headlight issues

okay everyone, head scratcher for you.
my headlight was working intermittently these past few nights, and now just all together off. I check the pages and everyone blames the switch or the relay. cleaned out the switch and replaced/tested relay. first one was okay, but I was assuming false positive, so I got a new one anyway.
so now I'm tracing wires.
I ran my tester to check continuity to make sure there wasn't a short somewhere, and just for poops and giggles I checked accross the green and yellow inside the switch(that's high beam an low beam for everyone without a wiring diagram). okay weird thing is I got a beep (completed circuit) between these wires, which I assume, should never touch. so I back tracked from the switch, disconnecting here and testing there.
Finally removed the headlight and tested the pins on the back of the light, now if I'm right (yellow, green, black means black is ground and yellow/green are high and low beam) I have continuity between yellow and green inside the headlight.
Question is, is that suppose to happen?
Have I found the gremlin in a burnt out light(ie high and low beam filaments are touching) cause it looks fine?
Is there a way to open the glass and separate the two?
Does this mean I need a new headlight?

for right now I pulled the fuse and I'm not riding.

 

If you still have the stock sealed-beam unit, just quit screwing with it and get a new headlight.

The original headlight is a sealed-beam, just like cars used to be. They don't come apart. What you can do is retrofit a modular H4 headlight which is a reflector/lens assembly with a replaceable halogen bulb.

I would highly recommend going this route; I've got them in both of my Secas and it was a great improvement over stock. Be sure to get a motorcycle-specific lens unit; I got my Hella Euro-spec kit from XJ4Ever (chacal.)

One final thought: if your '83 is fully restored, it shouldn't be a daily struggle to keep it right. Mine sure isn't; it's stone-reliable requiring only the recommended maintenance on schedule.

 

thats how a headlight reads, in the low beam, thru the filament to ground.
then from ground thru the hi filament to your meter, continuity !
so if you lost both hi and low, look into the ground wire

 

Ill look into the conversion.

 

Here's a kit that has everything you need to convert to H4 light: http://www.ebay.com/itm/7-DOT-H4-MOTORC ... 65&vxp=mtr

 

Despite the seller's claim, that's NOT a motorcycle-specific lens. If it were it would say "motorcycle" across it somewhere; plus motorcycle-specific headlight lenses have an easily recognizable characteristic pattern to the reflector which that one does not have.

 

I'm curious, do you have an example of this characteristic pattern? I might consider switching to a different reflector if need be.

 

Going to dig this thread back up. About to do the H4 conversion kit from Len. But I noticed yesterday that once again my headlight was not working. Pulled it all apart and I think I may have found an idea of the issue. Tested my headlight relay (12v to the contacts, continuity between secondary contacts) and it was ok. Just for fun I hooked it back up to my motorcycle and tested it in line.

• Key on there is 12.5v to the red wire, 0 to the blue, white. Black I'm assuming is ground.
• Start engine there is 12.5V-14V to the red wire, 0 to the blue, and 12.5-14V to the white wire.

How does this make sense? Off the bike it works, on the bike it doesn't.
Is there another step in the line that I'm missing?

 

I am assuming that was 12V to the coil, and continuity between the contacts that represent R/Y and L/B.



Some possibilities:

Just to be sure things are in order you should be looking at a relay with a yellow dot that is plugging into a harness with corresponding yellow tape at the mating plug.

Continuity is not a number, that needs to be a very low resistance as a headlight consumes approximately 4 amps. If the relay is energizing, the contacts may be corroded and can be cleaned with a burnishing tool.

The ground is missing at the relay socket so the relay coil does not energize and close the contacts.

You can test it on the bike, just turn the key on and momentarily apply 12v to the white wire. The relay should energize (clicking noise) and should latch on because of the internal diode. The headlight should also come on at this time.

 

Yes, I have the proper yellow relay. The connections on the outside are very clean, and the interior is spotless.

Where you said "Ground is missing at the relay socket..." I'm not sure what you mean by that.

I have not checked resistance across the contacts when closed, this could be the issue.

Is it possible to turn the red(yellow stripe) wire and blue(black stripe) wire into a switched unit? (Add a switch)
Basically need a quick fix until the new relay comes in (if we all are assuming it's the relay).

 

the black wire you mentioned test it to see if it still part of the ground system continuity test from black wire to battery negitive.

if contacts are dirty ,glazed or just not closing completely this would be how you test the connection with 0 volts to blue with relay energized as you discribed something is wrong with the contacts (internal or external r/y wire connectors)

yes you can put a switch to connect L/B wire and R/Y wire to turn on your headlight.

 

So as a quick (AutoZone) fix (as it is nightime) I added a switch. I realize that this is not the norm for a motorcycle, but let me tell you it is one of the coolest "Mods" I have done. Also when I flash the high beam on/off people do notice.
I will be doing a write up for what I just did, and what I have done LED wise on the bike this week. Stay tuned, and Thanks all for the help.

 

I'm a big fan of switches, personally. So many relays have failed on me over the years causing all sorts of weird problems =/

 

Just be sure any switch you use can handle the current.

 

and carry a spare switch

 

Here is the halogen headlight the Yamaha dealer installed on my bike in 1986 when I moved to deer country Wisconsin.



Notice the lens pattern on the lower half. It is highly directional on low beam, with a definite horizontal "line" of light that projects on the car in front at license plate level and below. This means it won't shine in people's eyes. High beam is much less focused. Halogen beats the stock headlight, esp in deer country.

In the daytime, I ride with high beam as the low beam can't be seen quite as well since it is designed to be below eye level to a driver of a car.