Richard's ST2 pages - headlight

Information on this page last updated 11/13/02.

The headlight bulbs can be accessed after the upper fairing is removed. The bulbs are a standard 55W H1 for the high beam and a 55W H3 for the low beam. These are available at most auto parts places for significantly less than most Ducati dealers will charge. A couple of folks on the ST2 owners list have replace the high beam with a 100W bulb and report no problems with overheating or overloading the charging system.

Another interesting tip from the list was to remove the low beam deflector plate. The later headlights are a bit different and do not have this, but the early ones have a metal plate on a bracket that cuts off the top of the low beam pattern. This can be removed through the bulb hole, there is a single screw to remove and then the plate can be fished out with a magnetic pick-up tool. The result is that the low beam is not cut off so sharply and it projects a bit farther into corners when leaned over.

Several ST2 Owners list members have reported headlight "fogging." In my case it was definitely not moisture, but a dry, milky film on the inside of the lens. Very similar to what you get on the inside of the windows in a new car, and in that case you just clean it off and it eventually stops coming back after all of the plastic bits finish offgassing. This also happened to me on some car headlamps, cleaned them with glass cleaner and the problem never returned. I'm hoping for the same with my ST2 lens. I removed it, poured in some Windex glass cleaner, swished around, rinsed with water, and let dry. Not perfect but much cleaner than it was. This "fix" has lasted over a year now.

If you are getting condensation, as in water vapor, perhaps the rubber boots over the light bulb holes are not fully seated.

The above tips will help get the most out of the stock setup, but it really is not that great of a setup if you ride a lot in the dark. I have seen a number of STs set up with aftermarket driving lights mounted on the fairing, mirror stalks, and even fork legs but they all look a bit odd. I think the ultimate lighting upgrade is to replace the headlamp assembly altogether. Paul Geller offers an outstanding replacement that has received nothing but rave reviews from those that have tried it. Works great and looks great as well. Check it out at his site Ducati Designs.

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