Blowing Headlights

[Gnomeboy]

My bike has developed the habit of blowing headlights recently. This will be the third new one I have put in in a month. Mind you, I am using the cheap $5 ones, it started with an expensive made in Germany kind. Does anyone know of the typical cause of something like this? Thanks for any help.

[Steve]

If you feel that your front suspension is working OK, try breaking out your voltmeter.

A very simple thing like OVERVOLTAGE tends to wipe out electrical things.

Consider yourself very fortunate that it was your headlight blowing, not your ignitor or other more-expensive items.

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[posplayr]

If you feel that your front suspension is working OK, try breaking out your voltmeter.

A very simple thing like OVERVOLTAGE tends to wipe out electrical things.

Consider yourself very fortunate that it was your headlight blowing, not your ignitor or other more-expensive items.

.

He is probably stressing them, and eventually they will go as well. These is a cumulative effect to over-voltage stress.

[Billy Ricks]

I had an r/r that decided to start overcharging when I was on a road trip about 10 years ago. It boiled the battery dry then took out just about every bulb on the bike and the tach.

[BassCliff]

Hi,

I think you are being told to test your charging system.


The Stator Papers

More On The Stator Papers

GS Charging System Health+Quick Test

Stator Test

Stator Replacement

Regulator/Rectifier Replacement

Fusebox Cleanup

Cleaning Your Wiring Harness


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Redman]

Overvoltage can blow headlights and other lights. And that can be because the R/R has faile or it can be that the R/R itself is okay but just that it is not well grounded (the black wire usally).

If you have a volt meter and if you follow the stator papers it has you check the voltage between that black wire (usally conencted to starter solenoid mount bolt) and the battery negitive, should be about zero point nothing. Even thouh that black wire is connected to what looks like the bike frame, it is the battery box which may not be well grounded.
BUt this is getting pretty detailed, and we dont really know that is your problem, yet

So.... have you checked the battery voltage with engine running at mid range rpm ?

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[Gnomeboy]

Thanks everyone for the advice and info. I haven't checked the voltage, probably will sometime this week though.