82 Maxim, keeping square headlights but modifying them

When I first got this bike I hated the square headlights. Hated them. Now they've really grown on me and I kinda dig the Autobot aesthetics.

The aux lamp is useless though, illuminating a point roughly 15 yards in front of me. I want to angle it upwards - any ideas, or should I just fab a reflector plate underneath it?

Anything I can do to improve the beam pattern of the main without rewiring or at this point?

 

No suggestions on the aux light as I've never seen one in person, so I don't know how it's mounted.

But,

You can definitely change the headlight to a better pattern.

If you check in the XJ4Ever site (banner at top of page), Len has a pretty good explanation of headlight bulbs and lens patterns there, as well as what he's got for your XJ

 

I don't think he sells square alternatives. He may have replacements though.

I also like the square look but the output sucks. I have a fairing with 7" round ATM.

I made some semi custom fender mounted auxiliary lights. Not much of a throw pattern but a triangle of light effect. $$ permitting I'm gonna get some good bright commercial ones and use the same homemade bracket.

If you buy driving/fog lights beware of the higher wattage and don't use original auxiliary light switch. You risk burning it up.

 

take the aux light off and bend the bracket a little

 

I was bored, so I checked the catalog.

No replacement lens for the square modular headlight.

Only a 7" round replacement housing and lens.

For the curious:
HELLA 7" housing is $50
HELLA EURO 7" housing is $65
(bulb not included)

 

I haven't even taken the bike out at night yet (still a relatively new rider) - how much improvement am I going to see if I replace the square lamps? Am I wrong for thinking that the stacked square lamps are more obviously a motorcycle to an oncoming car than a single round lamp would be?

As much fun as I had screwing around on the thing over the winter, I really just want to ride it for now and not get into any serious overhauls. If I'm going to replace the lamps I'm going to go ahead and fix the fuse and electrical system to more modern standards, and if I'm doing that I might as well change the damn square handlebars while I'm at it . . .

I love the bike but she really is an odd duck . . .

 

The aux lights on the 750 Seca/Maxim have replaceable 35W H3 bulbs and a black "beam-shaping" contraption inside the reflector/lens assembly. I know that the 2 rivets that hold the BS contraption are accessible from the outside so they could be ground off, letting the BS contraption fall free inside the reflector/lens. Not sure that it will come out the hole left by the H3 light as it is fairly large and more like a cube in shape. Another solution might be to get an aux light from Harbor Freight (amber lens, clear lens) or similar that has the H3 bulb but not the BS contraption. Then you can experiment with replacing the 35w bulb with a LED version (the BS contraption does not let a long LED H3 replacement mount into the reflector).

 

square to round isn't going to be that big a difference, the stacked lights might make a difference in someone seeing you, if they look, those are the ones to watch out for
check the voltage at the battery then check at the headlight, you may be loosing some volts through all the connections.
maybe cleaning some connections can make what you have brighter