What the ? How hard can it be to change a headlight bulb !

[DLN1965]

Sat here after about a hour of swearing and taking chunks out of my knuckles !

hard hard can this be ....
Sun low in the horizon hasn’t helped, as I wear glasses and to get the correct angle to avoid the sun glare I then can’t see what I’m doing !
Managed to get the old one out .... eventually ! The bulb had secured itself into the headlight... so didn’t want to come out !

thought about taking the speedo off to assist, but ever where I turn there’s something else to remove before I get to the bit I need to take off !!
At the moment .... screen off, clock surrounds off, speedo almost off as 2 nuts off ... one I can’t get to (LHS as you look from seat) With spanner OR socket ! So leaving that avenue now !
Was thinking about upper fairing removal .... but that needs mirrors off too !!
Can’t be arsed now !! got the old bulb out ... was going to put my old HIDs in but can’t get the spacer in properly .... so that’s out again !
Tried the older style LED with cooling fins ... and the headlight clip got stuck in the LED casing and I swore some more !
That’s now out !!!
putting an original H7 back in ...... only to find LED’s available the same shape as the original bulb .... so need no spacers!! So I’ve ordered these (good old inter web)

so back out to put a new but old style H7 halogen bulb and when LEDs arrive ... in they will go !

Is there an easy way to do this without the need for bandages ???
I’ve got XXXL sized hands !!

 

[DLN1965]

PS lost 3 rubber hat style things for the screen too !!
They fell and didn’t hit the ground ?? probably have a collection of them in the bottom of the fairing ??

 

[DLN1965]

Note to self ...... always check the bulb before you fit it !!

you know why !!!!

 

[johnboy]

Wrong blub or installed 180 degrees out?

 

[andyBeaker]

Sat here after about a hour of swearing and taking chunks out of my knuckles !

hard hard can this be ....
Sun low in the horizon hasn’t helped, as I wear glasses and to get the correct angle to avoid the sun glare I then can’t see what I’m doing !
Managed to get the old one out .... eventually ! The bulb had secured itself into the headlight... so didn’t want to come out !

thought about taking the speedo off to assist, but ever where I turn there’s something else to remove before I get to the bit I need to take off !!
At the moment .... screen off, clock surrounds off, speedo almost off as 2 nuts off ... one I can’t get to (LHS as you look from seat) With spanner OR socket ! So leaving that avenue now !
Was thinking about upper fairing removal .... but that needs mirrors off too !!
Can’t be arsed now !! got the old bulb out ... was going to put my old HIDs in but can’t get the spacer in properly .... so that’s out again !
Tried the older style LED with cooling fins ... and the headlight clip got stuck in the LED casing and I swore some more !
That’s now out !!!
putting an original H7 back in ...... only to find LED’s available the same shape as the original bulb .... so need no spacers!! So I’ve ordered these (good old inter web)

so back out to put a new but old style H7 halogen bulb and when LEDs arrive ... in they will go !

Is there an easy way to do this without the need for bandages ???
I’ve got XXXL sized hands !!

Simples. Five minutes investment in unfastening the nosecone and dropping it forward. 47 seconds to change the bulb. Five minutes to put the nose cone back. After checking everything works.

Are you still having problems seating a HID?

 

[DLN1965]

Cheers Andy
So nosecone dropped is the easiest way ??
Obviously removing mirrors first etc etc
Is this the plaster free solution ??

I put in the 2nd new halogen bulb (which seems like a candle in a bean can in illumination stakes)

heading towards the new style LED fitting when the postie delivers .... DONT need a spacer !

 

[sr71caspar]

Cheers Andy
So nosecone dropped is the easiest way ??
Obviously removing mirrors first etc etc
Is this the plaster free solution ??

I put in the 2nd new halogen bulb (which seems like a candle in a bean can in illumination stakes)

heading towards the new style LED fitting when the postie delivers .... DONT need a spacer !

Gotta link for the no-spacer LED bulb?

 

[Jaws]

PS lost 3 rubber hat style things for the screen too !!
They fell and didn’t hit the ground ?? probably have a collection of them in the bottom of the fairing ??

Yup... Lost count of the amount I found in the nose cone !!

Rolfy Dave is a big bloke,, Yet I have seen him reach up and under and change a bulb in two minutes !

 

[DLN1965]

Gotta link for the no-spacer LED bulb?

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/193217325471


Hoping these will fit ...... there are plenty of similar types tho

 

[DLN1965]

Yup... Lost count of the amount I found in the nose cone !!

Rolfy Dave is a big bloke,, Yet I have seen him reach up and under and change a bulb in two minutes !

That’s how I fitted it the first time ..... But buggered if I could do it again this time around !!!!

 

[derek kelly]

Funnily enough I changed a lightbulb yesterday, dead easy if you have the receipt.

 

[sr71caspar]

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/193217325471


Hoping these will fit ...... there are plenty of similar types tho

You will need a spacer, otherwise the wire spring that holds the bulb into the headlight.... doesn't.


Try these...


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-H7-Bu...a=0&pg=2047675&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851


There may be cheaper ones if you search.

 

[slim63]

It's really hard if you don't ask for advice BEFORE attempting it

Yes you can get them out from underneath but it is fiddly & awkward even for me with long slim fingers so I usually drop the top fairing a little as AB says it really can be quicker that way

 

[DEG5Y]

Gotta link for the no-spacer LED bulb?

I put these in, the leds line up with the filaments of the original bulbs so you get the same spread of light but obviously brighter.
I thought they were as good as if not better than the HID's I took out.

 

[DLN1965]

It's really hard if you don't ask for advice BEFORE attempting it

Yes you can get them out from underneath but it is fiddly & awkward even for me with long slim fingers so I usually drop the top fairing a little as AB says it really can be quicker that way

I’ve swapped bulbs several times before ! BUT for some reason I couldn’t get my hands or fingers under the fairing!
So I thought I must have gone in from above ??? Knuckles are now reminding me I didn’t !!
Didn’t help with the stuck bulb..... stuck in the housing !!
The more annoyed I got .... it seemed to make the job more difficult !!

even more annoying is putting the bits back and finding out the new bulb didn’t work either ... I had another which did !!
Will have a go next weekend with the nose one off !!

 

[DLN1965]

I put these in, the leds line up with the filaments of the original bulbs so you get the same spread of light but obviously brighter.
I thought they were as good as if not better than the HID's I took out.

Have a set very similar ! But couldn’t get the headlight clip and spacer aligned ....
then the clip stuck in the cooling vent !!!

 

[DEG5Y]

Have a set very similar ! But couldn’t get the headlight clip and spacer aligned ....
then the clip stuck in the cooling vent !!!

There's no spacer required on the set I put in.

On these the cooler comes off if need be while your fitting the bulb.

 

[sr71caspar]

I put these in, the leds line up with the filaments of the original bulbs so you get the same spread of light but obviously brighter.
I thought they were as good as if not better than the HID's I took out.

There's no spacer required on the set I put in.

On these the cooler comes off if need be while your fitting the bulb.

They're pretty much exactly what I've got in mine.

Do yours rattle around because the retaining spring wire doesn't reach the flange?

 

[DEG5Y]

They're pretty much exactly what I've got in mine.

Do yours rattle around because the retaining spring wire doesn't reach the flange?

I've not put a lot of miles on the Bird since I fitted them, but can't say I ever heard them.
In fact, I seem to remember being impressed by the fit.

 

[andyBeaker]

Have a set very similar ! But couldn’t get the headlight clip and spacer aligned ....
then the clip stuck in the cooling vent !!!

Don't really understand why the spacer seems to be an issue...over the years I used a bit of packing that the HID came in, a cut up sanding pad and a piece of rubber carpet underlay.

I think you'll find it quite easy once you have the nosecone off and have easy access....just make sure you don't drop it!!