ST1300-Headlight adjustment

How do I adjust my headlight. It is set too low, even at the highest setting on the adjustment knob. I understand the correct height is 1-2 inches lower than the actual height of the bulb at 25 feet distance.

I have been told there is an adjustment for all this under the headlight assembly.

Help please!!

mike1950 said:

How do I adjust my headlight. It is set too low, even at the highest setting on the adjustment knob. I understand the correct height is 1-2 inches lower than the actual height of the bulb at 25 feet distance.

I have been told there is an adjustment for all this under the headlight assembly.

Help please!!

Click to expand...

Go here. Read through the threads, then see thread #7 for a drawing of where the adjustment bolt is located.

Rotate your dash-mounted headlight knob (left side of dash) so that it is mid-way though its travel.

Lie on your back and look up under the headlight housing, on the bike's left side, just to the rear of the front forks. You may need a flashlight. You should see a bolt with an Allan-head socket inside it. Use either a socket wrench (10mm or 12mm, I think) with an extension, or an Allan-head (5mm?) wrench to rotate that bolt. Both the left and right headlights will move up or down to adjust the beam.

Use black tape to mark a 3 foot wide line on a wall, parallel to the ground, 25 feet from your bike, and one inch less than the height of your headlight from the ground.

Get a buddy to help you with the next part.

Sit on, then start your bike. Make sure that you have the low-beams selected. Have your buddy rotate the bolt to make sure that you have the correct bolt. If you do, the beams will move. Train them on tape by adjusting the bolt. Flip to high-beam just to be sure. You're done.

Marshal

The vertical headlight adjuster also can be adjusted with a phillips screwdriver. The screwdriver will fit into the allen hex head. I used a small mirror to locate the adjuster then came at it while kneeling alongside the left side of the front wheel.. The threads are quite fine and it takes a lot of turning to affect some change. If you are looking at the headlight from straight ahead looking back at the bike the screwdriver comes up from the 5 o'clock position.

Can anyone guide me to where is the headlight aim vertical adjustment screw?

The one using a socket wrench of 10 or 8mm is for the motor aim right? I'm trying to locate the bike vertical adjustment as per the workshop manuals which indicate it can be adjusted using a Philip screw driver

In the picture locate the mechanism between and above the 2 circular boots that cover the bulb sockets. On the mechanism is a gear-like object with a light grey projection at 3 0'clock. This is the vertical aim adjuster but the picture shows one with the adjuster incorrectly mounted or oriented. On your bike the grey projection should be at 7:30 o'clock and you can get a 12 mm socket on a long extension on the bolt coming at it from the bottom above the front fender. You come at it from the left side of the bike pointing up towards the upper right. (when squatting down by the front wheel looking aft towards the back of the bike the tool heads kind of up towards the RH mirror). In the center of the bolt is a cross point that a Phillips or JIS screwdriver can also fit. This gear is very fine and it takes more than a few turns to make the adjustment. You might take a flashlight and a mirror to locate the adjuster first.

dduelin said:

In the picture locate the mechanism between and above the 2 circular boots that cover the bulb sockets. On the mechanism is a gear-like object with a light grey projection at 3 0'clock. This is the vertical aim adjuster but the picture shows one with the adjuster incorrectly mounted or oriented. On your bike the grey projection should be at 7:30 o'clock and you can get a 12 mm socket on a long extension on the bolt coming at it from the bottom above the front fender. You come at it from the left side of the bike pointing up towards the upper right. (when squatting down by the front wheel looking aft towards the back of the bike the tool heads kind of up towards the RH mirror). In the center of the bolt is a cross point that a Phillips or JIS screwdriver can also fit. This gear is very fine and it takes more than a few turns to make the adjustment. You might take a flashlight and a mirror to locate the adjuster first.

Click to expand...

Did you mean that the adjustment is inside the grey like adjustment? As circle in red.

The circle is around where the wire harness plugs into the adjuster.

The nut that you turn to make the adjustment is light grey and located at 3 o'clock on the pictured headlight. It actually should point down or else there is no way to get a tool on it.

Look at this thread.........

Helmetbox said:

The one using a socket wrench of 10 or 8mm is for the motor aim right? I'm trying to locate the bike vertical adjustment as per the workshop manuals which indicate it can be adjusted using a Philip screw driver

Click to expand...

That's the one. It can also be adjusted with a hex key. CCW is up and it takes a few turns to see the difference.
iirc it's maybe 12mm socket maybe 6mm hex key or phillips take your pick.

It's NOT the thing circled in red.

st1300r said:

That's the one. It can also be adjusted with a hex key. CCW is up and it takes a few turns to see the difference.
iirc it's maybe 12mm socket maybe 6mm hex key or phillips take your pick.

It's NOT the thing circled in red.

Click to expand...

hmm.. based on the photo, are you refering to the yellow circle or the top red circle?

https://www.st-owners.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=94096&d=1300211229

In yellow. Remember the one in the picture has the adjuster pointed to the 3 o'clock position. Yours is probably at 6 or 7 o'clock. You can see it with a mirror from underneath but peering behind the handlebars finds the adjuster bolt hidden behind a piece of the frame that supports the fairing.

dduelin said:

In yellow. Remember the one in the picture has the adjuster pointed to the 3 o'clock position. Yours is probably at 6 or 7 o'clock. You can see it with a mirror from underneath but peering behind the handlebars finds the adjuster bolt hidden behind a piece of the frame that supports the fairing.

Click to expand...

roger. According to service manual, it indicated to turn Clockwise to move the beam up. But some said counter.. Will try it out later

Managed to adjust the headlight aim up. However, I do not dare to adjust higher as the adjustment screws seem to become looses and looses.

I failed a warrant of fitness this morning because my LH light was to high.15 mins on this site and light adjusted, new warrant. This is what I love about this forum some one has an answer, you just have to ask or look. Thanks to everyone who contributes

Cobie said:

I failed a warrant of fitness this morning because my LH light was to high.15 mins on this site and light adjusted, new warrant. This is what I love about this forum some one has an answer, you just have to ask or look. Thanks to everyone who contributes

Click to expand...

Indeed a good forum manage to install my FZ1 fuse box and also adjusted my headlight all frm information at this site.

Please accept my apologies if this has already been documented in other threads but I checked them and can't seem to pinpoint this Question: The white adjusters address the horizontal positioning of the bulbs...I got that. My question is; which way do you turn the adjusters to make the bulbs/reflectors go either right or left? CCW will adjust them go left or CCW will adjust them right? If you understand what I am asking. I have twisted them both ways and really can't seem to see any difference in getting my right headlight out of the ditch. I have checked to make sure the bulbs are seated properly. My left reflector seems to be set back further than the right (when looking at the assembly from the front). I make this observation from the gap between the reflector and the housing. I noticed this when I was trying to gauge that gap to determine if the reflector was moving while trying to adjust the horizontal position.

Any help or guidance is much appreciated.

Ride Safe. It's gonna be a LONG winter!

Helmetbox said:

....According to service manual, it indicated to turn Clockwise to move the beam up. But some said counter.......

Click to expand...

Somebody knows for sure which way to rotate the adjuster for moving the beam DOWN?

MidLife said:

Somebody knows for sure which way to rotate the adjuster for moving the beam DOWN?

Click to expand...

Park near a wall, say 15’ or less, and get to it. You’ll see movement of the beam up or down against the wall.