Which way do your lights point?

[XP@]

After having a few problems on the 1000miler keeping up with some bikes at night when i came to a series of left hand corners. Once passed, I was able to use full beam and keep a reasonable pace. So, i decided to do what any self respecting bloke would do...

Blame the machine!

In this case it looks like I am right, my headlight is euro (right hand drive) spec and points up to the right not the left (or flat)!

I have taken some pics in the carpark so with neutral suspention, in reality the light will be a lot closer to the bike when under braking and therefore at the time when I'm trying to look round the corner.

Does anyone else have the same problem, if so, what to do about it?
Can anyone provide a correct pattern for NZ spec?

[DingDong]

At most lean angles, bike lights are crap... you can never see around the corner.
My advice... use high beam when leaning

oh and my lights face forward... usually

[Motu]

It's stupid to use a car type H4 bulb with assemetric cut off pattern on a bike,you are really compromised in corners.You need an old style semetrical pattern with a non offset dip - then you have even lighting all around you on dip.

Put your beam against a wall so we can see your pattern better.Surprising how many left hand drive headlamps are out there,even fitted to new vehicles....it depends on country of origin,or at least country of intended sale.It should be picked up at the VIN or WoF,but it's easy to slip up - you are looking through the beamsetter seeing the pattern reflected in a mirror looking to the rear of the vehicle,very easy to blind yourself with logic.And who bothers with the beamsetter on bikes anyway,you need 2 people to do it.

[Paul in NZ]

That should be checked at wof time - or at least it supposed to be...

You could try some auxillary lights with a wider angle?

[XP@]

It's stupid to use a car type H4 bulb with assemetric cut off pattern on a bike,you are really compromised in corners.You need an old style semetrical pattern with a non offset dip - then you have even lighting all around you on dip.

The bike shop swapped the bulb for a supposed + 30% bulb, same difference, not that I expected much. (Trifa H4 Prime).


Put your beam against a wall so we can see your pattern better.
How far should I be away from the wall?

And / Or will and VTNZ testing station be able to run a beamsetter on my bike?

[XP@]

At most lean angles, bike lights are crap... you can never see around the corner.
My advice... use high beam when leaning

oh and my lights face forward... usually

I know you can't see round the corner, but being able to see the corner is a problem. One of the bikes I was following was a TL1000 and I checked out it's pattern heading into the same corners, he had heaps more light covering the part of the road he was going to use, whereas my vision was cut off meters before.

Sometimes I was forced to use main beam, but when following it is not considered polite, when following in line.

Whilst I like to be seen I also don't like annoying people coming the other way which I think I may be doing....

[XP@]

Update:

After a few calls to Honda I visited the local VTNZ place and asked them if i was being a pillock or was my light really pointing the wrong way....
Turns out it should not have had a WOF, definatly pointing the wrong way!

So back on the phone to Honda, who again swear the light is correct and there is no possible way it is wrong...
5 mins later and my phone rings: Honda, the bike is a Euro spec and should have had its light swapped over before it left the dealers. Any costs incurred will be re-funded and the headlight unit swapped for NZ Spec free of charge.
Too bloody right!

Does anyone know what ould have happened if I had not realised before the warentee ran out? eg if the next couple of WOF's missed it too? would it be up to me or another owner to fix it?