Higgins Tail Light

[Kelpie3]

Hello All,

I am wanting to fabricate a taillight for my Higgins. I found a thread on this site where a guy made one and it's the way I would like to go with mine. My rack is different as the bike is the model with turn signals and a brake light. All I really want to do is build a taillight (unless someone can come up with a way to make it like the original). My machining skills stop at tin snips, JB Weld and pop rivets, making me not very adept at metalwork.

Anyway, Here is the thread that I found. I need to make a light that will operate like this one, and my rack also has the side lenses.

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=31790&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

I'll post some more pictures when I figure out how to post pics.

Thanks,

 

[XC204]

Kelpie3 what I did was to trace the old light assembly and create a new one to hold the modern taillight in a position that would shine through the existing lense. If you do not have that part what I would do is :
1) take off the rack from the bike

2) chose what type of lights you want to use and test fit under rack
a) modern blinky light harder to wire a remote sw to I have a hole that my
finger fits into to turn it on no extra batterys or sw to wire
b) a led marker lamp from walmart or auto store needs 12 batt ,does not flash
easy to remote sw and batt in tank. An auto flasher for led bulbs could be used
c) conventional bulb auto or flash light with matching sockets auto store or salvaged
from old toys or flashlights auto bulbs 12v flashlight bulb dependant may be
harder to mount.

3) trace the shape of the bottom of the rear part of the rack. Slim this tracing up to fit the
inside dimension of the rack. Cut a card board template cut and fit till you have the
shape that fits

4) decide how to mount it..original screw holes like I did or get inventive.

5) use your template to trace onto plastic, thin plywood 1/8 or sheet metal. cut with
proper tool.

6) mount lights you can use hardware store angle brackets, thin alun strips ment for gutter
hanging , wood blocks any thing that fits and you can work with the tools you have.

7) wire the lights if that type is chosen

Good luck and have fun

By xc204 at 2010-10-01

By xc204 at 2010-10-01

 

[XC204]

Point of interest the Higgens light I had was pretty trashed but it had one interesting feature an
Inertia brace light switch its the rectangular thing on the left of the battery compartment. Had
a ballbearing that rolled forward on braking and brightened the light by bypassing the resistor
in series with the light.

By xc204 at 2010-10-01