Headlight Unit Removal - 2012 GS 1200

NickD

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Hi all
looking to fit high & low HID's over the Xmas period and understand the best / only way to do this is to remove the headlight unit. Have had a search for a step by step guide on here but no joy. Not having done this before would prefer some helpful pics or clear words of wisdom beforehand - all contributions gratefully received :beerjug:
Many thanks
 
Erm I don't mean to speak out of term BUT... If you can't get the light off which you don't even need to take off by the way, then your not really ready to play with the bike electrics...

That being said as my disclaimer lets play :)

FIRSTLY are the ballasts 55W if not your looking at a lamp fail light coming on on the dash... if you can live with that or the ballasts are canbus ok'd then lets proceed...

Lay out the HID kit, and put it together off of the bike and make sure that you know how it fits together... Simple so far... this gives you an idea on how long the kit is and where is best to fit it...

Disconnect the Battery,
Take off the bulb covers,
Take out the bulbs (keep incase you ever need them),
Drill out the centre part of the rubber little circles think 28mm wide,
Find someplace to fit the ballasts,
Connect to battery,
Refit the lights in to the dash,
Reconnect the battery and test...


If there's no fire and everythings ok then ride and post pics, if not disconnect battery and check loom and connections... Repeat until fine...

Like I said you do not to take off the lights to fit them...

Have fun any problems just shout out... And there's about a hundred or so posts and pages and you tubes explaining what to do GOOGLE is your friend...
 
Cheers - got 2 b a first time for everything! kit is 55w & coming from Les W - assured as simple 'plug & play'. Found a number of threads re fitting the HIDs but none re h'light unit removal. First I've heard re the unit not having 2 b removed but encouraging that this is the case. Pics will follow - either of a flaming loom or bright white lights as I'm hoping!
Thanks
 
It's very straight forward. Unclip all the wiring loom to the back of the headlamp unit (two plugs from memory plus the pilot light?). Undo the two bolts either side of the headlamp unit next to the indicators and that's it! Might need a bit of wiggling to remove but you'll work that out. THIS might be useful as well.

From memory (when I had a HID system from Les many years ago) his fitting instructions are quite good so don't fret!:D
 
Headlights

Very much easier if you remove the headlight assembly, simple to remove and re fix. Make sure you get the bracket from Les to hold the ballasts, brilliant easy fixing and makes a first class job.
 
Ya probably can do it without removing the lamp unit but it's much easier with it removed + you can do a really neat job of securing the wiring :beerjug:
 
The headlamp is held on by a Torx30 screw each side, and has rubber grommet on the bottom that locates onto a spigot just aove the oil cooler.

There are 3 wiring connections, the main lights connect by a junior timer type connector lower left, just below that is a push in holder for the pilot bulb, and the last one is to teh back of the instruments, You ned to pinch that one front and back to release.

The hole needed in the covers is 25mm, to fit the grommet on the wiring. The brown wires inside the head light are the negative (earth) feeds.
 
H'light unit removal

Magwych said:
The headlamp is held on by a Torx30 screw each side, and has rubber grommet on the bottom that locates onto a spigot just aove the oil cooler.

There are 3 wiring connections, the main lights connect by a junior timer type connector lower left, just below that is a push in holder for the pilot bulb, and the last one is to teh back of the instruments, You ned to pinch that one front and back to release.

The hole needed in the covers is 25mm, to fit the grommet on the wiring. The brown wires inside the head light are the negative (earth) feeds.
Click to expand...

Cheers Magwych - just what I was looking for :thumb2
 
That's why I love this site everyone does things a little differently and you will get some good advise that fits how YOU want to do things. I prefer to leave everything in place and work around WHAT'S GOING TO BE THERE WHEN EVERYTHINGS FITTED, That way I don't make mistakes and have to move things about again...

I've done 3 x Dakar, 2 x GS and next week or week after my 2006 GSA as just had a sorry didn't see you moment yesterday, and have never taken a light off the bike, even with my Twin Dakar headlights there was still plenty of space to work with...


Just remeber that if you end up taking the light out and the screen off NOT FORGET to reinsert the SPIGOT in to its right place or your headlight will be pointing in the wrong place, also remember not to over tighten those flipping side bolts on the screen the ones with the plastic ends on them as they pop right off the bolt end and even epoxy never gets them right again...

Post some pics when your finished... :)
 
The hole needed in the covers is 25mm, to fit the grommet on the wiring. The brown wires inside the head light are the negative (earth) feeds.
Click to expand...

If the kit you get from Les is the same as mine you don't need to cut any holes. He supplies new rear covers to the bulb housings already wired up so your originals stay intact for when you want to take them off and keep the HID's for the next bike!:D
 
i have heard a rumour that hids are going to be outlawed in the mot

suppose just have to keep buying new bikes then
 
HIDs make more light but can affect the headlight focus. Hence, the MOT issues (for cars). They are also slow to light up so no good for a quick flick of main beam when oncoming traffic is about to appear around a bend.

Keep the headlight standard and fit some super LED spots wired with the main beam via a relay.
Some make 3000 lumens. A 55W halogen bulb makes 900 lumens.
 
Headlight unit does not need to be removed to fit HIDs.

All you are doing is replacing the bulbs in the headlight.

The cable that used to connect to the bulb goes to ballast / ignitor, which is connected to the headlight bulb.

Its all plug and play.
 
I have a neater solution rather than drill a whopping 25mm hole in your covers.
Remove the cover and take off the rubber sealing ring.
Using a dremmel make a small slit at the bottom of the cover just wide enough for a single wire and then open it out for the four wires once your past the rim. Fit a small split grommet in the hole and then feed your wires through one at a time using the slit. Refit the rubber sealing ring and off you go.
If you do it right you can barely see the wires coming out of the bottom of each cover and the small slit doesn't impact the integrity of the cover.

btw you don't need to remove your headlight to fit HIDs
 
DO NOT REMOVE HEADLIGHT HOUSING. There is no need as its a simple straight forward job to replace a bulb with an HID kit. The most difficult job is drilling a correct size hole for the wiring harness. If you remove headlight housing you have all the trouble of replacing it again, and sorting out the aim of the light.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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