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Perfect flashlight for the 2011 R1200RT glovebox.

IDisposable

Rider on Ramald
When I picked up my 2011 R1200RT, I noticed that inside the "glove box" cover, there was a spring clip. It looked intended to hold a small flashlight.

I checked the BMW accessories, and the parts fiche for all the R-series. No luck. The K1600 has the same clip and that parts fiche showed a flashlight, but no specs...

So I went looking and found the the perfect flashlight for my http://j.mp/FenixF20 It fits the clip in the glove box perfectly. It's the Fenix LD20 LED flashlight with all the cool features:

  • Runs on two normal AA batteries
  • General mode has steady 9 lumens (71hrs), 50 lumens (13hrs), 105 lumens (5 hours) and SOS
  • Turbo mode has 205 lumens steady and strobe
  • Solid aluminum
  • IPX-8 waterproof

(cross-post from Gear, as this is model-specific)
 
When I picked up my 2011 R1200RT, I noticed that inside the "glove box" cover, there was a spring clip. It looked intended to hold a small flashlight.

I checked the BMW accessories, and the parts fiche for all the R-series. No luck. The K1600 has the same clip and that parts fiche showed a flashlight, but no specs...

So I went looking and found the the perfect flashlight for my http://j.mp/FenixF20 It fits the clip in the glove box perfectly. It's the Fenix LD20 LED flashlight with all the cool features:

  • Runs on two normal AA batteries
  • General mode has steady 9 lumens (71hrs), 50 lumens (13hrs), 105 lumens (5 hours) and SOS
  • Turbo mode has 205 lumens steady and strobe
  • Solid aluminum
  • IPX-8 waterproof

(cross-post from Gear, as this is model-specific)

I got the real deal after trying another small light. Broke the clip. Would you beleive you have to replace the glove box door at a cost of $170. I was lucky, still under warranty and my dealer replaced it for me. My BMW dealer found it in the parts listings. It fits perfectly but takes four small camera batteries at a cost of $14.00 to replace. Just FYI.

Yes BMW does sell a light made specifically for the clip.

Jack
 
When I picked up my 2011 R1200RT, I noticed that inside the "glove box" cover, there was a spring clip. It looked intended to hold a small flashlight.

I checked the BMW accessories, and the parts fiche for all the R-series. No luck. The K1600 has the same clip and that parts fiche showed a flashlight, but no specs...

So I went looking and found the the perfect flashlight for my http://j.mp/FenixF20 It fits the clip in the glove box perfectly. It's the Fenix LD20 LED flashlight with all the cool features:

  • Runs on two normal AA batteries
  • General mode has steady 9 lumens (71hrs), 50 lumens (13hrs), 105 lumens (5 hours) and SOS
  • Turbo mode has 205 lumens steady and strobe
  • Solid aluminum
  • IPX-8 waterproof

(cross-post from Gear, as this is model-specific)

Thanks for the heads up. Just ordered one from Amazon.
 
Buy 4 of these, BEST flashlight I ever owned, one of mine is over a year old and I carry it in my pocket daily, been dropped numerous times, brother in law in construction uses his daily, and same abuse no problem.

Solid heavy aluminum body, NOT cheap plastic, heavy clip, focus-able. And it is brighter that my nebo redline tactical light and 1/3 the size $30


http://www.meritline.com/focus-zoom-lens-flashlight-light---p-44806.aspx
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For the $40 you get one for the bike, one for the Jacket, one for the glovebox and one for the house.

Can't imagine anyone being disappointed in these lights
 
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A regular old mini mag lite works fine and lasts forever.

+1 on that. Minimags are available at most hardware stores. They're a lot cheaper than $30 or $40. They come in colors!!!

On the other hand, I really don't like that clip. I think I'll saw it off and grind it smooth this winter as I've decided that my '05 RT is the bike I'll literally ride the wheels off of. 65,xxx mi. and still going very strong. I don't have or want the BMW radio. I use that pocket for water bottles and rags. (1100 and 1150 both had better pockets but you don't need the key to open or latch the 1200 one, so that makes up for something.

Out on the open road, I can get a rag out, stuff a corner of it under a leg, get a water bottle out, turn off my blinker...grrrr..., douse the rag with with water, put the bottle away, turn off my blinker again and clean my visor....or just get a drink of water without wearing a camelback, and turn off my blinker. I have caught the back of my glove several times on that silly clip. Don't like it. I put my Minimag in my tank bag.

The clip just gets in my way. It's one of those things that looks cool when you buy a new bike but turns out not to be the best idea. I would also put the silver tank bars for the BMW only tank bags in that category. They make taking an RT apart for service even more of a Chinese jigsaw. Honestly, I bought the maintenance DVD, which is great, but it is GS maintenance. Half of the fun with an RT is getting the blasted plastic dismantled....so I bought the BMW CD too. The only thing I use it for is instructions on dismantling and reassembling the tupperware.

I don't use a BMW tank bag. I love my Big Mak bag too much to change. It's the size down from the big Explorer along with the map case that holds my iPod. This system has been great for 3 RTs now. Gas stops don't even involve even putting a kick stand down.
 
I recall reading somewhere that BMW offers a flashlight fitting that glove box clip. Is that correct? And if so, can it be found in the BMW parts fiche?

What might be confusing this issue is the BMW Work Light, p/n 71607705570 ($47), that plugs into a power socket in the fairing, but cannot be clipped under the glovebox lid.

I'd be inclined to consider the BMW flashlight, if it exists, and isn't too expensive.
 
The Fenix stuff is well made and waterproof. When fitted with lithium batteries that have essentially infinite storage life as emergency reserve, it is an excellent choice for the bike.
I use a variety of different Fenix products. Take a look at 4sevens website for Fenix and other stuff- I happen to like the MiniX as my pocket light- very compact, long battery life and the 123 batt it uses is cheap if bought in quantity on the web, with better power density than an AA.

I carry a modified MiniMag in that clip on my bike but MiniMags in stock form aren't really suitable as a single light to rely on. The stock bulb can blow and battery life is short, plus you may find corroded dead alkalines if you leave it unused on the bike for a long time. And its not very water resistant and has a plastic lenses easily damaged. It can also vibrate to turn on which will kill the battery so needs a positive safety if carried as an emergency light. Mine is modified to LED, has a tail cap switch to provide a positive, redundant off, has lithium batteries and a hardened glass lens. In that form it is reasonably reliable but not in the same reliability category as the Fenix or MiniX which are more waterproof and which in low output mode (which is plenty of light for working at night with adapted vision) have far longer battery life.

If all you want or need is a periodic inspection light, many things work but if you regularly go where there is not enough light to see anything, it's wise to think of the lights you carry as emergency tools where reliability and utility trump minor cost issues.

Read Candlepower Forums if you want an education on flashlights. I carry several different ones on my bike to serve as tent light, area flood, spot or longer range beam as might be needed to read unlit signs at longer distance. The type of lights officers typically carry (Maglites, Surefires, etc) don't make ideal bike emergency lights- too big and way too bright for most uses- they'll wreck your adapted night vision if used at close range for sure. But a big 4, D cell LED light can make a very good home emergency light- long battery life and can serve as a room light if used in "candle" (reflector removed) mode- I've got a few Maglites set up this way for hurricane outages.

The BMW light is a poor design and best forgotten. Watch/calculator batteries lack the energy density, life and output power to be a decent flashlight source even if that light is LED. The only reasonable use of such batteries is in the $1 small circular LED lights designed to be kept on keychains. I have one of these on every keychain I use but their output and reach is minimal so they're a "last resort only" light.
 
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