Headlight issue on xj650

I have an 82 maxim 650. upgraded to an aftermarket headlight with newer style bulbs. ever since, the low beam will come on only when it wants to. high beam always works. upon starting the bike, if the low beam does not come on, it has to sit overnight and works in the morning; but if it does come on, it stays on for the duration of the ride. it only goes out when im starting the bike, never during a ride, and randomly. doesnt matter if the bike has been running or sitting, nor outside temperature. also, i always start the bike on the low beam, never the high beam, so maybe something is going on when i hit the starter (i will begin starting the bike on high beam to see if that goes out instead of the low beam, then i will know it is having issues upon starting). the bulbs do burn out very quickly, im talking within a few weeks or less.

i have checked fuses, relays, and grounds, all are fine. i am not new to bikes or working on them, but this one has me stumped.

the headlight was from ebay, some cheap thing from china. running two 25/25watt bulbs. i was thinking maybe there is a voltage difference from the older style sealed beam lights and the newer style bulbs.

also, when im cruising (3,000 rpm's or above) the battery reads 14.9 volts usually, sometimes hits 15.0 or 15.1 which i know is a little high. dont know if that is useful info to solve this problem.

any thoughts?

 

make sure to double check the condition of the connectors in the headlight bucket. Also, double check the connector of the headlight relay. I had an issue of my headlight and instrument lights not working when the bike was started. My problem was intermittent. But highly annoying when it happened in the hours of darkness. I found that I had corrosion on the connector of the headlight relay. I used a nail file (begged forgiveness from the wife) to clean the connector blades. Then I pulled out the pins of the harness side connector and tightened the terminals with a pair of needle nose pliers. Re-installed the terminals into the connector housing and viola! My headlight stopped malfunctioning.

If your problem is just the headlight and not the gauge lighting as well, then double check your connections and the routing of the wires within the housing. You could be pinching some wires with the lamp against the housing, if they're not routed and secured properly.


Just my $0.02 worth,