early tailight on an 850

by **pelican** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 1:34 pm

could always sell your fender, and buy a used one of the other type

by **britbike220** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 1:42 pm

I know it may sound weird, but I want to keep the original in case I want to change back. WOW, I just looked on ebay and with a few minutes left there was a stainless 850 rear fender I scooped up. Guess karma is on my side today. I still wish there was an alternative to drilling holes. I suppose if I had a lathe and mill at my disposal and time to think it through a bracket of sorts could be made for this sort of application, but my garage is so small I almost don't have room for my bikes.

by **swooshdave** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 2:32 pm

britbike220 wrote:I have the same norvil stuff as you Dave. the bracket is crap. I had to dremel the top to fit the light. Anyway I am still at work and when I get home I'll take pictures of both mounting points and fender. At this point I am thinking Ill have to drill two extra holes which means I will have to buy another stainless fender if I can find one. I'll post back in a bit.

I had to "adjust" the fairing too. I'd still like to see to see the 850 and 750 fairings side by side. I was thinking that with some fiberglass and a bracket you could make it work.

by **pelican** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 2:36 pm

Before I cut up the 750 one to add to my 850 one- the 750 one is longer by an inch or so, the mounting was different as talked about earlier,the 750 one weighs at least twice as much, and there was another difference but I forget it

by **britbike220** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 3:02 pm

Hey Dave, I think something could be done as well, but like I said I don't have the tools to fabricate custom parts. Here are a couple of pics I added to the others of both lights together. The 750 is longer, but where they go over the loop is about the same distance. Looks like the big difference is length off the back where the lens is. This would cause the extra weight and stress.

http://community.webshots.com/album/577899521yOdszS

by **swooshdave** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 4:39 pm

britbike220 wrote:Hey Dave, I think something could be done as well, but like I said I don't have the tools to fabricate custom parts. Here are a couple of pics I added to the others of both lights together. The 750 is longer, but where they go over the loop is about the same distance. Looks like the big difference is length off the back where the lens is. This would cause the extra weight and stress.

http://community.webshots.com/album/577899521yOdszS

Great pictures! Sorry you use Webshots. :wink:

So... to put the 750 light on the 850 fender wouldn't you just use the forward two bolts and then the lower two on the license plate bracket? It seems like a bad compromise but it would work, no?

by **britbike220** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 4:58 pm

I opened a webshots account a few years ago and never checked anything else out and post pics of bikes and crap once in awhile. I think unless the 75- housing is secured good and tight the vibration will destroy the new tail light housing. I think the plate bracket is going to self destruct anyway, very cheap and flimsy in my opinion. I know what kind of bracket may work, home made and simple, but like I said I don't have a lot of fabrication tools. If I can find some good thin steel plate I will try and make what I think will work up. Even though I found an extra fender I think it would be good practice to make a bracket for future owners to possibly use. A simple single piece of metal bent right with three holes drilled will work, I think. Maybe I can make a mock piece up out of aluminum to see if it'll fit.

by **tpeever** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:21 pm

Here's another option for you. This is a copy of the Bates tail light housing that I bought from Old Britts a few years ago. It came unpolished and I polished it myself. You might be able to buy an original on eBay. The tail light unit is a copy of the Lucas 564.

by **britbike220** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:44 pm

I wish I'd of seen a picture of that installed before I bought the 750 parts. You have a picture of the whole bike from the side?

by **pelican** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:56 pm

Isn't that what coco is looking for?

by **tpeever** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:18 pm

britbike220 wrote:I wish I'd of seen a picture of that installed before I bought the 750 parts. You have a picture of the whole bike from the side?

by **britbike220** » Wed Jun 09, 2010 1:57 pm

That is a beautiful norton.......I had some 1" strips of 14g sheet metal cut today and think I can get by with drilling one smaller hole centered below the original mount hole. Beats trying to drill two perfect holes in my stainless fender. I will have to make a recess in the fiberglass for the bolt head to sit in so I can get the bracket radius to form close enough to draw the fender in.

by **britbike220** » Fri Jun 18, 2010 2:06 pm

OK I have a bracket made, an extra stainless fender and finally the screws I was waiting on to put my 71 tail light on my 850. Now I have a wiring question. The original tail light has three wires and the replacement 71 tail light has only two. I can either have a tail light or a brake light, but not both with the two wires. The third wire on the original looks to be a ground only, but I don't get how I am suppose to get a brake tail combo with two wires? Help anyone?

by **swooshdave** » Fri Jun 18, 2010 2:28 pm

britbike220 wrote:OK I have a bracket made, an extra stainless fender and finally the screws I was waiting on to put my 71 tail light on my 850. Now I have a wiring question. The original tail light has three wires and the replacement 71 tail light has only two. I can either have a tail light or a brake light, but not both with the two wires. The third wire on the original looks to be a ground only, but I don't get how I am suppose to get a brake tail combo with two wires? Help anyone?

I'm guessing on your wire colors but I'd say the Brown/Green is the Tail Light Circuit and the other wire is the Brake (it might be Brown).

by **L.A.B.** » Fri Jun 18, 2010 2:37 pm

britbike220 wrote:The third wire on the original looks to be a ground only, but I don't get how I am suppose to get a brake tail combo with two wires? Help anyone?

I think the early bulb holders only ground through the actual tail lamp unit itself, and the later tail lamps have "proper" ground wire, check how the two tail lamp wires connect to the bulb holder, as the tail lamp assembly should still have a double filament bulb holder with two insulated bulb contacts?

I suggest you run an additional ground from the tail lamp assembly back to the harness or other ground point?

early tailight on an 850

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