Jitryd Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 I just had my low beam burn out last night on my way home (Luckily I my motolights worked just fine). How easy is it to replace? Is it a sealed beam or a removeable bulb and how easy is it to get to? Link to comment
SageRider Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 H4 bulb. Disconnect the plug, Pull the rubber cover off, pop the spring clips loose on each side of the bulb and presto, out it comes. Replacement goes in in the opposite order. (Be sure not to touch the bulb glass). Several choices available for aftermarket bulbs. Stay away from the tinted bulbs as light output is actually decreased. Also higher wattage bulbs with the stock wiring harness are a waste of money. About a 1 minute job. Link to comment
motoleo Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Also higher wattage bulbs with the stock wiring harness are a waste of money. Why is that? I was getting ready to install a higher wattage bulb. Link to comment
SageRider Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Also higher wattage bulbs with the stock wiring harness are a waste of money. Why is that? I was getting ready to install a higher wattage bulb. The higher current draw from a high wattage bulb results in a higher voltage drop in the wiring harness. End result, the voltage at the bulb is lower and the high wattage bulb does not achieve it's potential. In tests I performed some years ago on my 1100, the high wattage bulb subjectively put out about the same amount of light as the stock bulb when used with the stock harness. An additional risk with high wattage bulbs is bulb housing and/or stock wiring harness damage due to the extra current and power dissipation required. Link to comment
Boffin Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Also higher wattage bulbs with the stock wiring harness are a waste of money. Why is that? I was getting ready to install a higher wattage bulb. Because the stock wiring is too thin, the higher wattage bulb draws more current which causes the voltage drop in the wiring to increase which can even make higher wattage bulbs dimmer than stock. Eastern Beaver do plug-in kits for Beemers permitting easy use of high-wattage lamps. The kit on its own using stock bulbs will increase light output by about 20-30% on most BMW bikes because the stock wiring is so thin. No affiliation etc. Andy Link to comment
DavidEBSmith Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 The only thing I have to add to the very wise advise given above is to pay attention to the orientation of the prongs on the old bulb before you take it out. If you forget which way it goes together, the one minute job can become a ten minute job. If you don't have the bulb oriented right, it will almost go together and make you crazy. On the clip that holds the bulb in place, there are two wire loops that you squeeze together to unclip it. It's hinged on the other side of the bulb and just swings aside. This is one of those jobs that the first time you do it you get frustrated because you can't see how things go together, the second time you do it you remember all the tricks you forgot from the first time, and after that you can do by touch in the dark on the side of the road in one minute. Link to comment
Jitryd Posted May 26, 2007 Author Share Posted May 26, 2007 Your exactly right. This ended up being about a 15 minute job, but I bet I could honestly do it again in about 5. I didn't pay attention to the orientation of the bulb and that turned into about 5 minutes of frustration which wasn't helped by the fact that it's hard to get your hand in there. ABout another 5 minutes was me trying not to break anything that I wasn't sure about how it all fit together. I ended up pulling the rubber boot back and removing the spring clip and bulb, then I realized the plug just pulls out right from the back and the prongs slide through slots in the boot. At first I didn't realize it was a separate piece. But, mission accomplished and it only cost me $8 for the bulb. Bout the cheapest fix I think I've done. Link to comment
wolcott Posted May 26, 2007 Share Posted May 26, 2007 Brian: Like Andy said, Eastern Beaver makes headlamp relay wiring harnesses for BMW's. It was one of the best improvements I made to my bike. No affiliation, yada,yada, just a satisfied customer. 2 high-quality relays built into a harness along with the connections to go to your battery. Gets rid of that voltage drop to your headlamp. I only put in a $20 Sylvania H4 bulb from Autozone, but with the eastern beaver harness you can definitely see the improvement. However, I have seen some people on the board here vouch for the European Osram Silverstar bulbs that you can get at powerbulb in the United Kingdom. If you do a search, there is a link in some of the posts there to the U.K. Powerbulb site. Also, if you wanted some reasonably-priced driving lights, you could purchase some Hella FF50's and see if Pat (USAF1) has any driving light mounting brackets left for sale. I run the this setup on my '98 RT along with an autoswitch from cycle gadgets and am very pleased. Link to comment
John Dickens Posted May 26, 2007 Share Posted May 26, 2007 Yes indeed. You can now get replacement 60w bulbs which, although they draw the same current as a standard H4, give significantly more light output up to a claimed 50% extra. I can't vouch for the figures but I can say that they are noticeably better in use. Link to comment
Hulka Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Which kit did you get for your RT? I live in Phoenix so the temps get 110+. Will the standard one work or should I go for the heavy duty due to the heat? Link to comment
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