Headlight Alignment

[vtlion]

Hey experts, this (I hope) should be a simple one...

I have my PA permit, so I can only ride during daylight hours until I take my license test... so in the months that I've been riding, I've never ridden after dark.  That is, until yesterday when I got held up at work and rode home in the dark.  

My lowbeam seemed to be pointing a bit low... I felt like I was going to outrun it at about 35 MPH... maybe that's just beginner nerves though.

Now here's the kicker... I flip on my highbeams, and I can't see a thing!!     The light was casting up in the trees overhead, and not even hitting the road!!!

Can this alignment be adjusted simply?  I'm weirded out by the low beams being too low and the high beams being too high... I thought it was just a simple dual filament bulb.

thanks
vt

[vtlion]

hmmm... so i checked the headlamp against the garage, and I can see both filaments operating correctly and the seem to be pointing at a reasonable angle.  Maybe its the fact that I haven't riden at night before... does the headlamp illumnate that much above and to the sides?

I guess from a vehicle those angles would be obscured by the cage... so maybe it is just the cager in me.  

[glenn9171]

It is very hard to get a happy medium between high and low beams for me too.

I use the highbeams 90% of the time at night as I only ride backroads for the most part.  I set the highbeams to where I needed them and let the low beams shine low.  For the most part, I only use them when a car is coming the other way.

[powrful1]

My low beams were pointing up a bit high, I adjusted them, I have to adjust a little more when I have the chance to take advantage of the high beams...but I tend to look farther down the road than most....so a little high is what I like....legal probably not, but if they want to ticket me for headlight placement.....so be it.

[dmp221]

1. Put your bike on level ground, about 25 ft from a wall (garage door will work fine)

2. Measure from the center of the headlight to the ground

3. Mark a line on the wall that same height

4. Mark a second line 2" lower

5.  Turn on the low beam.  The upper cutoff of the low beam should rest on the lower line.

6.  The center of the high beam should land on the upper line.

Hope this helps.

[Turkina]

That's some good info!  After screwing around with fairings and wiring inside the shell so much, lately I have been adjusting the headlight by pushing it around by hand, sitting behind a parked car at night.  Not too scientific there!
I just need to find a level surface with a wall

1. Put your bike on level ground, about 25 ft from a wall (garage door will work fine)

2. Measure from the center of the headlight to the ground

3. Mark a line on the wall that same height

4. Mark a second line 2" lower

5.  Turn on the low beam.  The upper cutoff of the low beam should rest on the lower line.

6.  The center of the high beam should land on the upper line.

Hope this helps.