headlight 81 and 82 650

My 82 maxim 650 has been way too much trouble and expense so yesterday I found a running and driving 81.They look identical.The 81 had no headlight.Just the socket hanging out of the shell.No glass part.The bucket and all the wiring is intact. he never rode the bike so he doesnt know where the headlight might be.The 82 is a sealed beam type.You have to replace the whole glass thing, not the bulb.the 81 has a 3 prong connector to plug into a bulb. I was wondering would any round headlight with a hilo bulb fit in there and I could secure it with the ring from the 82? I think they are about 7 inches round,this isnt one of the square ones.It had the humpty back cruiser seat and the ugly buckhorn handlebars. He changed those.

 

I swapped in a Hella euro-spec headlight assembly which converts from sealed beam over to a modular lens/bulb assembly several years ago and am pretty happy with the performance, fit, and appearance. LED headlights weren't really reliable at that point. If I was doing the conversion now I might consider an LED light, but that really changes the look of the bike in my opinion, so it would have to work with your build. I'm sure a search here would turn up the Hella model you'd need to buy.

EDIT: Len sells them, but I recall I picked mine up at a local speed shop...

HCP8567 Aftermarket HELLA brand Euro Vision+ DOT-approved round 7" modular headlight system, includes the lense/reflector unit, a 55/60W Halogen bulb, and the bulb socket cover. So let there be even better light! The Hella Euro-design lense---which is street-legal for motorcycles in the USA---puts more light where you need it (in front of you and off to the right side) while minimizing the "wasted' overhead light dispersion that DOT rules require for automotive headlights. More light, less glare to oncoming traffic, everyone wins. Not street-legal for use on automobiles, trucks, vans, etc.

 

The same headlight and assembly was used on the 80 - 83 Maxim. You might be missing the headlight harness that plugs into the factory harness and into the headlight. Part number was 2H7-84359-00-00 but you can find them on ebay etc.

 

thanks for the great information.the connector hooks up the same on both bikes.I was looking at it wrong.It is a sealed beam unit and should reach the bulb socket ok.I would like to convert to a regular headlight but the new one I ordered will probably last 20 years.