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Additional Lighting on 1200 RT-P


minatophase3

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minatophase3

I just picked up a 2007 R 1200 RT-P motorcycle on Friday and love it! I have been without a bike for a little over 6 years so it was a good weekend!

 

I would like to add some additional lighting to the RT-P and would like to know if there will be enough power to handle them. I know very little about electrical things so please forgive me. I read that the RT-P can handle 720W, and here is what I would like to add:

 

2 driving lights (either above or below mirror as there are already brackets there)

 

2 amber fog lights on the crash bars

 

I would also like to come up with something for the top case as it has multiple holes in it that need to be filled. I think another brake light or something (am open to any and all ideas). My plan is to try and use some of the switches that are on the bike that used to control things that were taken off. I don't know if I would need to keep the 2nd battery or not if I go that route, but I'm sure I will find out with some testing :)

 

Any guidance or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Regards,

Tim

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You've got more than enough power to do whatever you wish with lights Reusing wiring already in place will be neater and save a little weight, wherever you can do that.

Sounds like you ought to be getting some help from a local guy who can assist you.

Light choice depends on what you want and where you ride. Just adding light is less important that getting what works best for your specific need. Souns like you wan the yellows for conspicuity rather than fog. What is your expected use for the white pair?

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minatophase3
You've got more than enough power to do whatever you wish with lights Reusing wiring already in place will be neater and save a little weight, wherever you can do that.

Sounds like you ought to be getting some help from a local guy who can assist you.

Light choice depends on what you want and where you ride. Just adding light is less important that getting what works best for your specific need. Souns like you wan the yellows for conspicuity rather than fog. What is your expected use for the white pair?

 

You are correct, I want the yellow to be better seen by oncoming traffic. The white driving lights would be to assist in riding dark roads at night. Most speeds would be less than 50 MPH. I probably don't really need them, but I figured since I had the brackets it might be nice to use them. The yellow fog lights are more important to me though.

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AdirondackJack

Here's a 'heads-up" with regard to what may be the optimum lighting to add to your new RTP. While I have (3) sets of driving lights on my '08 RT (2 of which are HID's), these lights I'm going to suggest were not out when I installed mine or I would have definitely used them. They are called Clearwater LED-based driving lights, and they are "dimmable"-the only ones which are, on the market today, as far as I know. There are 2 models, and the ones I think you'll want are the "Kristas", which are the more powerful ones. I won't kid you into thinking that they are cheap, cause they are kinda pricey, but worth it. I think the Kristas are about $699 + shipping, and they are available from one of the guys on this forum-Adam Skoolsky from Rocketmoto up in New Hampshire. His contact information is www.rocketmoto.com, or you can call him at 1-877-533-4245. He has done a lot of very reliable work for me, and I'm sure he would be happy to help you with your lighting issue. The other way to reach him is to do a search of this forum's members, and just PM him. Good luck, and rest easy that whichever way you go on the lighting/accessories question Adam can help you. Best. Dave R.

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minatophase3

Those LED lights do look pretty cool, but pricey is the right word! I'll have to do a little more research on them, thanks for posting!

 

Tim

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minatophase3
Do you still have the aux. battery in the glove box?

 

Yes it is still in there. I don't know what it is supposed to power but I'm sure it was used for something :-)

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It powered all of the emergency equipment, lights, siren, radar, etc....go to www.bmwmc.net and look for the wiring diagram. The two position rocker on the right pod was the front and rear lights.

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minatophase3

Thanks BailyD, I will check out that site. Any suggestions on what to put back on the top box? It has about 7 or 8 holes and I need to either fill them or place some lighting that is legal for a civilian to have.

 

Regards,

Tim

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minatophase3
Holes on the back top box? I suppose the extended lighting pods are gone and there are just holes there now?

Yeah, the lights on the back, the siren and the lights and radar above and below the mirrors are gone. The wires were cut right by the brackets so it would be easy to tie into them. I need to check into getting one of the extended lighting pods, but I don't know if they would be legal for a civilian.

 

I also just learned how to get the seat off, or how to try. I spent a few minutes this morning before work and was able to get the right side of the back seat moved over but couldnt' get the left side over. Will try this afternoon when I have more time. I think I need to check with the PD to see if they hae any of their owners manuals.

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there is a little metal clip when you reach up and under the lower, side of the seat. Push the clip up while simultaneously pulling outward. If you 07 is like mine, my left side clip is bent and sticks every time. It's been that way from day one! I just give it a good hard tug and it pops out. Once both are to the sides you just lift up the seat. It goes w/o saying the saddlebag lids must be open when you do this.

 

As far as the lights go, I would imagine they would be legal as long as they don't flash. If it were my bike I would probably cover the rear bag holes with some type of filler, then paint over them white. It would be easier to attach something new where ever you want it, rather than making it fit.

 

The siren has two switches. The first is the "air horm" on the left pod, under side. The second and main siren would have been next to the PTT on the left side mounted on a metal bracket. It was a push button that allowed you to scroll the different patterns.

 

Keep in mind that ALL of the lights/siren were wired into a main control panel under the stainless steel bottom of the rear trunk (none of this is part of the can-bus). There is also a direct link to the speakers in this same area. I use the four way light switch on the right pod, upper section as an aux. light. This flasher is located in the same area. I assume they left all of the wires from the harness under the stainless steel plate?

 

You're really going to need that wiring diagram.

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minatophase3

BailyD,

 

Thanks for the seat removal instructions, I was able to get the seat off! And I was happy to find it was in the low setting which allowed me to move it up so it feels a lot better.

 

I do have 8 wires coming up through a hole in the metal plate in the back box, so it looks like all of the wiring is still there. I did print out the wiring diagram for the 06-07 police model, looks complicated.

 

I didn't realize that I would need a special control panel, any ideas where to get one of those?

 

Looks like it will be a good winter project for me as I have a feeling it will take me a while to sort it all out.

 

Thanks,

 

Tim

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don't worry about the control panel/siren/light box. That is only necessary for the police model. The wiring running throughout the bike, to the emergency switches then to the four corner lights is prob. what you are looking for. It should end up back in the box.

 

the wires should be under the metal plate? they may have had something different. using a torx bit, loosen the four top bolts and the two side bolts (left and right sides, under box) you can lift the metal plate up and look underneath. there should be a blank spot where the siren/lights/ black box should have been.

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minatophase3

BailyD,

 

I think this one may have a little different setup. On the large metal plate there is another plate bolted on and it sits about 4 inches high, looks like it was used for a clip board. The bottom metal plate has a hole in it and 8 wires are coming up through it into the top box. There are also pieces of velcro on the metal plate so it looks as if that is where they had the control panel. Either way, I still have all of the wires routed back to the top box. I'll take a look below the plate to see what is there as well.

 

Thanks for all your help!

Tim

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Tim,

 

when I talk about the metal plate I'm referring to the stainless steel plate that the top box hinges on. The metal plate has the locking mechanism in it. That whole rear box comes off as soon as you take the bolts out that I described.

 

The additional metal plate inside the box was probably some kind of partition. Look for where the top box "locks" into the lower plate. You shouldn't have the siren/light circuit board anymore since you said the lights have been taken off (it would have been completely under the stainless steel plate w/a BUNCH of wiring). There should be no wires holding the entire rear box to the back of the bike. It pops right off after taking the six torx bolts out.

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minatophase3
Tim,

 

when I talk about the metal plate I'm referring to the stainless steel plate that the top box hinges on. The metal plate has the locking mechanism in it. That whole rear box comes off as soon as you take the bolts out that I described.

 

The additional metal plate inside the box was probably some kind of partition. Look for where the top box "locks" into the lower plate. You shouldn't have the siren/light circuit board anymore since you said the lights have been taken off (it would have been completely under the stainless steel plate w/a BUNCH of wiring). There should be no wires holding the entire rear box to the back of the bike. It pops right off after taking the six torx bolts out.

 

I just pulled the plate off and I DO have the black box, it says CODE 3 and looks to be for the siren/lights. But I don't have the lights or siren on the bike. I also have 8 wires that I believe are from the front light brackets as there are 4 wires on each side by the mirrors and a total of 8 in the trunk. This is independent of the black box.

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  • 8 years later...

I have an oilhead -- '02 RTP.  I'm a little confused about the Code 3 wiring and battery.  Is it true that none of the Code 3 accessories will be energized if the second battery is removed?  Put another way... Do I have to un-delete the second battery (removed from my bike) to be able to use one of the handlebar switches to operate two driving lights I want to add?  I know about the way cool schematics but I want to understand how the battery works in the circuit.

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