UK Sportster Headlight Improvement

[PC_Hater]

As you know, the standard HD Hella light unit is not very good. Definitely 1960s lighting quality!
Plan A was to fit the Cibie headlamp unit but in the last 3 months they have vanished off the face of the earth - unless you want the Left Hand Drive version because you live in foreign parts.
Plan B is good old Lucas, that should drag the lighting into the 1970s!
They made a fine upgrade on my Moggie anyway.

Demon Tweeks sell Hella 5 and 3/4 headlamps but I don't trust them to be any better than the ones Harley use.

How To Do It.
Lucas part number LUB225 RHD with Pilot Light. £19.99 from H.Bowers

Get a scalpel blade and carefully cut out 3 new openings in the HD headlamp rubber to match the Lucas 'tabs' that define where the lamp goes and stops it rotating.
Make sure the TOP maker on the Lucas lamp lines up with the Top marker on the HD headlamp rubber before you cut.

I used a Swann Morton Number 15 scalpel blade because that is what she had, and it was perfect for the job!
And Swann Morton blades are made just down the road from where my mother lives so that's nice.

Do a good job and the lamp fits almost perfectly into the rubber with very little distortion.
Put the chrome rings on and tighten them up.
Job done.

Random Info:
the Plastic HD Pilot Lamp holder fits perfectly into the Lucas Pilot Lamp holder so there is no need to worry about the different connections on the Lucas pilot lamp holder.

Now I need to wait for nightfall so I can go for an illegal ride in these times of lockdown to see how much better (or worse?) the headlight is.
I think it counts as self-isolation myself - who is going to get within 2 metres of me when I am riding the bike?

[PC_Hater]

The results are in!
Joseph Lucas 'Prince of Darkness' beats Hella!

A brighter more focused dip and main beam that let me ride at up to 70mph down a dark twisty tree-lined road in safety.
And that is better than the Hella ever managed.

I used the same bulb in both headlights, one of those 120% brighter H4 bulbs.

Now to keep an eye open for the Cibie units coming back on sale.
The Lotus 7 / Caterham / Westfield drivers love them too so perhaps there are enough of us wanting them to keep them in production.

[Muldoonsghost]

Morning.

Well done for making an improvement. I've just bought my first HD (a project bike, an import from USA, not yet registered) and among the disasters I found it has a broken headlight. I've bought this to keep me going...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bates-style-custom-headlamp-5-bottom-mount-chrome-H4-halogen-fast-despatch/361537162611?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649


... but it's snot yet installed as I have a lot to do. No idea if its any good but all I want just now is an MOT. I want an LED light but there aren't many I can see just now.