lighting options on 2016 R1200RT

[BMW Triumphant]

Thank you for the advice I do appreciate it.

These also have a control board in them.

The literature says 9-36V DC.

I did e-mail them and got a response that while others make a dimmer for their product they do not know about the ezCAN. They advised that since it is a unknown to them it may put a load on the circuit that they are not aware of, and lessen the lifespan.

Really no help.

Since I Think I know what to ask now, I will email back and ask if the board can handle pulse modulated DC? Is that correct?

Again thank you for the help and advice.

I am really not to concerned about it as rather then dim I would just hold the turn signal cancel button and turn them off. Easier then hitting the wonder wheel over and spinning it to the desired dimness.

Where it comes into play is you can set how the channel responds in the ezCAN software such as day time run 50% light and at night run 100% and any numbers in between you may want. That is a nice feature I would like to use but do not have to.

The term to use is PWM - Pulse Width Modulation. This could be AC or DC, but AC would require a DC to AC inverter and I doubt this is the case.

You should ask Hex what the output from the ezCAN is. Perhaps it is stated in literature that came with the unit.

This is another example of "systems integration" issues. We have complex items these days, not simple batteries and incandescent bulbs. Might not be possible to mix and match.

Both the lamp suppliers and Hex should talk seriously to the buyer regarding about compatibility.

The Coldwater folks told me they had customers burn out units using a totally unknown dimmer unit bought on eBay and as a result only warranty a system with their lamps and dimmers. Makes sense to me.

Buyer (and amateur Systems Engineers) Beware!

 

[Wethead]

This is my set up

 

[dynajohn]

Great response guys. Thanks for all the input. So far all I have done is replace the stock bulbs. Later I plan on replacing the stock driving lights and adding aux LED driving lights from Clearwater. Have to decide on whose crash bars first since that will be where I mount the aux LED lights. KY is full of deer at night and more than one friend has been taken down at night by them. Hell I live in the east end of Louisville near the outer edge and I see 3 to 4 deer in my neighborhood at least 3 nights a week and sometimes more often.

 

[Wethead]

If they come into your yard then they could be used for dinner, no?

 

[dynajohn]

If they come into your yard then they could be used for dinner, no?

Don't think I have not thought of it. Too many tree hugger's for neighbors. A six point buck did get killed by another buck last month up the street from me.

 

[Wethead]

Use a silencer...drag back in the house at night

 

[Wethead]

I am scared sheetless of these critters. One jumped nearly in front of a cage on the incoming lane from me this Summer. It came running out of the nowhere bushes but in the last second it hopped back into the bushes...that car would not have had a chance. I am pretty sure I would have passed the scene on the other lane (2 lane rd), but maybe not.

From then on it was paranoid...

 

[mmadley]

Changing bulbs in 20 minutes

I used the Phillips Extreme 130+ H7 and H1 on my 2014 R1200RT 1st. Then just switched to the Hoshi can-bus H7 Led on my low beam. You can spend all day on light bulbs. I used the Phillips extreme because they were rated at 400-450 hrs and gave great reviews from everyone. I might honestly go back to the H7 130+ from my LED just because its easier to change out the standard H7 bulb if something happens. I've gotten good and can swap all 3 bulbs in 15-20 min.. lmao

What is your trick in changing bulbs in 20 minutes? I have yet to change either bulbs and I'm a little apprehensive in reading the many reports of how difficult it is for the Low beam.

 

[daboo]

I don't have an RT, but a F800GT. We get a lot of owners extremely frustrated on changing out the headlight bulbs and breaking the holder for the bail. Some end up removing the entire headlight assembly as a result. I looked at a YouTube video for installing the Cyclops LED bulbs and saw that it is just like the setup on some car headlight bulbs.

Some tips I'd suggest are to release the wire bail...then immediately reengage it while nothing has moved. Do this 3-5 times till you know what it feels like and develop some "muscle memory". That'll help tremendously. Another tip is to use an inspection mirror if you can't see what you're doing and you seem to be getting hung up on something. If you don't have an inspection mirror...use your smartphone to take a picture and see what you're getting hung up on.

By the way, I'm extremely satisfied with the Cyclops LED H7 bulbs.

Chris

 

[ncpbmw1953]

Great response guys. Thanks for all the input. So far all I have done is replace the stock bulbs. Later I plan on replacing the stock driving lights and adding aux LED driving lights from Clearwater. Have to decide on whose crash bars first since that will be where I mount the aux LED lights. KY is full of deer at night and more than one friend has been taken down at night by them. Hell I live in the east end of Louisville near the outer edge and I see 3 to 4 deer in my neighborhood at least 3 nights a week and sometimes more often.

You're commuting at night maybe? The vast majority of deer strikes happen pre-dusk to post-dawn. I avoid night riding because of the same issue where I live--lots of deer at night.

On our 9K mile trip this past summer my older brother t-boned a good sized deer at 55mph and fortunately was able to walk away from it w/o major injury--85% of MC v deer result in major injury. Lights will help a some for sure, but not much because what you're really trying to avoid is a deer on a full run from the side. Brother hit his deer in broad daylight--it was on a ultra low traffic rural road in Wyoming at 8:50AM. Whenever you're on rural low trafficked roads deer haven't been scared away from the road so they are there any time of day. So good lighting as a strategy for reducing deer strike risk is somewhat useful, but not nearly as much as avoiding riding at high risk times or in high risk areas especially at the highest risk time of day.

One other excellent strategy is to use the entire road to give yourself as much reaction time as is potentially available. My brother's crash scenario could have been improved by taking advantage of this reality. We were riding in the suicide lane, just right of the center line. Had we been hugging the white line on the far left of the oncoming lane likely he would have missed the deer which were hiding behind the trees on the right, whereas on the left there was great visibility and no cars coming at us for miles:



Wherever possible & safe from oncoming traffic I try to ride wherever the margin to react is greatest. His 2015 FJR was totaled and is laying up against the pole left and out of view in the photo.