headlight gets brighter

[sendaro_99]

I spend at least half of my riding time at around midnight and log about 10,000 miles a season. My 02 midnight RSV has been experiencing the brightness of the headlight increase for a couple seconds, then returns to normal. This does not happen every night but does seem to be happening more often. I run the standard headlight and have the highway light bar also. Can anyone shed any light on what is happening and should I be concerned? Could the change of the highway light bulbs cause this?

[etcswjoe]

Regulator is probably going bad just replaced mine because that was happening.

[sendaro_99]

Will have to shop for a regulator I guess. Have never changed one on one of these, is it a big job?

[etcswjoe]

Pain to get too but not too bad it is behind your radiator on the bottom of the bike. If you take the lowers off it is easier to get to. It's held in by two 10MM head screws.

 

Check all of your connections to the regulator before you change it then see if you still get the brightening. The regulator plug and stator plug under the battery are common culprits in charging but are normally associated with loss of voltage.

[MikeWa]

Stator or regulator is bad. Or there is a very high load on the electrical system (unlikely) requiring higher rpm to overcome.

 

Mike

[XV1100SE]

Sorry... different approach.... how old is your headlight bulb? I'd replace the bulb and see if it continues to happen. If it does it with the new one... so you have a spare. If it fixes the problem it is a simple and inexpensive fix.

[Flyinfool]

If you can, rig up a digital volt meter so that you can tell if the headlight is occasionally getting bright to where it is supposed to be and dim the rest of the time or if it is right most of the time and occasionally getting brighter than it should be.

You will be able to tell from the voltage.

Having a voltmeter is a good thing anyhow.