Headlight Adjustment and Maintenance

Headlight Adjustment
One common complaint from riders of the Ninja 500R is that the headlight is "too dim" or "doesn't illuminate enough area." Many of us opt to replace the headlight bulb with an aftermarket unit, but before you reach for your credit card you should adjust your headlight aiming. It is a very common problem on this bike (and others) that the headlight is not properly aimed from the factory. Often, the headlight is aimed all the way down, and so the patch of light is thin and narrow, and only 15-20 feet in front of the bike. There is a knob to aim the headlight up/down which will alleviate this problem.


 * 1. Ride to a level parking lot on a dark night
 * 2. Take off your right glove, if applicable
 * 3. Turn the steering yolk to the left
 * 4. Reach down to the Headlight Adjustment Knob, pictured below for 2nd generation EX-500's.

For first-generation EX-500's, the vertical and horizontal adjustment is made by turning two small wheels with a small screwdriver, shown in these pictures provided by xfxBaker.

The first picture represents up and down movement The second picture represents side to side movement of the headlamp


 * Turn the knob left or right to aim your headlight up or down. To aim up, turn the knob to the right (clockwise as if you were looking at the knob from under the bike). For 1G EX's, you'll need a small Phillips or flat screwdriver. The white plastic pieces mounted to the back of the headlight are meant to guide the screwdriver to the adjustment wheels; stick the screwdriver into the vertical adjustment guide (as seen in the pictures) and rotate the wheel by levering it with the screwdriver.
 * 6. Take care not to aim the headlight so high as to blind other motorists.

Choosing a Bulb
There are a lot of different headlight bulbs that will fit. I believe that any H4 headlight bulb will fit. The most popular brand over in the forums seems to be the Sylvania Silverstar H4 ST, which can be had for ~$15. I've got one on my bike and the difference between it and the stock bulb is impressive! For $15, this is about the most bang for the buck you can get out of any modification to your bike.

If your stock bulb is damaged or worn out, or if you'd like to replace it with a slightly superior unit, this guide is for you!

What you Need

 * 10mm socket wrench
 * Large (#3) phillips head screwdriver
 * A towel or some rags
 * Blue Loctite
 * Your new headlight bulb

Instructions

 * 1) Remove four 10mm nuts holding the mirrors on and set to the side.
 * 2) Remove two Phillips head screws from the side of the fairing on the bottom of the tank.
 * 3) Remove the two 10mm bolts under the head light.
 * 4) It will take a bit of wiggling to get the faring off the upper fairing stay. Apply a little pressure to spread the upper part (were the mirrors are) wide enough to clear the upper bars.
 * 5) Lay at towel on the front fender (keeps from scratching the fairing and the fender).
 * 6) Pull the fairing forward and down. You will see a red connector (this is the one that is for the front signals). Unplug it.
 * 7) Rest the fairing your knees (while straddling the front wheel and facing the bike) and remove the headlight. This is a bit tricky so take your time and go slow. On some EX500s there is a small handle that is right on the wiring harness. Manipulating this handle would enable you to pull out the bulb. On other EX500s there is a metal wire part that holds the headlight bulb in place into the hole on the headlight assembly. Pulling on the right side of the wire would take it out of its locked place which will free up the bulb.  You can then pull it out. The headlight bulb might be difficult to remove. If this is the case, use a towel to cover the bulb, which allows you to pull harder.
 * 8) Reinstall everything in reverse order- applying the blue locktite to all the bolts and screws that you took out.

The text for this guide was originally written by Spruce, and it appeared Here. I borrowed the text from him and will be adding pictures shortly.

Note: If you are fortunate to have tiny little girl hands, you have probably noticed by now that there are different and sometimes easier [for you!] ways of doing things. I am told that people with tiny hands can reach up under the front fairing and replace the bulbs without even bothering to remove the front fairing. Personally I've got big clumsy man hands, so that is not an option. Hence the above guide.

Original Wiki credit [ShadesOfGray], Transposed by Elsevere