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R1200RT Bulb Replacement
- Thread starter 108281
- Start date
aggravation 101
I have resorted to finding someone with the smallest hands possible. I changed all three bulbs within days of each other recently. the cover comes off easily, it is the spring clips holding the bulb in place that I had issues with. I have found standing on opposite side of bad bulb helped ME see opening better. The spring clips go on with feel since I couldn't see a thing.
BTW, don't drop that dang bulb! Had to pull out long needlenosed pliers to retrieve it from housing more than once
I have resorted to finding someone with the smallest hands possible. I changed all three bulbs within days of each other recently. the cover comes off easily, it is the spring clips holding the bulb in place that I had issues with. I have found standing on opposite side of bad bulb helped ME see opening better. The spring clips go on with feel since I couldn't see a thing.
BTW, don't drop that dang bulb! Had to pull out long needlenosed pliers to retrieve it from housing more than once
kbasa
Well-known member
I face the rear of the bike and use my right hand to reach back to the cover; sort of behind and beside me. It's only like an 1/8th of a turn to get the cover off. That position seems to give me better leverage to turn the cover.
After scraping up my hands pretty badly when the first one went out, I used a long surgical hemostat to do it for the second one, then just reached in to flip up the retaining clip. Worked much better. There is kind of a nack to it the second time around. Wish they had made the hole about two inches bigger, though. 
Success
I managed to get the cover off by standing on the left side of the bike and reaching through with my left hand while using some pressure with my right hand. It came off pretty easily using that method. However then I couldn't get the wires unplugged as I couldn't get good enough squeeze with the 2 fingers I could get on it. I enlisted my wife and after insisting she didn't know what she was doing and being reassured she wouldn't get electrouted, she pulled it off and got the clips off and the bulb out. It was a bit of a struggle to get the clips back on but she finally did. Anyway I don't know any way I could have done it myself as my hands are just a little too big. And I now have a new definition of trophy wife.
LR
I managed to get the cover off by standing on the left side of the bike and reaching through with my left hand while using some pressure with my right hand. It came off pretty easily using that method. However then I couldn't get the wires unplugged as I couldn't get good enough squeeze with the 2 fingers I could get on it. I enlisted my wife and after insisting she didn't know what she was doing and being reassured she wouldn't get electrouted, she pulled it off and got the clips off and the bulb out. It was a bit of a struggle to get the clips back on but she finally did. Anyway I don't know any way I could have done it myself as my hands are just a little too big. And I now have a new definition of trophy wife.
LR
I'm with Wezul on that one...fine Job!!
How many BMW owners does it take . . .
I agree, dinner and a bottle of wine at a restaurant of her choice. Considering I thought I might actually have to take it to the dealer to change a light bulb (How many BMW owners does it take . . . the Harley guys could have a party with that one) I'll consider it money well spent.
LR
I agree, dinner and a bottle of wine at a restaurant of her choice. Considering I thought I might actually have to take it to the dealer to change a light bulb (How many BMW owners does it take . . . the Harley guys could have a party with that one) I'll consider it money well spent.
LR
Yeah, I thought it was to be permanent on one drop...really got wedged down in the abyss
dlowry
bored, bored ...
I had one bulb fail on me on the way to Americade last week. Bought a pair of PIAA Xtreme White's and thought, it's shouldn't be that bad to change. First bulb took a ton of fidgeting to get in along with much cursing of engineers who must have made this as some kind of joke. After about 35 minutes I got it, the second was less than 5 minutes. I turned the bars opposite to what the manual said and the job was much quicker. That, and I paid attention to the bulb when I removed it the second time to ensure I had it oriented correctly. About 2 minutes after getting the covers back on, the sky opened up and dropped copious quantities of rain. Someone was watching over me...
Dave...
Dave...
marcopolo
Active member
Replaced my right low beam yesterday, but decided to do a practice run on the left side first. I think the effort was worth it. Besides, I figured I might as well change both, as I'm heading off to California after the rally. No question that the right side is the hardest of the three, given there's even less space there than there is for the other two bulbs. I also discovered that I was applying too much pressure to the spring clip, and that I could disengage it more easily with a gentler hand. It's also an operation done completely by feel, as you can't see anything once your hand is wedged in there. I also found that I could get better access by turning the bars in the opposite direction to what was suggested in the manual. It took me an hour and 15 mins to do two bulbs, and I was somewhat scraped, and gouged, when I was done. What a royal PITA.
welcome to the PITA club! some small handed engineer named Stella designed this!It does get easier...unless you try it after riding all day in the hotel parking lot...then more of this
wishing you were thru to do this
G
gulfcoastbeemer
Guest
I found the bulb installation to be the more difficult than removal. If I was seated in front of the bike, looking into the lens, I could manage the task most easily.
If you haven't figured it out as yet, the bulb retaining latch bale hinges at the top.
The installation trick that worked for me was to grasp the electrical prongs on bulb with a clothes pin. That allowed the added reach I needed to line up the bulb within the socket. Also, be sure to orient the tang/key on the bulb base flange straight down.
If you haven't figured it out as yet, the bulb retaining latch bale hinges at the top.
The installation trick that worked for me was to grasp the electrical prongs on bulb with a clothes pin. That allowed the added reach I needed to line up the bulb within the socket. Also, be sure to orient the tang/key on the bulb base flange straight down.
