TOPIC:

Got a 1978 KZ-650 with a Kutter fairing. I'm thinking of replacing the signal and marker bulbs with LEDs, but the real question is, can I get a better headlight that sucks less juice and is brighter?

There's just the one central light-- no side lights or anything (the signals are on those little stalks.

Here's what I use. It's a drop-in direct replacement for the stock 7" unit. It draws almost the exact power as the stock light, but it is brighter because it is Halogen. Ed

www.summitracing.com/parts/WAG-H6024/

Another possible option is to get the halogen headlight assy from an 80s KZ750-4: lens unit, halogen bulb, & dust cover. My 81 650-CSR came stock with a dull sealed beam unit, but I converted to halogen, using the stuff from an 82 750-Ltd. It was an easy direct fit to my headlight bucket. Most KZs have the exact same headlight parts: rim, ring, etc. The buckets may vary some, but I think the headlight fitment is kinda universal (not including the smaller bikes which have a smaller headlight)..

650ed:

I don't have a sealed beam; the fairing has a Dorcy headlamp housing with a bulb that screws into the back. I wonder if I can convert it to a sealed beam like you suggest.

I'm not familiar with a Dorcy lamp, but if it's a 7" lens with an H4 bulb in the back you should be able to switch it over. I say this because I have run an H4 type bulb & lens in my stock hosing before and it was a direct fit. You may want to pull the lamp from yours and take it to an auto parts store to compare it to a standard 7" car sealed bulb. Take a close look at the back perimeter of the lens, it should have a couple alignment bumps cast into it that fit into depressions in the housing. If they match you should be ok. Ed

Thanks 650ed, you nailed it. It was indeed an H4 lamp, with the output and current draw printed right on it. I went to one autoparts store where they didn't have one H4 bulb anywhere. The second place had many choices, from bright, to brighter, to brightest. I took the housing along and matched it up. I bought the brightest one they had ($27) and it fits perfectly.

I'll have to make a couple of night runs to see if it's actually brighter. It draws the same current (65 watts, maybe? Don't remember) as the original.

I'm not familiar w the Dorcy lamp either, but assuming it has a lens unit, it may need cleaning.
The 750 lens unit I got was kinda foggy white, so I cleaned it using a clean cloth dampened w denatured alcohol & taped to a rod -->>> clean lens = brighter light.