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F4 headlight incorrect spec

13K views 79 replies 18 participants last post by  Donsy 
#1 ·
Hi guys my 312r has just failed its first UK MOT due to having a non UK spec headlamp ( to say im disappointed is an understatement ) :banghead: i have had the bike from new and the light is as fitted from the factory ...has any one else had the same problem ?

chris
 
#2 ·
Is the bike an import? Did you get it from DK Motorcycles? They specialise in imported bikes at lower prices.
It could be just that the light is pointing towards the wrong direction for European right hand side driving in which case it can be easily re-aligned. I would take it back from where you got it and get them to correct and re-mot it for you.
I have a 2007 F4 1000R and it has had a few mots without any issues.
Danny
 
#5 ·
My non import 2000 F4 750 had quite a few Mots, that is until you take it some where more fussy/they care to do there job well. As the new owner of this bike I was warned that I had the European head light, I contacted the MV dealer I got it from(who had incidently just given it a new full mot upon my request) and they supplied free the correct UK internal beam projector(the important internal part).

I don't know if MV made a mistake back then in 2000, or were desparate to fulfill the orders and knew what they were doing. One thing the dealer said was that they still had some of these Uk spec parts left, so I suspect a batch was sent over, maybe just to sort out this problem?
 
#4 ·
Well, whatever the problem, it is the dealers responsibility to sell a UK bike which meets UK law and if they didn't specify that it was not a UK bike then they should correct the problem free of charge (and pay for the re-MOT)..I wouldn't accept anything less!
Good luck buddy!

Danny
 
#7 ·
there are three different version of the head lamp:

right hand drive
left hand drive
and USA (does that mean they drive all over the place?)

as far as i can read the parts catalog, it should be
part number 800094522 for left hand drive, which
you have to replace in your lamp, or 800094507
for the full headlamp.
 
#9 ·
I can remember purchaseing my first F4 750 from DK Motors, that too failed its first MOT, however I took it back to DK Motors and they said it wasn't a problem, theres a small reflector inside the head light unit to one side of the light/bulb that requires removing and then fixing on the opposite side. DK carried out the work and I got it though the MOT at another garage.:) Hope that helps if not give DK a call I'm sure they'll be very helpfull, In fact now I think about it a friend of mine who didn't purchase his MV from DK called them with the same problem, they said take the head light unit of and bring it down to the garage and we'll change it while you waite for a small charge.
 
#10 ·
The MOT is due on my 2009 312r in 1 months time and just checked and the light beam flicks up to the right :-( so looks like I have the same problem. Looks like a call to the dealer on Tuesday along with the inevitable comment from them along the lines well someone must have changed it at some point in the last 3 years......
As the original dealer was DK I hope that they just post me a UK one. We will see on Tuesday..
 
#14 ·
If This helps..This is a UK LOw Beam projector unit from an F4.

From right to left :-

Polyelipsoid reflector ( Bulb fits into here ) Light is focused forward towards the lense
Housing and " Shade" This shields the right side from glare and prevents light from being thrown skywards
Converging lense..This focuses the lightbeam at some point forward of the bike.

The shade is at the bottom of the housing..and the deflector to shield the right side is on the left. Why ?
My theory is because converging lenses also invert the image projected a bit like the lens in your eyes.

I'd very much like somebody who paid attention in physics to sharpen this up a bit for us ; )

joe
 

Attachments

#70 · (Edited)
An old thread Joe, but do you have a bigger photo of the UK deflector ?
Will take mine apart tomoz, it was done my DK many moons ago.

During a recent trip with a UK MV, it was like dipped beam vs high beam, totally different patterns, somethings not right in there unless the lenses changed from the S to the 312 ?
*edit, just checked and no change to any part numbers in the headlamp assembly

Cheers
Adam
 
#15 ·
update

i have had a couple of phone conversations with the dealer Bennett that supplied the bike and they have passed on my info to moto gb the importers ...and im waiting for call to sort out the problem .....im not holding my breath ...we shall see what happens i will give them till the end of the week before i take the matter further,my gut feeling is that they will hope i will sort the headlamp out at my own cost....over the last 3 years my 312r has been the most unreliable bike i have ever owned ....would i buy another ....no fu..ing way ....pile of sh.t...low quality over priced and with limited backup ......i have just ordered another Daytona 675 ... at least i will have a decent service from the dealer ,they do break like all machines but parts are readily available and they do look after there customers
 
#16 · (Edited)
Chris, I'm surprised at you !

To get the most out of MV ownership..a willingness to turn a few tools and interact/communicate with other owners who are only too willing to help you is useful.

I appreciate that is not everybody's cup of tea and so you have taken your problem to Russ who is a top bloke and will do everything he can to help.

I spent an hour on Saturday dismantling my UK projector unit in order to help you, and another hour reading up on the way these things work. I thoroughly enjoyed this and it is part of the fun of it to learn stuff.

In answer you have come back on the forum and slagged off the bike .... I don't want any medals but if somebody had put themselves out for me, I'd be saying " cheers and thanks" and stuff like that..

peeps will help you but that's not the way to go about it..

Joe
 
#19 ·
Joe please don't be offended your help is welcome thank you but manufacturing companies should look after their customers and provide a basic level of service and in the case of mv a premier brand go above and beyond the call of duty ..... Even more important in the current economic climate.....what ever the product it should be fit for purpose my BMW m3 has never let me down I have had her for 10 years ,just services brake disks and rubber ...quality product would I buy an other...yes when its worn out ..
 
#21 ·
It's ok Chris. I'm not at all offended as I empathise with your frustration.

What I'm trying to say is that perhaps the only way to get the best out of MV ownership is through networking and alot of owner imput.

I also fully respect your right to a decent product as you paid a significant amount of ££ for it under contract...

I also now will be checking my 312 and I'll take it in to my local MOT service centre and have the light tested..It will be interesting to see how that turns out,,,

Anything I can do to help please pm me give a call on 07875 299281..

( I was quite proud of the surgery I did on Saturday ; ) ....)

joe
 
#22 ·
If you can get it done under warranty Chris ( and you should ) then go down that route as it is a tit of a job putting a projector into a headlamp shell...Bit like putting the proverbial ship in the whiskey bottle ! and that is after consuming said whiskey ; )

joe
 
#26 ·
I have spoken to Moto BG they are going to sort the head lamp out through my dealer apparently the problem was that when under the ownership of Harley Davidson production wasn't managed as well as it could have been and they used the parts available to build bikes to meet demand unfortunately UK specific headlamps are out of stock at present so watch this space
 
#27 ·
Chris,

Ask them if the lamp is going to be modified or replaced or just the projector replaced...

Don't want to worry you unduly but speaking as one wot has wandered down the MotoGb trail of tears in the past ( and lost 12 months use of bike )..I can't help but think you are about to be severely P'd about...

Joe
 
#28 ·
Chris, I have just tested the lamp I took apart over the weekend and it is definitely UK beam pattern with a kick up to the left not to the right.

If you want it you can have it on loan and ask Russ to fit it maybe ? while you are waiting for a replacement..I don't mind if I get this one back or the replacement..

Just floating the idea your way..

joe
 
#29 ·
Hi, just spoke to DK about my headlight and agreed that I would strip off the offending LHD item, send it to them and they would supply a proper UK drive on the correct side of the road unit so I can fit and hopefully keep mr MOT and the other drivers happy. I tell you how it turns out.

I would prefer to wrestle the ship into the bottle myself than rely on others, as been at the receiving end of hammer merchents in the past.

Kev
 
#33 · (Edited)
I don't know if this is any help to some one, but if any one wants my euro spec projector their welcome, that way perhaps someone can send it off to be sorted/replaced whilst still having one in their headlight?

I found no real problem riding with it, being told it's not as important as a car's being wrong.
Some MOT centres will pass the euro projector, my last one did with a warning to get it sorted, which I did

The light on the MV even with the wrong unit in place was the best light I have had on a bike, I hav'n't ridden in the dark yet with the new unit.
And your right joe about fitting them, my mech said it was a real sod!
 
#35 ·
The light on the MV even with the wrong unit in place was the best light I have had on a bike, I hav'n't ridden in the dark yet with the new unit.
Mines not, I've an issue with mine as well, (2001 / F4 750) on dip beam mine is crap. My CG125 is better.
I've tried adjusting it which helped a bit but the next step was to post something on here but this thread may be answer as I think it does kick to the right.

Its almost like someone's fitted the bulb the wrong way. Looks like I'm
in for fiddling :)
 
#36 ·
I wouldn't mind a loan of it so I can prove for definite which is the correct shade inside it. You can have it back then. I may get some of the correct shades made too..

: )

Joe
If your serious joe then PM me with your postal address, I wonder what these units actually cost, prob alot, does anyone know? I am gonna guess at £200. I got the correct replacement free and am happy to pass this on for free.

If it is of help to you joe/others then once arrived you may as well keep it incase you find a good home/use for it at some point and just pass it on, seen as it's heavy that saves on us both coughing out on the postage!

Regards,
Bert.
 
#39 ·
Sorry guys, been away from the forum for a while.


Having imported my bike from England to Germany, I'm pretty sure I'm going to have problems passing the TUV (MOT) next year as I have the wrong deflector installed.


Would love to take you up on the offer of the Euro spec. deflector BUT mine's a MY2010 - what model are we talking about here??

If anyone else can help, or if anyone knows of the cheapest and fastest way to get the correct part, I would really appreciate the help. I'm not exactly falling over good MV dealerships here in Northern Germany.
 
#40 ·
Cheapest and fastest way is to find somebody who is breaking that MY. I am having an on running battler with MOTO GB and MV reference my headlight and it is annoying as I am not in the country to sort it out.
 
#41 ·
When i bought my F4 750 many years ago the guy i bought it off warned me it had a crap headlight on dip and that he had had it back a couple of times and the dealer who sold it said they couldn't find anything wrong with it, it was an import.
Anyway it was crap but I didn't ride much at night so I wasn't too bothered. Had afew probs at MOT time but kicked up a fuss and it passed.
one late summer night it was almost dark I rode down a country lane where the trees met overhead and formed a tunnel and i noticed how brightly lit they were which I found rather starnge,
I stripped the light down and the projector was upside down,
I stripped it put it back together correctly and suddenly I had a light that worked
 
#43 ·
The deflector inside the projector was probably reversed left to right and not upside down. They look upside down and back to front but the lense ( Biconvex I think reverses the image and focuses the beam at the appropriate distance in front of the bike..

Have a look earlier in the thread where I dismantled a projector unit..

joe
 
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