The New And Improved Unofficial R65 Forum V2
Technical Discussion => BMW Technical Q&A, Primarily R65 => Topic started by: raphski on July 23, 2016, 11:30:44 PM
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Hi,
Back from a recent evening ride and noticed my tail light was out, kind of scary. I good reminder to check lights prior to the ride. At any rate turns out it was just a burnt out bulb. I would like to switch over to LED's to reduce draw and also get brighter lights if possible. Can I just plug them in or is it more complex than that?
Thanks!
Raphael
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Hi,
Back from a recent evening ride and noticed my tail light was out, kind of scary. I good reminder to check lights prior to the ride. At any rate turns out it was just a burnt out bulb. I would like to switch over to LED's to reduce draw and also get brighter lights if possible. Can I just plug them in or is it more complex than that?
Thanks!
Raphael
Depending on what you buy it can be simply "plug-n-play". I replaced my stop and tail lights with multi LED lights that used the same base, this means my tail light is a lot brighter than stock and the brake a bit brighter (it's the reflector that makes the difference.
I've stopped short of replacing the blinkers as I am yet to find an LED bulb that I think will actually work all that well in standard BMW blinkers, but I have replaced the front parking bulb with an LED strip glued and cable-tied to the bottom of the instrument mounting plate. An LED headlight bulb will be bought when I find a decent lamp assembly that fits.
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For the tun signals use these bulbs with this Flasher
no resistors or any thing required.
Plug and play
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For the brake and tail light Use these
The brake bulb will need to be modified
You will have to cut the end of the Heat sink off to clear the lens.
The plastic part at the top of the base will have to be trimmed to get it into the socket
The tail light bulb will plug straight in with no modifying
This set up is a lot brighter than the standard bulbs because the LED's point back into the reflector
I have seen this
http://www.beemershop.com/Merchant5/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=BS&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=BK40TWIN
And it is not as bright as the Sylvania ZEVO and cost twice as much
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Thank you!!!
Report to follow once I get them installed. It's really the rear tail and brake light I'm concerned with. The signals seem bright. While we are on the subject of lighting I do have a headlamp question as well. I recently converted back to the stock headlight, the previous owner had a goofy aftermarket light on it. On the headlight reflector under the headlight bulb there is a opening for another small bulb. This is not on my bike and the wire has been cut. If one of you has a photo of what it's supposed to look like and it's purpose I would like to see it.
Raphael
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The small bulb was only fitted to European bikes. It's a parking light that comes on in the first position after off on a Euro ignition switch. Euro switches have 5 positions including off where as US bikes only have 3.
The bulb is a 4 W BA9s that fits in a push in bulb holder BMW part No 62 14 8 680 130
(https://bmwr65.org/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.maxbmwmotorcycles.com%2Ffiche%2FNotesParts%2F62148680130_1_B.jpg&hash=956ae4b5e8e5b84bf91de61bf0d3fc6c91a7ca64)
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One point to make, is that the LED color needs to be the same as the lens it will be shining through .
Put a white LED behind a red lens and it will be quite dim as compared to a red LED .
Here's a link to a site that has specific parts for BMW's .
http://motoelekt.com/lighting.htm
I put the Beacon 2 and the ' Stopper ' a 24 LED light bar below the license plate along with a part they no longer sell, two 8 LED flashing LEDs, the add on parts come on with the brake light and get noticed , I do a lot of night riding .
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Thanks!
I changed out the tail, brake, and signals with the Syvania LED's of the correct color. It cost about 75 bucks for everything. Total plug and play with the exception of the one bulb mod whcih was supper easy, took about 20 seconds with a diamond wheel on the grinder. I'm not convinced that the signals are any brighter, perhaps if I'm board one night I will install one of each and find out. I did it for lower draw and reliability.
Barry, thank you for the info on the mystery bulb opening I won't worry about that then.
My headlight also didn't come with a rubber grommet where the wires enter the bucket on the lower side, it seems like there should be one although I didn't find it in the parts fitche when I looked. I may be looking in the wrong category. If someone easily has the part number please send it my way.
Here are two photos, one of the LED bulb in the signal and the other of a voltmeter I recently picked up on ebay. Totally sweet, also can charge my phone and has a switch in the back so you can turn it off as desired.
Thanks again!!
R
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One point to make, is that the LED color needs to be the same as the lens it will be shining through .
Put a white LED behind a red lens and it will be quite dim as compared to a red LED .
Here's a link to a site that has specific parts for BMW's .
http://motoelekt.com/lighting.htm
I put the Beacon 2 and the ' Stopper ' a 24 LED light bar below the license plate along with a part they no longer sell, two 8 LED flashing LEDs, the add on parts come on with the brake light and get noticed , I do a lot of night riding .
The bulbs I show are Amber for the turn and Red for the brake and tail light They have a "R" and an "A" at the end of the part #
I have seen the Beacon "2" Bulb assy from Motorrad Elektrik side by side with the Red ZEVO LED and the ZEVO is Brighter
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was get'n a pain in the neck look'n sideways
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Thanks for straighten me out!!
;)
Just back from a cool evening ride in Santa Fe and all is well with my lights.
Next on the list is my clunky fork, or at least that is what I'm guessing is clunking on my dirt road. It's also leaking a bit of fork oil on one side as seen in the now correctly oriented photo.
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looks like the left fork is seeping some oil .
A job for the off season !!
Where did you get the voltmeter, been considering one for the R65's .
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http://www.ebay.com/itm/291695042925?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
8.99 on ebay
It's pretty sweet. I'm still learning about voltage. It is interesting when I turn it on it usually reads 17.5 then after a few seconds goes down to 12.5, this is with the bike not running.
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Hello,
May I suggest you buy the lamp holder for the parking light and install it ? Even if you do not run a parking light. This way the hole in the reflector will be closed and the moisture will have a more difficult job to reach the very very fragile mirror lining in the headlight....
I do not know what are the road regulations where you live but I live in a country where insurance look at everything they can find in a severe accident not to pay the money they owe. So you'd better fit only approved parts on your motorcycle, including the bulbs.... Just my 2 cents !
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Thanks for the perspective. I will order the parking light. If it will work with my US ignition I will set it up and use it as well.
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Hello...
I do not know what are the road regulations where you live but I live in a country where insurance look at everything they can find in a severe accident not to pay the money they owe. So you'd better fit only approved parts on your motorcycle, including the bulbs.... Just my 2 cents !
Will not stir up the politics of this statement but 'round these parts, we can pretty well choose whatever tail light bulb or part we want. I own five bikes and not a single one leaves my shop totally stock. I do feel sad for some folks that have to have the "correct" gubmint-approved sticker, stamp, label on their pieces parts. I think there's a name for that...
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Next on the list is my clunky fork, or at least that is what I'm guessing is clunking on my dirt road. It's also leaking a bit of fork oil on one side as seen in the now correctly oriented photo.
So you've done the easy bits and are moving on to fork clunks ;D
While the oil seal will need fixing it's not necessarily the reason for the clunk unless the oil level has gotten too low. If oil level is not the problem have a search for fork clunks as there are several old posts on the problem.
First thing to do is determine is it a topping out clunk when the forks reach full extension i.e. does it clunk when you ride off the edge of a kerb or into a pot hole'
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Thanks for the perspective. I will order the parking light. If it will work with my US ignition I will set it up and use it as well.
If you want to use it as a parking light wire it to #58 on the ignition switch.
The difference between Euro and US ignition switches is that with the 5 position Euro switch you can use it as a parking lamp with ignition off or you can have the ignition on and ride the bike with the parking lamp used as a daylight running light. With a 3 position US switch it can only be used as a parking lamp.
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There should be a Grey and Black (GR SW) wire with a female spade connector on it in the bucket.
If not may be the speedo illumination wire of the same color and circuit should be close by that you can tap off of.
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Hi,
The parking light is wired and working perfectly. The installation is a bit funky. The part I ordered from the dealer, I believe the same one in the photo Barry sent was a bit small for the opening in the headlight. The opening in the headlight also has a small square cutout by the bulb, picture a old fashioned keyhole? I wedged the bulb socket in there with a spare piece of plastic and it seems to be holding it in place but I'm not confident it will for the long haul with the vibration. It seems like my headlight might be requiring a different bulb holder. At any rate it's working for now.
I did also pick up the missing blank for my dash were the previous owner had a goofy switch, slowly coming together.
When I replaced the headlight and bucket I also replaced the mounting plate for the headlight as my bike had a poor aftermarket set up. It appears there may be some retaining clip or bracket for the main wire harness where it comes in below the headlight bracket to hold it in place and keep it from chafing that I am missing. If anyone has the factory set up and can send a photo I would like to see the routing and harness retention. If not I can secure it with something to further protect from chafe and a few zip ties.
I'm really enjoying getting the bike set up and also the rides I'm getting in.
Clearly a better around town and curvy road bike. The other day I was following a friend on his 1200 and I was about maxed around 85 with a headwind. Which felt about the right speed for me at this point in my learning curve anyway. :)
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My parking light bulb holder is like you described
It is loose in the reflector
You may try a good hardware store for a grommet to go around the wires coming out of the head light bucket
What I have left of the original grommet is on the left
One of the PO's cut mine up to get the turn signal wires into the bucket
Maybe some one has theirs apart to take a better picture
But the main harness comes up the top tube and loops out to the base of the headlight bracket and splits off to the head light and continues up to the instrument cluster
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Thanks!
Yes for the headlight grommet the key is good auto parts store. I have a few more to check in my town but so far no luck, I'm sure I can find one online.
Here is a photo of the wire harness on my bike. With the two pre drilled holes it appears there is something I'm missing, perhaps to secure the harness. Obviously no big deal to make it work well with a few zip ties and a little extra material to prevent chafe.
Have a great one!
Raphael
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BTW I'm not sure why my images always post sideways. They look correctly oriented until I post them.
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BTW I'm not sure why my images always post sideways. They look correctly oriented until I post them.
When I save a pic to my PC, I pull it up in "Windows photo viewer" ,my default viewer.
If its side ways just click the button to rotate it to what you want and back out of the pic and it will be saved on the PC as what you last saw on the screen............ I seem to have issues anytime I take a pic in "landscape" or try to go straight from my phone to the site. I always save them and orient, then send
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Here you Go
Your harness looks to be correct
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I installed a flashing brake light from Super Bright LED. I seems to get tailgaters to back off. Strobes 3 times, slow flash 3 times then on solid. Legal in Oregon but maybe not everywhere. Got them on both BMWs after seeing people back off when I hit my brakes.
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Thanks!
I noticed the strobe on someones bike and it caught my eye so I just ordered one as well.
Raphael
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The brake light strobe arrived today. Super easy install and it's working perfectly. I like it a lot. Perhaps slightly obnoxious if one is on and off the brakes but better seen than squashed and I agree that it is a attention getter.
Thanks for the tip!
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I appreciate you all putting pictures and exact part numbers for these things here. I've been looking to LED-ize my system but had not bothered with the turn signals yet.
One question here - if you switch to the relay above for the turn signals, will this work with regular bulbs also? Or LED only? I ask because I usually carry some spare bulbs with me. Of course, LEDs should last a good long time. But just wondering how this works, for the just-in-case scenarios.
Thanks
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The flasher will work with the standard bulbs :)
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Excellent! Now I can keep my cheap spare kit and only buy an extra LED if one happens to go out. Thanks.