Rear Lights Removal

[stu1969]

Good evening all

I hope I can rely on the group to assist me with my present problem.

The two bolts that secure the rack above the rear lights have sheered. I need to remove the rear light assembly to enable me to access the bolts. I have done a search on here and on Google but I have not found exactly what I need. I have also ordered a Haynes book of words but it has yet to arrive.

So how do I remove the rear light assembly?

The bike is a R1200GS 2008 model.

I hope you lot can help

Stu.

 

[Pablo1]

Did exactly the same thing, removing the light cluster is easy enough, two torx bolts under the plastic housing and two from the top under the rear carrier to remove (very far corner ones at the rear if I remember correctly , you dont need to undo the indicators.

I tried mole grips on the bolts for the rack (drilled heads off first to get the rack off) and both bolts burst inside the rear carrier, I simply drilled then drilled out what was left and re threaded the holes before replacing the bolts with the shorter ones that were there before I fitted the top case carrier.

 

[AberdeenAngus]

That's me away to put copper slip on the bolts for my rack.

 

[EggChaser]

Not sure about the BMW rack, but the original Givi rack that used the same mount points had a recess/gap in the end of the support rods that the bolts feed through which water (and crud thrown up in spray) could gather in resulting in corrosion building up on the bolts. This corrosion in combination with weight in top box and vibration through the rear subframe, often resulted in one or both bolts shearing. I ended up helping my brother drill out the sheared ends on his bike.

Givi have changed the design so that they no longer use that mount position, I guess BMW still use them, although I am not aware of many reports of their racks failing (unless this thread is a BMW rack fail anyway)

 

[stu1969]

Cheers Pablo 1. Sounds as simple as I hoped it would be. Getting the bolts out will be different matter I think!

 

[stu1969]

Aberdeen Angus. I have noticed rusted bolts on a few GS's so it will be well worth for five minutes in the garage to apply some copper slip.

 

[stu1969]

Egg Chaser. Fortunately I buggered up the bolts before my top box fell off :O

 

[Pablo1]

Cheers Pablo 1. Sounds as simple as I hoped it would be. Getting the bolts out will be different matter I think!

yeah your right, i ended up driving down to a wee local garage where guys there were brilliant (they are used to this sort of thing all the time) helped me get the bolts drilled out and holes rethreaded in no time, £10 !. peace of mind.