Page 104 - Motoring World (January 2020)

TALK WRENCH
BULB REPLACEMENT
LET THERE
BE LIGHT
We look at how you can get your
bike lights working again
Diagnosing why the lights aren’t
working on your motorcycle might
seem like a daunting task. It might
seem like a dark art, even. But it
needn’t be, if you know what you’re
doing and what to look out for
and where.
Without any fancy tools, one
can roughly narrow down the root
cause of your bike failing to dispel
the darkness in front of it most of
the times, unless it is a serious
failure that would need professional
intervention.
Here’s how you can diagnose
faults in the lighting system in five
easy steps:
Tools :
Your bike’s tool kit, some sand paper,
one long wire that is stripped and
twisted on both ends
Procedure:
• Put your motorcycle on the main
stand upon firm, level ground in
neutral and start it.
• Switch on the lights and locate
which ones are not working.
Check if all fuses are in good
order and if any are fused,
replace them before proceeding
any further.
• If no current is observed at
• Open the lights with the
screwdriver provided in the tool
104 MOTORING WORLD | JANUARY 2020
SMOKING HABIT
I just bought a second-hand R15 V
1.0 a month ago and have noticed
dense white smoke emanating from
the exhaust. I initially thought that
it wasn’t serious, but the smoke
appears to be getting denser and
denser as the days go by. What’s the
problem and how do I get rid of it
permanently?
Kishore Gupta
Hi Kishore,
Judging from the description of
the problem afflicting your R15,
I am sorry to say that it seems
like the coolant is getting into
the combustion chamber. This is
a serious concern and could be
caused due to a blown head gasket
or a cracked head. Please take this
to the closest Yamaha authorised
workshop at the earliest to have it
checked out and rectified. Riding the
bike in this condition might cause
irreversible damage to the motor.
attaches with the main loom.
Disconnect the sockets and
this time, connect the wire to
the socket emerging from the
loom and check for current by
kit. Remove the bulb and check sporadically grounding it on to
the filament. If it is broken, an unpainted metal part of the
replace it. If it still doesn’t work, body like a nut and the like. If a
or if it wasn’t fused in the first spark is observed, it means that
place, take the wire and touch it all is well till this point and it is
on to one of the contacts of the the wiring from the light itself
bulb and lightly touch the other that needs to be checked.
end on to a non-painted metal
part of the bike. If sparks are • If current is not observed at
seen, it means that the current the socket emerging from the
is reaching the bulb holder. loom, check the switch by
Lightly paper the contacts of the disconnecting it and connecting
bulb holder and the bulb itself one that you are certain is
and the light should working. If the light works,
start working. it means that you need to
change the switch on the bike.
If not, you might need to get
the holder, move backwards a mechanic to look at you
to where the light wiring motorcycle. ■