| Author | Message | ||
     Midknyte |
Several days now after attending the IMS here in Chicago, I put 1 & 1 together... I saw, as I do every year (but did not buy cuz I didn't think of this until now...!) - a vender hawking some cleaner/polish. Part of his shpeal was taking and polishing the concave bottom of an alluminum pop can to a litterally mirror finish. Now I'm sitting here and thinking - instead of us re-coating or painting, or replacing, or re-somethingothery - why not just polish the headlight assembly? Someone else here has surely seen what I'm talking about at one of the shows. What would it matter if the assembly was chrome plated if it were still as reflective? Or would the base aluminum of the headlight assembly oxydise over time and negate this solution...? | ||
| Edmbueller |
I am the new owner of a Firebolt. I had a XB12S previously and had no issues with the lights in the Lightning as there were lots of options / solutions on badweb and other places for better bulbs, conversions, etc. BUT there are a number of threads regarding the problems with the Firebolt headlights. Has anyone really found a decent solution at all? My largest concern is up here wher eI live, the cagers are a MENACE and more importantly than me seeing at night is them seeing me during the day. Is the "faulty" lighting on the Firebolts not a safety concern for visibility purposes? Has "Anonymous" posted on this topic at all? | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I think you're on to something. Even if it did oxydize, you could just polish it again. | ||
| Rsh |
The Firebolt headlight housings are black plastic, once the coating inside breaks down there wouldn't be anything to polish, and polishing black plastic would not make the headlights brighter. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I thought they were coated metal? | ||
| Rsh |
Unfortunately the coating inside is about equivalent to chrome plated plastic model car parts. | ||
| Gowindward |
On one of my used and degraded lamps I tried cleaning the reflective surface with dish soap and water to see if cleaning would improve it. The chrome coating washed OFF!!!! | ||
| Old_man |
It's a real shame!! How cheap does it have to be? | ||
| Saintly |
I've got an even better solution to the problem. My solution is for Buell Motorcycle Company to fix this problem before someone gets hurt, and stop making it the consumer's responsibility to fix! | ||
| Barker |
I tried to "Clean" the coating of my headlights with a paper towel, and all of the coating wiped off!!! | ||
| Xl1200r |
Has anyone actually tried just running them with the polished black plastic? | ||
| Isham |
I tried polishing the black plastic and it got shinier but not reflective. I was upset about that.. ;P Isn't Court friends with Erick Buell. Come out Court help us out. | ||
| Ridrx |
My 12R is only SIX MONTHS OLD and already I can't see 20 ft in front of me. I guess Buell didn't know some people actually ride these things at NIGHT!!!!!I had decided to not replace mine yet,until I got a freakin ticket for a blown h.lamp and the damn thing was on!!!Thanx Buell! I have already started cutting down an R1 fairing(2002) to replace mine with. Bought an American bike and STILL have to use Jap parts? My VFR has the same BULB it came with in 1996,and it is ten times brighter than the FBolt was new. I guess Buell figures they have already got your money so it's your problem now. Kinda sucks for such an otherwise great bike to have to sit in the garage because you can't see where your going. At least I still got the VFR. I can't believe that the DOT has let this pass for a roadworthy lighting sys.for this long. Come on Buell, don't leave us out in the cold. We plunked down our cash in good faith we were getting a roadworthy bike, please don't make fools and paupers of us(your own followers). | ||
| Midknyte |
I should state, that I've not personally had a problem with mine ('03 9R). Just trying to contribute an idea to those who had. | ||
| Terribletim |
This topic is interesting to me. I purchased my '03 XB9R used with 5000 miles on it, it was the dealer demo bike. I have since put another 5000 miles on it myself and have not noticed any problem. I will say, I run stock bulbs. Is this issue with the stock bulbs or the people who have gone to aftermarket bulbs? Also, is this just the people who have changed them to run both lights all the time or with the stock single light? I got tired of people saying I had a light out and run my high beam all the time now, should I expect this issue to develop on my bike too? Maybe I will go back to just running the single low-beam. | ||
| Ridrx |
Terribletim, My bike is six months old with just over 5k. the lights are as the bike was sold. Stock bulbs,single light. I seem to see a trend of this being a problem with newer bikes. My neighbor has on 03 9R and his appear to be alright. Wonder if they have changed manufacture process to save money? Anyone ? Maybe a retrofit of older lights is the ticket. I cannot believe one should have to go to all this trouble to band-aid a problem as serious as this. Still no sign of Court or Anony.? Come on guys your are our best shot a proper resolution to this. We are on our knees begging here.  | ||
| Terribletim |
LOL, while serious, I'll refrain from the use of "on our knees"!  | ||
| Molly_hatchet |
my high beam burnt out the second day i had my bike,,,,the dealer said they couldnt warranty it..so i paid like 9 bucks for a bulb on a 2 day old bike of course this is the same dealer that kept all my stock parts when i got my race kit and told me they couldnt give them back it wasnt policy...other than the fact that the lights arent very bright...no problems since. | ||
| Xl1200r |
Molly_ Sounds like you have about the lousiest dealer going. | ||
| Ulendo |
Just out of curiosity - who makes the Firebolt lights for Buell? Not that I have a bolt, but this whole scenario sounds like an outside vendor QA problem: I'm sure you guys know the routine. they provide hand picked, and quality controlled samples to Buell for testing and approval, then quality goes down the can once they get the contract...Buell takes the blame, and is screwed until they either find another supplier, or suspend production... just $0.02 suggestion for those willing to fix their own properly: http://www.hella.com/produktion/HellaPortal/WebSit e/Internet_usa/ProductsServices/Performance_Lighti ng/Conversion_Headlamps/50mm_modules/50mm_Modules. jsp | ||
| Nutsnbolt |
I can't remember which year it was, but I have a 2005 XB9R, as I look at the newer bikes this year, I notice that the Headlight has a rough (sanded looking) 1" in diameter, maybe, spot directly in the center of the headlight. I understand the principle in this, what my observation is, is.... my bike does not have that, mine had a metal piece in the headlight, that... after removal made a SIGNIFIGANT difference in the lighting at night. Could this, diffusing in the glass of the headlight, be dulling the actual brightness of the bulb? Has anyone tried putting 05 and below lenses on their bike? Or is this really not the problem? All I can tell you is that, when you give glass a gritty-ness to it, (sanded look) you take a transparent and make it a semi-translucent. I'd be interested in hearing if I'm off my rocker or on to something. Later, skaters. mark | ||
| Gowindward |
Head lamp supplier http://www.ecie.it/eng/default.asp,www.ecie.it/eng/default.asp Look at page 7 of the below PDF. http://www.ecie.it/_upload/file/cont_c2Wj04_02-02_Gruppi_,www.ecie.it/_upload/file/cont_c2Wj04_02-02_Gruppi_Ottici_luglio2005.pdf I looked at fitting the 50mm Hella lamps to my bike, but I felt they would be to small for the openings in the fair. The OEM lamps are about 75mm at the lens bezel. (Message edited by gowindward on February 16, 2007) (Message edited by gowindward on February 16, 2007) | ||
| Ridrx |
Ulendo, The Hella 50mm are very nice, but it will be a cold day before I shell out $$$$500+ to replace the BS that BMC is passing off as lighting on a NEW bike. I'll continue to ride my VFR until BMC decides to do the right thing. Hey, maybe they could replace all F'bolt lights with new Hella 50mm units! What?, its ok for me to have to spend it but not them. It's disturbing that Buell has chosen to remain silent on this issue yet I KNOW some of you have already had the housings replaced under warranty. Quite frankly, replacing the housing is only delaying the inevitable. Where does one mount a fire extinguisher on a 12R? | ||
| Cringblast |
Got a 07 Firebolt fat daddy love it, yep !, replaced bulb with Sylvania Silver Star, adjusted up a little bit, works just fine. | ||
| Starter |
Yeah, it will work fine for the first 6 months till the reflective coating perishes. Then you may as well hold a torch in your teeth. | ||
| Snackbar64 |
In case you guys hadn't checked out my previous post concerning the poor head lights on the bolt. I tore the front end of the bike down, opened the reflector beam and coated it with reynolds aluminum foil (both pieces coated from lens on down). Lights have never been brighter and it was worth the two hours or so it took to perform. It is better than a stock bike with silver stars of the showroom floor. These things really light up the road. Best part is that it seems like a permanent fix to a long term problem with these bikes. I used clear duck tape to secure to the wall of the reflector housing and It will probably melt. We'll see. Any suggestions on a heat resistant glue? Foil already dissipates heat. | ||
| Stryker_buell |
Here is a product that may have Buell potential. http://www.ducatidesigns.com/inc/sdetail/35 | ||
| Gowindward |
Stryker, Those are 90mm Hella lamps. Two or three guys on here have fitted their Firebolts with the same 90mm Hella lamps. The draw back is the need to enlarge the holes in the fairing. | ||
| Toona |
Has anyone seen Al from American Sport Bike has a high and low beam that he got from a dealer buyout. $25 for the low, $22 for the high Looks like he only has 1 of each. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/171 43/256548.html?1171828079 Yeah, I know this doesn't take care of a problem a few of you are having. But Al could sell them for full retail if he wanted...$55 | ||
| Strato9r |
I just opened up the low beam housing on my 03 9R, and, yeah, the metallic coating near the bulb has degraded to a powdery dust that just wipes off with a tissue. I think Snack's idea is a good one; I'm going to experiment with some different adhesives to see what will hold up best. Any idea what kind of temperatures the inside of the housing is seeing near the bulb? |
