Hitchcocks Forum

Hello guys,

I am having a head light issue. My bike is a RE Sixty Five 500, 2004, so has A.C lighting.

When I rev the engine up, the head light will flicker and sometimes go out, but then come back on?
Any suggestions what this might be?
I have checked the connection in the headlight, checked alternator connections, haven't yet checked the left hand switch gear. Can't even find the A.C. regulator? One of the previous owners moved all the electrics into the left hand tool box.

Would the main fuse for the bike affect the A.C. circuit on the bike?

I ask as the wire going to the fuse was starting to fray. I have sorted that now.

Just been out for a test ride, the problem still persists. When I get into high rev range the headlight flickers then goes completely out. Doesn't work on either high or low beam. So naturally I stop, and after a short while, at idle the light will start to work again.

I think you must find that AC regulator.. Sounds like its knackered..

It has to be somewhere between the alternator and the handlebar switch, follow the yellow and amber wires from the alternator!



The only way anything on the DC side could affect it is if it has already been converted to DC by wiring both sides of the alternator (the yellow and amber wires as well as the purple wires) into the main regulator/rectifier. Otherwise the DC side of the electrics and a AC ought to be completely isolated from eachother.



A.

Hello Adrian, yes I have traced the yellow and orange wires to most obvious places. Like I said it is very well hidden. Going to have to take some of the bike apart to try and find it...The bike is definitely running AC headlight as the alternator wires haven't been wired is series as per snidals mod into the dc regulator. Those mods aren't that was to find on Snidals manual, found them last night.

As was Sai on the other forum Adrian by Kevin, if it was a duff regulator the headlight bulb would blow, Hitchcocks also echoed that sentiment.

I'm am thinking more and more that there must be a short, or a none obvious bad connection. Time to bring out the multimeter.

On my 65 Bullet the A/C regulator is under the seat but there is also a fuse in the wire under the tank on mine for the wire which went from regulator to headlight this came loose in its holder and caused a similar problem on mine. I've now moved the fuse to side box with blade fuses for all three one for headlight AC and the DC main fuse plus spare.

Thanks Paul

Most of my electrics has already been moved to the left hand tool box by a previous owner. It already has a blade fuse, which without checking is the for DC part of the electrics. As far as I can see the only thing under my seat was one of Hitchcocks, indicator upgrade kits to 23v.

I will certainly now take my tank off, to see if I can find this AC fuse.

A ten year old wiring loom could well be hiding some failing wires/connections, quite apart from anything the previous owner might have disrupted when relocating stuff, or the possibility of the alternator being disturbed with the engine swap upsetting what the Germans call a "Wackelkontakt". My Electra-X's cable from the battery to the ammeter suffered brittle fracture after a few years of flexing around the headstock! A.

The first thing to check with ANY or All electrical issues are the earth connections.


The spade terminals on the back of the headlight Bulb are a cramped tight fit and are know to suffer from wire strand breakage...

Following Tim's comments on earth connections, it occurred to me that the problem occurring at high revs could be increased engine vibration causing a bad connection to come apart.