So after planning it for a few years, I decided to finally convert my headlight on my Ducati to the newer design. I absolutely hate the original generation 1 design of headlight and I feel like it definitely lets the bike down when it comes to overall appearance.
The first thing I did was I grabbed a new headlight. This cost me $950 from the dealership. I tried to find one used somewhere but absolutely no luck.
The second thing I have to deal with was figuring out a way to make the electrical components work properly. I did not want to have to cut my factory harness which costs $2,000 to replace, and I did not want to cannibalize my original headlight as I am sure somebody could find use for it as a replacement. My solution was to create a direct plug and Play harness for this conversion.
![Asphalt Material property Jewellery Body jewelry Electronic device]()
I did a bunch of research online and I found a company in Great Britain that had the proper connectors to match both my brand new headlight and the original factory connectors on my bike. I used to work for general motors so I had all the crimping tools and experience in making this harness. I created one for my bike and I had parts left over to create one more. That harness is listed on eBay just in case anyone is interested.
The next thing I have to do was figure out a way to mount the headlight to the bike. Obviously the mounting configuration is different from the first gen to the brand new bikes. I ended up creating custom brackets for both the top and the bottom. Both of these brackets utilize the factory mounting locations and also utilize the factory rubber grommets to isolate the new headlight from vibration.
![Automotive tire Motorcycle Motor vehicle Fuel tank Rim]()
![Light Tableware Kitchen appliance Kitchen utensil Automotive design]()
![Tire Wheel Automotive lighting Automotive tire Motor vehicle]()
![Hand Rectangle Automotive exterior Eyewear Bumper]()
![Hood Automotive tire Automotive lighting Bumper Rim]()
I painted the brackets black and I cooked them in my oven for a little bit to make sure that the paint was fully cured. After that, it was just a matter of final reassembly. Everything on the new headlight works exactly as intended. I'm very happy with the way it turned out. I even bought a carbon fiber bezel to match the rest of the bike that way the headlight looks like it actually came from the factory this way.
![Tire Wheel Automotive tire Fuel tank Automotive lighting]()
![Vehicle Automotive lighting White Automotive tire Hood]()
![Tire Vehicle Wheel Automotive lighting Hood]()
I am also pretty happy that I was able to use my original windscreen. It fit absolutely perfectly with the new headlight and the new bezel. That's about it. If you guys have any questions or anything about this project feel free to ask. I will do my best to answer them. Good luck on all your custom projects and modifications.
The first thing I did was I grabbed a new headlight. This cost me $950 from the dealership. I tried to find one used somewhere but absolutely no luck.
The second thing I have to deal with was figuring out a way to make the electrical components work properly. I did not want to have to cut my factory harness which costs $2,000 to replace, and I did not want to cannibalize my original headlight as I am sure somebody could find use for it as a replacement. My solution was to create a direct plug and Play harness for this conversion.
I did a bunch of research online and I found a company in Great Britain that had the proper connectors to match both my brand new headlight and the original factory connectors on my bike. I used to work for general motors so I had all the crimping tools and experience in making this harness. I created one for my bike and I had parts left over to create one more. That harness is listed on eBay just in case anyone is interested.
The next thing I have to do was figure out a way to mount the headlight to the bike. Obviously the mounting configuration is different from the first gen to the brand new bikes. I ended up creating custom brackets for both the top and the bottom. Both of these brackets utilize the factory mounting locations and also utilize the factory rubber grommets to isolate the new headlight from vibration.
I painted the brackets black and I cooked them in my oven for a little bit to make sure that the paint was fully cured. After that, it was just a matter of final reassembly. Everything on the new headlight works exactly as intended. I'm very happy with the way it turned out. I even bought a carbon fiber bezel to match the rest of the bike that way the headlight looks like it actually came from the factory this way.
I am also pretty happy that I was able to use my original windscreen. It fit absolutely perfectly with the new headlight and the new bezel. That's about it. If you guys have any questions or anything about this project feel free to ask. I will do my best to answer them. Good luck on all your custom projects and modifications.
