quick headlight adjustment question

[GI JOE]

Hey all. I have a 92 GS500 with the stock headlight bowl. I just changed the bulb out and went to adjust the beam downward. The problem seems to be that the turn signals and wires/cables behind the bowl prevent it from really being angled down.

So the question is, is there a way to aim the beam farther down? Or is it pretty much a set spot? I feel like it's aimed too straight and gonna tick off other drivers.

[Wagoneer]

Do you know that there's an adjustment anchor on the passenger side? The wiring doesn't limit anything.

[Snake2715]

You see this?

http://wiki.gstwins.com/index.php?n=Maintenance.AimHeadlight

I marked a line on my garage door with painters tape. Also keep in mind if possible set it up to be aimed correctly while on it.. I aimed mine slightly lower as I felt it was still a bit in the trees on bright at night.

[GI JOE]

That's what I tried to do and when I loosened both side bolts and the one behind it basically won't go down any. But now that I know it's just an issue I have I'll have to find out what's goin on. I figured something was up but hey why not ask right. Thanks guys.

[Janx101]

Do you know that there's an adjustment anchor on the passenger side? The wiring doesn't limit anything.

Ummm ... I know what it is you mean ... But how the heck do you determine the passenger side on a bike?? 

[ShanghaiPete]

In Malayasia no problem. Passenger side is always side opposite exhaust because that is side sari guard gets fitted and passenger has legs. Same in India and in Indonesia. Easy answer that I was happy to give you.

[Wagoneer]

Do you know that there's an adjustment anchor on the passenger side? The wiring doesn't limit anything.

Ummm ... I know what it is you mean ... But how the heck do you determine the passenger side on a bike?? 

Good call. Exhaust side.

[ShanghaiPete]

Oh, sorry, different side in Asia and I have never played with adjustment on my gs500 headlamp. So adjustment is on exhaust side sitting on motorcycle or looking at front of headlamp? I will check my headlamp setup next week but I already think that it is OK because nobody flashes at me.

[Kerry]

Don't let yourself get confused, ShanghaiPete.  You were right all along.

Do you know that there's an adjustment anchor on the passenger side?

[...] how the heck do you determine the passenger side on a bike??

In Malayasia no problem. Passenger side is always side opposite exhaust because that is side sari guard gets fitted and passenger has legs. Same in India and in Indonesia.

For anyone who is not familiar with the term "sari guard", check out this photo that I took in Bangalore back in 2004:



Both bikes have a "sari guard" fitted on the "passenger side"; the side with the chain and without the exhaust pipe.

As it happens, the GS500 has the same configuration with respect to the chain and the exhaust pipe.  And the vertical headlight adjustment is indeed on the "passenger side".  (See photos 2 and 3 in [THIS POST].)

For a possible explanation of why the headlight can't be moved up and down even when the vertical "lock" is loosened, see the [post by John Bates] a little later in the same message thread.

[GI JOE]

I found out my dummy mistake. The stopper tab on the up/down adjuster was on top. So yea it stopped letting me angle it, though the turn signals do only let it move so far. Well see if I aimed it better come dark lol.
I can't imagine how many fines riding like that here would bring lol.

[Kerry]

[...]The stopper tab on the up/down adjuster was on top. So yea it stopped letting me angle it[...]

Ah ... so it was the same problem John Bates described.  Good to know! 

[GI JOE]

Yea, Idk why both signals are so close. The brackets look straight too. I just muscled it down and tightened her up so hopefully I'm aimed better. The only reason I really bothered was so I don't get high beamed, and when I used high beams they shot high lol.

[Wagoneer]

On low beam I doubt you'd get flashed even if it was aimed straight at eye level. The public is so used to HID's in reflector housings that a crappy GS500 headlight with a highly fluted lens isn't going to seem offensive to them.

If it's any help, I find you have to aim the low beam fairly low (the main 'hot spot' about 40m in front of the bike) so the high beam isn't pointed up in the trees. Like others have said, make sure someone is sitting on the bike when you adjust the beam so it's accurate.