Spare bulbs -- do you keep on your bike?

[blackyam]

Hi, everyone. My previous R1150RS had one headlight bulb and one tail/brake light bulb, and so I kept on the bike one spare headlight bulb and one spare tail/brake light bulb. Now my R12RT has three headlight bulbs (two low and one high) and two tail/brake light bulbs.

 

My question is, (statistically speaking?) can I get away with keeping on the bike only one (or two) spare headlight bulb(s) and only one spare tail/brake light bulb, or would it be more prudent to keep a full complement of spares of each (3+2 = five bulbs total)?

 

Or do you not keep any spare bulbs on the bike at all?

 

Btw, I decided not to pack any spare turn signal bulbs because I figured that I can use hand signals if any fail. Is this bad thinking?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

---John.

[dirtrider]

Evening John

 

I guess I question why carry any extra bulbs. Your 1200 has more than enough light to keep riding even with one bulb burnt out. Even then you can buy a new H-7 bulb at about any auto part store or all night Wally World. Probably no way you are you going to install a new headlight in the dark using flashlight anyway.

 

Same with the tail/brake light, you have 2 & the dash warning light system will let you know when one burns out so just stop & buy a new one when you need to.

 

[gottago]

We used to keep spare bulbs but typically you're not that far from a Walmart or auto parts store if you need one.

 

[Skywagon]

no spares for me

[russell_bynum]

Evening John

 

I guess I question why carry any extra bulbs. Your 1200 has more than enough light to keep riding even with one bulb burnt out. Even then you can buy a new H-7 bulb at about any auto part store or all night Wally World. Probably no way you are you going to install a new headlight in the dark using flashlight anyway.

 

Same with the tail/brake light, you have 2 & the dash warning light system will let you know when one burns out so just stop & buy a new one when you need to.

 

+1

[marcopolo]

I carry two H-7s, plus one turn signal bulb and one tail/brake light bulb. It's not like there isn't plenty of room; I carry mine in the tail section. I've replaced H-7s on the road, but have not had to replace any of the others on a trip (though last year I swapped out rear turn signal and tail lights before a ride to California.

[taylor1]

I carry one brake light bulb with me. Since I have a tail blazer,I am not sure if I can pic that one up just anywere. Also never know where I might be ,so do not want to chance it.

[outpost22]

People may question why anyone should carry an extra headlamp bulb.

 

Maybe you wouldn't question it if you blew a headlight bulb out in the Snake River Canyon late in the afternoon about 70 miles from town and you had to find your way home in the dark on a rutted dirt road or cold camp instead that night without camping gear.

 

Keeping a spare headlamp bulb only insures that you will never need it...until (see above)

 

My taillight/brake lights on both bikes are LED. I got tired of busting bulbs due to vibration on rough roads/trails.

[SageRider]

Outpost22,

That is the difference between an R1100-RT and an R1200-RT.

 

With an R1100-RT, the single headlight burns out and only the single parking lamp is left.

Carry a spare on the R1100-RT? Absolutely.

 

On an R1200-RT, a low beam headlamp can burn out and there is still a low beam and a high beam left. Arguably better lighting than the R1100-RT at it's best. Should one somehow manage to lose all three headlamp bulbs, then there are two parking lamps.

Carry a spare on the R1200-RT? Only as a convenience.

[David13]

I'm not worried about going anywhere in the dark. I've got a super flashlight in my back pack.

dc

[eddd]

Outpost22,

That is the difference between an R1100-RT and an R1200-RT.

 

With an R1100-RT, the single headlight burns out and only the single parking lamp is left.

Carry a spare on the R1100-RT? Absolutely.

 

On an R1200-RT, a low beam headlamp can burn out and there is still a low beam and a high beam left. Arguably better lighting than the R1100-RT at it's best. Should one somehow manage to lose all three headlamp bulbs, then there are two parking lamps.

Carry a spare on the R1200-RT? Only as a convenience.

 

No parking light on an R1100RT.

 

I carry a sprare halogen even though I run an HID. It's been in the tail section since I first got the bike.

[SageRider]

No parking light on an R1100RT.

Yes there is.

Bottom center of the reflector.

 

[blackyam]

Hi, everyone. Thanks for your replies.

 

I stopped by the local AutoZone and Wal Mart this afternoon to see what bulbs they carry. Both carry the ordinary Sylvania H7 bulb. (AutoZone: ~$25 for a pack of two; Wal Mart: ~$10 for a single.) However, neither carries the tail/brake light bulb or turn signal bulb that I see on page 155 of the manual are P21W and PY21W, respectively. I even checked with the counter person at AutoZone (but not with anyone at Wal Mart).

 

Perhaps as a precaution against Murphy's Law I should keep one spare of each type bulb on the bike. :-P

 

Thanks again.

 

---John.

[racer7]

You guys are missing a common behavior of the current RT. When one headlight bulb blows, the second often follows in short order and sometimes almost immediately.

And if you're on ride somewhere it can be pretty easy to be a ways from a place that has bulbs and those common Asian H-7s are junk anyway compared to the euro made stock bulbs.

I do spare headlights a couple ways. First I carry a couple bulbs. My riding partners bike also uses the H-7 and I carry a pair. I also run 5 identical H-7s across the front of my RT- the 3 stockers plus a pair of FF50 driving lights but all are the 65W Osram Rallye bulb. Haven't managed to kill one of those yet but I can swap as well as replace if needed.

And I can do a bulb change in the dark by feel- the easy way. If you try to change bulbs on an RT by looking you will simply get frustrated. Yeah I know its hard for some but try learning to do it by feel and you'll see how easy it really is- when you get it you'll wonder what all the fuss is about. You do need a mental image of how the parts work to do it, however.

I carry 1 spare tail light but my bike also has Hyperlights and the BMW accessory tailight (lots of texting kids where I live).

[WestyLancs]

Over here stores such as Aldi and Lidl often sell bulb sets. usually a pair of H7s, indicator (not normally the amber PY21W though), tail/stop (not used on the RT) and a couple of other snaller bulbs and fuses for around £5. (roughly $6 or $7 ??)

At that price they're cheaper than buying single H7s, and have lasted at least as long as the original fitment when I have changed them out.

I usually have a couple of spare sets in the house, and one on the bike. I swap the redundant twin filament for a PY21W and all sit securely in the handy storage box they're sold in, in the right hand fairing pocket.

 

As Racer7 says RT bulbs usually blow in quick succession, and swapping headlight bulbs on the RT by looking is too much hassle, and hindered by hands and bulbs in the way. I usually look through the front of the lens to line up the bulb, and connect up the cips and wires by feel.

 

Maybe it's just me, but being a retired LEO, I don't like having any bulbs out.

 

Ian

[blackyam]

Hi. As I mentioned above, I could not find either the P21W or PY21W at the local AutoZone or Wal Mart. Where do y'all suggest I may find these on the road, or should I pick up a couple from my dealer (50 miles away)? Thanks.

 

---John.

[SageRider]

P21W

PY21W

[tallman]

A reason I have Motolights and PIAA's.

Should have enough light to get there if bulb(s) go.

GT headlamps are a p-a-i-n to replace and having large hands makes it impossibly difficult to do "by feel".

Need to remove the front of bike fairing.

 

If riding in the hinterlands, by all means, carry a spare and know how to change it.

[outpost22]

You guys are missing a common behavior of the current RT. When one headlight bulb blows, the second often follows in short order and sometimes almost immediately.

 

Makes sense. But, you know, spare bulbs take up a lot of room in a bike, right next to the tent, coffee pot, chairs, reading lamp, etc.

 

 

[SageRider]

You guys are missing a common behavior of the current RT. When one headlight bulb blows, the second often follows in short order and sometimes almost immediately.

There is still the high beam, which can be moved to a low beam in the unlikely event that both low beams blow before one can find an auto parts store.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

You guys are missing a common behavior of the current RT. When one headlight bulb blows, the second often follows in short order and sometimes almost immediately.

 

This is common? If so, any idea why it would happen?

 

When Shawn's R1200RT popped a bulb on our recent trip to Torrey, it was just the right low-beam. Left low-beam stayed lit. And as SageRider notes, if both low-beams pop simultaneously, the high-beam will still get you to safely to the next town.

 

On my bike I also have Motolights that provide additional lighting. With the two main H7's, and the two motolights, that's 220 watts lighting the way; if one H7 blows, I'm down to 165, and if two somehow blow simultaneously, I've still got 110 watts pointed forward.

 

FWIW I don't have room under my seat for a spare bulb; that space is packed with tools and spares to replace parts which, if broken, would leave the bike dead on the side of the road. Examples include tire repair kit, spare alt belt, spare throttle cable, spare FPC, and a whole mess of tools, zip-ties, fuses, and so on. Luggage space is reserved for luggage (except for Slime Pump, which is too big for underseat storage).

[dirtrider]

Afternoon Mitch

 

On the 1200RT it does seem fairly common to have the low beams burn out close to each other, within weeks anyhow. (usually go out on engine start up)

 

I ride with a lot of late model 1200 RT riders & have yet to see any of us fail the 2 low beams on the same day. Closest I have seen is one fail after dinner start up one day then the other fail the next day after lunch start up (they usually seem to fail on engine start-up as far as I have seen anyhow)

 

The closest I have personally come is failing both low beams at the same time was on a 2000 mile cold weather trip, but those were those darn Osram 65 watt high output bulbs running 12 hours a day (didn’t get 2000 miles out of either one). The high beam standard H-7 never failed on that trip though (glad I didn’t put a 65 watt in there also) .

 

I’m with you as I can’t see keeping a spare bulb under the seat either as there is no way I am I going to remove all my camping gear to get to a bulb carried there. Especially when I can keep riding on the other H-7 low beam, then if that should also go out just ride with the high beam until I stop for gas (most truck stops and lots of gas station/convenience stores carry those H-7 bulbs. H-7 bulbs seem to have a short life (even in cars & trucks) so I’m not sure why BMW picked that particular bulb for the 1200RT.

 

In any case I have a couple of the cheapest Sylvanias offered in my present 1200RT & those are hanging in there strong for well over a year now. That seems to be a common thread among the 1200RT riders I ride with as it seems the cheap standard H-7 bulbs outlast the high end ones by quite a bit. A friend of mine went through 4 of those Osram 65 watters in a little over 6 months & about 6000 miles.

 

I guess the thing I have learned on the 1200RT and H-7 bulbs is when one goes out just replace both as the other probably isn’t that far behind.

 

In case someone really cares-- I rode my 1200RT for close to a week with my Fluke hooked to the R/H headlight low beam (right at the bulb terminal) & set to trap highest voltage seen & never recorded over 14.7 volts to that light even right after start up as the headlights came on. Not sure what is failing them so fast but it sure doesn’t seem like an over voltage issue.

 

[marcopolo]

You guys are missing a common behavior of the current RT. When one headlight bulb blows, the second often follows in short order and sometimes almost immediately.

 

This is common? If so, any idea why it would happen?

 

 

I had both low beams blow simultaneously on startup a couple of years ago. No idea why; they were only about a month old too. That's one reason why I carry a couple of spares (given that I'm not mechanically inclined at all and don't have to pack spare parts and tools, I have lots of room for bulbs -- something I can change).

[DiggerJim]

In any case I have a couple of the cheapest Sylvanias offered in my present 1200RT & those are hanging in there strong for well over a year now. That seems to be a common thread among the 1200RT riders I ride with as it seems the cheap standard H-7 bulbs outlast the high end ones by quite a bit.

 

If you look at the package for a Silverstar or the even brighter Silverstar Plus they tell you that the lifespan is reduced vs. a normal H7. They're pushing the bulb harder the brighter they make it so the lifespan is shorter.

[bakerzdosen]

I've carried two headlights for a while. It seems to have done the trick because I'm still waiting for the stock bulbs to burn out (yup, that's 6 years after they were installed and 30k+ miles later...)

 

As soon as I leave them at home they'll burn out.

[litigator]

Since I am religiously opposed to sharing the road with deer (again), I never ride in the dark and thus avoid all this bulb provisioning chatter.

[racer7]

Dirtrider,

Interesting that you've apparently had Osram 65W fry prematurely- as you know they carry a noram life rating becasue they're just a stock H-9 burner in an H-7 base. And their filament is a bit longer than the H-7 so filament heat is less concentrated. I've had excellent service from Osrams - as good as the factory supplied 55W.

 

OTOH, I've had poor service from IPF 65W bulbs. They have a normal length H-7 filament and burner. In addition to having short life, I've had 2 go within minutes of each other a few times and yes, typically on startup (which is when most bulbs blow due to intial current inrush which then stabilizes at a lower value. Folks who play with high performance flashlights often use slow starters that ramp up voltage over a fraction of a second to avoid this effect and it could be done on vehicles also)- which is why I switched to the Osrams. I attribute the short life to the extra heat intensity of running the short H-7 filament at a higher output.

[tallman]

Ironically an R1200 R came in for 600 mile service today.

H 11 bulb broken.

Called NAPA and had it 4 minutes later.

Who needs to carry a spare.

[longjohn]

I guess the thing I have learned on the 1200RT and H-7 bulbs is when one goes out just replace both as the other probably isn’t that far behind.

 

Yep, I'm going that direction.

 

Michael in Minden had a theory on the bulbs that I think has some merit. I mentioned to him that mine last about 12k miles and he said he gets over 30k. The difference between us being that I ride mine 5 days/wk, whereas he starts his up much less often but puts in many more miles/trip. More frequent heating up and cooling down shortens the life of the filament.

[Fubar]

Evening John

 

I guess I question why carry any extra bulbs. Your 1200 has more than enough light to keep riding even with one bulb burnt out. Even then you can buy a new H-7 bulb at about any auto part store or all night Wally World. Probably no way you are you going to install a new headlight in the dark using flashlight anyway.

 

Same with the tail/brake light, you have 2 & the dash warning light system will let you know when one burns out so just stop & buy a new one when you need to.

What he said. Plus, I use HIDs.

[Mister Tee]

I do (did) when I had my 1200RT, only simply because if I had a light burn out, I bought at least two bulbs so I didn't have to make an extra store run when the second burned out. If had it I might as well keep it in the glove box so it would be there when I needed it.