BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

I noticed in the main headlamp housing below the dip bulb that there appeared to be a blank round hole identical to the one above for the dip marked out where it needed to be removed in order to fit the same cap as the one for dip.

I obtained another cap 6312781410 and decided to cut it out and see if there was enough room inside to hide the HID ballast etc, I cut out the hole with a dremel and it is a tight fit but managed to get the slimline ballast and cabling in the new hole and fit the new cap which means I didn't have to bring the cables out of the housing and fasten the ballast outside of the headlamp housing.

Good effort! What HID kit did you use that fitted inside? Did you do just full beam or both dip & main?
I am wavering between going HID or LED. I had HIDs in my 2008 R1200RT and also in my F800GT but I think LED might be the best way to go now, (have not worked out which supplier makes the best kit). Still looking at the options

TJRL wrote: Good effort! What HID kit did you use that fitted inside? Did you do just full beam or both dip & main?

I tried LED for dip but due to the light leaving the led from 2 LED's back to back so not quite 360degrees I wasn't happy with the beam pattern, I haven't road tested with the HID but looks good on the garage door 

I tried a kit off fleabay that said it was canbus compatible, but wasn't so went with this which so far appears ok with the canbus.

I have LED in full beam which works well.

Benchmark wrote: [...]went with this which so far appears ok with the canbus.

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Benchmark wrote: I tried LED for dip but due to the light leaving the led from 2 LED's back to back so not quite 360degrees I wasn't happy with the beam pattern, I haven't road tested with the HID but looks good on the garage door
I tried a kit off fleabay that said it was canbus compatible, but wasn't so went with this which so far appears ok with the canbus.
I have LED in full beam which works well.

Thank you for the details on the HID kit, reading your post is seems you have HID on main and LED on dip beam is that correct? If so what are your thoughts is this the perfect set-up? Final question what LED unit did you fit on the dip beam?

TJRL wrote: Thank you for the details on the HID kit, reading your post is seems you have HID on main and LED on dip beam is that correct? If so what are your thoughts is this the perfect set-up? Final question what LED unit did you fit on the dip beam?

No it's the other way round, LED on main, HID on main would be a bad choice for flash or quick use of main as HID have a short warm up time to full brightness.

The link I posted above is for HID with a lamp fitting of H7 which is dip only as full beam on the water cooled is H1 

No it's the other way round, LED on main, HID on main would be a bad choice for flash or quick use of main as HID have a short warm up time to full brightness.
The link I posted above is for HID with a lamp fitting of H7 which is dip only as full beam on the water cooled is H1

Sorry for getting it wrong! What are your thoughts, is that the perfect set-up? Final question what LED unit did you fit on the main beam?

TJRL wrote: What are your thoughts, is that the perfect set-up? Final question what LED unit did you fit on the main beam?

The perfect setup would of been for Herr BMW to go to fully LED lighting and use LED for the headlights too, IMHO using halogen (yellowish light) with the daytime running lights (white) spoils the appearance and after having had the previous RT with twin dip headlights I miss the ability of the bike to illuminate the road at night and having the redundancy of one light should the bulb fail in one (esp given what a pain it is to change a bulb).

For me I like the HID for the dip and the LED for main 

For the LED in the main beam I got something like these

Benchmark wrote: IMHO using halogen (yellowish light) with the daytime running lights (white) spoils the appearance...

AT LAST - somebody else who's worried about how cool their bike looks.  I thought I was the only one.


Otherwise, how do you explain all the guys with blue, brown and/or gold coloured bikes?


:alas: :alas: :alas:

richardbd wrote:
AT LAST - somebody else who's worried about how cool their bike looks.  I thought I was the only one.


Otherwise, how do you explain all the guys with blue, brown and/or gold coloured bikes?


:alas: :alas: :alas:

Only owned my RT for a few weeks, love the bike, great ride - but cool! Think my Harley is cool, but not my RT - IMHO of course.

richardbd wrote: AT LAST - somebody else who's worried about how cool their bike looks. I thought I was the only one.
Otherwise, how do you explain all the guys with blue, brown and/or gold coloured bikes?
:alas: :alas: :alas:

Have to agree with Benchmark, all the lights should be bright white. But as for thinking blue (the best colour by far by the way) is not cool looking, what planet are you on. :))

The thing about the white light color is that while it looks to be better on dry light colored concrete at night it is horrible in fog or rain and it will reduce your vision. BMW has it right with the yellow light.

siclmn wrote: The thing about the white light color is that while it looks to be better on dry light colored concrete at night it is horrible in fog or rain and it will reduce your vision. BMW has it right with the yellow light.

That's not a problem for us here in the UK.  We get very little rain or fog...


:alas: :alas: :alas:

TJRL wrote: But as for thinking blue (the best colour by far by the way) is not cool looking, what planet are you on. )

I have a suspicion that this might be an age-related prejudice and it's us younger RT riders that prefer the stealth colours...

Benchmark wrote: I have LED in full beam which works well.

Hi, Which LED bulb are you using in your high beam? My halogen beam bulb just popped - I have HIDs in the dip beam, 2005 bike so all H7 fittings.