Head light adjustment.

[Squibb]

Squibb, who is your local MOT tester that does the lights properly? I could do with getting these right.

Sorry, perhaps I am guilty of misleading you. They don't set up/adjust the lights, they merely carry out the correct checking procedure when undertaking the MOT. Many testers, as well as dealers, only check lighting in a rather casual manner, some seem to forget that the check must be done with a rider's weight on the bike. Anyway, I surmised that it was because many Harley-Davidsons present with crazy lighting irregularities - Police lights, RH dipping, fairy lights, red indicators, obscured numberplate lights - you get the picture?

The Testing Station I used was Davies Brothers of Wilstead, MK45 3HS - £25 cash only. However, if you want some help adjusting your S10 headlights, send me a PM & I can get something organised gratis, if you don't mind bringing the bike to darkest Flitwick sometime. We do have Flitwick Yamaha on the doorstep if you need any other excuses.

Ride Safe ............ KEN

 

[epyles]

To add a little note to this thread, to adjust the sideways movement of each side there is a screw at the top of each housing above the dust cover on each side. It is next to a cap about 2 inches. Same 8mm socket will fit this one as well as a Phillips screwdriver. Adjusted mine the other day and yes they come cross-eyed. Moved mine out a little and it makes the high beam a little wider and shines the shoulder of the road more on low beam.

 

[holligl]

So where is this covered in the manuals? Looked in both service and owners manuals, but didn't find anything. Surely I just missed it.

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[Squibb]

Sadly, it isn't covered in the RM - adjustment is a job for the dealer it seems, hence the traffic on here.

Hopefully Yam can get some adjuster wheels fitted next time; same as the FJR will do ..................... KEN

 

[holligl]

Mine were way high. Scaled lines for shorter distance an this is after adjustment. Is it normal for the brights to be as the second photo? I did not adjust side to side.

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[Squibb]

Mine were way high. Scaled lines for shorter distance an this is after adjustment. Is it normal for the brights to be as the second photo? I did not adjust side to side.

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If you check post 21, from epyles, you have the answer.

Looks like your mains are a bit cross-eyed &, personally, I would have the dips lower, particularly the left, to avoid dazzling other vehicles (right in UK/Ireland). Having said that, it's difficult to assess really, as the range you are using in the pics is too short to judge accurately.

You don't say whether you have ES or not? Thus I assume you are seated on the bike, suspension adjusted to it's usual single rider level, with normal weight/load on board.

............................ KEN

 

[holligl]

If you check post 21, from epyles, you have the answer.

Looks like your mains are a bit cross-eyed &, personally, I would have the dips lower, particularly the left, to avoid dazzling other vehicles (right in UK/Ireland). Having said that, it's difficult to assess really, as the range you are using in the pics is too short to judge accurately.

You don't say whether you have ES or not? Thus I assume you are seated on the bike, suspension adjusted to it's usual single rider level, with normal weight/load on board.

............................ KEN

Yes - ES. Yes seated on the bike with the tail box on, as I would normally ride (except for toes touching the ground). Took it out last night and if any thing I over-corrected, brights are much better (not in the tree tops) but the lows are a bit too low I think. My measurements and scaling were a bit inaccurate, but I have some calibration on the door now. A little more tinkering and I'll lock it in. I'll try spreading them out too.

 

[mebgardner]

Adjusted mine the other day and yes they come cross-eyed. Moved mine out a little and it makes the high beam a little wider and shines the shoulder of the road more on low beam.

Please bear with me, I'm still not clear on this point after reading through the thread a few times.

They come cross-eyed by design? ... and, we leave it that way, perhaps taking out just a little bit of the "cross-eyed-ness" to better illuminate the roadside shoulder?

Or, it comes cross-eyed as delivered, and that's not right, and we take all of it out, and adjust the now aligned beams to better illuminate the roadside shoulder?

 

[Don T]

Please bear with me, I'm still not clear on this point after reading through the thread a few times.

They come cross-eyed by design? ... and, we leave it that way, perhaps taking out just a little bit of the "cross-eyed-ness" to better illuminate the roadside shoulder?

Or, it comes cross-eyed as delivered, and that's not right, and we take all of it out, and adjust the now aligned beams to better illuminate the roadside shoulder?

The S10 come cross-eyed and are supposed to be that way - it's just a thing to take into account when adjusting the headlights.

 

[mebgardner]

OK, thanks for clearing that for me.

 

[Kabish]

I don't drive at night much, maybe only done it 4 times in the year I've owned my S10. I had asked the dealership to check it last time I had it in for its 4k service because I thought they were high, they said it was at spec.

Last night I was driving home late and was on an empty stretch of the freeway (with a tinted visor... rip) and turned on my brights... Happened to do it while I was just about to go under an over pass... I kid you not, the high beams lit up the entire underside of the overpass as I went through, swear you could see a portion of the beam hitting it. Have my 8k service coming up, going to ask them to check it out again.

 

[Squibb]

Sounds about right Kabish - not many dealers can be trusted to adjust your lights as you want them. Some don't even try & Yam deliver them set well high.

All the DIY info you need here though - just get yourself a 1/4 inch ratchet wrench & a deep 8mm socket, or a standard 8mm & a short extension bar & follow the guide. It only takes a few minutes. Then take her for a ride, with the wrench/socket in your pocket so you can tweak it until perfect.

Ride Safe ....................... KEN

 

[PG Cruiser]

So where is this covered in the manuals? Looked in both service and owners manuals, but didn't find anything. Surely I just missed it.

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Head light adjustment is located on page 3-34 in the shop manual. All it shows are the locations of the adjusters and which direction to turn them.

 

[rugeroid]

So, I have been having hell with these lights. Took to dealer and he pointed at the two black shiney "caps" in the rear of the headlite assy, and walked away. I removed these, and just found that they were merely plugs for a couple of holes there. Then I laid on my back and found two wheels with teeth on them that can be turned with a phillips driver. You have to lay on your back, not knowing which way to turn them. Now it sounds that they don't do the vertical adjustment, as you guys are using an 8mm socket on something, and it sure ain't that. I have two tenere's---one is a 14, the other a 15, and both of them blind the hell out of every driver I meet. This is driving me nuts. I have seemed to bring them down some with these toothed adjustment wheels---but it dosen't seem right. Why in hell does something so basic have to be such a pain? I guess now i need to look for another adjustment with an 8mm to turn!!

 

[WJBertrand]

No, the 8mm bolts do the vertical adjustments, they are low and toward the center on either side of the center brace for the front faring / instrument panel. You can't see them, it's a all by feel thing. Mine were way too high too. It took several turns and a stiffer rear spring to get mine dialed in.


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[Sierra1]

....and a stiffer rear spring to get mine dialed in.

I think that is a key element that many are overlooking. Correct preload & tire pressure can go a long way for headlight elevation. Think about a pick-up truck with a load in the bed; blinds oncoming traffic. Being projection beams, aiming is critical. Many say the OE lights aren't bright enough. They're bright, even in the daytime, but they are likely aimed wrong/high. Mine were. ::001::

 

[Cycledude]

I used a mirror and a flashlight to locate the 8mm adjusting nuts, once you located I used the smallest ratchet I own and a 8mm socket, if I remember right I lowered the lights about 1/2 turn and it made a big difference.

 

[Gatey]

Made the adjustments on my own bike last night took less the 10 minutes and its easier than it sounds.
In fact Ill be off for a few thousand kilometres in the next few days and night and if need be Im sure ill achieve a fine tune in the dark on the side of the road.

Its easy regardless of socket of philips head.

 

[SparrowHawkxx]

I created a Headlight Adjustment Procedure after I had to research this subject myself. See attached MS Word file below.
I am no expert so use at your own risk. You can download it and edit it to meet your own needs and preferences.

It takes time to search for all this stuff so hopefully this will save others some time. I thought it would be a good winter project for me to document this information and post it here. Well that was last winter and just now getting this posted.

I normally don’t ride much at night but in the summer of 2016 I was leaving for a 2 week trip and to beat the heat, I left an hour or so before daylight. As I was riding along I was admiring how well the headlights lit up the tops of the trees along the roadway but I kept getting flashed by oncoming cars.

The headlights on my 2013 Tenere apparently were never adjusted before delivery. This seems to be a common problem. I searched this forum and the service manual to see how to adjust the headlights. I found everything I needed but had to search around a lot to find all the little pieces of information and best tool for this job. It seemed others had some of the same difficulties that I had. I thought it would be good if this information was all documented in one place. Once you have all this information and the right tool to turn the adjusting screw, this is a simple job. My biggest frustration was in finding the best tool for the job.


I tried 4 different options for a tool. See the list below and comments. They all work and I guess everyone will have their own preference but for me there is one clear winner here.

Tool Options Tried:

1. ¼ inch drive ratchet, 2 ½ inch extension, 8 mm socket
2. Nut driver with a flexible shaft, 8 mm socket
3. #2 Phillips screwdriver
4. Finger Bit Driver, ¼” hex to ¼” square drive adapter, and a ¼” drive 8 mm socket or you could use:
   Finger Bit Driver, ¼” hex to 3/8” square drive adapter, and a 3/8” drive 8 mm socket

Comments on the Tools:

1. It seems like a lot of people like option 1 and think it is easy. It was not easy for me, I had problems keeping the socket on the adjusting screw while turning it. The problem I think is that it’s too much tool going into a small space, one handed where you cannot see and the lever end of the ratchet just gets in the way.
2. I thought a nut driver with a flexible shaft would be just the thing but after I tried it I did not think it was as good as option 1. I tried a 6” and a 12” flexible shaft, maybe if they were more flexible, not as stiff, this would have worked.
3. The Phillips screwdriver method was ok but the problem with it was that the slot to insert the screwdriver is on the underside of the housing so you have to bend over or sit on the floor to see what you are doing. I did not like this much more if any than the first two options.
4. The Finger Bit Driver was far easier for me to use than anything I tried.
   Since you cannot see the adjusting screws, the best thing to do is to use the diagram in the service manual showing the location of the screws then reach in there and feel around to familiarize yourself with where they are. Then just go in with the tool in the palm of your hand, find the screw and turn the driver, all at the control of your fingertips. Easy, no frustration with it coming off the screw then trying to get it back on.

Credits:

Big Thanks to VPS1 for posting the picture of the finger bit driver link. This helped me to find the right tool for this job.
http://www.yamahasupertenere.com/index.php?topic=13260.msg210510#msg210510

I found a picture somewhere of the headlight assembly removed from the bike so you can see the adjustment screws better. I cannot find the source now to credit them but thanks, I thought it was useful to put in the procedure.

The diagram in Reply #17 above is a good reference for setting up the projection wall but I found another setup that uses a shorter distance and it worked better for me to use inside my garage so that is what I put in my procedure.
The diagram above uses a distance of: 32.8 ft (10 m) and a drop of x = 4.7 in (12 cm)
I used (see steps 1 and 3) a distance of: 25 ft (7.6 m) and a drop of x = 2 in (5.1 cm)

 

[Dogdaze]

Thanks for doing that, only problem now is that I will have to go and see how the lights look ::008::