From the Boutique:

Sportster Headlight Conversion

By Dale A.  “Rattler”     June 1999

Just finished up the new headlamp on the 95 883.
What a difference, looks like a Harley from the front instead of a Foreign Bike with that eyebrow thingy.

Couple of notes for anyone who wants to try this:

1. I used a 1200 Custom Headlamp with lower triple tree attach mount. Cost: $146.00, P/N 67881-96 Headlamp--too much.Chrome headlamp mount, P/N 67919-96, cost $33.00

2. I bought the chrome piece for a 1200 Custom. It covers up the eyebrow mount holes on the top triple tree & also hides some wiring. Cost: $37.50, P/N 67861-96

3. Disassembled old headlamp & removed eyebrow.

4. Disassembled the 2-deutsche connectors that are packed away in the old headlamp. See the Service manual for taking a connector apart & freeing up pins.(You have to do this to get all the wiring back in the new headlamp nacelle to hide it away. There is more than enough room.)

5. Remove the 3-wire connector from new headlamp. (That’s all that comes in it is a lead with a 4 pin plug.) I used the old headlamp connector, as it is a lot better constructed than newer ones.) Trust me.

6. The old headlamp has 1, 3/4" hole for the main wiring harness to go into & 1 large hole 1-3/4" for the handlebar control wiring that goes to the Connectors. I took the 1 small hole on new lamp assembly & enlarged from 3/8" to 1-1/4" to pass through all the wiring using a metal grinding bit on a drill  (Protect your Chrome while doing this, by putting a wide piece of mashing tape over the area)

7. Stuffed all the wiring through the new enlarged hole, but first ran it through a rubber grommet bought at local hardware store to seal hole. Re-assembled the 2 deutsche connectors, just used the FM to see what color wires went to what pin numbers on the connectors. Had new lamp assembly tied up to handlebars to hold it up while rewiring. I then hooked deutsche connectors back to each other, 1 gray, and 1 black, male & female & then rewired lamp connector. Zip tied wiring from inside at hole to keep wiring from pulling out, & installed rubber grommet for a perfect seal. Lastly, I installed the lamp into the shell.

8. Jacked the front end up, removed front wheel & fender & enlarged pilot hole I drilled in lower tree during my 10K service. Need a 21/64" bit. The lower triple tree has a solid block of metal at its dead center, perfect to drill through.  Mounted headlamp mount, used 1-1/4" long bolt, course threaded.

9. Attached lampshell to mount & then aligned headlight at 25 feet beaming light dead center at 35" on low beam. Wiring is all pretty well hidden except the instrument package deutsche connector that was hidden behind the old lamp anyway. The new lamp covers it up pretty well. The wiring out of the new lamp is real close too steering head & I think I will wrap it with plastic spiral wrap to prevent chaffing through. About a 6-pack job and you need good light for hooking the wiring back up.  Nothing hard about it, maybe somewhat tedious removing the pins out of the Deutsche connectors. All lights & instruments worked fine first time.

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