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[110tHunDer]

 
Got the SEEG out tonight for the first time this season to run and pick up another quart of oil so I could change the oil in my truck.  The headlight flickered on and off for about 30 seconds, sorta like one of those deals you can do to 'em to make you more visible in traffic, and then went totally off.  Did this each time I started it tonight, which was like 5 or 6 times.  Put it on hi beam and went and ran my errand before dark set in.

What could be the problem?  Could the ignitor be toast already?  Only been on the bike a little over 2 years.

[Twolanerider]

Got the SEEG out tonight for the first time this season to run and pick up another quart of oil so I could change the oil in my truck.  The headlight flickered on and off for about 30 seconds, sorta like one of those deals you can do to 'em to make you more visible in traffic, and then went totally off.  Did this each time I started it tonight, which was like 5 or 6 times.  Put it on hi beam and went and ran my errand before dark set in.

What could be the problem?  Could the ignitor be toast already?  Only been on the bike a little over 2 years.

Brian, working on the nearly always accurate premise that a bulb is either good or bad the intermittent firing would suggest ignitor to me.  If that's what it is you might consider dumping the HD branded bulb and firing electronics and using that digital HID kit a few of us have used.

Probably be cheaper.  Power draw to fire is less.  And (so far, knock on wood) there seem to have been very few problems with them.  Do the obvious stuff first checking connections. If it's toast there are options that are an improvement over the Harley branded light though.

[megavolt17]

On my new SE Ultra I opted for the HD HID light in place of the SE halogen light it would have come with.  It looks about the same off, but the light pattern (only the low beam) is bluer, extends curb to curb and is brighter.

Well I rode it all of 400 miles since I picked it up this fall and this week I noted that the HID light is out.  I have high beam and the spot lights, just no low beam (the HID one).  I am bringing it into service tomorrow so they can have a look at it.  This is the second repair under warranty because when I picked it up their was a paint defect in the gas tank.

The bike smelled hot in traffic and I thought it was just because it was so new.  I now wonder if something electric was toasting.  I should know more tomorrow.  I hope this is not going to be one of those bikes...

[megavolt17]

Brian, working on the nearly always accurate premise that a bulb is either good or bad the intermittent firing would suggest ignitor to me.  If that's what it is you might consider dumping the HD branded bulb and firing electronics and using that digital HID kit a few of us have used.

I know that would apply to conventional (including halogen) lights but I think the HID lights are a different animal.  Street lights for example may act this way as they heat up and draw more power they fail, only to be OK again when they cool off again.  HID lights are similar to the way street lights work - at least to my limited understanding of them.

After 2 days at the HD dealer to find why my new (500 mile) HD HID light no longer worked it was diagnosed to be a defective fuse.  It's under warranty so I am glad they spent 3 1/2 hours checking the whole electrical system to make certain there was no other problem with the system.

It's nice to see (and be seen) again!