It is common to find that the tail lamp bulb is out or that the lights are blinking erratically on. The reality is that many problems are caused by poor continuity, but with little care, stable operation can be obtained. In this section, I will report on the maintenance and care of light bulbs, which you can benefit from by learning about them.
Valve terminals that are reduced by vibration and reduce the bite
If the tail lamp bulb or indicator bulb is not working properly, check the bulb itself and check the condition of the bulb in the bulb socket. The current bulbs are usually wedge bulbs that are inserted into a holder, but most motorcycles before the 80s used bulbs with fittings. The bulb shakes with the vibration of riding, and when this happens, the operation becomes unstable, but the cause of this shaking is also very different. The bulb socket fittings are integrated with the glass bulb, but the fittings and the glass often loosen and turn, causing unstable operation due to poor contact inside the bulb. If this happens, it is only a matter of time before the bulb runs out. If possible, replace the valve with a new one immediately. In some cases, the protrusions on the end of the valve rub against each other due to vibration and wear. If the protrusions are worn unevenly, use a flat-file to correct the shape to a round shape. If there is a rattle in the socket and it cannot be corrected, wrap aluminum tape or aluminum foil around the valve fitting to eliminate the rattle.
Always check the gasket after removing the lens
After removing the tail lens and indicator lens, lets check if the gasket is in the lens set position on the blinker body. If it is missing and there is none, be sure to purchase the missing parts. If your model does not have a gasket setting in the parts list, you can also cut a long thin O-ring and embed a groove to improve the lens cushion mount to take care of the lens from vibration and bolt loosening. If the gasket is easy to fall off and difficult to set, it is better to clean the gasket and the set groove on the body side, and prevent the gasket from falling off with rubber adhesive like Bond G17. Be aware that tightening the gasket while it is misaligned may cause it to lose its shape and become twisted, and thus the gasket may not perform its function.
Solder repair for thread damage or shaved threads
When tightening a lens to a body or fixing a lens to a body with wood screws, the threads are often damaged by repeated mounting and removal. To repair the damaged threads, you can melt the threads with hot solder and crush them, or if the lens is made of acrylic material, you can apply instant adhesive to solidify the threads and then screw in a wood screw to "form new threads". In any case, if the lens cannot be tightened with torque and seems to be spinning, repair the screw threads as soon as possible.
We'll use the small ring as a cushion to tighten it.
When tightening the tail lamp lenses and indicator lenses, it is easy to damage the lenses if the bolts directly hold them down. Some models have plastic washers in them, which is a really effective measure. In addition, by using a small O-ring (preferably a thick O-ring) to hold the acrylic lens in place, it acts as a cushion and allows the lens to be tightened in a stable condition. Be careful with thin O-rings as they may break off even if they are good when tightened. It is best to use a plastic washer instead of a damper.
- Point 1: In addition to repairing minor scratches and abrasions, various lenses require attention to the presence or absence of dampers in the fixed parts.
- Point 2: The presence or absence of dampers greatly affects the sustainability of the lens condition, so be careful!
- Point 3: When the screw thread of the plastic and the acrylic parts is blunt, let's regenerate the screw thread by solder or use the instant adhesives to fill the screw thread.
In recent years, it has become increasingly difficult to find OEM parts for models introduced in the 1990s, as well as for classic and old motorcycles from the 1970s and earlier. In the past, many of the models made by Japanese manufacturers were manufactured in Japan and sold domestically. In recent years, however, many of the models sold in Japan have been manufactured overseas, and this has had an effect on the number of manufacturer's OEM parts that used to be managed in Japan, but are now being treated as "discontinued parts" or "discontinued sales" as soon as they run out of stock. As the OEM parts situation has changed from what it used to be, the current popularity of old motorcycles has made it difficult to procure repair parts. In the past, normal blinkers were destined to be removed in order to install popular custom blinkers.
However, time has passed and the current trend seems to be "back to normal". Many of the blinkers and other parts that have been discontinued are now being sold at high prices to fans. The same thing can be said for exhaust systems and cowls. The same can be said for OEM exhaust systems and cowls.
In this section, I will report on the care and reproduction of indicator lenses and tail lights, but if the lens is completely cracked or cracked from being dropped while driving, it will not be able to pass the vehicle inspection (you are lucky if it is not crushed by the following vehicle). To prevent this from happening, it is important to make sure that the lens and body are securely fastened. Also, it is important to take measures to prevent damage to the parts due to inadequate fastening methods.
Are the gaskets in the various lenses? Are the screw threads of the bolts and screws tightened properly? Can the bolts and screws be torqued tightly? Are measures taken to prevent the bolts from loosening and damaging the lens? These are just a few of the many ways to take care of your lenses so that you can continue to use the parts of your motorcycle for many years to come.
