AJS & Matchless Owners Club

How can I improve the headlight on my bike? It's like a fairy light on a Christmas tree, absolutly no good as something to see where you are going!!
I tried one of those "blue" bulbs from Hong Kong via ebay but although it was a little better it didn't last long.
I'm thinking that I might fit a couple of better lights on a sort of crash bar mounted either side of the existing headlight but I guess they could only be about 25watts each?
So maybe the alternative answer would be a new main light at about 55 watts. Any ideas please?

Edited by - stevewatkin on 06 Aug 2012 1:16:44 PM

standard bulb looks like 35W 12V , upgrade to a 50W and see how the battery holds up
check if the standard bulb is a halogen , if not fit one

Its not always down to the bulb, but you can get good and bad, I once brought cheap replacement car headlamps, the light was almost a dim yellow, using the same blubls as the old brocken Lucas headlamp. The cheap lamp was rubbish, relector very bad, nothing wrong with bulbs.
Perhaps you have a bad light, and that needs changing if it could be changed with something better that will fit. Check if the bulb can be focased, or the reflector. Can one move back a forward to the correct beam, I guess its sealed beam. You said blue was better, but blue is a cold colour and does not give a brighter light, look at coloured lights red green etc, it blue that is most dim. Have you tried a good new white bulb?

Take note of what G80csp has said by trying another white bulb. Even 35w halogen will give a brighter light if thats not what you have.

Just check the voltage in the bulb socket compared to battery terminal voltage. The crappy wiring or connections or a combination of both may be causing a slight voltage drop which will adversly effect the bulb brightness! It doesn't take much.

A bad earth will give a poor light, try a direct earth back to the battery without any joints.

Steve, I replaced the standard 35w/35w bulb with a BA20D 50w/50w halogen. It is an improvement.

Hi NoodleHead,
Think that's the route I'm going to try as the bulb I aready have is a halogen 35 watt one and the voltage seems OK.
Where did you get it from please as i have spent a good amount of time on ebay and cannot find anything more than 38 Watts with the BA20D base and that's from China. Would normally go that route again but the last bulb I tried was from the same place in China and it only lasted about a month!!
Thanks all for your contributions, they have been a great help.

Edited by - stevewatkin on 23 Jul 2012 8:24:13 PM

hi im trying to replace headlight bulb. im having trouble getting the spring back on that covers the bulb (holds the bulb in place)