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Interpretation ID: nht68-1.14

DATE: 03/15/68

FROM: AUTHOR UNAVAILABLE; David A. Fay; NHTSA

TO: Gruppe Autoelektrik

TITLE: FMVSS INTERPRETATION

TEXT: Thank you for your letter of March 7, 1968, to Mr. George C. Mield, concerning the requirements for motorcycle headlamps as specified in Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108.

On motorcycles Standard No. 108 permits the use of unsealed head-lamps conforming to SAE Standard J524. You will note that this SAE Standard(Illegible Words)not reference bulb sockets conforming to SAE Standard J567, which is intended to insure functional compatibility between bulb sockets and the bulbs lasted in SAE Standard J573. Therefore, the bulbs used in motorcycle headlamps conforming to SAE Standard J584 need not conform to SAE Standard J573.

Thank you for writing.

Sincerely,

US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration National Highway Safety Bureau Attention George C. Nield Acting Director

Subject: Safety Standard 108

Dear Mr. Nield,

With your letter of July 10, 1987, you informed me that secondary and related SAE standards are indirectly part of the above-mentioned standards.

I have concluded from your statement that employment bulbs according to SAE standard J573 is compulsory from the date of entering into force of standard 108.

A special problem is the design of motor cycle head-lamps to conform with the new safety standard 108 of January 1, 1969.

Indeed, safety standard 108 prescribes for motor cycle headlamps SAE standard J 584 of April 1964. This standard relates to J 575 d of August 1967. Both standards allow in principle unsealed units for motor cycle headlamps.

However, in the next related standard J 573 "lamp bulbs and sealed units" no appropriate bulb can be found suitable for unsealed headlamps.

Therefore I feel that also for motor cycle headlamps only sealed units are permitted from January 1, 1969.

I should be very grateful to have a rapid answer from you since we have no more much lead time for redesigning and re-tooling our motor cycle headlamps.

Sincerely yours, ROBERT BOSCH GMBH Gruppe Xutoslektrik,