Monza Square headlight parts.

[averydad]

I am restoring a 1967 250 Monza with the square style body parts. While the main wiring harness seems in tact, all the electrical parts inside the headlight are missing.
The bike came with all the wires inside the headlight rigged with wire nuts and a single toggle switch protruding to turn the ignition off and on. No wiring for lights or horn...ect.

My question is this, what parts do I need to put things back to original ? And what goes where ?
After looking in my parts book, it looks to me that I need a headlight switch or comutator, an ignition switch with key and also the warning lights for charge and lights . Plus a terminal block.
I have a 12mm hole for the main switch. two 10mm holes, one on each side, and a small 6mm hole on the right side behind the 10mm hole. My parts book only shows the round early shell and I can`t figure how to translate the info to the shell I have.

Some detail pictures of an original square Aprilia headlight would be great. Also any leads on locating new or used parts would most apreciated !
Thanks in advance for your help.
Rick

[JimF]

Hi Rick,

If you don't get any photos of the actual Monza square headlight bucket I will email you some of the Mach 1 which I think, based on your description of components) is likely the same or very close.

In the meantime if I see any of the components you need come up on eBay I will point them out to you.

Jim

[averydad]

Thanks Jim,
I was tempted by this ebay listing 280896945819 from Italy
but the arrangement of parts looks way different than mine. Also I notice a toggle switch and no key.
Plus.... in spite of a lot of negative opinions from others, I`m starting to embrace the square look !!
Rick

[JimF]

Holy cow that's a lot of money! Of course the bucket is in good shape, you get a headlight and ring, a speedo and cable etc. but some of what I see makes me think it might not be "original." I've never seen spad connectors in a bone stock headlight bucket.

It'w your money and your call.

Jim

[DewCatTea-Bob]

By: averydad...
" I am restoring a 1967 250 Monza with the square style body parts. While the main wiring harness seems in tact, all the electrical parts inside the headlight are missing.
The bike came with all the wires inside the headlight rigged with wire nuts and a single toggle switch protruding to turn the ignition off and on. No wiring for lights or horn...ect. "

____ This is a common-situation found within a great-number of well-used late-model square-type Monza/Sebring-headlamps ! _ As after the stock circuit-board commonly fails, the owners next-then rig-up their-own substitute-wiring.


" My question is this, what parts do I need to put things back to original ? "

____ Well you may not really wish to do that IF you intend to run with the lights on much...
Cuz the stock-type newer/cheap circuit-board is made of a relatively soft (opaque/white-colored) plastic which melts rather easily when the light-fuse holder heats-up (due to a less than very tight fitting of the fuse) ! - (Which can possibly lead to near complete lights-failure in a relatively short time,, cuz the more the fuse-holder's plastic-mounting melts, the hotter the fuse-holder then becomes, and-so-forth !).
Otherwise, the circuit-board that Ducati used in their 1966-style headlamp-shell to condense the related wiring (as used in the larger pe-66 HL.shell-model), was a good-idea !
I'm no-longer positive but I believe that the earliest of such circuit-boards (which were first-originally employed within the very-first of the 1966-type/square-style headlamp-models), were made of a different substance which did-not have the later/common melting-issue, and IT was either brown or grey in color -(not positive, as I stated).
The more-common/newer-type -(white-colored) circuit-board (of-course whether new or used), will fail sooner or later,, unless the somewhat loose-fitment situation/issue with it's fuse-holders are addressed.


" And what goes where ?
it looks to me that I need a headlight switch or comutator, an ignition switch with key and also the warning lights for charge and lights . Plus a terminal block. "

____ Whether you wish to remain just as stock or install superior parts (which will work much longer), I can well-direct you as to what needs to be done (when you've chosen your preferred parts) !


" My parts book only shows the round early shell and I can`t figure how to translate the info to the shell I have. "

____ That layout is the best to follow, if you decide to bypass making any use of the original/plastic-type circuit-board.
__ Whether you find the related pix (of the square-style/type), or not,, I'll answer any related question you may have on that.



" I was tempted by this ebay listing 280896945819 "

____ Really ? _ So what's temping about it ?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/280896945819?ru ... 26_rdc%3D1
It can't be it's price, and it's not what you need either.


" in spite of a lot of negative opinions from others, I`m starting to embrace the square look !! "

____ While I don't disagree with others as to which style looks most appealing, I-myself prefer the odder-looking squarish-design as well.


Hopeful-Cheers,
-Bob

[averydad]

Hello Bob,
Once again I am in debt to you for sharing your experience. I am not a slave to originality. Especially when it comes to saftey and functionality. I plan to ride the bike five hundred to maybe one thousand day time miles a summer....max. However I would prefer to ride with the headlight on for the small margin of saftey it provides. What advise would you give me for this usage ? As I said, I need everything ! I have the speedo out to Palo Alto for restoration. I have an NOS hex chrome rim along with my reflector and bulb holder, apart from that my headlight is an empty shell !

I`ve read the the Tom Bailey book and his thoughts on a total loss system. While that`s very interesting.... I think I`d rather have a proper electrical system. I`ve also looked at the Electrix 120W generator sold by Classic Ducati UK.
I don`t want to say money is no object....but I don`t mind paying to get the best results. I love this machine and plan to keep it for a long time. I am very eager to get it rolling. I have the hubs and my new Akront rims at Buchanan and the paint work is complete. All that I have to sort is the electrics. Your help is most apreciated !!

As for the ebay listing I included.. the only temptation was the idea of being able to bolt on a complete headlight and be off and running. However I know this is only a fantacy and I`m not really chasing that option. Unless I was to find a square headlight in complete usuable condition.... ??

Cheers,
Rick

[DewCatTea-Bob]

" However I would prefer to ride with the headlight on for the small margin of saftey it provides. What advise would you give me for this usage ? "

____ Setting-up your electrical-system to be effectively the same as that of a 1965-Monza ought to do you well enough, for such minimal/daylight-riding.


" As I said, I need everything !
my headlight is an empty shell ! "

____ Well it seems the most-important part you need for it, is a main/key-switch,, one which happens to have two SEPARATE On/Off circuits. - (One circuit for the ignition & main-power, with the other being just for the charging-light circuit.)
Any stock Monza/Sebring-switch will do,, and if you can't find any switch like that, then most any key-switch could be made to work (however without the charging-light circuit being included). - (If you don't have a stock charging-system black-box, then that added circuit wouldn't matter anyhow.)


" I think I`d rather have a proper electrical system. I`ve also looked at the Electrix 120W generator sold by Classic Ducati UK.
I don`t mind paying to get the best results. "

____ For your stated needs, the stock charging/electrical-system is quite adequate enough.


" All that I have to sort is the electrics. Your help is most apreciated !! "

____ Well then some pix of what you have left of it all, would be helpful,, or at least tell what the colors are of all the wires you have for getting connected-up within the headlamp.
Then I'll next tell you what's all what.


Duke-Cheers,
-Bob

[averydad]

My headlight is a barren waste land. Just an empty shell with the speedo and brackets along with my headlight reflector.
The wires that lead to the headlight are... Green, Purple, Brown , Red, and three black wires. Thats it !
Is there hope for me ?
Rick

[DewCatTea-Bob]

" The wires that lead to the headlight are... Green, Purple, Brown , Red, and three black wires.

____ Well it seems the previous-owner has made the wiring a substantial bit more difficult to get redone simply...
As there shouldn't be any purple-wire, but instead there should be a Gray-wire. _ This being the case which it now actually seems to be, we no-longer can really trust which wire goes to what anymore.
So does your Monza's wire-harness not obviously look to be home-made (rather than stock-Ducati) ?
The three original Black-wires were: a 16-gauge to the horn & brake-light, and a 18-gauge to the horn, and a 18-gauge to the tail-light. _ So do THOSE three wires still connect-up to their original circuit-loads as stock ?
Is there not a White-wire included, going to the ign.coil ?
__ Do you have the stock (rather heavy!) black & gray current-regulator/terminal-box unit (that's supposed to be located under the seat) ?
If so, then check to see which of those wires (that you have going to the headlamp), are connected to that box (and if any of the wire-colors match the color-code indicator-tape for the box's six terminals).


Hopeful-Cheers,
-Bob

[averydad]

OK... Here`s what I have.

When I bought the bike it had a toggle switch on top of the headlight. When switched on, the tail light lit and the bike would start and run OK. Also the brake light worked as it should.
I was told the head light worked by the same single toggle, but was not connected in order to save power as the battery was not charging.