So, Tuesday night my low beam died. This was annoying, but it was 1:30am so I could sneak home on high beam and avoiding oncoming traffic.

Wednesday, I put a new bulb in. No low beam. Hmmm. So I researched, and found a few references on this forum to problems with corrosion or wear inside the switchblock. Well, I had managed to get two switchblocks in much better condition than mine (I love you, eBay) and today I pulled the tank off, installed the new switchblocks, cleaned and treated all the exposed electrical connections, did some random other cleaning, and connected all the electrics back together.

No low beam. AH, GODDAMMIT.

I had a spare bike battery, so I tested the bulb directly off that. I couldn't get a low beam, but I could get high beam. Huh?

I found a diagram of the connections for an H4 bulb, identified the earth and high and low connections, verified that, and then checked the plug on the bike and found that power was in fact going to the low beam socket. WHAT THE?

I put in a second new bulb. Low beam returns.

I swore quite a lot, at this point.

But hey, Hermann got a spring-clean and a bit of a service and I got some practice in pulling the tank off, so it's not all bad!

The moral of the story is: Check all of the simple things before doing the major work that may not be necessary.

Yes learned that one myself years ago it can be so fustrating overlooking the basics.



BIG D

Some times you looks and you still don't see. It helps to look twice then verify you've looked by looking again.