Twin headlights

**Berries** · 2nd July 2014, 23:57

The other week I caught a bit of Top Gear that had a Dolomite Sprint on it. I always fancied one when I was growing up and it got me thinking. As far as American cars go I always hankered after a Plymouth Roadrunner, I even painted one on my bedroom wall as a kid. My first car though ended up being a Mk 2 Cortina, with big fuck off Cibie spotlights.

Got into bikes in the mid 80's and always wanted an early GSXR750 - later models not so much. I did have an FZR600 at one point and quite fancied an RC30. The one thing that I have realised all these cars and bikes have in common is the twin round headlights.

Is there a subliminal tit fetish going one here?

**Akzle** · 3rd July 2014, 01:01

no, youre still a homo.

**unstuck** · 3rd July 2014, 06:57

Bike boobies.

**Paul in NZ** · 3rd July 2014, 07:27

Some of the earliest bikes with electric lighting kits had twin headlamps...

While they had electric light - they had not invented the twin filament bulb yet... The first twin filament bulbs was about 1924/5 from memory and before that 'dipping' the light was a mechanical thing. Some cars had triple filament bulbs... (cor) Motorcycles lagged a bit due to it being difficult to make a generator small enough...

So - some bikes had two seperate headlamps - hi and low... Sometimes it was just a style thing though..

**Berries** · 3rd July 2014, 08:19

Originally Posted by unstuck

Bike boobies.

You have cured me with that. Thanks.

**imdying** · 3rd July 2014, 08:53

I do wonder if the reliability of bulbs from that era had something to do with it Paul?

**MisterD** · 3rd July 2014, 09:32

Four is better than two

**imdying** · 3rd July 2014, 10:15

Compromise?

**Paul in NZ** · 3rd July 2014, 12:53

Originally Posted by imdying

I do wonder if the reliability of bulbs from that era had something to do with it Paul?

Very likely - the reason (or supposedly the reason) gas lighting went on so long was that it was reliable. Bulbs then were fairly brittle and when they are getting banged around on a rigid/girder bike over rough roads and fed a fairly unregulated power supply, they were far from reliable...

Its actually an interest of mine (a minor one - still working up to geek status) on the development of motorcycle electrics. Motorcycles present some difficult design problems and there have been some interesting solutions. Lucas get hammered but back in the day they were pretty advanced...

**MIXONE** · 3rd July 2014, 12:59

LUCAS! The Lord of Darkness.
Rose coloured specs there I think Paul.I remenber more than one ride home with bugger all illumination to the front and the tailight was a hit and miss affair.

**gjm** · 3rd July 2014, 13:53

My twin headlight introduction was either Dad's Mk3 Cortina, or one of these:

I had a Manta... Great car.

**Paul in NZ** · 3rd July 2014, 14:50

Originally Posted by MIXONE

LUCAS! The Lord of Darkness.
Rose coloured specs there I think Paul.I remenber more than one ride home with bugger all illumination to the front and the tailight was a hit and miss affair.

Of yess - been there done that. 6V dynamo systems were bloody awful once the bike had passed its first flush of youth. So many points of failure including the complicated switch with its mass of wires and the regulator box (CVC).

The later alternator systems were more an effort at simplication and lightness that didnt really come until the zenner diode was invented and didnt become reliable until the manufacturers learnt NOT to hide it under the seat.