Fixing the headlight rattle on the VTX

With Riley's site closing I spoke with him and he is allowing me to repost his info as a way to archive the info and keep it from disappearing off the net. Many thanks to him for always offering this info to us VTX riders and many thanks to the people who helped compile this info in the first place.

Fixing the headlight rattle on the VTX
Courtesy of Riley

Let me preface this article by linking to this product. This tech article was written years before that kit was available for fixing the problem. You can read the evaluation I've done on the headlight dampener kit and the article below and make your own decision on which you'd like to use.

Some of us out here have gotten the infamous "headlight rattle". While the dealer can fix the problem, they are essentially doing the very same thing we are. I'd trust me working on my bike a little more sometimes. Easy 5 minute fix.

Here's the fix. Remove the screws holding the the headlight into the bucket and remove the headlight. At the bottom of the headlight bucket you will see a tab extending out, this is where you take about a 1" piece of two sided tape (or a clear piece of rubber tubing slit to be a flat piece) and cut a slit into the length of the tab. Place the tape over the slit and replace headlight.

Pic from Biglry

while you are in there, do yourself a favor and get something to keep the wiring in there from rattling around. I used, believe it or not, that fake snow (not the spray stuff - the stuff that is like fiberglass insulation kind of stuff) you use at Christmas time. It has some heat resistant qualities, although I don't know that it is an issue, and it works very well.

Between the two mods, I haven't had any further problems for 2000 miles now.