BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

Used for hi-beam; Stopped working;  about 2 yo.  Very lightly used - mostly city driving, no long tours, mostly used while filtering during day for safety.  Worked last night then stopped working, tho' the hi-beam indicator activates on the dash.  Are these bulbs typically so short-lived?  If so, are other non-oem bulb types longer lasting? I HATE replacing bulbs.


On another susbject, I was surprised to learn that newer RT's (mine's a 2009) have two hi-beams (left and right?) with the low-beam in the center.  Are the hi-beams constantly on, or are they activated by the h-beam button? If always on, I don't understand how they don't dazzle oncoming drivers and can't provide lightin far down the road.  If they only come on when the button is pushed, then the low-beam center is the sole illumination under normal driving?  I like the old set-up, since it provides good lighting on both sides, especially in the twisties.

In Europe motorcycle lights are basically the same as cars BUT the low beam is always illuminated. High beams are switched.


I live on the edge of London and organize my life so as not to have to ride in the dark if at all possible. My last 4-hour ride in darkness was a nightmare because the freeway was closed for repair and I had to divert onto country roads. The one before that was hindered by fog, mist and freezing temperatures as well - and was quite frankly very scary.


To minimize bulb failure I use heavy-duty bulbs. When the OE ones fail, I have some (no longer available) 65W Osram Rallye bulbs to replace them.

Since my post, I called the dealership who confirmed new bikes (but not the newest 1250) have only the center, low-beam, light on normally, with the L/R high beams activated only with the button.  They did say that the low beams give better coverage on the newer bikes (I guess they re-configured the reflectors?), but I think two low-beams have to be better than one, especially for lateral lighting in the twisties.  Optimally, an old-school two filament bulb would work best, since all the bulbs would be on all the time.  Or perhaps they realize how damned hard it is to replace them, so the L/R will last longer.  He did say that LED's may overheat in the RT since the fairing set-up doesn't provide the cooling ventilation needed.  And I bought the damn thing for it's supposed long life!

I went to take it out, but it was working again!. Everything seems connected and tight.  I'm going to leave the cover off the back in case overheating is the problem, but it was a chilly night at 70 mph speeds when it failed, and I tried it out after about a half hour of riding, which should have been sufficient to cool it down.  Can't figure it.