Hardest FJR Routine Maintenance Job is changing RHS headlight bulb on a gen II.

changing RHS headlight bulb on a gen II.


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Naomi - 2013 Yamaha FJR




2019-05-03 Naomi Headlight Bulbs Replaced

While doing a valve adjust noticed the RHS headlight was out. With cowlings off now is a good time to replace.

Some notes.

1. The LHS is much easier than RHS
2. RHS is PITA. Battery, bracket, and wiring loom all in the way. Especially hard to re-install the rubber boot.

This stupid bracket holds a 50 amp main fuse and 'goes nowhere', terminated connector. It's right in the way. Almost just cut it off. Probably will next bulb replacement. The wires can be secured via ty-wraps.


This big black box, no idea what it is, and its wiring loom all in the way.


The 'goes-nowhere' connector.


Next time, bracket.. You're toast!

That connector I believe is the test connection for your abs breaks. You need a razerman switch for that.

I don't buy the "premium" high output H4's because they don't last as long. I have always said that I would wait until the skin healed fully on my hands from the last change before changing them again! My XXL hand size means that at least a bit of skin is abraded and blood lost with any bulb change. The most recent change was easy - I had the nose off for some maintenance stuff(servicing spiders and cleaning/adjusting windshield drive). Really easy to change then. Will be doing that again this year to install some LED lights I bought. Hopefully, these will last as long as I own this bike.

Take a breath dc! Once you move those couple items out of the way, slow and steady and it's done. Ask me sometime about replacing the RH bulb on an RT...now THAT was frustrating.

~G

How many folks does it take to change a RT headlight bulb?

escapefjrtist said:

Take a breath dc! Once you move those couple items out of the way, slow and steady and it's done. Ask me sometime about replacing the RH bulb on an RT...now THAT was frustrating.
~G

Click to expand...

So says a little-hand-non-arthritic human!

Next time you have to change bulbs, remove the rod used to adjust the headlight. It's a little easier without that directly behind the bulb. The rod is easily removed and just as easy to reinstall.

I just finished installing Cyclops LED bulbs and it was a bear of a chore until I removed the rods. Next biggest pain in the rear with installing LEDs is trying not to let the base of the bulb slip from your fingers and into the headlights themselves. With patience and care, it can be fetched back out with a stiff wire.

But yeah, generally replacing bulbs on my Gen 3 has been a lot tougher than it was on Old Yeller (Gen 1).

I seem to remember after a bunch of failures to connect all that business while everything was connected (bulb, plug, spring clip, rubber boot), and lining it up with the hole, I finally removed the boot so I could see what I was doing and connecting was simple. Then, once I knew where things went (again, since I had done this a few times before but always spaced months or years apart), it was much easier to put the boot back around the whole business and slip it into place. Just having that refreshed muscle memory of what goes where made all the difference.

I suppose now that I've bragged about how easy it was after that, I'll soon be looking at doing it for the first time on my Gen III, and have to learn all over again.

I think it would be even more difficult on a later Gen 3, there doesn't seem to be anywhere to put a bulb ...

(Click on image for larger view)

LED's are your friend.

PJ4863 said:

That connector I believe is the test connection for your abs breaks. You need a razerman switch for that.

Click to expand...

Yes it is the test connection for the ABS brakes

Nice picture Pops, tells the story of Jay's RT and a reminder of Petey too. :-(

~G

I disagree some. Sure, the RH head light bulb is a bitch but either of the run/brake tail lights is worse. Can't speak for rear turn signal bulbs, never replaced one, but now that I've said it......

rbentnail said:

I disagree some. Sure, the RH head light bulb is a bitch but either of the run/brake tail lights is worse. Can't speak for rear turn signal bulbs, never replaced one, but now that I've said it......

Click to expand...

Those tail lights are BAD. Yamaha decided to save $0.02 in wire so that it is almost impossible to do the change! Another inch or so would make all the difference (That's what she said!).

dcarver said:

escapefjrtist said:

Take a breath dc! Once you move those couple items out of the way, slow and steady and it's done. Ask me sometime about replacing the RH bulb on an RT...now THAT was frustrating.
~G

Click to expand...

So says a little-hand-non-arthritic human!

Click to expand...

Man does this thread bring back fond memories.. I remember when Tim "Two Wheelnut" was changing out a bulb and broke it off Inside the housing. His rant about it had me in tears.

Almost as funny as the time he got his foot stuck under the side stand. I peed myself a little with that one.

Well he bought a GenII. And again per DC's own admission, he is a dumb ass!