Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums Accessories Headlight swap for Speedmaster

I am going to change the 7" headlight to a 5 3/4. Any advise as to what to do with all the wiring connecters that are in the bucket? It looks like the best thing to do is to relocate them out under the gas tank in the pocket behind the steering neck. Also, would it be best to just wire it directly without using the 3 prong plug?

Isn't it 3 prong to provide:
1. High Beam
2. Low beam
3. Ground

Yea, the 3 prongs are for high, low, and ground. Just curious if it's best to try to cut that terminal plug off and wire it to the type head light that has the wires coming out of it. Or find another housing that has the big hole for it to all fit into, if they make them. I haven't found one and would probably have to cut it out.

I think I'm going to have to relocate all those connections under the tank and just run new wire to the light. I'd just like to hear any advice from someone that has done it.

If you spend a little time looking at the connector
you may be able to release the wires from it, feed the wires
through the opening in the new headlite, and re-insert the
wires into the original 3 prong unit should it be compatable
with new h-lite. I have done this in the past with other bikes.
I'm just not allowed at this point to touch, let alone experiment with Nancy's America!!!

I hear ya! Thanks for the imput.

A small screw driver or piece of metal will release
the lock on most wire ends like this.
An old Bobby Pin if ya know what that is works Great!
Problem with enlargeing holes on new units is you
drill the hole bigger and whack the chrome at the hole.
Now you have a rust area!!

Best option I can think of is to buy a headlight with a large enough hole to relocate all the wiring to the new bucket. Fitting it all under the tank would be a nightmare, and then you need to worry about weatherproofing the connectors, and keeping it all away from the hot engine. Do you have a particular headlight in mind, or just a smaller one off another bike? Chances are if it's from another bike it'll also have a large enough hole for the connectors to pass through.

Matt

Most aftermarkets I've delt with never take original
wiring into account.
All the ends on connectors have a lock clip that can be
very easily released,
and being they are pretty much standard in the industry,
plugged into a new connector!
Much easier and cleaner looking.
Course We could always get into the cut and Solder discussion.
Silver versis Lead, heat shrink tubing and such.
But that is work you shouldn't have to do if you
pop the clips!

there is a spedmaster with a small headlight and speedo in the customs forum check out his front end customising looks real clean
i like the smaller headlight speedo

Not sure about which headlight, just a smaller one. I like the one on the custom forum. He just posted that he put the wires under the tank and hasn't had any problems with it...althought there are a lot of wires. It looks like there is a pocket between the frame gussets, so that may be a good place to protect them from the elements if they'll fit.

Thanks.

Tim,
Airguy put an aftermarket headlight on his bike, IIRC he drilled a hole the same size as the hole in the original bucket and re-used the rubber grommet. The hole is on the bottom towards the back and slighly to one side. All the wires tucked inside-looked clean. I do not know if he had to rewire the headlight connector or not. I would think that you could find an aftermarket assembly that took the same type of bulb as the factory.