Tl* the contact owns a 2003 buell firebolt xb9r motorcycle. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the headlights would not illuminate the road beyond three feet which obstructed the visibility. The failure recurred whenever the headlights were in operation. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 13,000.
2003 Buell Firebolt Xb9r: headlights failing or too dim
15 of the 18 complaints about the 2003 Buell Firebolt Xb9r describe headlights failing or too dim.
- owner complaints
- 15
- of this car's complaints
- 83%
- typical mileage
- 10,579
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 2 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
What owners say
Degraded coating on headlight reflectors starting as black spots which spread. After reflective coating is gone the black plastic reflectors melt. I use oem bulbs.
The chrome/plastic reflector material on the low beam headlight started to degrade. The light reflected at night was dim. The housing absorbed the heat from the light instead of reflecting the light. The headlight was replaced by buell motorcycle company.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 buell firebolt xb9r. The contact stated that the vehicle's headlights are dimming. He replaced the bulbs, but the heat of the headlights cause the bulbs to dim. The vehicle has not been diagnosed. The purchase date was unknown. The current mileage is 25,000 and failure mileage was 10,000.
The low beam headlight was getting progressively dimmer over time. Upon disassembly I found the reflector area to be dull and partially blackened. Any attempt to clean away the black area only enlarged it as the reflector area had turned to powder. I swapped out parts from the high beam to restore the low beam operation. I have not yet determined a course of action to permanently remedy the situation.
I have a 2003 buell motorcycle corporation motorcycle. After suffering a problem where my headlight dimmed considerably and is basically useless at night. After consulting an internet forum I belong to, it appears that there are numerous complaints of this problem and the interior lining of the light disintegrating as part of a manufacturing flaw. Apparently this has been brought to the manufacturer's attention with no interest or intent on resolving this safety issue.
Motorcycle headlamp loss of reflective material resulting in poor lighting. Make: buell model: xb9r year: 2003.
Headlights getting dimmer and dimmer, found headlight inner housing chrome plating peeling off. No fix except to buy new headlight assemblies. This also happened to the new assemblies in several months. Buell chat sites confirm that all/most xbr models develop this problem making travel at night unsafe.
Reflective coating in headlamp assemblies deteriorate with the excessive heat and cause poor visibility and illumination.
Lighting from headlights go dimmer and dimmer after a few months. Inside the headlight assembly they used only chrome paint for reflecting light out of the headlight assembly. Over time the part wears out because of heat from the light. So there is no more reflecting of light out of the assembly. This in turns makes the headlights go dimmer and dimmer over time.. Can't see when driving at night because of not enough lighting..
The reflective housing in the headlights degrade within a year making it nearly impossible to see at night. Buell does not sell the housing separately and requires that you purchase the entire low beam assembly. The parts are the same in both models (xb9r and xb12r) for every year firebolt (2003 to present).
Headlight housing reflective coating degrades over time to the point where it is unsafe due to poor lighting. Hit a piece of concrete on the interstate because I could not see it in time. Did not crash luckily, but it bent the front rim and I lost the air in the front tire.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2003 Buell Firebolt Xb9r headlights
Is headlights failing or too dim a common problem on the 2003 Buell Firebolt Xb9r?
15 of 18 owner complaints about the 2003 Buell Firebolt Xb9r (83%) mention headlights failing or too dim.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2003 Buell Firebolt Xb9r?
There are 0 recalls and 2 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
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