Hi folks,

I've finally got round to fitting my genuine N.O.S DU42 headlight :-)
It came without bulbs, and so, I initially thought my standard 6v headlight bulbs would fit... They are too fat :-(

It seems that I need a 6v 24/24W main and a 6v 5w pilot.. The pilot having a single contact and the head having twin contacts, and both of the same diameter. (headlight with offset pins & the pilot with equal pins)

When I searched evil bay, I came across this:-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lucas-6V-24-24w-Bulb-No-166-NOS-NP4057-/391267562860?hash=item5b195d356c:g:Aw8AAOSwHjNV~yz8

But it turns out to be the wrong dia on it's fitting :-(

As an aside, there's nothing wrong with the repro headlight, apart from it's a repro.

Cheerz folks
Ian

Can someone suggest where to best find a suitable headlight main bulb please?

email (option): fozzie001@hotmail.com

Hi Ian,

Check this out;

http://www.degroot-bsa.nl/index.php?route=product/product&path=36_114&product_id=3094

Regards,

Sven

email (option): snvosselman@gmail.com

35w might rinse power.

For bulb fittings, you just have to bash the internet. Lots of sites have diagrams showing the types of fitting and diameters.

You should find one that fits.

I cut up my reflector (none standard) and cunningly fashioned it to fit LED bulbs. After bashing the internet, I found that I had wasted at least half a day and could have fitted one without having to do all the work!

email (option): sacombsashtrees@hotmail.com

Hi Ian

I think the headlamp bulb should have equal pins so when you blow a filament you can take out the bulb turn it 180% and use the spare filament.

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Go to pauls site

he has a good range.
Fit a LED light board on the tail and that will liberate a few more electrons for the headlamp.

Remember you only HAD 60 to spend in the first place and by now that will be a bit lower .

I had no luck with the double dipper LED and have tossed it going back to a tungsten globe that gives much better light but the stop/tail works a treat.

email (option): bsansw1@tpg.com.au

Hello Ian.

I have two bulbs that you require plus the side light bulbs, I'll take £12 plus p+p for the two.

Regards TTJohn

email (option): Jomichael@aol.com

Hi Trevor

Must admit that I am not too sure about full/dip beam LEDs. I have one on mine; lots of light, but not focused where I want it.

I had the lens re-silvered which made a massive difference, so perhaps I should have stuck to filament bulbs.

On the plus side, they use hardly any power.

Regards

Pat

email (option): sacombsashtrees@hotmail.com

The original eBay link was to a BPF (British pre-focus) bulb and we need pre pre-focus !

There are a couple of possibilities with the focusable bulb holders so it's worth measuring yours, especially as its a pattern part.

Normally there would be a 15mm bayonet for headlamp and 9mm for pilot.

I don't think that anyone makes 6v 24/24w anymore and if you have the original short 40w dynamo then you'll be working it very hard with a 36w headlamp.

Paul Goff sells small halogen 25/25w 19mm bulbs and they work perfectly well with a decent reflector. They're not cheap though but they seem to be reliable.

http://www.norbsa02.freeuk.com/goffybulbs.htm

My only source for 6v 24/24 bulbs with the old fashioned large envelope has been Beaulieu jumble and involved hours of rummaging so if John will sell you one, then it's worth thinking about.

Thanks for ALL your help, advice and suggestions guys.

I'm beginning to think more about keeping the repro headlight on and just having the DU42 as a fall back, as there's nothing actually wrong with the repro (other than it's a repro), it works and works very well (as well as a crappy underpowered headlight like this can). The ONLY time the lights are "ON" is when the bike is performing convoy duties, the rest of the time, I've got the blackout hood fitted and lights then become redundant... AND, she's only ever ridden during daylight hours too.

I'll investigate the links etc further, probably over the next day or so between my work schedule, but yet again, you guys are amazing with the help you can provide :-)

Thanks once again
Ian

email (option): fozzie001@hotmail.com

Well I had my reflector resilvered back in the 90's and it is excellent condition.
Popped the double dipper in and was really pissed off and came very close to becoming road kill.
Pulled it back out, pulled the reflector out then spent hours moving the globe back & forth to get the fullest beam.
Stuck it back in the bike, totally useless except as an orniment.
Should have known it would be a dud by the fact that the instructions rabbit on about blaming the reflector for poor output at least a dozen times on the page.
Sitting on my bench in the shed it is brilliant.
You could read the fine print on an insurance policy at 100 paces.

On the road a 100% failure & total disaster.
A car 200 yards behind creates a shadow that the light can not fill.
Street lights cast shadows that the light can not fill.
The only way I got home was by closing one eye every time a car came up behind me then alternating them once it had passed.
Tested it around the paddock no external lights creating shadows and it is only just barely good for about 20 mph.
After that you just do not have enough light.
As a comparrison. I tried the Dolphin LED torch and it was good for 30 mph around the paddock and that only costs $ 9.00
I note the globe that Goff is selling has 3 LEDS of each beam which might be better but he only does them in 12 V

So the old Tungsten went back in and will stay there until rego is due as it only has one beam ( got a lot like that ) which is why I bought the LED in the first place.

email (option): bsansw1@tpg.com.au

Hello Ian.

I have a solution, not for "Rivet counters" though...
I used a standard tail bulb, 6V, 21/5W for the headlight.

This way, when I wanted to save the batt or to enable it to charge better,
I used the 5W, and when I wanted to see I used it on the 21W,
Switched by the handlebar dipswitch.

Later on (Sorry ) I used LED lamp, which practically draws nothing...
(Also on the rear and sidecar)

Cheers,
Noam.

email (option): noam10@gmail.com

there are LED lights and there are LED lights. Some are rubbish and others perform remarkably well. For our old war-horses, the best I've found is here http://www.dynamoregulatorconversions.com/online-shop-for-led-bulbs-and-light-boards-etc.php . Very bright and draws almost no electricity.

email (option): cas.vanderwoude@gmail.com

The Double dipper is their one size fits all headlamp replacement globe.

Way back in the 90's I bought a bulbsthatlast4ever tail lamp board for my A65.
It is still there, worked faultlessly till the engine didn't
It was so good I bought another for the B40 and it still works perfectly.
These were around $ 300 Aus and even at that price, excellent value as they still work as good as the day they were fitted.

The light from the DD is a brilliant white light.
If you are standing still, reading a map by your headlamp it is fine.
If you are riding slowly down a totally dark back lane with no other traffic in either direction .
But for normal street riding i degree of being fatal.
Perhaps the night sky is darker over there .

email (option): bsansw1@tpg.com.au