Changing the headlight bulbs on a BMW R1200GS isn't too difficult, though you have to do it mostly by touch, rather than by sight. This page will show you how to do it.
I replaced both my low-beam (which was burned out) and my high-beam (which was still working) at 43,000 miles with 65w H7 IPF bulbs from BestRest Products. The folks at BestRest are good people, and I've purchased a number of accessories from them over the years. The IPF bulbs have a 1-year guarantee against bulb burnout, which can be a Good Thing if you're about to embark on that 48-States ride.
Over the years on my other bikes I've used stock bulbs, PIAA, Sylvania SilverStar and no-name brand replacements, and of them all I prefer the IPFs for their light output, price and especially for their 1-year warranty.
Start by looking under the dash for the two cookie-sized black caps on the back of the headlights. The item with the red '1' on it in the photo above is what you're looking for. They simply unscrew about 60 degrees counter-clockwise and pull off. You should notice that they have a rubber O-ring to seal the lights from dust and water — make sure you don't loose the O-rings!
Another shot of underneath the dash, with the red '1' showing the right (low-beam) headlight cap still in place, and the red '2' showing the left headlight (high-beam) with the cap removed.
Looking now at the right headlight, here's what you see with the cap off. You will likely have to do this by feel. I did it from above, but my friend Steve Powers prefers to reach up from below (i.e. from above the back of the front fender).
First you're going to pull the connector (shown with the red '1') off the bulb by pulling straight back, away from the bulb. Release it and just let it dangle there. Next you'll unhook the spring clips that hold the bulb in place.
The photo above shows the spring clip after it's been unhooked (the red '2' above). You can also make out the bulb itself, shown by the red '3'.
Here's a better photo, showing the connector ('1') and the bulb ('2'). One end of the spring clip simply pivots. The other end swings behind the bulb to clip into a pair of retainer clips.
To unhook it, feel to the left of the bulb for the ends of the spring clip and squeeze them together while pushing lightly forward (towards the front of the bike). Then pull back and swing the spring clip through a 90 degree arc to release its pressure on the back of the light bulb.
In the photo above, the bottom end of the spring clip ('3') hooks into the bottom half of the retainer clip ('4'). The top half is not marked, but you get the idea.
You can then remove the bulb by lightly gripping the two spade connectors (shown as '2' two photos above) and pulling straight back. Warning: do not touch the 'business end' of the bulb forward of where my fingers are in the photo above! If you screw up and do touch the bulb, clean it carefully with a very clean cloth and some isopropyl alcohol. This is important — be careful!
Carefully put the new bulb in place, swing the spring clip into place, and attach the power connector. Before putting on the cap, test your lights to make sure they work. Remember, they don't come on until the engine is running.
Before replacing the protective caps, make sure the O-rings are in place and properly seated. That's it!
Here's a marginal photo of the IPF packaging. The bulbs are really well protected in the box, though I wish they made it about 1/2 that size (making it take up less space in your luggage, assuming you are going to carry a spare H7 bulb with you). Don't worry because it's marked SUPER LOW BEAM, because H7 bulbs are 'universal' in the sense that it's the reflector design that determines wheather it's a low-beam or a high-beam when in use.
Copyright © 2007, by H. Marc Lewis. All rights reserved.