LED upgrade for all bulbs

[Strat Tuner]

Just back from a night time ride through Temecula wine country as there are no street lights out there.
The new headlights are a huge improvement over the stock bulbs!

I would like to adjust the dims down just a bit. Only two out of about 30 flashed me to dim what was already dim, but that's not a scientific sampling.

With the LED headlights, the 2008 BMW is the equal of the 2012 FJR, and that's saying something as the FJR has great headlights. I'm off to search the owner's manual for "headlight adjustment" then find some 1156 mount, RED, Canbus error free bulbs for the tail light.

I got a set of these, but my solution is working just fine....

lic plate bolt lights.jpg (86.77 KiB) Viewed 1204 times

[Strat Tuner]

OK , I found this on Amazon...

Sidaqi 1156 LED Bulb Red CANBUS Error Free Brake Tail Light 4000LM 30SMD P21W 1141 BA15S 7506 LED Blub Built-in Load Resistor Anti Hyper Flash for Stop Tail Brake Light 12-24V (Pack of 2)

If it is what it says it is, then it should work. I won't put a picture up until I KNOW it works.

[Doctor T]

For the rear LED bulbs, try red nail varnish to tone the white down

[Strat Tuner]

Would you have applied that "varnish" to the inside or outside of the plastic light holder.

I'm guessing you'd leave the "clear' window under the two brakes lights clear?

[Strat Tuner]

Attempting to adjust the headlights did not to we'll today. I found the plastic 13mm bolt head near the headlights behind them. I was very careful... didn't matter....

I marked the 12 o'clock positon with bright green duct tape so I'd know exactly how many full turns I'd made.

I turned it 1 full turn counter clockwise then observed the effects of the light pattern against a plain white surface. after ten interactions of that, I got back to where it started from. It never moved the beam pattern up or down. I then tried turning the other direction.

The 13mm bolt head completely detached after only three full turns clockwise. It's sixteen years old, I should have thought of that.

None of what I did had any effect on the beam pattern. The demarkation point between light and shadow never moved!

When you read that a mere mortal can adjust that, think twice. It didn't work for me.

[David.]

I'm reading elsewhere that LED bulbs are not a compatible replacement for a halogen bulb in a reflector style headlight.

The beam pattern changes, can anyone shed any light on this matter.

[Doctor T]

I adjusted the beam pattern on my 07. I turned the beam down as I was fed up with being flashed by oncoming traffic in Europe. You must not us too much pressure whilst turning the two 13mm adjusters.
Lucky for you before the heads broke the Pattern wasnt totally wrong. Don't think you can buy just the adjusters on their own.
If you have to remove the headlight unit a go 2 part super glue will fix it

[David.]

In the UK, I fitted a pair of these Philips H7 bulbs to the x2 dip beams.

https://www.philips.co.uk/c-p/12972WVUS ... l-benefits

"These are the whitest road-legal halogen lights in our portfolio".

[David.]

I adjusted the beam pattern on my 07. I turned the beam down as I was fed up with being flashed by oncoming traffic in Europe.

From the BMW template, made a set of headlight conversion stickers.



They are attached to a removeable Nippy Normans headlight protector.

[Doctor T]

I asked BMW about them a few years ago. They said as the same units used worldwide they don't need cut offs fitted. They are symmetrical units. If they had little arrows stamped on them like older light then you need cut offs

[David.]

Just checked my 2012 Camhead Rider's Manual.

"If the motorcycle is ridden in a country where the opposite rule of the road applies, its asymmetric low-beam headlight will tend to dazzle oncoming traffic. Have the headlight set accordingly. Commercially available adhesive tape will damage the plastic lens of the light."

Hence the headlight protector.

[Doctor T]

It maybe different for new models than my 07. Like I said I just lowered the beam and it seems to stop the flashing.

[David.]

It maybe different for new models than my 07.

This certainly does look like it is the case for Hexheads. MAX BMW only list one headlight and the Rider's Manual has no mention of adjusting the headlight for driving on left/driving on right. Only headlight beam throw adjustment if the motorcycle is very heavily loaded.

For the Camhead, MAX BMW list two asymmetric headlights, presumably, one LHD and the other RHD.

[Strat Tuner]

I adjusted the beam pattern on my 07. I turned the beam down as I was fed up with being flashed by oncoming traffic in Europe. You must not us too much pressure whilst turning the two 13mm adjusters.
Lucky for you before the heads broke the Pattern wasnt totally wrong. Don't think you can buy just the adjusters on their own.
If you have to remove the headlight unit a go 2 part super glue will fix it

I did try super glueing the 13mm connector back on, but superglue can't take that kind of torque.

The strangest part for me is that the 13mm adjuster seemed to have NO effect.

- put the bike in a center stand

- turned the headlights on, and pencils marked the line between the light and dark upper and lower half of the beam pattern. (horizontal line)

- turn 13mm adjuster counter clock wise 3 full turns

- turn lights on, check pencils mark, NO effect

- repeat until ten full turns completes

- observed NO change

- turn it back to its original setting

- turn 3 full turns to the right, NO effect

- next turn detached 13mm adjuster!

I plan to take it to the dealer to see if their tech can do anything with it. Is it worth replacing the entire light housing? Maybe... depends in cost.

[Strat Tuner]

Not sure what to say about compatible.

Head light beams gave at least two meaningful behaviors to me.

Each light...
- produces a center hot spot
- creates a horizontal line between Light/dark down the road

Settings: are the two center spots
- pointing straight ahead, (are the lights cross eyed?)

- on the same Horizontal line?

- is the dark/light line even for both lights and low enough so other drivers don't flash you?

I noted that the light/dark lines match on both bulbs, but the light/dark line is a little high.

I read that there's a physical latch (somewhere?) that sets the headlight tilt for fully loaded and NOT fully loaded.
(fully loaded would make the beams shift up slightly)
I have been unable to find this "latch", but it seems to be behind the instrument panel! Really? I have to remove the instrument panel?