Headlight recommendation please

My Bandit12 has a pair of the standard Dominator style 4 inch
streetfighter headlights fitted, they are utter pants of course. Can
anyone here recommend a small, up to 5.75 inch headlight unit/shell
which they actually know is good. Bottom mount ideally.

Lots of cars have small diameter headlights these days so it must be
possible, but all the usual bike stores persist in stocking these very
poor Dominator and Bates style units.

 

IME, you can't beat a decent-sized lamp. The BM has a 7" (or thereabouts)
and is excellent with a normal 60/55W bulb. Much better dipped beam light
than a mate's VFR750F which has twin lamps only one of which is dip. The
mains beam is plenty good enough for the speed of the machine, too.

 

Well I don't think it has to be. Elly had a CBR600. Twin lenses of 5
inches or so. Night into day.
One large headlight would spoil the frontal appearance of the B12.

 

Cibie do a nice H4 based unit to retrofit that size. I have a pair of them
on my Guzzi. 2xH4 in 'God's own optics' does indeed turn night into day.
Get yourself down to a good motor factors and have a look at their Cibie or
Hella catalogues.

JB

 

Ah now of course Cibie 5.75's would be my preference but what shells to
put them in?? What are you using.

 

One or two of the custom suppliers do these (admittedly with a crap
throwaway reflector/lens assembly).
Mine came from Sprint (the fairing manufacturer in Warminster) about 16yrs
ago!
I think 5/25" is the standard size from memory.

JB

 

Ah so have them in a Sprint fairing? I see Skidmarx use Cibie's in
theirs.
What I don't know is if all light units fit in all rims i.e. with the
usual clips

 

The Skidmarx 5.25" Cibie units are the same as mine fitted into my Spada's
aftermarket twin-headlamp Sprint fairing.

JB

 

Right, I think I need to try get hold of one of these units and take it
to a shop selling shells or Bates type lamps.
Failing that it's a Burnt type HID conversion for a dip with a pair of
decent spots either side

 

Take the time to visit a few car scrap yards and find some decent
headlight units, that will fit into one of the shite bike custom
headlight shells.

k

 

ISTR Cibie 7" ones have a different fitting to the lucas kind.

dunno about 5.25". If you're after twin 5.25" though, why not hunt 'em from
the car breakers? BMW might be a good bet, except that most of those in
breakers are likely to have front-end damage

Fit a pair of "outer" ones and you can have 2xdip and 2xmain.

 

It's getting shells to suit man, the shells I say

 

Swot I fort you would have gone for, first off....

If my B12s light is cack, I may well go the same way.
--

Cheers!
Fr Jack
B12S (The Red Mist), CB450DX (The Moped)
FRJACKUKRM AT GMAIL DOT COM
Red death, to set you free

 

'Hog said...

I have a pattern 350LC headlight on my Bandit. The old LC was brilliant
compared to others. Unfortunately you may need some fork mounted
headlamp brackets to fit one to your bike.

 

The lamps on my Trophy were tremendous, and ISTR Hinckley Triumph having a
generally good name in the lighting department. So, the lights orf a Speed
Triple might be the way to go.

 

All right. A local motor factor came up trumps. Cibie is now Valeo, the
box says Valeo and the lens has Cibie moulded into the glass. 5-3/4 is a
pretty standard upgrade for Minis apparently. All of £24inc

*What I need now (of course) is a nice (preferably black(1)) 5-3/4 inch
bottom mount headlight shell. Will anyone recommend a source or have one
they want to donate/sell/lend*.

The B12 now has two new wheels powder coated in black rather then the
grey of old. A new Dremel (300C kit, waaahey) has also been in action on
the ally. Even though I say so myself it is looking rather good in an
UbberRat way and ready for the next ride out, BOSM.

(1) do I have to say Rainbow?

 

Commonly found on diggers, tractors, earthmovers, etc. Jfgi.

I have a pair of those on one of the GSs with a proper set of main/dip
H4s in them.
--
Dave
GS850x2 XS650 SE6a
I demand nothing of you except that you amuse me.

Folding@Home Team UKRM
http://vspx27.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/main.py?qtype=teampage&teamnum=47957

 

Ah well DND in Bangor had a Bates style complete light for only 20 odd
sovs. Out came the standard light unit, in went the Cibie. If it proves
worthy tonight I shall acquire another although I'm wondering about
having a single H4 for dip with as couple of decent spots either side
for high beam.