5th gen headlight adjustment

Hi all, I'm sorry for asking what I am sure is a dumb question so early in my days on the forum! I've had a dive into a forum search and not found my answer yet, unfortunately.

I've bought a '99 5th gen, and I can't figure out how to adjust the low beam on the headlights. I'm lighting up street signs - I have no idea how the previous owner was driving around with the aim so off. So I'm restricted to riding in daylight until I can figure out how to adjust the beam back down.

I have a copy of the manual and can see the vertical adjusters are on the upper outside of the bulbs, but not sure how to access them. There are convenient-looking holes in the cover but poking around with a philips screwdriver isn't landing at the moment.

Do I need to remove the front fairings / cover to get at the adjuster screws? The manual is so deadpan ("adjust the headlight beam vertically by turning the vertical beam adjusting screws") that either the manual was written like a technical challenge on Bake Off or it's super easy and I'm being an idiot (more likely)

Genuine thanks in advance for any tips or advice on how to get this fixed.

Thanks
Dave

 

You just stick the phillips screwdriver in the hole provided, nothing needs to come off.
Easy on mine, but I've done it before.
Make sure you are using a number 2 phillips of adequate length, and that you are going in straight and horizontal.

 

As Oz says, the holes in the fairing inner are there for access to the screws. However...it takes a fair bit of hit and miss (mainly miss) to engage the screwdriver with the adjusting screw. It helps to have patience and and a strong belief that you can do it!

 

Cool, thanks. We thought that must be it. I'll stick it back it in again and wriggle it around until something happens.

</smut>

 

Turn your light bulbs over, they are upside down. The previous owner of my bike did this. You can't adjust them enough to compensate for them being in wrong. I bet your highbeams are lighting up the ground in front of your bike really really well! Flip them over before you do anything else!

 

Just precisely WHERE the headlights should be aimed is a discussion of it's own ! Some local laws may apply, but a proper aiming job is measured by numbers, not "looks OK".

 

Thanks all for your advice. Found a seat on the philips screwdriver eventually. What a PITA!

I'm not sure the headlights were ever going to be upside down, but thanks for the creative thinking...

 

Where were your high beams pointing?

 

The previous owner had the bulbs rotated 180°and the low beams were blinding squirrels and the high beams were melting the road in front of the bike. FWIW, I have Philips bulbs too and they can be installed wrong. That's why I asked, multiple times, where the high beam was pointing.

 

I'm not sure if your comment above was meant to be condescending, but it does seem that way. I was trying to save you the headache of trying to re-adjust your headlights. Mine were way off and the very simple fix was to rotate the bulbs 180°. No further adjustments were necessary. Took me about ten minutes.

 

Lint how is that even possible with a standard H4 bulb??? If the three locating tangs are in place, there is only one orientation. If you cut off two (so a standard H4 fits the oddball 45/45w holders then you do have a choice of 3 positions, but only one has the bulb connector in the correct orientation to mate nicely with the loom connector.

BTW I certainly thought you were taking the pi$$ with your upside down comment!

 

I don't know, maybe the previous owner put a Chinese headlight in mine after his accident, but it is most definitely possible at least on my bike.

Plus, the wires were very easy to turn one way or another.

 

My buddy managed to put one of the H4 aftermarket headlight bulbs (two tabs were cut off) in upside down by trying to put the bulbs in while the fairing was on the bike. He managed to wedge the bulb in so tight we HAD to remove the upper cowl to get it out but he even managed to wedge it in with the remaining tab not aligned with any of the holes. Now installing the bulbs CAN be done without removing the upper cowl, it can be exceedingly awkward to line everything up properly. Thankfully for him it was the right side bulb so he lit up the trees in the ditch really well. LOL