halogen headlamp

[02GF74]

.... did search for halogen and nothing for what I am looking for came up so aplogies as this has to have been done to death but....

what is involved in fitting a halogen front lamp? (I mean where do you get one if they exist rather than wiring as that is the easy bit unless the bowl is bigger meaning there is not enough room for the loom)

the head lamp unit appears to be same size (7 inch?) as on a variety of British cars e.g., mini, land rover, mgb etc. for which halogen units can be bought .... so can a car head lamp be fitted?

I guess that would be too easy/cheap as presumblyy the beam pattern is different for a bike.

Would the loom cope with the current?

[Taffus]

done this conversion twicew now, gt750 and z650, you can use a standard 7" light in the shell. Vehicle wiring products do wipac units. If you use a 55/60w halogen bulb there should be no issue (at least I haven't had one!)

the light is much better, you could try a cibie unit but you will need an adapter plate as they are not quite 7"

[Rich]

Look into Xenon bulb light output to wattage and see if you can get the fittings for your headlight

[TheBogieMan]

Standard mini one, not the sealed beam type but the H4 available from nearly every motor factors, with the state of the roads over here in the land of the spud I have to replace mine every 6 months or so

[london calling]

I'm with Boogie Boy,get an H4 Mini replacement unit.
I got a brace for a Land Rover,which is the same
That's the original Mini

[TheBogieMan]

I'm with Boogie Boy,get an H4 Mini replacement unit.
I got a brace for a Land Rover,which is the same
That's the original Mini

I forgot to mention 'original mini' as in my mind there is only one mini and the other thing that bears the badge is merely a tarts handbag and the bastard offspring of the BMW and Chrysler parts bins

[02GF74]

ok, so it is just a bulb change.

I am not sure what I have in at the moment but think I have a spare halogen or else a trip to halfords wioll sort that out - I seem to recall that the bowl needed changing due to the position of the bulb elements but I guess not. (or getting confused with someting else - maybe selaed beam units being different bowl shape, I dunno)

[Buckle]

I forgot to mention 'original mini' as in my mind there is only one mini and the other thing that bears the badge is merely a tarts handbag and the bastard offspring of the BMW and Chrysler parts bins[/quote]

I couldn't have put it better myself. Well said that man!

[Geoff Meager]

Maybe not for the purist .... but the new style Cooper S goes like shit & goes round corners better than any car I've ever owned

Better than the wifes new Corsa ( but dont tell her )

[TheBogieMan]

Bought the wife a 1979 Van many moons ago with a 1071s engine, 10x165 wheels with Yoko A008 road/race compound tyres, gas shocks and lowered.
Had some guy pull me over and shake my hand one day after a sprint around Kingston one way system as I was the first person to make him 'touch cloth' in his Elise

Better change subject quick as I've owned 21 of the little blighter's in the past and used to do hill climb and sprinting in them and I'll end up boring the tits off everybody

[Pigford]

Bogie....

Had a similar thing.... 1979.... me got me girlfriend an OLD mini van, bright orange... short MOT.. only cost me £75 & a Sceletrix set

Cost another £150 to get a new MOT (subframe w*nked)

Slowest car on the road... blinkin' gutless....

Indicators shorted at the switch unit & smoked us out of the car

[RALPHARAMA]

I had a bad time with a mini - bought the thing and the engine was dog and ducked, so I came by a Clubman lump. Was a nighmare to fit as drive to the wheels was all different and so had to change all the bloody hubs and God knows what else. Got it working.

A biker geezer I knew from the UBs asked if he could borrow it. Being the generous soul I am, I agreed. I can't remember why, but for some reason the local village pig, who had a downer on me, managed to nail me for no tax, MOT and insurance on two vehicles during the hand over, which with my previous cost me my licence. To add insult to injury the car never came back. Can't remember why, but I vaguely remember some excuse about him thinking I had collected it. Dunno but on the basis he was much bigger and older than me (18 or 19ish) and still being very frail from a bad bike crash I wasn't ready to argue the toss

[TheBogieMan]

I had a bad time with a mini - bought the thing and the engine was dog and ducked, so I came by a Clubman lump. Was a nighmare to fit as drive to the wheels was all different and so had to change all the bloody hubs and God knows what else. Got it working.

Jeezuz you are old...that would have been Hardy Spicer couplings instead of CV joints.....you could have just popped the diff off the gearbox and kept the hubs and used the old shafts.....bit late to be telling you all this now obviously lol

[02GF74]

you know, yu may well be roight - just been downstairs with the tape and the headlamp does appearto be 7 inch, same size as on British cars from the 60s/70s e.g. MGB, mini, land rover, etc....

does it not matter that the car beam is directional whears the Z is not?

wonder if there are any more recent or modern bikes that use same diameter headlamp - should I be worried about the directionality of the beam??

[popsA1]

One of the first mods we bid back in the 70’s was swap the head light for an H4 unit. All of them were directional.
The one that came with my A1 was European spec (left hand drive). Got away with it at the MOT for years till a prang saw it replaced by another of suspect origin.
The problem as I recall was finding the right W clips to hold the lens into the rim. In sort, as long as the beam dips the right way it should pass the MOT and you’ll have a better light.