H4 Headlamps and Shims ( ST1300 )

[KoTAOW]

This article written by Curt Gran, STOC #5137, IBA# 330 and the original content is at this web page:

http://www.hard-core-ware.com/howtos/index.php?page=headlamp

H4 Headlamps and Shims, ST1300

How-To Instructions

  Ok, I know what you're saying. "Why do I need a tutorial to put in headlamps"? Well to be honest you don't. But I'm the type of person that doesn't like any surprises when I do mods. Sure I can improvise and make it all work but sometimes I don't want to use my brain and just read some good step by step instructions. All the instructions you need are on the back of the pack of shims. There really wasn't any major surprises on this but I didn't find the instructions until after I was done.



  If you have the luxury or the patience to remove the fairing from the bike I would highly recommend it. It makes this job a lot easier. After you've done it off the bike you'll be able to see how the bail works and know what to do next time if you want to leave the fairing on the bike when changing the bulbs out. So you can do this while it's on the bike but pack on lunch if you decide to do it that way. Maybe the pictures and explanation here will be enough to guide those of you that are a gluten for punishment.



Cost:  ~$45 (headlamps and shims)

Difficulty: 2 (if the fairing is off the bike)

Parts List:

    * Philips VisionPlus 12V 60/55W H4 Headlamp Bulbs
    * H4 Adaptor Rings

Tools:

    * Wire Cutters, Side Cutters, and/or Pliers
    * Fingers





Step By Step:

  So this is what the back of the headlamp assembly looks like once you get it off the bike. You can see the manual adjustment knobs and the electrical adjustment motor. It also shows the rubber boots that protect the back of the bulb assembly but allows access to the bulb connectors, obviously. Looks like someone missed a spot when they cleaned the stupid bike last time. First you want to remove the rubber boot that pops on over the bulb housing. The boot can be removed by simply pulling straight out from the headlight assembly. The boot has 2 small tabs that can be used as handles to pull the boot off. The handles on the boot are at 12:00 and 6:00 which is the way it should also be put back on. Just pull straight out and the boot will start to come off. It has a catch all the way around the inside of the boot to hold it to the back of the headlamp assembly.



  This exposes the bail clip that holds the headlamp bulb in place. Undo the bail by pressing it down (towards the bulb base) and then when it's all the way down slide it up to the left. This is hard if you can't see it and it may snag on the catch if you aren't pressing hard enough. The bail is bent so it pushes into your finger so putting force on it starts to smart if you're at it a while. Putting it back on is even a little harder.



  Now that the bail is released you can pull out the original bulb. No problem there but if you ever plan on using the old bulbs again (and this goes for the new bulbs also) DON'T TOUCH THE BULB! The oil from your hands will get hot on the bulb and burn the bulb out prematurely. Now it's on to prepping the new bulbs for the shims.



  The top center tab stays in place. The shim instructions say to cut off the lower two tabs but I just bent them back out of the way because I felt like they added more stability to the bulb when I put it back in. You want the bulb to be able to slide in and easy in case you need to take them out with the fairing on the bike so I made sure that the bulb still slid in and out fairly easily. The small little tabs that face forward on the base of the bulb can be flattened but I found that the shim will slip onto the bulb and just miss the little tabs so I left them right where they were.



  I was surprised that the shims didn't slide on easily and in retrospect they aren't suppose to slide on easily. They are meant to fit snug. It takes a little bit of effort to slide them on and then you want to make sure that the shim is flat against the base of the bulb. I went around it with a pliers and made sure that the shim was flat against the base. I noticed this was not only important for alignment of the bulb but also makes getting the bail back on easier. The bail barely clears the catch when the shim is on the bulb so make sure it's on their flat and press down hard on the bail before you try and slide it back past the catch when putting the bulb back into the housing.



  So now that the shim is on you can simply put the bulb back in and fasten down the bail. I ended up taking out the bulb and making sure the shim was on flat a couple times because the bail wouldn't slide past the catch. After a couple tries I realized you just have to put more downward force on the bail before you slide it under the catch. So the bulb is in and the bail is fastened. Put the boot back on and you're now ready to put it back on the bike. There's already a picture for that above so I'm including a shot here to show that the Philips H4 bulb now has the same tab line-up as the Honda bulb.



  If you want some simple instructions just follow the ones that come with the shims. These shims I bought up at Deal's Gap. They're from Sport Touring Accessories in Tapoco, NC 28771. Figures it would take me a whole page of instructions what someone else put in about 4 sentences.

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Thank You again for your contribution Curt Gran, STOC #5137, IBA# 330