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Hid on R1200RT?


James L.

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Im thinking of putting hid lights on my 2011 rt. Does anyone have recommendations on which ones to buy?

 

I do have the stereo and would like to not interfere with its operation with noisy ballasts.

 

James L.

 

I did search, but turned up no results.

Edited by James L.
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I have the DDM tuning kit on my 2007 RT (hexhead, not a camhead), but I don't have a stereo, so I can't speak to that. I got their cheapest H7 kit, and it was pretty easy to install.

 

So far, so good, but I only installed the kit this summer.

 

Dean

 

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I have the 1offmotorsports on my 2011 RT. Don't get them if you like listening to your radio. I get no radio reception. Most of my music listening is via a memory stick so I don't care about the radio too much. And I rarely listen to music, unless I'm slabbing it somewhere, which is rare. Also, as the beam isn't directed properly it puts a TON of light all over the place and really annoys other drivers at night ON THE LOW BEAM. 1offMotorsports isn't around anymore, but, if you come across a set I'd pass. If it's more light down the road you're after, I'd recommend a good set of Clearwater driving lights instead to be honest.

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I have the 1offmotorsports on my 2011 RT. Don't get them if you like listening to your radio. I get no radio reception. Most of my music listening is via a memory stick so I don't care about the radio too much. And I rarely listen to music, unless I'm slabbing it somewhere, which is rare. Also, as the beam isn't directed properly it puts a TON of light all over the place and really annoys other drivers at night ON THE LOW BEAM. 1offMotorsports isn't around anymore, but, if you come across a set I'd pass. If it's more light down the road you're after, I'd recommend a good set of Clearwater driving lights instead to be honest.

 

Thanks for the tip. I'd rather get light down the road rather than annoy on comming drivers.

 

James L.

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I was tired of replacing low beam bulbs every six months, and installed 4200K HIDs from ddmtuning about two and a half years ago. I had concerns about causing glare, so I compared beam patterns before and after the conversion, and found that the light is still well-controlled with a sharp cutoff at the same positions as the stock H4 bulb. I also had my wife drive past me several times on a dark road. She reported the light is bright, and distinctive, due to the whiter color, but did not cause glare. Properly aimed, the light is well controlled by the BMW reflector. Since the conversion, I have never been "flashed" by an oncoming vehicle.

 

A Google search of this site alone ( site:bmwsporttouring.com HID ) produces over three thousand hits on the subject. Check out some of the more recent threads, as the technology has improved over the years. I think you'll find that most that make the change are pleased with the results, though keeping the radio clear may require one of the more expensive kits.

 

 

 

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About 3 years ago i changed the lights on another bike i have. The vision was so bad at night, i just HAD to do it!

It has improved so much, i would never own a motorcycle without a HID! As i was skeptical about them, i bought

the cheapest set. After 3 years, one burned out, the other still works. Now the RT has great lights system, and

two 65w for low beam! I replaced them with two 35w HID's, and it improved the vision. This time, bought the higher

end of what DDM Tunning has. So far so good, yet is only one year. Keep in mind, HID's require a slight modification

to your light cover, a hole, to be more specific, to route the wires thru. Nothing dramatic, easy done with a hole

saw or whatever you have. The kit comes with rubber plugs, so will keep the lights clean, free of the outside

elements, including rain water. And after all this, you will love what you see... ;)

Edited by temesvar
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  • 1 year later...

Hi All,

Thanks for that forensic review Larry from Central OH, "Eye Oh", and I'll click open the SportTouring dot com HID link you enclosed and see how I make out.

I was just traveling on a local highway here on Long Island and noticed a 12GS heading northbound, while I was heading southbound. He had HID's and Fog's lighting up his roadway and I wasn't distracted for the first time in years. Hence the launching of this thread on BMWST Forums.

Gonna see what I can figure out for my 2010 R1200RT.

Thanks a bunch and see you out there!

Jim

 

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I had HID for about two years. I got a cheap set off of Amazon with the CANBUS compatible. I actually had two sets. A bulb finally went after about 2 years, then a unit burned out. I am now running LEDs. I like these better. FYI - We'll see how long they last though.

Edited by NickInSac
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Hey NickInSac, Please let me know how the LEDs turn out. I am a strong believer in LEDs but not sure how they will work main headlight. I am heading down to Palm Desert away from the rainy, dreary weather on Vancouver Island so I will be passing through your neck of the woods, Sacramento. Cheers Patrick

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Here's a link to a brief thread here that i used and also posted finished pictures to. I opted for the DDM kit, and it's been wonderful. I also followed Larry's advice from the thread and got 35W CANBUS ballasts with 4300K or 4500K bulbs..

 

Best of luck, many of us have made this mod and will help/answer any inquires you may have.

 

HID Mod Thread

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