My headlights went out on the freeway at night

[willis9076]

So I'm riding on the freeway at around 7:30 pm when my headlight burns out. No problem I say and I turn on my hi beams and will buy a new bulb tomorrow. Well 15 min later my high beams go out and I'm now on the freeway with no lights and cars can't really see me. There was a little bit of traffic so I just follow a car until my GPS can direct me to the nearest auto parts store. During the next 10 min at least 3 cars did not see me behind the car and almost merged into my lane! When I get off the freeway the surface streets are pretty dark. I'm about 2 miles from the store so I'm now riding with my blinkers on and a couple of cars on the other side flash their high beams at me.

Of course when I get to the store, they close at 8 and it is now 8:10. I knock on the door and the lady almost dosen't let me in until I explain that both my headlights are out. I buy the bulbs and attempt to replace it in the parking lot. I look at the bulbs before removing them and the regular bulb is burnt, but the hi beam looks fine. This has me now think that the fuse is also blown. So thank god for the little tool kit in the bike or else I would not have been able to take the seat off to check the fuse. So I check the fuse and yes it did blow also. I replaced the fuse with one of the spares and now the hi beam works, but the low bulb still needs replacing.

I reach under the cowel and pull off the connector and dust boot. Going by feel I figure out the latching mechanism for the bulb. I remove the bulb and almost throw it away but it's a good thing I didn't as we will see later. I put the new bulb in and close the latch. I attempt to put the dust boot on but for some reason it did not seem to fit right. I decide to leave the boot off for now and ill just put the connector on until I get home where I can really see what I am doing. Still only going by feel I attempt to put the connector on for another 10 min. The darn thing wouldn't go on, so I decided to remove the bulb and try the connector with the bulb out of the housing so that I can see what I am doing. To my surprise, the pin spacing is different. Now I'm like wtf, did I buy the wrong bulb? Good thing that's did not toss the old bulb cause I compare the two and realize that there is some sort of adaptor on the bulb. So I remove the adaptor and put it on the new bulb and put the bulb back into the housing. I attempt the dust boot again and this time it goes on correctly. I am able to put the connector on by feel now and I'm ready to ride again.

So my question is this. Is there any reason that you can think on why after one bulb going out, the fuse would blow 15 min later?

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by willis9076

............ So my question is this. Is there any reason that you can think on why after one bulb going out, the fuse would blow 15 min later?

Midnight mechanics are a thing to be avoided if possible.

Fuses melt due to over-current, which happens only when the circuit is complete, but with insufficient resistance between the + and - poles.
Your filament is that resistance, once broken, the circuit is opened and there is no more current.
If one end is detached and keep bouncing around, it may touch the pole from which it got detached at some middle point of the filament.

If that happens, at least for an instant, the circuit is closed again but with reduced resistance.
Due to that, there is more flow of current (more Amps), which could melt either the filament or the fuse, whichever is weaker.

Rule of thumb: If you cannot solve a problem with a hammer, it is an electrical problem: leave it to be solved during daylight.

[eddiekay]

There's a thread on here about what we fear most when riding.
You just described mine.

[notsofast]

Glad you made it home safe. Executive surefire flashlights are mega bright and really quite small.

I know they are expensive, but mine has gotten me through quite a few jams without hurting myself in the dark.

Motofool's advice is best, as always, but I probably would have done the same thing...except the guys at my local shop would just shrug their shoulders and point at the hours sign.

[JohnnyBravo]

Yikes... Glad this story had the ending it did.
Sounds like it coulda turned into a horrible ride quickly

[willis9076]

Motofool is correct once again!

I had a chance today to look at the burnt out bulb and it seems that the piece of the broken filament got wedged between the terminals causing a short. It also arced out a piece of the lead and welded it self in place. Pretty neat!

[CC Cowboy]

Once when I was younger (couldn't have happened when I was older) I was visiting my grandfather in IL. My gramps had a house in town and also a farm in the country he used for parties. The farm house was about five miles outside of town with only two turns from town to the farm. One night my headlight went out and as I was riding out to the farm I didn't make the first turn. I ended up in a corn field and broke my collarbone when I tried to pick up the bike after falling over.

The kicker was I still had to walk the rest of the way to the farm then wait until the next morning to go to the hospital.

[CZroe]

I learned something from this thread: When my lo-beam blows, swap with hi-beam bulb and leave the blown bulb DISCONNECTED lest I burn a fuse. Thanks!

I have had to swap bulbs before when my lo-beam has blown but I'm pretty sure I plugged the blown bulb back in to keep the connector from dangling. Won't do that next time.

[Kscreations08]

Originally Posted by eddiekay

There's a thread on here about what we fear most when riding.
You just described mine.

Why cant I find this thread?

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by eddiekay

There's a thread on here about what we fear most when riding.
You just described mine.

Since I realized my worst fear last season, I have a new one.... it is terrifying. I will see if I can find the thread and post up.

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by Kscreations08

Why cant I find this thread?

https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=161950

[Kscreations08]

You will always be my hero

[csmith12]

Naw... I am just a search ninja. lol