A day that will live in infamy

[Skywagon]

My registration is due this month.  I checked all the lights, horn, etc and all was good.  I headed to the inspection station which is a mile away.  Yeah...all good.  Here is your certificate.  About 3 blocks later I get the golden triangle...YEP....low beam is dead.  This one lasted 16,000 miles.  No worries, I have one of the old DR recommended ( no they don't make them anymore) bulbs)  Pulled into my driveway instead of taking the ride I wanted to take.  Three minutes I have the old bulb out, three hours later I'm ready to burn the bike to the ground.  That stupid idiotic, incredibly poor designed wire springs have gotten the best of me.  I have replaced it before with some grief, but today.....no way.  Seriously after 3 hours I managed to hook the retainer on the left, but could never hook it on the right.   YouTube...yep that too.  No help.  My fingers are so raw I can't pick my nose.  I finally gave up after removing tons of tupperware to create space.  I may see if there is YouTube to remove the headlight cluster.  I most likely will take it to the dealer tomorrow, bend over, and confess I can't complete this task.  I did put the wire harness back, put the round cover back, and I do have light....but it isn't in there correctly.

 

Note to self...find the masochist that designed this stupid spring wire system and flog them. 

 

Why cant BMW just use a simple socket type replacement with a simple twist and done.

 

I've been very happy with my Wethead.  Everything has been simple in terms of maintenance and no real issues....but this headlight thing...torture.

[MichiganBob]

Yikes. I've never prayed for a light bulb to last before. If you can't master it Skywagon, I'm surely doomed. It was hard enough on my 03 and 12 RT. Is this configuration worse? My XL cadet palm and stubby fingers do not do well in tight places. Ommm Shanti Ommm.

[JCtx]

Hey, buy a new one. They have LEDs now. Seriously, don't you have a son or daughter with smaller fingers to do it for you? The first clip is the hardest; the second one should be much simpler, even blindly. A dealer might try to charge you an arm and a leg, so ask for a quote first... if you decide to do that. As a side note, I was also surprised to find that crappy system when changing the bulbs on my R, but fortunately for me, removing the headlight is super easy, and without  the need to re-aim it... if you know how to remove it correctly. So I did the swap sitting on my couch... and it was back on in 10 minutes. Good luck.

[wbw6cos]

I think I average 12 or 13k miles on the bulb for my RT.   I also have gotten proficient at R & R of said bulb.   

 

The first failure occurred at FART '20 in Newport.   The best tech-tip I can provide is to unplug the harness first, then work on releasing the clips.  I failed, miserably, to do that; the clips help retain the bulb to allow the harness to be pulled off, which did not come out too easily in the first place.  The bulb will not have room to come out with the harness still on it.  Just sayin' 

 

 I ended up taking it to the nearest dealer to get it replaced.  The service tech advised me that one of the tabs (hooks) that retain the wire clip on one side was bent.  He could only get one side properly hooked.  He stated that it won't go anywhere.    I figured that I bent that hook trying to remove the wire clip, which explains the pain on my thumb.  

 

When I got home, I found a way to pull that hook back into the normal postion, which allowed me to latch the wire clip to it.   Practice, practice, practice.   

[reg26]

I replaced my first one @ 15000 mi and yea it was a PIA but after that I decided to heave dealer do it when I bring in the bike for Valve check which is about the only thing I do not do myself so weather it's shot or not I just replace it every 12K

[RandyShields]

1 hour ago, wbw6cos said:

I also have gotten proficient at R & R of said bulb. 

I have avoided all the frustration and pain with a simple solution -- I just had William replace it for me at FART!  And it was a replacement bulb from Boxflyer that he wouldn't let me pay for.  Took 3 minutes and I was on my way.  Beautiful. Now, I just have to plan on the next bulb failure occurring at a future ART.

[Stiggy]

I installed an LED after the second failure, and I took the front end apart to do that install.

What I learned from finally looking at those retaining wires is that the first time with an H-7 replacement, the install was pretty easy but in the process, I bent the wires in such a way that the next time was a PITA!

They were twisted every which way and small wonder that my fingers couldn't figure them out.

[wbw6cos]

Just hit me up in Newport if you need a bulb swap on your RT.   I park for free and can assist with a bulb swap.

 

[realshelby]

Dave....after my second low beam failure I went LED. Have not touched the low beam since.......

 

First thing is that BMW should be flogged for selling an RT with one miserable halogen low beam lamp. I run low beam 98% of the time, I need to see. I consider the factory lighting borderline unsafe with the single bulb. Next up is the design of the bulb fixture. I will stand by others opinions of that......

 

Even the LED bulb wasn't quite good enough in the end. I finally bought the Clearwater setup and now understand why people are willing to pay that much for them.

[Skywagon]

Thanks Terry.. I’m considering LED but not sure I want to take the front end apart. I wouldn’t attempt it without getting to the headlight module. After reading other post here, I suspect one of the slots is bent, but I don’t know how…. I’m not a bigger hammer kind of guy. 
 

I don’t ride at night anymore unless I just get caught out late. 

[strataj]

On my 14RT I too went LED and took the headlight out of the bike (yes the whole front end comes off) but not one curse word, just some time.  It wasn't that bad.  I never touch it again....  If changing the head light is bad I'd add to the list BMW didn't get right, air filter replacement. 

[Skywagon]

Yep air filter and bulbs are a serious pain… especially the air filter. 
 

Do you actually remove the headlight or just take off enough stuff to get to it?  Does it need to be reaimed?

[duckbubbles]

After destroying my fingertips trying to reseat the "wires from hell" retention system I came up with a solution that works for me.

Take a short (3 inch) 1/4" drive extension and put your smallest 1/4" socket (a 4 or 5mm) on the extension.  Now you have a tool to use.  The loop at the end of the wire fits into the open end of the socket and can be controlled real easy to hook it into it's retainer.  A good flashlight will shed enough light to see with.

I have also considered the eraser end of a pencil.

 

Frank

[Rinkydink]

At least you have a local dealer. 280 miles away for me.  😔

[strataj]

2 hours ago, Skywagon said:

Yep air filter and bulbs are a serious pain… especially the air filter. 
 

Do you actually remove the headlight or just take off enough stuff to get to it?  Does it need to be reaimed?

I removed the headlight, installed the LED on my workbench, fast easy and done right.  It only takes time, see attached.  If you have questions I'm happy to help with details. 

Remove-install complete headlight.pdf

[strataj]

1 hour ago, duckbubbles said:

After destroying my fingertips trying to reseat the "wires from hell" retention system I came up with a solution that works for me.

Take a short (3 inch) 1/4" drive extension and put your smallest 1/4" socket (a 4 or 5mm) on the extension.  Now you have a tool to use.  The loop at the end of the wire fits into the open end of the socket and can be controlled real easy to hook it into it's retainer.  A good flashlight will shed enough light to see with.

I have also considered the eraser end of a pencil.

 

Frank

This image should help. 

[Bernie]

I changed my light bulbs on my 2018 RT to LED, which I bought from Cyclops. It is not cheap, but it works.

[Lowndes]

DAVID!!  WAIT, IT ISN'T THAT BAD!!  BUT,  there area few tricks to it.  REALLY.

 

I've replaces ALL the bulbs on four BMW's and a Honda ST1300 (which was the hardest by far).  The first couple of headlights were terrible experiences for me, too.

 

One of the biggest problems is figuring out how to get a hand up in there.  Stand on your head or hang by you tail, it can be done.

 

Once you know how the little spring clips work, catch and release, AND figure out how to get a couple of fingers in there and on the clips, it's pretty simple.  

 

Two suggestions for learning about the spring clips:

1) If there is a shop around, ask if they have a headlight assembly out with the bulb still in it so you can see it up close and get familiar with which way and how hard to press the spring clips to release.  Or take yours apart.

 

2) put your cellphone camera shutter on voice control, auto focus and auto flash, hold your phone up in there and take pics until you get an idea of what is there.  Sometimes short vids with the cam slowly moving around work well for the 3D effect.

 

This is my R1100S bulb mount:

 

This is William's OEM bulb from FAFT '20 that he describes above with the elec connector still on the bulb base.  Much different hook and clip arrangement, and I may be wrong but I think those two hooks are bent flat (but should be standing up):

 

The BIG TRICK is on the install of the LED bulb.  All the better LED bulbs have cooling fans on the back that WILL INTERFERE with getting the spring clips clipped in properly.  However there is one trick that completely reverses the difficulty.  You said, "Why can't BMW just use a simple socket type replacement with a simple twist and done." NOW YOU CAN DO JUST THAT.  

 

Almost all LED bulbs now come with removable collar/mounts.  This allows them to make ONE bulb with different mounts for everything from H-1 to H-whatever, and allows YOU to "twist and done."  Literally. 

 

Remove the collar/mount from the LED bulb, put the collar/mount in the reflector (with the alignment tabs properly located), clip the spring clips into place in the hooks (MUCH easier this way), then insert the LED bulb into the collar/mount and twist it.  You're done!!

 

 

The H7 Lo beam on my R1100S, collar/mount off, and on:

 

 

 

You can see the twist lock here:

 

 

[Skywagon]

Thanks StrataJ, Bernie, and Lowndes...  I did get the left side hung, put it all together and it works for now.  My fingers should be healed in about 2 weeks.  I've done this before in like 10 minutes so it was troubling.  I think my right side tang is bent  The wire seems to be fine, but it looks like the tang is bent where it can't hook.  I''m not sure how that happened.  Is that tang really so soft I could have bent it with my fingers?

 

I will search and order an LED, but since this bulb is new, I'm going to ride it a while.  The last one (the DR specials) lasted 16,000 miles.  I do have a question about the LED's  I see they come in various lumens.  Here is what I want and don't want.  I want the low beam to be about the same as it is now or maybe just a hair brighter.  I don't want to be that guy coming down the road you confuse with Boxflyer on final approach.  What is the approximate Lumen recommended.  It's impossible to tell from the pictures, but seems like most sites are recommending 4000.

 

Thanks again guys for all the advice and help.  I'm leaving tomorrow to fishing...I won't touch this monster for a few days.  I hope my fingers are well enough to tie on flys.

[Lowndes]

9 hours ago, Skywagon said:

...  Is that tang really so soft I could have bent it with my fingers?...

YES, most certainly.  And when they get bent they can be extremely difficult to impossible to get the spring clip hooked on it.

 

 

9 hours ago, Skywagon said:

I don't want to be that guy coming down the road you confuse with Boxflyer on final approach.  What is the approximate Lumen recommended.  It's impossible to tell from the pictures, but seems like most sites are recommending 4000.

It's more about beam pattern and the tilt of the reflector (which, on many BMW bikes can be adjusted easily with a knob or small lever behind the headlight on the nacelle to compensate for heavy loads like gear or pillion passenger) than the absolute lumens of any bulb.  

 

GO FISHING and have a great time!!  "You can't fish and worry at the same time."  And leave some for others.

[Wayne Johnson]

The best advice i can give with a standard bulb replacement is to walk away before the springs get bent. it goes much better on the second attempt! I took a pic just to understand the postioning of the clips. flexing the horn out of the way slightly helps too. Finished a trip once only using high beam due to frustration. Never went the led route but sounds like the best route. no longer a problem on the 23

[Lowndes]

 

35 minutes ago, Wayne Johnson said:

The best advice i can give with a standard bulb replacement is to walk away before the springs get bent. it goes much better on the second attempt! I took a pic just to understand the positioning of the clips. flexing the horn out of the way slightly helps too. Finished a trip once only using high beam due to frustration. Never went the led route but sounds like the best route. no longer a problem on the 23

 

Wayne -  Totally agree on "walking away" and "second attempt"!! 

 

Kinda like caning a chair bottom for the first time - you'll cuss the dog, kick the cat, and run the wife and young'uns outa the house, and it will take 8 hours on the first one.  The second chair will take about 4 hours, and the rest will be about 1-1/2 hours each.  "Practice makes perfect."

 

It's usually the hooks (part of the bulb mount on the rear of the reflector) that get bent.  They are soft steel, about as stiff as a small paper clip.  The steel wire spring clip could be bent if you worked really hard at it, but it is much stronger (spring steel) than the little hooks.  But, the hooks can be bent back to the original position, too, once or twice.  The problem is knowing what that original position is (or was).  Another reason for taking pics before trying to undo anything.

[ADulay]

Reading this thread brought back a lot of “wonderful” memories of that stupid design for the headlamps.  🤬

 

First time, on the 2006 was horrible.   I got better at it but always dreaded a bulb change.  Future bikes were all the same.  Actually changed two bulbs in Motel 6 parking lots while on separate Sturgis runs.

 

One side of the spring clips just would not go back on.  Very frustrating.

 

On the last bike I would eventually just wind up taking it to the dealer where they would install it during a major maintenance check.

 

The new bike is LED so hopefully I never have to get into that headlamp area again.

 

AD

[JCtx]

I have a related question beneficial to all of us: Could owners using H7 LED bulbs tell us which ones cause absolutely no CANbus issues? I've been reluctant to use them, because most I've seen get reports that they throw codes under certain circumstances (Auxito, etc), but that later go away. That is NOT acceptable to me, unfortunately. I don't care if they're more expensive, but want something that functions like OEM. Oh, and I absolutely wouldn't install any external resistors that require piercing insulation, so need a 100% bolt-on bulb. I think my R has enough space inside the cavity for 2 smallish 'control' boxes. Thank you.

[Stiggy]

The unit I bought from LEDPerf.com specifically stated that the LED would not throw a code, and it doesn't. I'm certain that the well known motorcycles LED manufacturers are the same.

Go to Amazon or EBay though and you're on your own!

[Cap]

I have posted this on the forum before... Here is a small excerpt from the BMW service manual describing the process of replacing a headlight bulb.  Like many of you I attempted bulb replacement without removing all the parts, and I was successful eventually, but it was a many-hour process with much colorful language.

 

When the bulb failed again, I chose to replace with an LED, and I elected to use the BMW recommended procedure.  And I found that there was a minimal time difference between the two methods.  Also, the full procedure allows you to inspect a lot of stuff that is hidden deep inside the "cockpit" and in my case I found a missing grommet that I replaced during the reassembly.  Finally, the LED replacement requires tucking a bulky harness out of the way, and that was a lot easier when the headlight assembly is off the bike.  I don't think I would have been able to get it all squared away without performing the full disassembly process.

 

CapRT_HeadlightRemoval.pdf

 

[Dave_in_TX]

4 hours ago, JCtx said:

I have a related question beneficial to all of us: Could owners using H7 LED bulbs tell us which ones cause absolutely no CANbus issues? I've been reluctant to use them, because most I've seen get reports that they throw codes under certain circumstances (Auxito, etc), but that later go away. That is NOT acceptable to me, unfortunately. I don't care if they're more expensive, but want something that functions like OEM. Oh, and I absolutely wouldn't install any external resistors that require piercing insulation, so need a 100% bolt-on bulb. I think my R has enough space inside the cavity for 2 smallish 'control' boxes. Thank you.

I have had H7 LED bulbs in my GS for about 25k miles without any CANBUS issues

[JCtx]

17 hours ago, Dave_in_TX said:

I have had H7 LED bulbs in my GS for about 25k miles without any CANBUS issues

That's great to hear, but you forgot to mention which one you have. It'd be nice if you share. Thank you.

[Dave_in_TX]

3 hours ago, JCtx said:

That's great to hear, but you forgot to mention which one you have. It'd be nice if you share. Thank you.

Oops, the ones I have are from Audew

[Jimmy2Time]

So this is a timely topic.  As I was riding about the Pacific Northwest US yesterday, I saw the solid yellow triangle and knew I was in for some trouble.  Unfortunately, I was far enough from home that I had to drive about 45 minutes in the dark with the high beams on.  No one complained in traffic coming the opposite way.

My 2018 is relatively new to me and with only 9k miles.  I see all the posts in various forums about bloody knuckles and sliced fingers so I would like to avoid doing this task repeatedly.

I think I want to go LED with the hope that they will last longer and this will be an infrequent maintenance issue. Of course I'm worried about the "conversion kit" and throwing codes.

 

Looking at Stiggy's post about a purchase from LEDPerf.com, I see a couple options.  The "mini size"...

https://www.ledperf.us/led-conversion-kit-bulbs-for-bmw-motorrad-r-1200-rt-2014-2017-mini-size-p-21115.html

 

This seems like a reasonable option. 

Do I have to take the front fairing off to install these like the Cyclops Adventure conversion kit? 

Is this a kit of 2 bulbs or just bulb replacements?  Is there a conversion kit I need to order as well?  I feel like I'm missing something.  Replacement bulbs for $65 seems inexpensive as compared to other kits.

Anyone have experience with this conversion?   Is 4500 Lumens per bulb adequate or over kill?   Does it make a difference if I have headlight pro?

I assume that even with the conversion, I'm looking at future damaged fingers and knuckles.

 

Also, I have installed Skeens on the front and back of my motorcycle.  Perhaps I should consider adding some fog lights as a backup for the inevitable low beam failure.  If you have advice on those, I appreciate it.  I have Ilium Works R1200RT WC Crash Bars that I could attach them to.

 

Edit:  This is how smart I am.  Since I see 2 LED circles on the front of my motorcycle, I thought there were 2 low beam lights. 
A quick inspection of my motorcycle set me straight.  So I only need one light bulb.  I'm still leaning towards an LED solution.  Any helpful advice accepted.

 

 

[Dave_in_TX]

On 2/9/2024 at 2:12 PM, Dave_in_TX said:

Oops, the ones I have are from Audew

More specifically, the H7 360 degree bulb.

[Stiggy]

 

Before and after:

 

 

4 hours ago, Jimmy2Time said:

So this is a timely topic.  As I was riding about the Pacific Northwest US yesterday, I saw the solid yellow triangle and knew I was in for some trouble.  Unfortunately, I was far enough from home that I had to drive about 45 minutes in the dark with the high beams on.  No one complained in traffic coming the opposite way.

My 2018 is relatively new to me and with only 9k miles.  I see all the posts in various forums about bloody knuckles and sliced fingers so I would like to avoid doing this task repeatedly.

I think I want to go LED with the hope that they will last longer and this will be an infrequent maintenance issue. Of course I'm worried about the "conversion kit" and throwing codes.

 

Looking at Stiggy's post about a purchase from LEDPerf.com, I see a couple options.  The "mini size"...

https://www.ledperf.us/led-conversion-kit-bulbs-for-bmw-motorrad-r-1200-rt-2014-2017-mini-size-p-21115.html

 

This seems like a reasonable option. 

Do I have to take the front fairing off to install these like the Cyclops Adventure conversion kit? 

Is this a kit of 2 bulbs or just bulb replacements?  Is there a conversion kit I need to order as well?  I feel like I'm missing something.  Replacement bulbs for $65 seems inexpensive as compared to other kits.

Anyone have experience with this conversion?   Is 4500 Lumens per bulb adequate or over kill?   Does it make a difference if I have headlight pro?

I assume that even with the conversion, I'm looking at future damaged fingers and knuckles.

 

Also, I have installed Skeens on the front and back of my motorcycle.  Perhaps I should consider adding some fog lights as a backup for the inevitable low beam failure.  If you have advice on those, I appreciate it.  I have Ilium Works R1200RT WC Crash Bars that I could attach them to.

 

Edit:  This is how smart I am.  Since I see 2 LED circles on the front of my motorcycle, I thought there were 2 low beam lights. 
A quick inspection of my motorcycle set me straight.  So I only need one light bulb.  I'm still leaning towards an LED solution.  Any helpful advice accepted.

 

 

Yes, This is the one in my bike (and hopefully it beats the 5 year guarantee!)

 

https://www.ledperf.us/led-conversion-kit-bulbs-for-bmw-motorrad-r-1200-rt-2014-2017-mini-size-p-21115.html

 

And here's what you get:

 

(The excess wire tucks into the headlight assembly under the waterproof twist cap.)

 

 

[Jimmy2Time]

6 hours ago, Stiggy said:

 

Before and after:

 

 

Yes, This is the one in my bike (and hopefully it beats the 5 year guarantee!)

 

https://www.ledperf.us/led-conversion-kit-bulbs-for-bmw-motorrad-r-1200-rt-2014-2017-mini-size-p-21115.html

 

And here's what you get:

 

(The excess wire tucks into the headlight assembly under the waterproof twist cap.)

 

 

 

Stiggy,  Thanks a bunch for the info. 

Did it come with install instructions? 

Did you have to remove the fixing ring on the led bulb, install the fixing ring in the H7 light opening, then have the BMW light housing spring hold that fixing ring in position and then you can screw in the LED bulb into the fixing ring?

[Stiggy]

No instructions, but I do remember sliding off their ring and utilizing the one on the bike (It's a slip fit.) The housing spring still holds the light in place.

I spent an afternoon and removed the headlight assembly and once on the workbench, I could feed the wire / transformer(?) around the inner housing into the body of the headlight assembly so that everything fit under the screw on cap.  Took time but wasn't hard to do.

[Jimmy2Time]

Looking at LED bulb options, this one vendor, Alla Lighting,  had a disclosure that all the LED bulb options were not legal.

"Unfortunately, the LED bulbs are not compliant with DOT / FMVSS108 and not street legal in the USA for forward lighting. They are legal for off-road use in ATV, snowmobile, and off-road racing use, only auxiliary for forward lighting.
Please note: This usage regulation is not unique to Alla Lighting LED bulbs. All LED bulbs from every brand, regardless of marketing claims, are prohibited from street use in LED forward lighting in the USA."

 

I thought that was interesting.

 

I see bulbs of different variations of white; from 4500k to 6500k.  Is there a light that is too bright? 

I've seen some posts where they had to adjust the beam to be slightly lower to avoid blinding on coming traffic.

[JCtx]

On 2/11/2024 at 3:49 PM, Stiggy said:

This is the one in my bike (and hopefully it beats the 5 year guarantee!)

They seem to offer 2 different bulbs for low and high beam, even for my R, which has H7s on both from the factory. So they should be the same bulb. At any rate, they also offer TWO different bulbs (regular and mini), so sent them an email to see if they actually tested them on an R1200/1250R (with the baboon's a$$ headlight housing),or not. The regular bulbs are taller, but with no extra modules, like the mini ones. And are cheaper too, so hope they answer that they fit. We'll see. My other option if only one fits is to just buy the low-beam, which the one ON all the time. I rarely ride at night, and so far, have never used the high-beam bulb except for a couple of flashes. So I could leave the Philips Diamond Vision high-beam bulb in there. Just want to make sure there are zero codes ever with this bulb (or any other). Thanks gang.

[Dave_in_TX]

3 hours ago, Jimmy2Time said:

Looking at LED bulb options, this one vendor, Alla Lighting,  had a disclosure that all the LED bulb options were not legal.

"Unfortunately, the LED bulbs are not compliant with DOT / FMVSS108 and not street legal in the USA for forward lighting. They are legal for off-road use in ATV, snowmobile, and off-road racing use, only auxiliary for forward lighting.
Please note: This usage regulation is not unique to Alla Lighting LED bulbs. All LED bulbs from every brand, regardless of marketing claims, are prohibited from street use in LED forward lighting in the USA."

 

I thought that was interesting.

 

I see bulbs of different variations of white; from 4500k to 6500k.  Is there a light that is too bright? 

I've seen some posts where they had to adjust the beam to be slightly lower to avoid blinding on coming traffic.

There are some DOT restrictions on wattage but the problem with LED bulbs is usually that the reflector housing of the original halogen headlight (which was designed for a halogen bulb) may not provide a proper beam pattern with an LED bulb depending on how closely the LED design matches  the halogen bulb.

[Stiggy]

After my install, I waited until well after dark (by dark I mean out in the country road dark,) and I noticed a horizontal cut off of the light up ahead where the beam wouldn't hit an oncoming car's windshield. You could see where it did hit the asphalt maybe 30 yards in front of the bike.

I set the headlight adjustment on 'low' and rode around, basically being ignored by the few cars I encountered. Set the headlight at 'medium' and same result, Set it and left it on max distance and so far only one car has flashed me that the light hit him in the eyes. That probably means that it has irritated more than one person and at 250 lbs, I'm aiming a bit too high when I sit on the bike. I'll adjust it to medium and leave it there as the 'beam definition' seems similar to the H-7 in all other respects, just vastly brighter IMO.

(I had one of those Amazon LED bulbs in a Harley Low Rider and I understand what light going all over the place looks like.) This bulb looks like the factory put it there IMO.

As to 'legal', I just had the annual inspection for plates 2 weeks ago and the LED looks more at home with the Corona running lights on either side than the 'yellow' H-7 ever did. (And how would anyone know to check? The High beams certainly look to be LED to me?)

As an early morning commuter out here in the country, I'd never go back.

[JCtx]

I asked PerfLED if both of their bulbs (regular and mini) fit on my R bike (with the baboon's a$$ housing), just to double-check, since both are listed under my bike ('15 to '22 R1200/1250 Rs), and they just informed me that NONE works: 'Unfortunately, we have to modify the product page of our website, because we have done several tests on your bike, and nothing works'. They didn't say why, but I suspect physical interference. Oh well. Will look into Cyclops now. I'd be fine just replacing the low beam bulb, since that's the one on all the time. I rarely use the high beam (don't hardly ever ride at night).

[JSCOTT]

I went with Cyclops LEDs on my 19RT .  I did so by removing the tuperware and light assembly.  Not easy but not hard.  Another reason to hang out in the garage :).  

[Bruno From Québec]

Same here. Installed the Cyclops earlier this week. Took half the bike apart. Good opportunity to do some cleaning.

 

Now waiting for winter to end...

[Geekmaster]

+1 on the Cyclops.  An involved installation, but well worth it.  And even with the headlight assembly on a table, getting those spring clips over the bases was still difficult.  I can't imagine doing it while still on the bike.

[JCtx]

Cyclops seems to be very well regarded here. So I just sent them an email asking for info on my bike. Hope they can fit in there, and hopefully both. I'll keep you posted. Thank you for  your great help.

[bendbill]

I bought a Cyclops low beam 4 years ago.  An independent service shop disassembeld front fairing to install.  Works great. 

 

Two years back, Cyclops told me they would install for one hour's labor. Might be a reason for Pac NW riders to head to Kent, WA.  Ph 253 277 0408

 

[BobinRI]

I've had a 2014 RT1200 and now a 2016 RT... and of course, both have had low-headlight-bulb replacements. So far I haven't gone the LED route, but I'm always considering it. After 4 or 5 replacements I've come up with a few things that help me replace the bulbs the old-fashioned way:

• I always refresh my memory about the clip configuration before tackling the job (Lowndes' Feb 7 post with pictures is perfect for this)
• Remove the horn if it's at all in your way... it's easy to remove, so why not get it out of your way?
• I wear a GOLF GLOVE when working with the hard-to-maneuver clips (it saves the fingers... a golf glove is tight enough to protect your fingers, but flexible enough to let you do the work)
• I use Sylvania's H7 Xtravision bulb. It's not as bright as their Silverstar or Silverstar Ultra bulbs, but it's bright enough for me and lasts longer than their brighter bulbs

 Hope this helps.

[JCtx]

Just wanted to share the extra information PerfLED sent me when I asked what issues they had with my bike. It seems to me the that the issues they said would also apply to the RT, since everything should be basically the same, except the different housings, but who knows. At least it looks like Cyclops got it right, including the electronics, since none of you have reported dash warnings with their products. I'm waiting for their reply. Here's PerfLED reply: 'There are many problems: The volume of the LED bulbs, the motorcycle's very sensitive anti-error device, and the bulb holder.'

[Stiggy]

3 hours ago, JCtx said:

Just wanted to share the extra information PerfLED sent me when I asked what issues they had with my bike. It seems to me the that the issues they said would also apply to the RT, since everything should be basically the same, except the different housings, but who knows. At least it looks like Cyclops got it right, including the electronics, since none of you have reported dash warnings with their products. I'm waiting for their reply. Here's PerfLED reply: 'There are many problems: The volume of the LED bulbs, the motorcycle's very sensitive anti-error device, and the bulb holder.'

I guess I got lucky then, or there isn't an issue with the RT. I first purchased running / fog lamps for the 2017 RT Sept '22 so when I had the headlamp blow (twice,) I went with LEDPerf's mini LED kit for 2014 - 2018 RT's. I had no fitment problems - no CanBus warnings either, but perhaps others have had other concerns? Knowing they are saying this now, I'd go with Cyclops if I hadn't already had experience with LEDPerf if I had your bike (Theirs looks very similar to mine, and prices are not that far apart either.)

[lawnchairboy]

On 2/8/2024 at 7:05 AM, ADulay said:

Reading this thread brought back a lot of “wonderful” memories of that stupid design for the headlamps.  🤬

 

First time, on the 2006 was horrible.   I got better at it but always dreaded a bulb change.  Future bikes were all the same.  Actually changed two bulbs in Motel 6 parking lots while on separate Sturgis runs.

 

One side of the spring clips just would not go back on.  Very frustrating.

 

On the last bike I would eventually just wind up taking it to the dealer where they would install it during a major maintenance check.

 

The new bike is LED so hopefully I never have to get into that headlamp area again.

 

AD

I did it in a scenic overlook on the BRP in the dark the first time on my 06' RT.  What a pain in the A$$.  it took repeatedly studying the mechanism (which I could barely see by flashlight) and about 15 or 20 attempts to release it.   It seems like it took less tries to snap the retention wire back in. 

[JCtx]

Well, after discussions with Cyclops, they determined their LED bulbs are just NOT compatible with 2015-2022 R bikes  (with the 'baboon a$$' housing). The main problem is the bulb base, which in my bike's case, is screwed in place (with 2 T-20 Torx screws each), and the connector is attached to the base. I didn't scrutinize it when I switched to Philips Diamond Vision bulbs. The other issue  is the high beam (lower bulb) might not have enough vertical space to fit their 4.8 H7 LED bulb, which has 1.3" above the base plate. But the low beam, which is the most important one, since that's the one on all the time, should fit. The problem is the darn base. I couldn't find any videos of an LED bulb installation on a 2015-2022. If the base can be detached from the connector without damage, it has to have a round cavity in the middle, so the LED can be inserted once the base is screwed in place. If anybody knows if an LED installation on that year range bike, please post a link to the video, to see how it was adapted, and send it to Cyclops for review. Thanks gang.

[JamesW]

Lol..lol..This is why I read the newer BMW bike forums in the AM because I need a good laugh.  Thanks all..  If I can find a recent Pearls Before Swine cartoon that appeared in the AM paper a few days ago I'll post it.