1200GS Rear Light

[(RIP) Arkwright]

After reading various posts about all sorts of problems with the 1200GS and taking a view I eventually thought I might just check out two common causes of concern, corrosion on the fuel pump driver and all the associated contacts (found to be fine but treated with ACF 50 nontheless) and my first cause of dissapointment the bike................that pile of crap that passes for a tail light. How a design engineer passed that as fit for purpose is quite beyond me......................a bulb with its contacts exposed to all the road grime...................crazy.

So it's been modified by making a plastic cover to fit on the top two mounting bolts, sealed round the edges with silicon and round the cutout for the wires after a thorough cleaning of the bulb and contacts. The template has been passed on to my mate who bought his 1200GS at the same time to do his.

This aside neither of us has had a moments problem with either bike, now nearly 7 months old with 5100 and 4950 miles respectively (mine's cleaner than his and faster 'cause it's red and his is only black!)

Duncan

 

[dave hendy]

After reading various posts about all sorts of problems with the 1200GS ................that pile of crap that passes for a tail light.

So it's been modified by making a plastic cover to fit on the top two mounting bolts, sealed round the edges with silicon and round the cutout for the wires after a thorough cleaning of the bulb and contacts. The template has been passed on to my mate who bought his 1200GS at the same time to do his.

Duncan any chance of more info on the 'template'

 

[The Burpster]

Arrrrr my Yellow belly friend....

Claypole eh?

I dont live a million miles from you, I may have to pop 'round and check that out.....

I took my rear light off to remove the Wunderlich light cover (Utter sh*te)

and put a Touratech rack on and was pretty appalled at just how under engineered the rear light was ......

Would you mind putting some pics on or PM me if its ok for me to check your 'back end' out...

OOOooooooer missus.....

 

[(RIP) Arkwright]

Further info

I will see what I can do to put some further info on about the mods I did.

Duncan

 

[Happyhenry]

Rear Light - Essential Maintenance??

Popped into Park Lane's Battersea service centre this morning and a chap was there picking up his 1200GS - is it anyone here?? He had suffered brake failure at 50mph - residual braking minimal mounted pavement etc but OK.
They seemed to have concluded that the rear/brake light had shorted/overheated and that this had induced an error message in the Canbus that had shut down the servo braking system. Replaced it and it's sorted.
First time they had seen it apparently.
Keep the rear light unit shipshape and Bristol fashion me thinks. Shame it's such a pish-poor design.

 

[Big Lee]

I stripped mine down, cleaned it & after putting it back together lathered it in waxoyl

 

[(RIP) Arkwright]

Rear Light Mods

After cleaning up the back of the lamp I made a backing plate out of thin perspex. Using the tail lamp lens as an outline I made a template (see photo)

The plate was sealed to the back of the lamp and round the contacts after treating the back of the bulb and contacts with ACF 50.

Duncan

 

[Deleted account 210609001]

I have a day set aside to do the same to mine. Nice idea for a backing plate.

 

[Zigo]

Thanks for the tip and pictures Arkwrighte2000! After reading your post, I did the same modification to my rear light. The housing and contacts were full of sand and muck. Incredible that BMW designed this!

Zigo

 

[Cole]

Incredible that BMW designed this!

Zigo

I am sure they didnt. I would have thought peripheral bits like tail lights just get subcontracted out to far eastern designers and manufacturers to develop for them.

"build me a taillight with this mounting pattern and send me 10,000 units a year, as long as you keep the price below 1 Euro each"

Or something like that

 

[Wapping]

I am sure they didnt. I would have thought peripheral bits like tail lights just get subcontracted out to far eastern designers and manufacturers to develop for them.

"build me a taillight with this mounting pattern and send me 10,000 units a year, as long as you keep the price below 1 Euro each"

Or something like that

He's probably right.

An acquaintance does just that. He designs parts for cars, usually Swedish. In truth, he doesn't design them at all any more. He sits at home and further sub-contracts the task(s) to a list of freelance automotive designers, many of whom sit at home as well. Anything from an dash mounted ashtray, to a rear light cluster.

 

[nedflanders]

Well I know what I'll be doing the next wet sunday (this weekend then)

 

[AndyW]

Thanks Duncan - great idea

I would add a couple of small holes along the bottom of the cover so that should any water get in, it can drain out! This will allow some air movement behind the cover as well.