Just got back from a bike-night meet, and heck, 67 year old lights make 45mph seem fast. I can only imagine what a blackout mask must be like......

email (option): lee@twowheelstested.co.uk

Hi Lee..Take it from me..the blackouts are bloody dangerous at anything over walking pace ..You can improve your lights a lot by having the headlamp reflector resilvered if you have an original and by setting the focal length of the reflector correctly....Ian

Hi Ian

The reflector is now more yellow than silver - can you recommend anyone to re-silver it?

email (option): lee@twowheelstested.co.uk

I have a black out mask on my M20 and 45mph in pitch black equals suicide. Last year I was brave enough (or stupid) to run 30mph in pitch black and for me that was the maximum

To avoid disappointment: if you "silver" the reflector, it will tarnish within a week or so, depending on your environment. For example along the canals of Amsterdam, you can just wait to see it happen.
Just have it chrome-plated, preferably over nickel!

email (option): viaconsu # planet dot nl

Hi Lee..I have had mine resilvered with good results (though I live by the River Tamat, not a Dutch Canal).
I can get them done locally...you will have to post it to me and wait for it to be done...normally 1-2 weeks...let me know if you want to send it...Ian

Mine's still looking good after a year or so.

My mate's a plater and he told me it's a common mistake people make chroming reflectors instead of silver plating. They think it will do, but light reflects differently from chrome than it does silver and it will make your light worse. I don't know myself, just repeating what he told me.

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

hi,ive thought about this myself,even posted about my thoughts on fag end rear lights and having a dummy number plate to attach with a proprietry lamp fitted temporarilly for safety reasons,next question,is it possible to fit a sealed beam unit,complete with rim,again temporarily while moving about after dark.
after all,if youve panniers fitted a headlamp unit and a dummy number plate ,snap together or plug in wiring wont take up much room in a pannier.thoughts please cheers rick

email (option): richardholt@rocketmail.com

Are you sure it is real silver, and not one of the more precious metals like rhodium ? Or is the silver coated with rhodium, common practice for silver tableware.
Anyhow, my reflector is still shiny after 8 years, perhaps reflecting a bit less than with silver, but enough for me (and the cops...)

email (option): viaconsu # planet dot nl

'Sealed Beam' lamps are those nasty North American lamps with connectors on the rear of the reflector (the bulb cannot be replaced, nor the reflector re-finished when it inevitably begins to mark).

You might find a halogen unit for the 6" headlamp which can be used instead of original but certainly not for the early 8" type.

However, there are suppliers of halogen bulbs with 19mm off-set bayonet bases that can be used in the standard holders. They don't seem to cause dazzle when used with a 'Difusa' glass.

A 25w halogen bulb in the standard unit is more than enough to be seen with. The only limitations are perhaps that dip cut-off is not up to after dark scratching but neither am I any more.

rick i have a temp number plate and 1960 rear light on a bar of metal is slotted so it fits over the 2 rear pannier wing nuts i pick the power up from the little screw connector and run an earth which is hidden behind the panniers and power for the brake light and is easley removed and put in a pannier when you are at a show

http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/history4.html

Jan

email (option): wd.register@gmail.com