honda305 Home honda305 Auctions honda305 Gallery honda305 Forum


honda305.com Forum

Login
□ Search
□ FAQ 
□ 
Vintage Honda Owners,
Restorers, Riders and
Admirers

Cheap & Easy Dream Headlight Replacement

Charging System, Wiring, Lighting
Nick
honda305.com Member
Posts: 141
Joined: Thu Oct 15, 2009 2:03 am
Location: Paradise

Cheap & Easy Dream Headlight Replacement

Post by Nick » Fri Oct 24, 2014 12:22 am

My Dream is a daily driver so I'm not too worried about 100% originality. So, when both the high and low-beams of my Dream's headlight finally burned out — after giving years of reliable service — it was time to find a replacement. Since I only paid $150 for the bike there was no way in heck I was going to pay the crazy prices being asked for a NOS (or made-in-Thailand fake NOS) unit. Not me! So I just went down to the local auto parts store, picked up an automotive sealed beam along with a universal connector to connect to the three prongs at the back of the headlight. Total cost: about $12.

I then cut a small frame from a piece of plastic that was square on the OD to fit the Dream headlight frame, but with a round ID to fit the headlight and made a few clips to hold it in place Then solder the Honda wires to the universal connector and...viola, great lights again.

Nothing very original here, of course, but a very practical and affordable solution for those who don't want to get ripped off.

User avatar
G-Man
honda305.com Member
Posts: 5678
Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2009 5:17 pm
Location: Derby, UK
Contact:

Post by G-Man » Wed Oct 29, 2014 5:04 pm

Good work.

My 1960 Dream had something much less elegant....

G
Attachments
headlamp.jpg
headlamp.jpg (171.19 KiB) Viewed 4342 times
'60 C77 '60 C72 '62 C72 Dream '63 CL72
'61 CB72 '64 CB77 '65 CB160
'66 Matchless 350 '67 CL77
'67 S90 '77 CB400F

Nick
honda305.com Member
Posts: 141
Joined: Thu Oct 15, 2009 2:03 am
Location: Paradise

Post by Nick » Wed Oct 29, 2014 10:17 pm

Painting the home-made frame with 'chrome' paint would be better but all I had was silver.

Image
Do what you've always done and you'll get what you've always had.

User avatar
Jims65CA77
honda305.com Member
Posts: 170
Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2013 3:31 pm
Location: New Jersey

Post by Jims65CA77 » Thu Oct 30, 2014 3:20 pm

That looks pretty good Nick!! Even the silver paint looks good!
Jim

Now working/riding on my 1965 CA77 Dream...

Lassociety
honda305.com Member
Posts: 20
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2013 10:26 pm
Location: Aurora, CO

Post by Lassociety » Sat Nov 08, 2014 10:24 pm

Don't throw your old bulb away. I was able to cut the seal around the edge of mine open and solder in a new bulb. ( the original is soldered into the reflector in the back. ) then I carefully cleaned and dried it out, wiped down the reflector and glued it back together with clear silicone and a weight placed on the lens overnight to dry. Works great and you can't tell when it's installed on the bike. I believe there was a metal band that goes around the edge and keeps it from falling apart, even if the silicone seal breaks and lets moisture in. Worth a try. I will post a picture of mine when I get back in town.

User avatar
Jims65CA77
honda305.com Member
Posts: 170
Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2013 3:31 pm
Location: New Jersey

Post by Jims65CA77 » Sun Nov 09, 2014 10:23 am

That's good info!!
Jim

Now working/riding on my 1965 CA77 Dream...

hotrodhendrix
honda305.com Member
Posts: 153
Joined: Tue Mar 19, 2013 1:23 pm
Location: Fort Worth Texas

Post by hotrodhendrix » Tue Nov 11, 2014 1:23 pm

Lassociety wrote:Don't throw your old bulb away. I was able to cut the seal around the edge of mine open and solder in a new bulb. ( the original is soldered into the reflector in the back. ) then I carefully cleaned and dried it out, wiped down the reflector and glued it back together with clear silicone and a weight placed on the lens overnight to dry. Works great and you can't tell when it's installed on the bike. I believe there was a metal band that goes around the edge and keeps it from falling apart, even if the silicone seal breaks and lets moisture in. Worth a try. I will post a picture of mine when I get back in town.
Very good info. I bet many would appreciate a how to with pics if you get the chance.

~James

Post Reply
cron




 

CB-77 | CYP-77 | Road Test | Riding Log | Literature | Zen | Marketplace | VJ Survey | Links | Home