Lights Problem

Hi guys,

I hereby seek for a suggestion from your side, as i am out of ideeas concerning the problem i have.

My Ride: Honda vfr vtec 2002

I had a frontal accident with motorcycle and i had the following damage:

-front frame 

-front lights

-front fairing

I have replaced/repaired the pieces as follows:

-front frame -> replaced with a new one, but for a 2006 model (only difference was the size of the ECU bracket)

-front lights -> replaced with second hand lights bought from ebay. These lights are UK ones (it is written on them)

-front fairing -> stiched, repaired, repainted

Problem: the lights are aiming sky high. 

I have done many tries as follows:

-visit a service to check the front frame and all the joints for correct alignment - OK

-visit another service to check the lights. they used a special device (don't know its name) with some kind of prisms to see if the front beams are aiming fine - OK

-hardened the rear shock absorber 

-of course, adjusted the lights at the lowest position.

Even after these all things, the lights are still aiming too high; high beam does not even "touch" the road. 

THe guys at the lights service told me that the beam is adjusted and is calibrated fine, but in reality, when i drive on the road, the truth is different.

The serviceman that i usually visit told me that the frame and the fairing are ok, aligned and just fine. In his opinion the problem comes from the front lights. I can't understand his statement, as the lights appear to be ok physichally speaking, with no defects. Being UK lights they are supposed to aim a bit high in the right side than in the left side, but not in the sky. Correct?

If anyone has an ideea, a suggestion or anything, it would be highly appreaciated, as i really don' know what else to do.

Thanks

did the lights fit right into the headlight housing. I had a truck once that everything checked fine at inspection but while driving the right front aimed at the trees, turns out the bulb was not seated properly in the housing. aiming it toward the sky.

just something to check

yes, the lights fit ok into the headlight housing. the headlight housing itself fits ok on the front frame. Physically speaking, everithing fits ok, without forcing any piece or anything similar

Do the headlights themselves fit nicely into the top fairing? Do all the mounts fits snugly, the lenses aligning with the fairing contours? I bought a new replica top fairing, and I think the mould might be a little distorted as my lights needed to be adjusted a fair amount from where they were aimed with my old OEM fairing.

3d's suggestion above is also wise; you should be able to look through the lenses and see whether the bulbs are sitting squarely.

Why have you got UK lights on a Romanian bike?

yes, the lights fit ok into the headlight housing. the headlight housing itself fits ok on the front frame. Physically speaking, everithing fits ok, without forcing any piece or anything similar

This was the first that came in my mind also when i read this.

If it is really not the case then there's a tiny possibility (i've seen it though) - the bulb itself is defective. Try to change for a new one that is doing ok in other car/motorcycle. But strange if all four are similar.

Actually i just thought - are UK bulbs the same as for other EU? Perhaps they have differently placed mounting plate.. (just guessing). Look at the bulbs from outside as i just did on my bike - inside bulbs there is smth like a rod and a filament. The filament should be vertically under that rod - rod is facing up, filament down. 

If yours are positioned differently, try to rotate them and see if it makes some improvement. 

Why have you got UK lights on a Romanian bike?

Because, at that time, i found this set of lights on ebay with a really good price and they were the only ones. I didn't have other options to choose from. The only thing was that they were UK lights and i thought to myself (and did some research on the internet) that there is no difference between them and the ones for the rest of the countries in Europe; the only probable difference i thought to be the fact that they can go with the light a bit up on the left side of the road than the right side. But yet again, that is a setting configuration.

yes, the lights fit ok into the headlight housing. the headlight housing itself fits ok on the front frame. Physically speaking, everithing fits ok, without forcing any piece or anything similar

This was the first that came in my mind also when i read this.

If it is really not the case then there's a tiny possibility (i've seen it though) - the bulb itself is defective. Try to change for a new one that is doing ok in other car/motorcycle. But strange if all four are similar.

Actually i just thought - are UK bulbs the same as for other EU? Perhaps they have differently placed mounting plate.. (just guessing). Look at the bulbs from outside as i just did on my bike - inside bulbs there is smth like a rod and a filament. The filament should be vertically under that rod - rod is facing up, filament down. 

If yours are positioned differently, try to rotate them and see if it makes some improvement. 

Thanks for advice. i will take a look at it tomorrow.

Someone from the UK  mentioned they needed a new headlight unit. I offered my US version and he was concerned about the difference between right-hand riding and left-handed riding countries. I emailed David Silver Spares and was told headlight units are not symmetrical, the designs are different between the handness of the countries.

So if you drive on the left side of the road and have a right side designed headlight, there will be problems.  

yes, the lights fit ok into the headlight housing. the headlight housing itself fits ok on the front frame. Physically speaking, everithing fits ok, without forcing any piece or anything similar

This was the first that came in my mind also when i read this.

If it is really not the case then there's a tiny possibility (i've seen it though) - the bulb itself is defective. Try to change for a new one that is doing ok in other car/motorcycle. But strange if all four are similar.

Actually i just thought - are UK bulbs the same as for other EU? Perhaps they have differently placed mounting plate.. (just guessing). Look at the bulbs from outside as i just did on my bike - inside bulbs there is smth like a rod and a filament. The filament should be vertically under that rod - rod is facing up, filament down. 

If yours are positioned differently, try to rotate them and see if it makes some improvement. 

Just checked and the lights are positioned as you say; rod up, filament under it.

Someone from the UK  mentioned they needed a new headlight unit. I offered my US version and he was concerned about the difference between right-hand riding and left-handed riding countries. I emailed David Silver Spares and was told headlight units are not symmetrical, the designs are different between the handness of the countries.

So if you drive on the left side of the road and have a right side designed headlight, there will be problems.  

That's what i was also saying; left-right - ok, but not in the sky. English men may ride on the other side of the road, but the beams are aiming likewise, not in the sky.

That's what i was also saying; left-right - ok, but not in the sky. English men may ride on the other side of the road, but the beams are aiming likewise, not in the sky.

Perhaps you have Australian lights, they ride upside down :D

If you say that everything is kinda ok, but beam still is not ok, i will not be able to help you. Try to find a good mechanic, show him the problem and let him figure it out. 

To clarify the statement made in the original post:

" -of course, adjusted the lights at the lowest position."

If you go to page 3-29 in the factory service manual (free download) it shows the procedure - turning the screws underneath near the oil cooler to move each light up or down.  Is that what you meant by adjusted them?  If so, you seem to have covered everything.

Lastly, maybe remove a bulb and post the part number from it here.  Stranger things have happened than to have the incorrect type fitted.  If that's not it I'm at a loss.