Headlight help

[Ricks]

I can't get my headlight to work!  I know I have power as the tail light comes on. I tested the bulb, no problem there. What should I be looking for?  I'm terrible with electrical problems.  Does the light ground thru the headlight bucket?  Maybe the new paint is working as an insulator?  Thanks,  Rick.

[Bob Gurkin]

Rick, if you have power to the rear light and the headlight isn't working it almost has to be the ground. Paint jobs used to drive me crazy with the antique motors and ignition ground.

[Ricks]

Thanks Bob.  It was a bad ground.  The powder coat on the frame works as an insulator, so I ran a ground from the headlight mounting bolt to the engine, and all is good.  I certainly wouldn't want to drive a night though!  Not much light out of 3 watt bulb!  BTW, if anyone needs a bulb, I picked up a few extras on Ebay last year.

[Driver]

Time to bring a little modern tech to the mix? LED?

[Ricks]

Time to bring a little modern tech to the mix? LED?

Not on this bike.  On a custom that I would think about riding at night I would look into it.

Rick

[Mike Sal]

Speaking of lights, Rick I notice in your pictures that you have an extra bracket (on link) between the head light bucket and the lug on the triple tree.  Was this stock, or your addition?  The headlight bucket is mounted directly to the lug (w/ a fiber washer in the stack up) on my bike.
Mike Sal

[Ricks]

Good eye Mike.  I made that bracket to extend the light out.  Every simplex that I see has a dent in the headlight bucket because the factory didn't give enough clearance for the headlight switch!

Rick

[Mike Sal]

Hmmm.  I'll check that out when I put my bike back together.  My headlight bucket doesn't have a dent in it.  I agree that it doesn't look like much room between the bucket & the back of the switch (there was a toggle switch in place of the real switch when I got it).
Mike Sal

[Ricks]

My 53 has the toggle switch for the high and low beam light.  As I type this, I can't help but chuckle at the thought of calling what comes out of these "Light".  More like a soft glow!

Rick

[Mike Sal]

From what I remember, they shouldn't bee too much duller than the lights on my Model T.  If your traveling on unfamiliar roads, you appreciate that the car goes so slow, as you can't see but a few feet in front of the car.
Mike Sal