looked at my user manual then searched on the How To forum and found nothing that described the function of the two headlight adjusting knobs.

Which one is the verticle adjustment and which way do you turn it to raise the sight line?

I would rather not experiment as usually you end up in a worse situation.

Really surprised that this is not covered in the user manual.

I have a service manual on order, but I may be heading out on a 10 day trip on Wednesday so would like to have this taken care of now.

Thanks, Gary

 

[Warren]

I believe the lower left is the vertical adjuster and the upper right is the horizontal. Both bulbs move together as one.

 

[Rocky]

The lights were aimed pretty low from the factory. Use the knob behind the fairing on the left side to raise the beam. I do not remember what direction moves it up, but I just got on a flat surface, aimed the headlight at a wall several feet (20 or 30) turned the knob until I got it where I liked it.

 

[Marker]

Thanks Warren and Rocky. It was dark enough in the garage to get a good beam and I guessed correctly that "Counter-clockwise" moved the beam up. I gave it a couple of turns but will wait until I follow someone to get their opinion if I am too bright or not in daylight. I almost never ride at night so this should not be an issue of being too bright in the dark.

Cheers, Gary

 

[kenstone]

Here's links to a few different methods:
http://www.bing.com/search
q=motorcycle+headlight+aiming+instructions&qs=n&form=QBRE&pq=motorcycle+headlight+aiming+instructions&sc=0-29&sp=-1&sk=&cvid=accecb23935f4ef8bb8c557cf2c479ff

Skip the ehow links

 

[Marker]

I have tried the scientific way on several bikes but never ended up satisfactory for 'daytime' visibility. So have relied upon the real world appearance of the light but need another person to see how it looks on the street.

The post though was about which knob did what and which way to turn it to get the result needed.

I know have it hand written in my owners manual. The lower left is for vertical adjustment and turning it counterclockwise raises the beam.

 

[Rich]

Decades ago I lived in New Jersey. At the time (don't know about now) all motor vehicles annually needed to go through one of several state-run inspection stations. This included motorcycles. They had all these machines intended to test this and that. Among them was this thing to check your headlight alignment. A big problem is this whole process (and the detection hardware) was designed for cars. Anyway, I bring my SL350K1 (HL mounted on the forks, remember) in for inspection. Headlight alignment fails. Not only for vertical, but also horizontal alignment. Crikey!! Go out to the parking lot, adjust it some (no fine adjustment here), get back in line. Fails again. Adjust more, get back in line, and finally pass on try #3.

There were other indignities, but this one is more or less on thread.

I don't know if they still do this in NJ.

 

[bicyclist]

+1 on the ADVMonster model 30s. I have a set on my Versys. I have a set of Motolights on the Honda, but only because I happened to have a set that I took off a BMW that I sold. I think that the ADVMonster lights are just as effective and a whole lot less expensive.

 

[Tonydtiger1971]

I believe the lower left is the vertical adjuster and the upper right is the horizontal. Both bulbs move together as one.

How do you get to the knobs? Remove the fairing cup or the whole fairing?

 

[junglejim]

I just cramed my hand in and turned the knobs without removing anything except my gloves. It was possible for me and I don't have have much dixtarity, but it wasn't real easy. I simply went out to a level road with no traffic one evening and turned the knobs till the lights shined were where I wanted them.

 

[Phil Tarman]

Like Jim says, you don't have to remove anything. I used a garage door and measured the height of the bulb and then put the cut-off at the top of the low beam a couple of inches lower than that on the door.

 

[DirtFlier]

If I'm not mistaken, the distance from headlight-to-wall surface should be 25 feet. I had to raise the beam when my bike was new because friends commented that my headlight was barely visible when following them in daylight.

 

[Tonydtiger1971]

Ok, think I got it. Was going to ask another stupid question about which side but just took a flashlight out there and shined it down the handlebars to see

 

[Phil Tarman]

Was going to ask another stupid question about which side...

Tony, when I went to work in the oil field in 1975, I absolutely knew nothing about it or about drilling holes in the ground, and I said something about asking "another stupid question" and the guy who was training us said something I've never forgotten. He said, "The only stupid question is the one you don't ask." Thanks for asking your question. It will help somebody who was afraid to ask for themselves.