What headlight/housing do I have?? 6" round on '81 GS1100E

[RocketScientist]

My bike is an 81 GS1100E, however previous yo my ownership someone did some work converting it into a bit of a cafe styled "custom" This included replacing the bulky OE rectangular headliight, housing, and large gauge cluster with a round headlight and some smaller aftermarket gauges. The round headlight housing bolts right up to the OEM original headlight mounting brackets (shown in image below) which seem to be specific to just the 80 and 81 1100E models.

Since the housing on there bolts right up to the OEM brackets I had just assumed it was taken from some other GS of a similar vintage that used a round headlight, except that from the little bit of research I've done thats not the case. The light on my bike is almost exactly 6" in diameter (measuring the OD of the glass lense), whereas it seems most of the stock round GS headlights of the era were 7" models (with a few oddball 8")? Also this headlight housing/assembly has no provisions for adjusting the beam (up/down, left/right) beyond angling the whole housing up or down about its pivot/mounting bolts. From what I can tell looking at parts diagrams, all the OE round headlight assemblies have adjustment mechanisms built in to them.

So my question is, any ideas or thoughts on what headlamp assembly is installed on there? I planning some electronics and lighting upgrades in the near future and trying to figure out my options for headlights, but now it looks like ive got some goofy non-standard reflector? Any insight is appreciated.

gs headlight brackets.jpg

[phydeauxmutt]

You might have a light from an "L".

That suspicion would have a little more merit if the housing is also chrome steel.

[RocketScientist]

You might have a light from an "L".

That suspicion would have a little more merit if the housing is also chrome steel.

Did it use a 6" headlight reflector? The housing on my bike has a chromed steel front ring/bezel, but the main bucket/housing is painted a gloss black. That being said, it could have started off chromed and been painted to match bike's aesthetic by whomever installed it. I will take some pictures of the assembly and its constituent parts when I get home tonight. From my memory of how it goes together/comes apart and comparing that to parts diagrams for the '81 "GL", I don't think they are they same. But its been a few weeks since I had it off and apart so memory isnt crystal clear.

[Who Dat?]

If it's 6", it's either from an L or another brand. As you mentioned, most others were 7", but I think the 1150 and maybe a couple of the 1100s had the 8" "train light".

[RocketScientist]

INNNNNNNNteresting, had no idea the "L" had a smaller reflector, all the measurements/references I found were for 7". Now I can't wait to get home and get to the bottom of this. Just to make sure we're on same page, when you say "L" model, are you referring to the GS 1000/1100 GL models? Or the various smaller-dsiaplcement GS 300/450/550/750 L models? Both? I'm fairly new to the suzuki/GS lineup (this is my first one) so I'm still making sense of all the model years/iterations!

[Rob S.]

FYI: The '80 and '81 11E rectangular light is called the "lunchbox," and is considered by old school old timers like myself, less attractive than standard round style. Ditto that for the gauge cluster.

The '82 and '83 11E round light is called the "train," maybe because of it's large size.

Have we seen pictures of your Suzi yet? Without using an outside photo-hosting site, you can attach one small pic to each post.

[RocketScientist]

Have we seen pictures of your Suzi yet? Without using an outside photo-hosting site, you can attach one small pic to each post.

I've posted some pics in other threads. But heres one for the curious. Taken shortly after I got it, so she's been subjected to a hefty dose of elbow grease since then (cleaned, polished, various maintenance items sorted, etc). But all-in-all this is what she looks like

PXL_20210701_222454464.PORTRAIT_2.jpg

[Rob S.]

Oh, that one. Can't say I'm a fan of exhaust tape, but after hearing that the previous owner customized it into a cafe, I think I speak for the vast majority of us in saying that we were pleasantly surprised. When we hear about a PO customizing or turning a bike into a cafe racer, 99.99% of the time it's a very sad disaster story of a project that never got completed. Your's is the exception to that rule.

[rphillips]

That looks like a plain old round 7" that came on many, probably most all, GS models, not the 6" "L" nor the 8" "Train light models.

[RocketScientist]

Oh, that one. Can't say I'm a fan of exhaust tape, but after hearing that the previous owner customized it into a cafe, I think I speak for the vast majority of us in saying that we were pleasantly surprised. When we hear about a PO customizing or turning a bike into a cafe racer, 99.99% of the time it's a very sad disaster story of a project that never got completed. Your's is the exception to that rule.

I agree re. the exhaust wrap, especially on a bike (vs a car) where its not protected under a hood, so is going to get oil and road grime and water and everything else on it. But the wrap is mostly in decent shape at the moment, and from what I've peeked underneath it, looks better as-is than it would with the splotchy rusted pipes underneath exposed. Sorting out some new headers/exhaust is on the list, but with more important fish to fry before I get there, I'm leaving the wrap on for now more as a vanity coverup than anything else. And I'm on about the same page as far as the overall style/execution of the bike. I am not averse to the cafe style in general if done well, but most out there aren't. This bike is certainly not exactly how I would have built it had I been the one doing it, but the quality of the work is pretty good in most aspects (some rough spots) and I really like parts of it. The price was very right, for a running complete bike in overall pretty good condition and leaves a lot of room in the budget to change the things I am not crazy about. Bottom line, she is a blast to ride, and looks pretty OK, and cost me basically nothing. So its hard to complain!

That looks like a plain old round 7" that came on many, probably most all, GS models, not the 6" "L" nor the 8" "Train light models.

It may LOOK like it, but when I measure across the OD of the glass lens, it comes in at 5.9895" (I rounded up to 6" lol). Unless people are reporting the OD of the entire housing when they quote a headlight size, this one is definitely not a 7"

[Rich82GS750TZ]

RS, just for reference, this is a 7” headlight.

[RocketScientist]

So here is the headlight, I'm measuring across the outside diameter (OD) of the reflector/lens of the light itself. As you can see, this is right at 6". There is a slight rim on reflector that sticks out maybe another 1/8" or so, where it registers up against the inside of the front bezel. So maybe max OD is 6 1/4" or so.


My 16" vernier calipers at work so I can't accurately measure the OD of the entire housing/bezel itself, but with a tape measure its almost exactly 7". Here are some additional pictures of the housing itself. This housing assembly does not match the parts diagrams I am seeing for any of the round headlight GS model I can find (including the "L" model). Also note that the reflector is held into the front bezel with just these spring clips, no screws or aiming adjustment mechanisms. Unless you guys can set me straight, I am suspecthing this is not a factory suzuki part from another model, but rather cribbed from another bike? or some generic aftermarket unit? If the former you'd think it would have aiming adjustments built into it, and if the latter you'd expect to be in one of the more common sizes (all the aftermakret round lights/led kits i find seem to be in 5 3/4" (for Harleys) and 7", this 6" seems to be a bit of redheaded step-child as far as sizes go).









So what do you guys think? Any ideas where this headlight came from? Or I guess, since the quality isnt; great and It's a paint to aim/adjust anyways... are you guys aware of a round headlight assembly that would bolt in between the OE headlight mounting brackets meant for the "lunchbox" rectangular headlight that came stock on my 81? Since this (apparently not even OE) assembly can be made to fit on them, I'm hoping/assuming a more common 7" setup from a similar-year GS likely will as well? Anyone have any experience with this? What do most other guys with an 81 using the lunchbox light do when they want to swap it out for a round one?

[salty_monk]

That doesn't look like the L one to me... it's from another brand I would guess.

[rphillips]

Sorry, not a clue where it may be from, but for sure it's 6".

[RocketScientist]

Well, I'm not a huge fan of this light in general, and considering its not original, and doesn't seem to be from any other GS, and isnt even easily adjustable, I'm thinking of just scrapping it. Which of course raises question of what housing to replace it with? Does anyone know if the standard 7" housings used on most of the round-light GSs (something like this one for instance https://www.ebay.com/itm/13356358318...UAAOSwjGxfn3bX ) will bolt right up to the factory mounting brackets used on the rectangular "lunchbox" style headlight that came on my '81 1100E? If anyone has one of these or a similar 7" headlight assembly, would it be possible for you to take an approximate measurement of the width between the two mounting bolt holes on the housing? My hope is I can buy something like the one I linked above and make it work easily. I'm assuming I'm not the first guy to want to switch from the lunchbox headlight to a round one, hopefully its an easy swap.