Vintage BMW Motorcycle Owners

So, had the opportunity to ride my new to me R100 T in the dark recently, and discovered the headlight is woefully mis-adjusted. It’s pointing down so low, that the only lighting, is about 10 feet in front of the bike.

I’d like to do a proper headlight adjustment, but there isn’t any write up in my owners manual, and could only find online info on the RT or RS fairings. I have a the basic headlight shell, with a S fairing.

Is the adjustment only a matter of loosening the rights side bolt and the left side ignition switch fastener, then moving the shell to align it?

Yes, and you don't have to loosen them very much to make the change. Just a little loose will allow you to stick fingers between the rubber gasket of the S fairing and the chrome headlight ring and pull up the headlight shell.

Keeping some tension means you can set the headlight and give it a try around the block and if need be stop for a second to fiddle with it a bit more until you get it where you want it. At that point you can fully tighten the retaining bolts.

Hope this makes sense? Good Luck, St.

St,
Thanks, and yes makes perfect sense.

As with a some BMW “adjustments”, I wasn’t sure if there was a special procedure. I see why there isn’t any tutorial online. It’s too simple .

LOL, some things I learned pre internet days, the hard way.
If you want a laugh buy one of the new Clymer manuals and try to make sense out of making repairs using it. Enjoy the riding! St.

I'm late to this party
Headlight beam adjustment would be the same as an automobile .
measure the height from the floor to the center of the h/l
10 ft away from a flat wall
measure same height , mark , h/l beam just slightly under center line
as stated before , simple

For all the stock BMW airheads that I have owned when using a incandescent H4 bulb, there is a very distinct night time beam pattern projected ahead of the bike.

l find sitting back away from my garage doors or behind one of my cars shows the cut off points for this beam which in the US is higher on the right side angled down to flat midway then flat for the left lane of the two way road. I adjust the beam pattern so it gives me good distance down the road but the cut off is not so high as to shine in a rear view mirror of a car or the right hand patter is not so far left to blind oncoming traffic. I thought the BMW owner's manual showed this?

Most LED replacement bulbs will screw this pattern up and cause more problems than they are worth for night time driving. They are great for daylight visibility a hazard for night use. St.