LED headlights

[bplandis]

Not sure I have anything new to add. Took me a little over an hour. Only issue is rubber boots for headlights. One of mine split trying to pull it over fixture. Any suggestions for sliding them over the headlight housing? Cut the center out is only way I can see. I tried a bit of soap to try and help. Pulled hard enough to split one. I took another look at Ibikes post #37 and the housing of the lights I purchased are different which seems to explain why I could not get the boot to slide up far enough to allow the house to still be mounted into the plastic mounting piece.

Both lights from Amazon I listed a few pages back installed without issue. Will report back after a few weeks after I ride it a bit and see if any issues develop. Have yet to ride it at night.

I pulled the cluster loose as the right side (rear brake side) is a little more work to get to. I did not want to damage anything. If I did it again, knowing how it comes apart, I would not pull anything loose. I had the best luck one hand from up top and the other from the bottom. The squeeze of both sides of the headlight plug can take a minute to figure out.

Few pics of both sets of lights I installed. As well as the difference with the left side installed.

 

[beemerphile]

Not sure I have anything new to add. Took me a little over an hour. Only issue is rubber boots for headlights. One of mine split trying to pull it over fixture. Any suggestions for sliding them over the headlight housing? Cut the center out is only way I can see.

Did you disassemble the mounting plate from the bulb first? Disassemble; install the mounting flange; install the rubber boot; then insert the LED module through the rubber boot and into the mounting flange.

 

[bplandis]

I did not mount the boot first. May need ot pull and get a few pics. Will not slide up far enough past where the small tabs slide into the flange and turn to lock in. These bulbs are designed different than the ones in pic in post #37.

https://www.amazon.com/mzs-headligh...-20&ref=pd_sl_a82D2693B0F8F5A0C5905AE3E3&th=1

Boot opening will not slide up past the red/orange ring on the housing. If you leave it there, the housing will not slide and twist and lock into the plastic flange. Boot needs to slide up to the black portion of the light housing which is the fan.

 

[beemerphile]

I did not mount the boot first. May need ot pull and get a few pics. Will not slide up far enough past where the small tabs slide into the flange and turn to lock in. These bulbs are designed different than the ones in pic in post #37.

https://www.amazon.com/mzs-headligh...-20&ref=pd_sl_a82D2693B0F8F5A0C5905AE3E3&th=1

Boot opening will not slide up past the red/orange ring on the housing. If you leave it there, the housing will not slide and twist and lock into the plastic flange. Boot needs to slide up to the black portion of the light housing which is the fan.

You can get some aftermarket dust covers that are much thinner and more flexible than the stock units. I used these...

H4 Dust Covers

I pulled them over the lip where the stock covers fit and tied them in place with a nylon wire tie. The center is flexible enough that I am sure it will expand around the base of the lights you linked to.

 

[ibike2havefun]

Only issue is rubber boots for headlights. One of mine split trying to pull it over fixture. Any suggestions for sliding them over the headlight housing?

Yeah, DON'T. See posts 35 and 37 in this thread for the proper sequence, with photos, for installation on an ST1300. Here are the key steps in that sequence.

Disconnect bulb from wiring loom
Remove rubber boot
Remove old bulb
Separate base plate from the rest of the LED bulb
Install base plate and secure with wire bail
Reinstall rubber boot
Install LED assembly through rubber boot and already installed base plate, with wiring pigtail at the bottom
Install/secure power supply unit (attach to handy frame member)
Connect bulb to power supply
Connect power supply to wiring loom
Test your work

 

[ST Gui]

Separate base plate from the rest of the LED bulb
Install base plate and secure with wire bail
Reinstall rubber boot

I believe you have F2s? I think bplandis has MSZs. Do those separate? I have some HB5 (9007) MZSs and I don't see how they'd separate but that could be the difference in the designs.

 

[ibike2havefun]

I believe you have F2s? I think bplandis has MSZs. Do those separate? I have some HB5 (9007) MZSs and I don't see how they'd separate but that could be the difference in the designs.

Ah, my bad. Well spotted. Yes, I was writing thinking F2s and had not caught the detail in his earlier post that he's installing different bulbs. Sorry @bpIandis I've got nothing for you.

 

[beemerphile]

I believe you have F2s? I think bplandis has MSZs. Do those separate? I have some HB5 (9007) MZSs and I don't see how they'd separate but that could be the difference in the designs.

Looking at the picture of the MZS's they separate - the o-ring is visible and the element is a different color than the baseplate. It seems the body of the heat sink assembly is thicker than the F2's and he could not get it through the hole in the dust cover after separation. The stock dust cover is thick and inflexible. The link I gave him is to some thinner more flexible covers that should spread over the heat sink base.

 

[RaYzerman]

If the larger diameter of the rubber covers is seated, they won't fall out. I have another bike where I had to split them intentionally... they are there to protect from big water, which is very unlikely to happen up there. Ride more, worry less.....
If you have trouble getting the bulb part into the smaller diameter of the rubber boot, and seated into the base of the LED light (assuming you separated the mounting base from the bulb part), it may be necessary to trim a sliver off the forward part of the rubber boot's small diameter..... to allow the bulb base to seat easier into the mounting base. Hope that makes sense....
I also smear a teeny film of silicone grease or spray the rubber boot diameters with silicone...... slip into place easier and if there's a next time, they won't be stuck to anything.

 

[beemerphile]

If the larger diameter of the rubber covers is seated, they won't fall out.

My suggestion for a nylon wire tie was for use with the linked aftermarket dust covers, which will not otherwise remain seated. The stock covers, which will remain seated, are apparently too stiff to expand to the diameter of the heat sink portion of the MZS lamps.

 

[ST-Traveler]

There have been easy fixes posted though some riders just aren't concerned.

Can you please share what the fixes were?

 

[ST Gui]

block the license plate window - add a strip of white LEDs
don't block the window - add a strip of white LEDs
illuminated white license plate bolts
illuminated license plate frame

Red/white switchback bulbs? Just a guess here. White would be the tail light and red would be the brake light. The plate would only appear tinted red (assuming a white or light colored plate) when on the brakes.

The other wild card is how much red is in a white LED light. Generally we want the LED to be the same color as the lens.

 

[ST-Traveler]

block the license plate window - add a strip of white LEDs
don't block the window - add a strip of white LEDs

A strip or white LEDs - any links?
I would think these would be self adhesive??

Thanks.

 

[ST-Traveler]

 

[ST-Traveler]

Got the position lights installed.. One of the OEM fell into the housing -- had to use double sided tape to retrieve it..
On installing the position 912 LED's they did not work when pushed all the way into the socket. I had to pull them out about 1/3rd of the way to get them to work. Kinda wierd. Then they kinda flickered when I went to set them into the headlight housing. Hopefully they don't vibrate out. Anyone else notice this or is this just me?

 

[ST Gui]

Anyone else notice this or is this just me?

I won't say I told you so. But yeah for some reason those rubber sockets don't work like plastic sockets. The bulbs used will probably make a difference in how well they stay put. I doubt they'll vibrate out of the socket. Mine haven't flickered or loosened than I can tell in a few thousand miles. But they're incandescents with wires for contacts. Some of these LEDs just have a drop of solder on a bit of PCB as the contact point. Still I haven't seen other comments about problems once they got them installed and up and running.

 

[ST-Traveler]

I won't say I told you so.

As soon as it happened I remembered what you had said....
And was much more careful with the next one..

 

[ST-Traveler]

Some of these LEDs just have a drop of solder on a bit of PCB as the contact point.

Yeah..... I noticed that. I probably went past the solder point by pushing it all the way in. By backing it out a touch then the solder contact points could make contact with socket terminals.

 

[Larry Fine]

How about one or two of these inside the rear lens?

 

[bplandis]

My suggestion for a nylon wire tie was for use with the linked aftermarket dust covers, which will not otherwise remain seated. The stock covers, which will remain seated, are apparently too stiff to expand to the diameter of the heat sink portion of the MZS lamps.

Thanks to all.

Beemer appreciate the link.. will try those with my next amazon order. Will be a few weeks before I dig back in. Heat and work will not ride much for a few weeks. Will try and cut on the factory cover/rubber boot and see if we can make those work as i have a ruined one. Will use it to play around with and see if we can get them to work.