So my headlight bulb blew the other day, no big deal, this stuff happens after a while I guess. Well today I bought a replacement, took it home, replaced it, started the bike up and a couple minutes later I was playing with the throttle (bike was parked I was not actually riding it) and the ******* bulb blows again. What the ****? I bought the goddamned thing so I could pass my bike inspection, which is TOMORROW! The harley shop is too far out of the way to justify a trip to my first line supervisor, so now I'm ****** and I have to shell out another 19 euro for a ******* lightbulb, that will probably just blow right after I put it in there anyway. Anybody got any ideas?
Headlight blown, ******* twice
- Thread starter FIDOSOL
- Start date
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I was charging the battery and the lights were dim until I pulled the throttle, then they got bright, and would get dim when I let off the throttle. When I got on the throttle again they got bright and then the low beam blew. Is it because of the fluctuating electricity running through the bike due to the battery not holding a charge?
BuellPartsGuy
Well-known member
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- Oct 30, 2006
- Messages
- 1,911
Sounds like you have a voltage regulator issue if they get really dim while idling and progressively brighter as you rev.
Second, putting non Buell headlight bulbs in usually ends up with a shorter life span. Yes, there are other ones that will work, but they aren't built the same. The Buell ones are a supported filament to deal with the vibration.
Second, putting non Buell headlight bulbs in usually ends up with a shorter life span. Yes, there are other ones that will work, but they aren't built the same. The Buell ones are a supported filament to deal with the vibration.
Buellysses
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- Jul 6, 2008
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When you say blew are you talking POW...glass everywhere... Or blew, light bulb burned out?
I assume you mean it just burned out.
Time to bust out the voltmeter. Check the voltage across the pins of the bulb while you rev the engine. Higher then 14v (ish) is bad news (bad regulator)
--Edit--
Some fun math, just to get you thinking.. assuming a bulb wattage of 55Watts@12V
R=E^2/P = 144/55 = 2.618Ohms
Up your voltage to 16v (bad regulator)
P=E^2/R = 256/2.618 = 98Watts
@18v = 124 Watts(oops, light bulb just blew)
I assume you mean it just burned out.
Time to bust out the voltmeter. Check the voltage across the pins of the bulb while you rev the engine. Higher then 14v (ish) is bad news (bad regulator)
--Edit--
Some fun math, just to get you thinking.. assuming a bulb wattage of 55Watts@12V
R=E^2/P = 144/55 = 2.618Ohms
Up your voltage to 16v (bad regulator)
P=E^2/R = 256/2.618 = 98Watts
@18v = 124 Watts(oops, light bulb just blew)
That was happening to my suzuki's tail light. I volt metered the bike, 13ish at idle, and over 14 when revving. So, I can only assume it's a voltage regulator issue. that, and a battery that cant take up the slack and help keep the voltage equalized.
Well I sent my wife after a bulb this morning while I was at work, she brought it to me and I jumped the bike off and rode it to work, it's about a 30 minute ride. After I got there I put the bulb in and I guess the ride charged the battery up decently because it didn't burn out again yet.
