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Do yourself a favor and DONT buy the LED auxiliary lights from BMW

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naruse

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Hey guys,

Just wanted to say about general awareness of the OEM LED auxiliary lights the R1200GS water cooled comes with (which I think they are the same shit for the F800)

Yesterday I got installed my auxiliary lights, I was really happy. I used to have these on my F800 EXPLORADORA LED MASTECH (which are LED as well (900lumen)) and they costed me ~400usd.

Of course by buying the OEM auxiliary lights from BMW (which are around ~800USD) I was expecting something waaay better. I did my research on searching how many lumens these auxiliary LED headlights had.. and to my surprise no info is published on this, so then I searched more and found that they consume around 14Watt, (the ones in the F800 consume 9Watt) so I thought to myself.. mmm these should be more powerful (lumen wise), and as the price is twice they should be at least as twice as good...

I just came from a night ride after using those auxiliary lights.. and im really annoyed almost feeling scammed regarding the light brightness.. they just DONT illuminate!. I think they illuminate not even a 3rd of what the cheaper lights illuminate :/.. supposedly BMW makes good stuff, but on the R1200GS Water cooled they just dont illuminate!

so do yourself a favor and if you can get other LED lights ... make sure to not get the BMW ones, its just a waste of money I feel robbed for what I paid...

Now I understand why they dont say how many lumens those pieces of shit have (excuse my french lol).:mad:
 
#4 ·
naruse said:
.....
I wish I could have find a post like this before getting them.
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I agree completely, the OEM aux lamps are a total rip-off. I bought the Denali DM Micros for a measly $230....they are BRIGHT.

The DR1's are MUCH brighter, but since I never ride at night I just wanted daytime running lights and the Micros are perfect.

Fortunately I had a loooong wintertime wait for my bike and lots of time to do research. There were several posts over on ADVrider a year ago about the OEM lights that convinced me right away not to get them.
 
Discussion starter · #5 ·
Rocky TFS said:
I agree completely, the OEM aux lamps are a total rip-off. I bought the Denali DM Micros for a measly $230....they are BRIGHT.

The DR1's are MUCH brighter, but since I never ride at night I just wanted daytime running lights and the Micros are perfect.

Fortunately I had a loooong wintertime wait for my bike and lots of time to do research. There were several posts over on ADVrider a year ago about the OEM lights that convinced me right away not to get them.
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Indeed, the only nice thing they have is the connection to the bike (be able to see feedback on the tachometer).
 
#6 ·
I had the plastic version of the same lights on my '09 GSA and, when I acquired my '14 GSA, the OEM auxiliary lights were the first things to go. I have replaced them with a pair of Clearwater Darlas that are aimed low/wide and really illuminate the sides of the road! The LED headlight is supplemented by a set of Kristas. For me, this is a great combination.

I'm certainly no lighting guru but the BMW lights, with their thick lenses, seem to be fog lights and, in that roll, work fairly well. They also seem to do the job for making the machine more visible to oncoming traffic. I ended up donating my OEM lights to a good friend who wanted them for his brand new RT. They were plug 'n play and he wanted them for visibility.

Sorry you didn't get what you needed but there are plenty of resources out there. Let us know what you end up with and welcome to the forum.

Mike
 
#9 ·
My riding buddies all tell me my stock OEM aux lights are obnoxiously bright (in a good way). For fog and making myself more visible to traffic, they are great. I have no problem with visibility and in the winter I commute to and from work without sun.
 
#10 ·
Those eye blasting lights are not considered *OEM* accessories where I live. So if highway patrol stops you they will kindly ask you to remove them if you want to keep riding.

I also opted for OEM BMW LED additional lights because I did not want to risk any circuitry frying thus woiding the warranty.

That said, I have no complaints at all about it. It´s on all times and does a reasonably good job at night.
 
#11 ·
They would not be "eye blasting" if properly aimed at the road rather than up into traffic. :cool: You could carry the page from the BMW OEM catalogue to prove they are Original Equipment Manufacturer lights. :confused: Clearly switching them off should be sufficient while in your state.

Where do you live (to warn us about unusual CHP rules)? I'm registered in California but have and do ride every US state but Alaska which I'll do this summer.

nicobico said:
Those eye blasting lights are not considered *OEM* accessories where I live. So if highway patrol stops you they will kindly ask you to remove them if you want to keep riding.

I also opted for OEM BMW LED additional lights because I did not want to risk any circuitry frying thus woiding the warranty.

That said, I have no complaints at all about it. It´s on all times and does a reasonably good job at night.
Click to expand...
 
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#12 ·
Jay said:
They would not be "eye blasting" if properly aimed at the road rather than up into traffic. :cool: You could carry the page from the BMW OEM catalogue to prove they are Original Equipment Manufacturer lights. :confused: Clearly switching them off should be sufficient while in your state.

Where do you live (to warn us about unusual CHP rules)? I'm registered in California but have and do ride every US state but Alaska which I'll do this summer.
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I live in Brazil. :D

These folks working at the highway patrol (here known as PRF) know exactly what is OEM and what is not. After all they work all day long watching cars, trucks and bikes and probably have seeen almost everything. Switching off isn´t an option because it would be turned on a few blocks away. Laws are quite clear: car will not move one inch away if caught with *illegal* accessories.
 
#14 ·
On my GSA I retained the BMW aux fog lights and added the Clearwater Darlas with the CanOpener 3 system. Both sets of lights fulfill different situations. Last Saturday while riding in heavy fog the BMW aux light were impressive. The Darlas just created excessive glare from diffused light in the fog. The Clearwaters are the bomb for clear night rides throwing impressive illumination ahead at the flick of the high beam switch. They are dimmed automatically when the headlight is returned to low beam for oncoming cars. There is a place for both sets. Saying the BMW aux lights are useless misses the point of the design, they are very useful in low visibility situations such as fog and rain. If I could have one type of additional light I would go with the Clearwaters because they define the best application for the majority of my rides. Both sets provide good conspicuity during daylight hours.

You have to educate yourself on the intended design of the light and how that fits your requirements. Just like tire choice every light system is a series of compromises. No one design does it all.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Good to know!

nicobico said:
I live in Brazil. :D

These folks working at the highway patrol (here known as PRF) know exactly what is OEM and what is not. After all they work all day long watching cars, trucks and bikes and probably have seeen almost everything. Switching off isn´t an option because it would be turned on a few blocks away. Laws are quite clear: car will not move one inch away if caught with *illegal* accessories.
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Nice to know you nicobico, I visited the local Polícia Rodoviária Federal (PRF) office last week in Maceio, AL to verify my paperwork. :D Glad no one made any note about my new Denali lights which look almost like OEM. As my bike is licensed in Hollywood California OEM is slightly different in the USA. I'm careful never to use them at oncoming traffic. :) Wish I had the nice LED turn signals that come standard in Brasil but California requires bigger size instead of brighter. :rolleyes: Odd that many Brasilian riders I know with our bikes have BMW AUX lamps for our trips from Ushuaia to Deadhorse. :cool:

PS, Thank you for the great riding and hospitality in Brasil. :D Looking to head south so PM me if you want to meet. My "Fazedores de Chuva" club met in Itajai, Brasil last November but I'm still here!
 
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#17 ·
I have a pair of the Darla's on order to replace the factory OEM lights (Yes, they suck for lighting where you are going, only seem useful for being seen by others), and a pair of the Erica's to be mounted higher up on the engine guard someplace.

I have had the bike a little more than 2 weeks, and absolutely love this incredible machine. While it wasn't a planned purchase (loaner bike ridden for two days while my dealer prepped my new 16' K1600GT for me), I was hooked after two intro days on a regular GS.

But I do agree, the factory poem lights are really best for just being seen by others, and not much for lighting the path or where you are about to go.
 
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#19 ·
Meltz said:
My riding buddies all tell me my stock OEM aux lights are obnoxiously bright (in a good way). For fog and making myself more visible to traffic, they are great. I have no problem with visibility and in the winter I commute to and from work without sun.
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Agreed. I think most of the negative comments might have more to do with aim than brightness. Just bought the BMW LED lights this afternoon and was worried on the ride home that they were on the weak side. After a bit of adjusting/re-aiming, they now light up the whole road. Great lights, plus they are integrated into BMW console with indicator and button.
 
#20 ·
LEDs

I just bought a set of take-offs from a 2015 for cheap and installed them on my 2011GS (hacked together an aftermarket harness, switch and relay) and love them. Super bright and wide beam. Makes the stock headlamp look like a candle. From the dealer, they are pricey and perhaps better options exist, but if your bike came with, or you can score a used set, I recommend them.
 
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