Delray
Active member
There are several threads on changing headlight bulbs in this forum. I just sifted through a lot of them. This post condenses the best information to make someone's search easier.
I was riding this morning when the yellow triangle warning light came on with the alert, "LAMP!" I was near a shopping plaza so I pulled in and rode up to a big store window where I could see my reflection. Sure enough, my headlight was out. The bright bulb worked fine and the brake lights were fine.
Overall conclusions after replacing the bulb:
-- You don't have to remove any tupperware.
-- It's a 5-minute job the SECOND time you do it. Figuring it out the first time will take 20 to 30 minutes.
-- BMW's spec for the bulb is H7 55W (watts) 12V (volts). All you need to look for is H7 Basic. Any auto parts store has them. Walmart has them. You don't need an OEM bulb.
-- There are threads on this forum that get into bulbs that are better and brighter. I went with Sylvania H7 Basic because it is rated at 270 hours, while the premium Sylvania bulbs were rated at 150 hours. Fewer hours = more bulb changes.
PRO TIP: You have to do this job by feel. Use your cell phone camera to reach up and take pics to see what you’re working with.
PRO TIP 2: When you get the old bulb out, practice putting it back in place like it was the new one. I got pretty good at it, so when it was time to put the new bulb in, it took minutes.
The owners manual recommends removing the upper right fairing so you can see the back of the headlight assembly. Four screws, easy enough. But you still can't see any of the parts you need to manipulate. I found removing the fairing entirely useless.
TO REMOVE LOW BEAM BULB
1. Turn the handlebars all the way to the right, like you're making a right turn.
2. Reach up behind the right (low beam) headlight and pull off the round rubber boot covering the entrance to the bulb housing. Push it to the side out of the way if it’s attached; pull it out and set aside if it's not attached to the bike.
3. Unplug the bulb assembly – just pull straight back. There are two metal prongs like you'd plug into a wall.
4. There is a vertical wire clip shaped like a horseshoe that locks both sides of the bulb assembly in place. It is open at the bottom. On each side, squeeze the wire IN at the bottom and guide it back to release it from the metal hooks on each side. The clip is attached to the bike and won’t fall to the floor.
5. Once both sides of the wire clip are loose, lift the wire up like a garage door and pull the bulb out underneath it.
TO INSTALL NEW LOW BEAM BULB
1. Wear protective gloves and be careful you don't touch the new bulb. Fat from your fingers can cause it to blow out.
2. Lift the wire horseshoe clip about halfway up, like a garage door about to receive a car.
3. Push the new bulb under the clip and through the hole into the headlight. The flat part of the new bulb base faces up, in the 12:00 position. To help you align it, you can use a magic marker, touch up paint, etc. to put a small mark on the metal next to the glass bulb. After you slip the bulb into the bike's headlight fixture, rotate the bulb until you can see it's in the 12:00 position.
4. Bring the wire clip down over the bulb assembly to hold it in place, like a garage door closing. The bulb should be flush in the hole. Lock each side of the wire clip in place – push in and forward, then release so each side expands outward and locks into the metal hook.
5. Plug the bike’s wiring into the bulb assembly and replace the rubber boot.
I started up the bike, the headlight was lit and the warning light was gone ... $16 for the bulb vs. what a BMW dealer would charge for the whole operation.
Here is an inadvertent self photo ("Dear in the Headlight") that I took when the bulb was out. You can see the wire horseshoe clip locked in place. I practiced locking it and unlocking it until I was proficient and then put the new bulb in. You can see the round rubber boot pushed out of the way at the 4:00 position.
EDIT: Several months later I had to replace the low beam bulb on a different GT. I made some notes in a second post below.
I was riding this morning when the yellow triangle warning light came on with the alert, "LAMP!" I was near a shopping plaza so I pulled in and rode up to a big store window where I could see my reflection. Sure enough, my headlight was out. The bright bulb worked fine and the brake lights were fine.
Overall conclusions after replacing the bulb:
-- You don't have to remove any tupperware.
-- It's a 5-minute job the SECOND time you do it. Figuring it out the first time will take 20 to 30 minutes.
-- BMW's spec for the bulb is H7 55W (watts) 12V (volts). All you need to look for is H7 Basic. Any auto parts store has them. Walmart has them. You don't need an OEM bulb.
-- There are threads on this forum that get into bulbs that are better and brighter. I went with Sylvania H7 Basic because it is rated at 270 hours, while the premium Sylvania bulbs were rated at 150 hours. Fewer hours = more bulb changes.
PRO TIP: You have to do this job by feel. Use your cell phone camera to reach up and take pics to see what you’re working with.
PRO TIP 2: When you get the old bulb out, practice putting it back in place like it was the new one. I got pretty good at it, so when it was time to put the new bulb in, it took minutes.
The owners manual recommends removing the upper right fairing so you can see the back of the headlight assembly. Four screws, easy enough. But you still can't see any of the parts you need to manipulate. I found removing the fairing entirely useless.
TO REMOVE LOW BEAM BULB
1. Turn the handlebars all the way to the right, like you're making a right turn.
2. Reach up behind the right (low beam) headlight and pull off the round rubber boot covering the entrance to the bulb housing. Push it to the side out of the way if it’s attached; pull it out and set aside if it's not attached to the bike.
3. Unplug the bulb assembly – just pull straight back. There are two metal prongs like you'd plug into a wall.
4. There is a vertical wire clip shaped like a horseshoe that locks both sides of the bulb assembly in place. It is open at the bottom. On each side, squeeze the wire IN at the bottom and guide it back to release it from the metal hooks on each side. The clip is attached to the bike and won’t fall to the floor.
5. Once both sides of the wire clip are loose, lift the wire up like a garage door and pull the bulb out underneath it.
TO INSTALL NEW LOW BEAM BULB
1. Wear protective gloves and be careful you don't touch the new bulb. Fat from your fingers can cause it to blow out.
2. Lift the wire horseshoe clip about halfway up, like a garage door about to receive a car.
3. Push the new bulb under the clip and through the hole into the headlight. The flat part of the new bulb base faces up, in the 12:00 position. To help you align it, you can use a magic marker, touch up paint, etc. to put a small mark on the metal next to the glass bulb. After you slip the bulb into the bike's headlight fixture, rotate the bulb until you can see it's in the 12:00 position.
4. Bring the wire clip down over the bulb assembly to hold it in place, like a garage door closing. The bulb should be flush in the hole. Lock each side of the wire clip in place – push in and forward, then release so each side expands outward and locks into the metal hook.
5. Plug the bike’s wiring into the bulb assembly and replace the rubber boot.
I started up the bike, the headlight was lit and the warning light was gone ... $16 for the bulb vs. what a BMW dealer would charge for the whole operation.
Here is an inadvertent self photo ("Dear in the Headlight") that I took when the bulb was out. You can see the wire horseshoe clip locked in place. I practiced locking it and unlocking it until I was proficient and then put the new bulb in. You can see the round rubber boot pushed out of the way at the 4:00 position.
EDIT: Several months later I had to replace the low beam bulb on a different GT. I made some notes in a second post below.
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