Bates Style Headlight Identification?

Hey Team,

Wondering if someone can recognize this 5-3/4" bucket. Not sure where I got it; probably some long ago swap meet. I don't have the ring for it, but would like to pick one up somewhere.

No names anywhere, no high beam blue dot, and the shape of the tabs inside the bucket don't match anything that pops up with a prodding of the Googles. The most obvious variability seems to be the mounting tabs, so here's some pics of those.

Any guesses?

If it's a Bates, it will be stamped into the shell.

Possibly Drag Specialties or Custom Chrome brand.

No names stamped anywhere, and doesn't appear to be a genuine Bates.

The tabs don't match the ones on Drag Sp., Custom Chrome (hadn't heard of that one, thanks), nor Emgo.

I imagine there's only a handful of headlight bucket companies that make them for the dozens of brand names.

t ingermanson said:

No names stamped anywhere, and doesn't appear to be a genuine Bates.

The tabs don't match the ones on Drag Sp., Custom Chrome (hadn't heard of that one, thanks), nor Emgo.

I imagine there's only a handful of headlight bucket companies that make them for the dozens of brand names.

Click to expand...

One of my first jobs in the metal trade industry was a Stamping and deep drawing shop… And they had been in business a long time. Some of the relics up in the attic included search lamp, housing's automotive lamp, housing, etc..
Those headlamp housings could've been used on trucks, tractors cars, and so many other things. During the explosive growth of the Motorcycle industry in the early 70s a lot happened

concours said:

One of my first jobs in the metal trade industry was a Stamping and deep drawing shop… And they had been in business a long time. Some of the relics up in the attic included search lamp, housing's automotive lamp, housing, etc..
Those headlamp housings could've been used on trucks, tractors cars, and so many other things. During the explosive growth of the Motorcycle industry in the early 70s a lot happened

Click to expand...

Yes. For sure. An ebay search is mind numbing. Cars and trucks from the teens through the 30s, motorbikes from 50s to the present all had similar buckets, so it's a needle in a field of haystacks. This one's rubber is pretty fresh though, so I don't think it's that old.

BUT.... I think I just found it:



The inside of the tabs match perfectly. Apparently a genuine Harley part from a 2006 Night Rod. Of course, it's the ugliest Harley (no offense to the Night Rod owners of the world).

Thanks!