GS1100e Light conversion.

[DucMan]

I have an 81 GS1100e. It has the big squarish light on it. I would like to swap it out for a circular 7" housing. And then preferably use an LED for the whole thing. Is this possible? Can anyone point me in the direction of information regarding the necessary equipment or wiring needed to do this?

[Steve]

Going round would involve a LOT of work. That housing not only holds the headlight, but all the gauges, too. I have not examined the gauges and wiring inside, but I'll bet that the engineers that designed it did not plan on having that mess visible.

If your main goal is to go with LED, that's EASY. Not cheap, but easy. I have a rectangular TruckLite in my 850G with a Pacifico AERO fairing. You can click on the link in my sig to see a picture of it.

You can find it on [b]Amazon[/v] for $170 or [b]eBay[/v] for $165.

WARNING: there are many copies and imitations out there that LOOK just like the Truck-Lite and cost a lot less.
I have no idea about their construction quality or the light pattern they put on the road.

There are several on the forum that have finally sprung for the cost of a Truck-Lite and the only regret they have mentioned was why they waited so long to make the switch.

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[bull958]

What, no lunch box love? That's what make them special.

[dorkburger]

I seem to recall reading that Toyota MR2 headlights work in the lunchbox housing and have LED options. I may be confused with Katanas though. Worth looking into, unless you don't like the lunchbox.

[Steve]

I seem to recall reading that Toyota MR2 headlights work in the lunchbox housing and have LED options.

Virtually any 200mm rectangular light will fit, regardless of donor, but it's the "LED options" part that scares me.

There are more and more LED replacement 'bulbs' available and they are getting better, but the fact remains that the LED sources do not quite match up with the location of the tungsten filament in the stock bulb. With the source out of the focal point, the light is not projected where intended, so it can lead to a bad situation. The best option is to go with a light that is designed with an LED source to ensure the proper light pattern on the road.

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[DucMan]

Going round would involve a LOT of work. That housing not only holds the headlight, but all the gauges, too. I have not examined the gauges and wiring inside, but I'll bet that the engineers that designed it did not plan on having that mess visible.

If your main goal is to go with LED, that's EASY. Not cheap, but easy. I have a rectangular TruckLite in my 850G with a Pacifico AERO fairing. You can click on the link in my sig to see a picture of it.

You can find it on [b]Amazon[/v] for $170 or [b]eBay[/v] for $165.

WARNING: there are many copies and imitations out there that LOOK just like the Truck-Lite and cost a lot less.
I have no idea about their construction quality or the light pattern they put on the road.

There are several on the forum that have finally sprung for the cost of a Truck-Lite and the only regret they have mentioned was why they waited so long to make the switch.

.

Well Just for the sake of being upfront, I'm removing the gauges also. To be honest, I'm removing all of it will be going for a two dial, one headlight look. I'm just curious as to whether I need to cut and splice a few wires, or do I need to re-wire the whole bike. And even with that being said, I don't know where to begin in selecting a light and housing, because the options are so numerous, it's hard to find which companies manufacture reliable equipment.

[chris]

Hi, Steve is right, there is a massive amount of wire inside that bucket.In my opinion the time and effort is not worth it to change the look. Does everything work as it should? I personally think the rectangular headlight suits the lines of the ex. As far as replacement gauges, Koso, trailtech and motogadet seem to have good reputations. It might seem like more work but its probably easier to replace all your wiring when replacing gauges, just getting rid of the self canceling turn signal stuff, really cleans things up. I would like to add that the only reason I replaced the gauges and wiring harness on my bike was because OEM gauge was toast from being stored outside during Canadian winters and I was not prepared to spend money on 37 year old electronics.

[DucMan]

Hi, Steve is right, there is a massive amount of wire inside that bucket.In my opinion the time and effort is not worth it to change the look. Does everything work as it should? I personally think the rectangular headlight suits the lines of the ex. As far as replacement gauges, Koso, trailtech and motogadet seem to have good reputations. It might seem like more work but its probably easier to replace all your wiring when replacing gauges, just getting rid of the self canceling turn signal stuff, really cleans things up. I would like to add that the only reason I replaced the gauges and wiring harness on my bike was because OEM gauge was toast from being stored outside during Canadian winters and I was not prepared to spend money on 37 year old electronics.

I understand where you are coming from. Though you are correct the box does work for the original lines of the bike, I don't plan on keeping the original lines of the bike. I was planning drastic changes to the appearance. Up to and including clip-ons and other differences. Based on whats been said, I suppose I will have to completely re-wire everything. Thanks for the information about the gauges. I guess I'm still back to square one on finding information about circular headlights

[Steve]

I guess I'm still back to square one on finding information about circular headlights

You will have to find the brackets and a bucket, but here are some links for the light:

Amazon $154

eBay $150

I almost gave you a link to what appeared to be a VERY good deal. Saw a genuine Truck-Lite advertised for $89.
Reading the fine print, that was the price for EACH ONE, but you had to buy an entire pallet of 144 lights.

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