Headlight dimmer (dip-switch) question

brewsky · Post by **brewsky** » Sun Nov 14, 2010 5:41 am

The Dream manual (65 edition) says UP is low and Down is high...backwards in my thinking

It also says "Middle" position is neither and is to be used to charge the battery when running.

LOUD MOUSE · Post by **LOUD MOUSE** » Sun Nov 14, 2010 7:05 am

Without going to a bike I'll give this a try.
As there is a Horn button at lever the HL switch is more on top than Up/Down.
So if I want low beam I push forward and the light goes down.
If I want High I move back and the light goes up.
OK, OK it's just a thought. ....lm

brewsky wrote:The Dream manual (65 edition) says UP is low and Down is high...backwards in my thinking

It also says "Middle" position is neither and is to be used to charge the battery when running.

48lesco · Post by **48lesco** » Sun Nov 14, 2010 9:19 am

LM - You do your best thinkin in the morning! It never seemed backwards to me either... Probably one of those left brain/right brain things.

brewsky · Post by **brewsky** » Sun Nov 14, 2010 11:04 am

It seems backwards to me, but then what do I know?

I checked the clockwise/counterclockwise thing, but it didn't work for me either!

e3steve · Post by **e3steve** » Sun Nov 14, 2010 1:24 pm

LOUD MOUSE wrote:Without going to a bike I'll give this a try.
As there is a Horn button at lever the HL switch is more on top than Up/Down.
So if I want low beam I push forward and the light goes down.
If I want High I move back and the light goes up.
OK, OK it's just a thought. ....lm

A perfectly logical thought, Ed. I'd not given that bit of lateral thinking any credence before but, now you mention it, that 'lever action' makes sense.

e3steve · Post by **e3steve** » Sun Nov 14, 2010 1:30 pm

brewsky wrote:It seems backwards to me, but then what do I know?

I checked the clockwise/counterclockwise thing, but it didn't work for me either!

Spooky, brew!

Snakeoil · Post by **Snakeoil** » Sun Nov 14, 2010 6:20 pm

Can't believe I found this thread today. I had been meaning to ask this question since I got my CL77. My '67 S90 also appeared to be backwards from what is considered the norm on today's modern bikes where up is High and down is Low. I actually made an adapter so I could reverse my S90, not that the little 6V headlight High or Low beam makes a lot of difference.

I spent way too much time looking at wiring diagrams and tracing the wires on the S90. Then when I got the Scrambler, I found the same set up. Guess this thread finally answers my question.

I would tend to agree with LM that the switch motion emulates a lever connected to the headlight. I've never seen a bike or car with a lever on the headlight for moving it while in motion, but it certainly makes perfectly good sense. You could put an airplane landing light on a bike and if you had a lever arrangement to dip the light, it would not bother any oncoming traffic.

Anyway, thanks. One less unanswered question about these old Japanese bikes.

regards,
Rob