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Any tips for replacing headlight lens?

Ridealot

Lifetime Member
This summer I caught a rock with my K1100LT's headlight. The lens is cracked from top to bottom. To keep the bike on the road during the summer I put a piece of clear packing tape over the crack. I then bought a new lens and gasket that I planned on installing this winter.
I just finished looking at my Clymer manual on what is involved here. All I can say is Holy Cow. It might as well just said " Start at rear wheel lug nuts and remove everything forward of them".
I am looking for any tips from someone who has actually done this procedure. Is it really necessary to completely remove the fairing. I have the radio,xm radio, gps,radar detector, cb, and intercom wires all hooked up in there. It gives me the Hebegebe's just thinking about diving into that rats nest of wires. I am hoping that its possible to replace the lens with the fairing still firmly mounted. :dunno
 
IIRC, fairing has to come off. You can't pull the headlight back with all that stuff in the way.

That said, it looks like a lot of stuff, but its not that bad.
 
Replacing Headlight Lens

Another "less perfect option" is to use the self adhesive headlight protection film and paste it over the cracked headlight...if the two pieces are still tight to each other, this could work. As an example I used this procedure on a 1993 Cadillac Allante convertible headlight (all one piece...high, low, and fog light) that was cracked, but intact...the fix has held for 6 years, with no light loss, water tight, etc. Some of the aftermarket companies will offer the vinyl protectors that are cut to fit. With their bottle of installation fluid, or Windex, you can easily position the vinyl over the headlight, tape it for overnight drying, and they drive off into the night. I purchased my vinyl from Griott's Garage...a USA mail order firm with high end auto stuff.
 
autozone has made-for-the-purpose tape. I used it on my jetta when my 300$ lense took a rock puncture a couple winters back. Blowing bulbs every week sucked. I bought the tape and sealed it until the state stopped passing me...
 
Sounds like changing the lens will also offer you a good opportunity to clean up "that rats nest of wires". :stick
 
yea the job sucks

Bobmws said:
Sounds like changing the lens will also offer you a good opportunity to clean up "that rats nest of wires". :stick

When I had my fairing painted I had to take my K-RS all the way apart.
My advise is to go slow and be methodical and make notes and keep lots of little baggies for all the screws and washers.

You will become one with your ride!
 
Thanks for the replies, I was afraid there wasn't any short cuts. I guess I will just go ahead and tear into it.
The crack happened on our trip to Montana. I stopped at a car repair shop and borrowed a drill. I drilled a hole in the bottom of the lens to let the two inches of water out that had accumulated in the previous days rain storm.
As far as the rats nest, it's about as good as it is going to get. The fairing pockets are deep but not very wide. Everything in there needs long enough wires so that you can pull everything up out of the pocket to make connections. Shortening the wires anymore would just mean that after I stick my hands in there I wouldn't be able to see what I was doing. Oh well, thats the downside of having all the electronic doo-dads to play with.
The upside to all this is that I have convinced the wife that having a motorcycle lift would help perform this and all other services. Of course for this job it will mean I can just drop the fairing from a higher height. :doh I am almost ready to order a Lift-Buddy. Oh boy, new toy.
 
Tom,
Trust me, that lens is the very first thing they install at the factory and the rest of the bike is built around it. :cry The upper fairing MUST come off.
I had a rock break the lens on my '93 K11LT up in Canada on one of the 3-Flags rides. I put a bead of clear silicone sealant (RTV) the entire length of the crack and rode it home that way. I put off the job for about 3 months and the silicone kept the inside of the reflector clean and dry. I put a lexan headlight shield on it right after I replaced the lens.
I've had my Lift-Buddy for almost 3 years.
:p
 
bmwmick said:
Tom,
Trust me, that lens is the very first thing they install at the factory and the rest of the bike is built around it. :cry The upper fairing MUST come off.
:p

In the beginning...there was a K100 and over the decades(s), they added brackets, rubber things, foil, plastic panels, brackets, rubber things, and brackets with rubber bumpers, and brackets...creating the K1100LT Limited Plus. That's about 19 years worth of stuff you gotta get off to get to anything basic. My advice is when you disassemble it, take pictures of every stage with all the heat protection rubbers and things installed before you remove them or you will tear out your hair trying to figure how to rotate, spin, or otherwise manipulate them to put them back.
 
bmwmick said:
Tom,
Trust me, that lens is the very first thing they install at the factory and the rest of the bike is built around it. :cry The upper fairing MUST come off.
:p

Humm, what would Yoda do?? :confused: Sell it he would.
So anyone want to buy a K1100LT with new Corbin, GPS, XM radio, intercom, escort radar, staintune exhaust, Wilbers rear shock, Randoff 9 gal gas tank, painted to match Bushtec trailer, other stuff I can't remember. Great shape, only needs new headlight lens installed. :violin
 
Ridealot said:
Humm, what would Yoda do?? :confused: Sell it he would.
So anyone want to buy a K1100LT with new Corbin, GPS, XM radio, intercom, escort radar, staintune exhaust, Wilbers rear shock, Randoff 9 gal gas tank, painted to match Bushtec trailer, other stuff I can't remember. Great shape, only needs new headlight lens installed. :violin

Hmmmmm,
Would that be a Staintune Sport or a Staintune Touring. :dunno I may be tempted.........
Its REALLY not that bad. All the hard parts can stay attached. You just have to reach all the fairing support bolts. I think It took me a half day to do the whole job once I resigned myself to do it. That was over 120K ago and I've never regretted it. :clap :clap
 
Changing headlight lens on 05 GS.

I have the assembly out. The lens seems to be glued in place. Any suggestions of how to seperate the lens from the plastic assembly.
Jere
 
Welcome to the forum! This is a very old thread and is about the Flying Brick K-bikes. What model is your bike...and '05 GS? Can you expand on that? Then maybe we can get your question into the most appropriate area of the forum.
 
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