The Africa Twin thread

[akjerry]

I have Modrover's RD03 and the single light & cowl are right here on my shelf. It is an H4 60/55 watt. I will probably be changing the dual H4's to HID next winter.

[ravelv]

Interesting why just for Swiss model they used single headlight?

Originally Posted by Ladder106

Modrover, this threads originator purchased a Swiss model RD03 from southern California. I think there are still a few photos on this thread that shows that bike. It looked a bit odd with the single square headlight and Mod eventually switched out the front cowl and added the twin round headlights to make the bike look more normal/better.

[Ladder106]

Ray, iswoolley started this thread.

I stand corrected, sir. My error was committed due to my lack of orientation withing the forum when I put pen to paper (or keystroke to ether). My lack of orientation is, sadly, a common occurance.....no I'm not drunk

Alaska Jerry. You have Mods old bike and have only made 4 postings? You must be enjoying the long summer days out of doors and making the best of the sunlight. Feel free to become more familiar.

[Jim Davis]

Originally Posted by Andy G

'88 German RD03s have what we call Bilux bulbs with a BA20d socket (35 / 35 W), Italian RD03 even used this longer. I don't know what the Swiss RD03 with the single square headlight (they exist even if some of you never have seen one) have. Later ATs use what we call H4, that is a P43t socket. Unprecise words, talking about sockets but using the names of the bulbs... so seems we are both right / wrong.

Cheers, Andy

So I have to be partially wrong? I think not. You tell me please what I said tha was wrong.

You're trying to add sockets and bulbs and there's no need except to make you look like you may know something.

Your thinking that Bilux was a type of bulb is wrong, and you still haven't admitted it, hoping perhaps to blind me to that fact. As I confirmed it is Osram's name for their dual filament bulbs NOT a type of bulb.

You talk as if I didn't believe you had something other than an H4. I believe you. As I said for some markets they would not accept the H4 so they had to give them something else with dual filaments. I don't think adapting to those bulb sockets is good for H4 bulbs since it's impossible to correctly mount one.

But you are welcome to mount whatever you want any way you can, don't let me stop you. I'm just sayin...

I'm really not sure at all why your feathers got so ruffled. I was trying to get info not correct it, but correct I do when something is incorrect.

Now here is where you say something like: 'you're right, I was wrong about the Bilux and you were just pointing that out, thank you'.

[Jim Davis]

Originally Posted by locorider

Well...this is the bulb I installed on my RD03 headlights that I showed here before. Its a Sylvania SilverStar mod 9003, which I had to bend the little tabs for keeping them in place.



This is why I bent the tabs..

And again I find that interesting that it seems we have yet another type of bulb socket on RD03s that are almost an H4 but not quite. As I said mine were H4s and H4s fit straight in no bending anything. They look like yours but the rubber boot on mine is a bit different. I can't tell from your photos why you bent or where actually.

If you did bend one bottom tab then you likely have the same bulb sockets as my ST1100. These were for the US market but of course we know the ATs were never meant for there. However you may have those sockets.

All of which has nothing to do with Andy who has something totally foreign to H4.

You say you 'had to bend the little tabs to keep them in place' well please tell me what little tabs - all three location tabs were bent? Man that is very odd, sort of like Andy's he had to remove all tabs I think, and make one new tab to locate the bulb.

I guess I got lucky then that mine took H4s directly. They certainly doesn't look like they've been changed. The only marking on my reflectors are 'Stanley 4758 Motorcycle'.

[locorider]

The bulb wont fit into the housing. So I bended the tabs to grasp over the housing border and then ran two ties from one side of the headlight frame to the other over the rubber cover to keep the bulbs from falling. Its been like that for almost two years with no problems. If there is any H4 bulb in the US market that may fit into this housing, I'll buy it.

As I mentioned before, this headlight assembly came from France, so it may be different there than the one you have in Japan. Tonight I'll find the bulbs and post pics.

[Andy G]

@Jim Davis:
The only thing I didn't like about your posting is
"The RD03s used H4s but they were 45/45 watt bulbs with no dark cap on the end of the glass. I know, I just removed two from ine :-)"

because that implies RD03 use H4s and that I'm an idiot not recognizing it. I don't like that kind of arrogance. This is my last word to this, if you want to continue please use PM or let's go to yo momma.

@locorider:
The headlights we have here look totally different. The don't have that wire spring. Your socket is called P45t here. I didn't know that they ware also used on ATs, but they are much easier converted for using the standard P43t H4 blubs, e.g. there are adaptor sockets around here. Also the black rubber thing is completely different. On ours it's attached to the socket.

@ravelv:
AFAIK dual headlights where not allowd in Switzerland these days, but I may be wrong with that. Anyway they are said to have some funny rules regarding bikes an modding (a Swiss guy told me once that it would be impossible to do that suspension mod I did on my TA, but I don't know if this is true, I didn't have any reason to check with the swiss authorities).

Cheers, Andy

[ravelv]

Here is photos from friend's RD03. Origin I don't know, probably it was brought from Italy. It is '88 make.
Headlights are Stanley 4941, 35W/35W and 4W for parking bulb.

[Andy G]

Originally Posted by ravelv

Here is photos from friend's RD03. Origin I don't know, probably it was brought from Italy. It is '88 make.
Headlights are Stanley 4941, 35W/35W and 4W for parking bulb.

Nice pic! This is exactly the kind I was talking about... could be Italian, could be German...

Thx, Andy

[ravelv]

Here are overview of all assembly.
I have ordered from Polo (*&%*&%*&^%!, but that another story) new 2 H4 146mm round bodies (but they are still on way to me). Hope that electrical system will be capable to handle extra 40/50 wats. Stock lights are useless. Maybe only when new they give some light, but with years reflective parts are not so bright anymore. Will let you guys know how I will integrate new bodies for sure!

[ravelv]

Discussion here was so hot that I had to find in rush those pics shot few months ago in my poor photographer's haotic arhive. I planned to public them only when rebuild will be done, but...

Origin of most used bikes in my country is Germany or Italy...

Originally Posted by Andy G

Nice pic! This is exactly the kind I was talking about... could be Italian, could be German...

Thx, Andy

[locorider]

I must correct myself..the picture that I included was from a mod that Modrover did on his xrv650. He bought the bike in the US and bought this headlights in EU. Mine looks more like the one ravelv is posting, but the H4 did not fit there. I'll post exact pics tonight.

But sure, the pic that I posted before belongs to an AT. Modrover instaled it on his xrv650 because his model had a single headlight in front. Í might do a little research to try to locate the place of origin.

[locorider]

But please, guys...take it easy and lets live together in peace!!!!!

[oly_ro]

Originally Posted by locorider

But please, guys...take it easy and lets live together in peace!!!!!

HELL NO loco...........i wanna see some blood over here :)) !!!

[Jim Davis]

Originally Posted by Andy G

@Jim Davis:
The only thing I didn't like about your posting is
"The RD03s used H4s but they were 45/45 watt bulbs with no dark cap on the end of the glass. I know, I just removed two from ine :-)"

because that implies RD03 use H4s and that I'm an idiot not recognizing it. I don't like that kind of arrogance. This is my last word to this, if you want to continue please use PM or let's go to yo momma.

Cheers, Andy

Andy, Andy, Andy, you really must try and end this with no apology and looking good, right? Ya we should take it private so you don't look so bad? Well here's what I was replying to where you made it sound like all RD03s came with bulbs like yours. Let me make this clear - there's a whole big world of RD03s out there besides Italy and Germany, ok? I can assure you what you guys got for bulbs was not the norm for the rest of the world.

Here's what you said: "the old RD03s are using bulbs with a socket that is called "Bilux" here. They got something like 45 / 55 W. There are special H4 bulbs with bilux sockets."

Now I'm going to correct you again, that socket is NOT a Bilux socket, there is no such thing. They may have been referred to as that so many times in your country that people started thinking it was actually the name of that type of socket/bulb but it's not, that was my point.

They are NOT special H4s either. If you think these are a type of H4 bulb then again you are totally mistaken. There is only one H4 bulb type and no other types are the same. There are some bulbs that look much like H4, much more than your bulbs, but they are NOT H4s. H4s fit H4 sockets, period. H4s are also called 9003 or HB-1, doesn't matter, those are just other names for H4.

Now please don't bother trying to write a reply to make yourself look good again and pretend you didn't make any errors, you did, and the sooner you just admit it then the sooner you can get back to being Andy.

Please do continue to chat in this thread, but do not try and brush this off by again quoting some socket numbers to make yourself look good. Be a man, and just admit your errors.

I personally am willing to admit when I am wrong. Looking back I apologize if I made it sound like I was saying ALL RD03s had H4, that is not correct as you point out.

Learn, and move on. I will not say another word on this. You are welcome to say whatever you want of course. I have made myself clear here as possible.

I got an Alaska Sheepskin in 'dual sport style'. Here's a few pics of it on the RD03:
http://easternbeaver.com/Main/Stuff/...sheepskin.html