Adjusting headlights for WOF

[kerryg]

Anyone able to tell me what the WOF requirements are for headlight adjustment (vertical and horizontal, dip and full beam)? I need to adjust a headlight assembly I bought from the USA so that the settings meet NZ WOF requirements. I've got the manual so I know how to make the adjustments, just not what the parameters are. I would be grateful for any help. Cheers

[XP@]

The easy way...
Park your bike about 2 bike lengths behind a car.
Headlight on dipped
set your beam so the top of it is level with the top of the boot.

[James Deuce]

I hate to say it, but the reflector in the headlight unit will direct the beam in the wrong direction (to the right instead of the left) irrespective of the adjustment available to you. The first owner my previous bike, a Canadian spec GSX600 bought new in NZ, had to fork out big biccies to rectify the reflector unit.

[kerryg]

The easy way...
Park your bike about 2 bike lengths behind a car.
Headlight on dipped
set your beam so the top of it is level with the top of the boot.


Thank XP@. I need to set the left/right orientation mostly though

[kerryg]

I hate to say it, but the reflector in the headlight unit will direct the beam in the wrong direction (to the right instead of the left) irrespective of the adjustment available to you. The first owner my previous bike, a Canadian spec GSX600 bought new in NZ, had to fork out big biccies to rectify the reflector unit.


Yes, that is one of my worries. Only thought about it after I had bought it on eBay.I've done a crude sort of test and so far as I can tell (which is very very roughly) I am able to adjust it sufficiently so the beam does not deflect to the right but I need to to get more scientific

[Motu]

As Jim says you will have to find out id it dips left or right first,or just a vertical dip,but that's less common these days.How high is the lamp above the ground....for your Nifty Fifty that would be dipping 1.0 - 1.5%.

[kerryg]

As Jim says you will have to find out id it dips left or right first,or just a vertical dip,but that's less common these days.How high is the lamp above the ground....for your Nifty Fifty that would be dipping 1.0 - 1.5%.


Thanks Motu. It's actually a 2003 Kawasaki 636 headlight assembly. I've compared it to the (busted and inoperative)) one that was on the bike (which was registered new in NZ with that headlight assembly) and there are no obvious external differences to me (as a layman). So I'm hopeful that it will be able to be adjusted so that it complies. I've installed the new lights and so far as I can tell they do not shine to the right on either dip or full beam, and there seems to be further leftward adjustment available. Vertical adjustment is easy, I can do it by hand with a simple knurled adjuster once I know how far below horizontal they should be on dip and full beam respectively (headlight centres are approx 800mm from the ground). 1-1.5%??What I mostly need to know is should the lights deflect to the left to a certain amount, and if so, by how much, and does the amount of deflection required differ according to whether on dip or full beam, and how do I measure it.

[Motu]

And you are fitting this to a Nifty Fifty?? The lamp should dip straight down to give the an equal spread of light for both left and right corners,but that is seldom done these days,it should be biased to the left,and this will be built in....no adjustment.You set it straight ahead on full beam,dip takes care of itself,but it is tested on dip usualy.At a height of .8m your dip rate should be 1.0 - 1.5%.....57 - 1.15 deg...30 - 60mm for an assemetrical beam.For a symetrical beam it is 3.0 - 3.5%,1.7 - 2.0 deg or 90 - 105mm.Clear as mud.Go to a garge and put it on their beamsetter.

[Ixion]

Here are the rules (from the VIR guide, the WOF inspectors 'bible')

[kerryg]

And you are fitting this to a Nifty Fifty?? The lamp should dip straight down to give the an equal spread of light for both left and right corners,but that is seldom done these days,it should be biased to the left,and this will be built in....no adjustment.You set it straight ahead on full beam,dip takes care of itself,but it is tested on dip usualy.At a height of .8m your dip rate should be 1.0 - 1.5%.....57 - 1.15 deg...30 - 60mm for an assemetrical beam.For a symetrical beam it is 3.0 - 3.5%,1.7 - 2.0 deg or 90 - 105mm.Clear as mud.Go to a garge and put it on their beamsetter.


MMM, complicated ...OK...I'll have a play tonight in the gargre.

And I figure the lights should look kewl on the Nifty Fifty... :ride:

[kerryg]

Here are the rules (from the VIR guide, the WOF inspectors 'bible')


Excellent! Thank you!!

[TwoSeven]

What about turning the reflector upside down so it swaps sides ?

[laRIKin]

Because I have Italian bikes and so do mates.
We use to sandblast apart of the lens and they will pass a WOF.
BUT some of the tester do not like you doing this any more.
I have done it to a few bikes, as I have a small sand blaster.
I will take a pic soon to show you what I mean.

[Motu]

Trouble with that is it has to pass a standard,if you sandblast the lens it no longer complies with said standard,so technicaly a fail,even if the light pattern is good.Surprising how many headlamps have a poor pattern.

[Flyingpony]

Surprising how many headlamps have a poor pattern.
Tell me about it. Think the fog lights on my car are better that my low beam and high beam is worse than low beam. Anyway, each time I go to VTNZ they fail me for get this straight:

"Unfocused pattern, high beam to high and low beam to low."

WTF: It's a factory light unit untouched running factory genuine bulbs and bike shop can't find anything wrong.

They should get their eyes checked because if it's factory, why they giving me shit every single time. The light unit is a twin bulb system which looks like bat eyes.

[laRIKin]

Trouble with that is it has to pass a standard,if you sandblast the lens it no longer complies with said standard,so technicaly a fail,even if the light pattern is good.Surprising how many headlamps have a poor pattern.

I understand and know what you mean and you are right.
But luckily for me, I go to a place that still works to the meaning of the law.
But not always to the letter of the law.
Now I do not think that they will be-able to keep this up for ever.

As has been brought up on here before with foot pegs etc. (not being standard or approved you fail your WOF)
If they do the intended job required and are safe etc, why not pass them?
Remember that number 8 wire mentality we were once famous for?
You know what I mean? A bit of common sense.
And we are now losing that fast as there are now so many laws and regs
we must follow.

[Motu]

If they do the intended job required and are safe etc, why not pass them?


Because the mentality these days is to lay the blame,and extract the money from someone who was trying his best to help.Consumer Rights has turn us into tradesmen who are too scared to say ''she'll be right mate,that'll get ya home...'' My welding equipment is hardly used and I have almost forgotten how to weld,something I love to do.....because I might inadvertantly kill someone doing the job I was taught to earn my living from.....

[laRIKin]

Because the mentality these days is to lay the blame,and extract the money from someone who was trying his best to help.Consumer Rights has turn us into tradesmen who are too scared to say ''she'll be right mate,that'll get ya home...'' My welding equipment is hardly used and I have almost forgotten how to weld,something I love to do.....because I might inadvertantly kill someone doing the job I was taught to earn my living from.....

I delete a lot of my rant as I was saying the same thing.
Where we use to repair we now sometimes replace.
Because sometimes it is the customer that is at blame as well.
As their expectations are far to high at times.
As they sometimes think a repair makes it better that new.

[Motu]

I waste a lot of time ranting and deleteing too,sometimes it's good to get these things off your chest.I'm really annoyed what Consumer Rights and the Small Claims Court has done to my,and other,jobs.I really enjoy fixing and making things,but can only do it for myself these days,do it for a customer and they'll turn around and stab you in the back.The WoF situation is a prime example - for a half hour visual inspection you are practicaly taking someones life in your hands....anything that happens is my fault,no matter what.

Yesterday I did a WoF test on a RAV4,up on the hoist,lever test ball joints,spin up wheels,test steering lock to lock etc....then I had one of the guys do a service - with the front wheels off we see the pads are worn.So today we have it back to machine the rotors and fit some pads - jack it up and a strut drops out of the top bearing! No way did I notice that yesterday,and we did enough work on the front end to pick it up - but what if something happened on her way to Tauranga tomorrow....I would be up on a manslaughter charge!

[laRIKin]

I know how you feel, trust me on that.
Unless you pull every thing apart, you some times can not tell, what's what.
And when you do, they thing that you are wasting time and are trying to spin
the job out.
Some customer's just make me spit tacks.
You try to be honest and straight with them and they stab you in the back
and twist every thing you tell them to make you look like a lying .........
and you are trying to rip them off and are a crap trades man.

[DEATH_INC.]

I waste a lot of time ranting and deleteing too,sometimes it's good to get these things off your chest.I'm really annoyed what Consumer Rights and the Small Claims Court has done to my,and other,jobs.I really enjoy fixing and making things,but can only do it for myself these days,do it for a customer and they'll turn around and stab you in the back.The WoF situation is a prime example - for a half hour visual inspection you are practicaly taking someones life in your hands....anything that happens is my fault,no matter what.

Yesterday I did a WoF test on a RAV4,up on the hoist,lever test ball joints,spin up wheels,test steering lock to lock etc....then I had one of the guys do a service - with the front wheels off we see the pads are worn.So today we have it back to machine the rotors and fit some pads - jack it up and a strut drops out of the top bearing! No way did I notice that yesterday,and we did enough work on the front end to pick it up - but what if something happened on her way to Tauranga tomorrow....I would be up on a manslaughter charge!
I hear ya,let's hoist wof charges to $1200 so we can strip the whole thing down.....

[laRIKin]

I hear ya,let's hoist wof charges to $1200 so we can strip the whole thing down.....

Shhhhh they may hear you.

[laRIKin]

Here the pic of my head light.
So I could get a WOF with a head light that was for a bike that rides
on the right side of the road.
By the way I just got another WOF at a different testing place to day
with the mod.

[Marcus.m]

What about turning the reflector upside down so it swaps sides ?

Has anyone actually tried this?
I’m bringing in a 97 Harley sportster and wanting to know what the cheapest easiest solution is?
Any help would be great!

[Katman]

Has anyone actually tried this?
I’m bringing in a 97 Harley sportster and wanting to know what the cheapest easiest solution is?
Any help would be great!

You should be able to find a Hella replacement headlight that will fit and will be New Zealand compliant.

[jellywrestler]

Has anyone actually tried this?
I’m bringing in a 97 Harley sportster and wanting to know what the cheapest easiest solution is?
Any help would be great!

yeah, that's easy, buying a honda locally