BTBR Light Fitting Service 2007 – BMW 1200GS

See also: R1200GS Lights / Spotlights

R1200GS Motorcycle Spotlights (Spot Lights) / Driving Lamps / Fog Lights / Auxiliary Lights  (See and be seen:-)
R1150GS fitment – enquiries to Alan, contact details below.
UPDATE Aug2008 – Alan has ‘retired’ from the light fitting business.
If you are looking for a similar service check out the BMW / R1200GS Servicing / Independent BMW Workshop Services list on this site and/or search on ukGSer.com or similar motorcycle forums. 

The prices quoted below are all inclusive of VAT and are priced per pair, the lights come boxed complete with cable, bulbs, relay and connectors etc.

NB: The carriage costs shown are to get the lights shipped directly to me.

Recommended Set-Up
The most common and widely accepted set up is to use the Hella FF50 Driving lights with main beam and the Hella Micro DE’s with dip beam.
MiGSel (ukGSer member) makes a light bar that is suitable for the 1200GS.
The “MiGSel” light bar made by Michel in Belgium, has to be the all time classic light
bar for the R1200GS and there must be literally hundreds of GS motorcycles out there with his light bar fitted!!
Check out his web site www.migsel.com – the motorcycle light bars are currently priced at €122 inc P&P (exchange rate will vary but that’s approx £84). Please tell him that I sent you!
Alternatively take a look at Nippy Normans where a very similar item can be found:
www.nippynormans.com – currently listed at £99

How much does it cost to fit it all?
The cost of fitting and wiring is just £115 which breaks down as £80 labour costs and roughly £35 for the materials used to make up the bespoke wiring loom that I fabricate in advance of the installation day.

How long does fitting take?
It normally takes me about 3 hours to complete the installation on the bike and
roughly 3 hours prior to that making up the loom and prewiring all the lights etc. You
can see that it is not a quick fitment, a lot of time and attention to detail is taken with every effort made to ensure that the finished installation looks like a standard BMW fitment.

Please feel free to spend time reading some of the very positive comments that
have been posted in the past in either the Innovators & Vendors or the GS Mods
sections of the ukGSer forum from the many previous happy customers.

So how does it all work?
Dip Beam:
Due to the introduction of the CanBus electrical system on the R1200GS the Nippy Normans Autoswitch cannot be fitted to the 1200GS. Consequently the feed for the Micro DE’s is taken directly from the dip beam circuit of the headlight. As a result, when the headlight is on, the Micro DE’s are on.
However, I do recommend that a PIAA waterproof switch be fitted so that you have
the option to isolate them if required. Plus, as they are classed as fog lights, it is a
legal requirement to have a warning light to indicate when they are switched on. The
PIAA switch has a built in LED, red for off and green for on. This item can be
purchased direct from Nippy Normans

Main Beam:
The pick up feed is taken directly from the bike’s main beam headlight. Therefore,
when either the main beam or the flash is operated, the FF50’s will be illuminated.
Hence there is no need for a separate switch. They cannot be switched off
independently of the bike’s main beam………..and why would you want to?

Technical Specification
All the cables used in my bespoke wiring loom are double protected with PVC sleeving and have 10 amp in-line fuses connected direct to the battery to protect both of the auxiliary lighting circuits. All of the connections that are made into the bikes main electrical harness are soldered joints that are then protected with Self-Amalgamating tape.
The connections used on all the lights are IP67 rated or in laymans terms, water
resistant to a submerged depth of 1 metre and for duration of twenty minutes!!!

NB: Please note that the only day that I do fitments is a Saturday (sometimes a Friday afternoon) and dates tend to get booked well in advance so you need to give me as much notice as possible please.

And finally…………
I will require payment in full for the lights before they are ordered as sadly I have
been let down in the past. So if you are happy to proceed, then please send a cheque, made payable to Alan Weaver, for the sum of £118.36 (total cost of the recommended lights detailed above inc carriage)
I will send you an information sheet that has all my details and directions so that you can locate me.
The cost of the fitting can either be paid in advance together with the payment for the
lights in one cheque or on the day once the lights have been fitted?
Of course you can supply your own lights (Hella, PIAA, Halfords etc) or source them from elsewhere, all that I
request is that I have them in advance so that I can pre wire them for you.
Next, e-mail or call Nippy Normans and also MiGSel and order the necessary parts,
arrange to have the items sent directly to me please. Both these fine gentleman have
my home address and contact details.
NOTES:
1) If you have a Baglux tank cover fitted, then this will need to be removed on
the day. It is therefore preferred if you remove it before you arrive here.
2) Please try and ensure that you have the least amount of fuel remaining in
the tank.

I hope that the above information has answered all your questions but if not then
please do not hesitate to contact me.

Contact Alan:
UPDATE Aug2008 – Alan has ‘retired’ from the light fitting business.
If you are looking for a similar service Contact me (AndyW) with brief details of your requirements and I will put you in touch with someone else.