Subject: The Prince of Darkness Speaks
From: "Chris BeHanna" <behanna@fast.net>
Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2000 10:48:51 -0400 (EDT)

	On Saturday, I commenced to pulling the fairing from the R-bike
to find out why I had no working headlight.  Those of you who have
been following along already know the following:

	* both sides of the main light switch saw +12V when the switch
	was on (i.e., it's not the switch)

	* the passing lamp worked (i.e., it's at least not the high beam
	filament of the bulb)

	* I had a good ground connection from the headlight (nice "beeep"
	from the continuity tester when touching the ground lead and the
	frame)

	* the two pins on the connector that plugged into the fairing
	on the pigtail that came out of the headlight shell had 0V
	when the main light switch was on, even though I had +12V
	coming out of the switch.

This points inexorably to something inside the headlight shell.  That
something was a $16.50 BMW headlight relay.  Apparently, I had some
huge resistance in there, because I had continuity where I was
supposed to have it, but I didn't have voltage (i.e., the line coming
from the main light switch was +12V, but the tap for the wire that
goes to the headlight switch was 0V, even though the two taps had
continuity).

	Because the drive to Heritage BMW in McKeesport, PA *sucks* from
where I currently live, I bought two.  The replacements,
interestingly enough, are stamped "Made in Ireland".  I also snagged
a spare clutch cable and a spare set of valve cover gaskets.

	The headlight works now.  :-)

	I am contemplating sawing a hole in the "inside" of the fairing,
just in front of the headlight shell, and using a velcro'd cover to
keep the weather out.  This way, I could pop the headlight shell out
of the fairing and gain access to the original headlight shell
without going through the gymnastics of pulling the fairing (six
hoseclamps, one damned-near-impossible-to-reach nut and bolt, plus
the engine guards).  I have to look and see if this will harm the
rigidity of the fairing.  If so, then I have to brace it somehow
(crossed pieces of flat iron?).

Chrispy