Melting headlight ??

[Simonic]

My headlight looks a bit odd. The upper portion of the reflector and the upper portion of the lense both look as if they've been very hot at some time. the chrome on the reflector is coming off a little and the lense looks to be deformed slightly. it has what looks like a halogen bulb inside.
Has anyone had this issue ??

[VladTepes]

May have had an HID at some stage with the heatsink jammed into the headlight shell.
No sign of any melting on wires?

[Simonic]

That sounds plausible thank you. I've not had the lamp open so i'll have a look....BTW this is the first bike I've ever had where the headlight is on constantly...has anyone done a mod so you can turn it off? I'm guessing new switchgear is req'd ?
Thank You Sir

[KiwiCol]

Think it was K5 onward they came out hard wired to have the headlight on all the time.  May have been an earlier model though.

I guess you could rig up a switch to turn it off, but why would ya?  Better to be seen, yeah?

[T 24]

..has anyone done a mod so you can turn it off?

Older models din't just switch off the headlight, they also switched off one coil from alternator at the same time.
IF I remember correct.

[gsxbarmy]

Possibly a higher powered bulb has been used instead of the standard 55/60w one.

Headlight on with the ignition came in with the K3, with the switch gear and wiring loom being changed to accommodate (the light on-off switch changed to become the 4-way emergency indicators). Whether the K2's with Headlight off/on also switched a coil off on the alternator at the same time I have no idea.

There is no easy mod to change the wiring to switch the headlamp off, you can't just change the switch as the wiring etc is not in place.

Why change it anyway?

[KiwiCol]

Thx Dave, K3 was it?  I'll remember.

[grog]

Cant help with bl/red melting headlight. Sometimes happens on blue n white, extreme friction at the speeds we reach. 

[KiwiCol]

Yes Notty!

[Hooli]

Whether the K2's with Headlight off/on also switched a coil off on the alternator at the same time I have no idea.

No is the answer to that. Turning off bits of the charging circuit is a 1950s thing before decent reg/recs that could actually regulate the voltage became the norm.

[T 24]

Whether the K2's with Headlight off/on also switched a coil off on the alternator at the same time I have no idea.

No is the answer to that. Turning off bits of the charging circuit is a 1950s thing before decent reg/recs that could actually regulate the voltage became the norm.

My 1981 GS 1000 G did that trick, and I believe my K2 does too, according volt meter.  1950's or not.

[Hooli]

Have a look at the wiring diagram, the headlight switch doesn't touch the charging circuit.

You're seeing the change in voltage due to the reg/rec regulating the charge due to the change in load.

[KiwiCol]

Have you got a 1950's K2 T24?     Gotta be worth a mint!!

[Simonic]

Thanks for all the input gents,i'm doing several jobs on the bike today so i guess a good move would be to check the bulb first.
Re turning the light off,i'd simply like the choice.

[Hooli]

Another reason K2s are best