24.02.2021
LED lamps in the R1100GS instruments!
After reading this article at ADVRider.com, I decided it was an easy mod to do!
I ordered some small type 74 LED's from e-ledeco.gr, locally, for a very small price!
You can get these at any good auto (or bike-) shop!
This is the light my instruments had. In fact, I had to take the pic using my bike cover as a shade, and not wait to do the change in the evening!
I have also mounted an H4 Philips LED lamp in the headlight. A DIY for this one to follow, shortly!
To reach the speedometer and tachometer lights you have to first remove the windscreen, then the headlight and then the black plastic back cover of the headlight. I also removed the headlight adjuster.
The tachometer bulbs can be reached quite easily. Here, on the left is the old bulb, on the right the new LED bulb. Notice the reflections they do on the plastic...
To reach the speedometer's bulbs, however, I had to remove the plastic back cover of the headlight and the headlight height adjuster too.
Then I removed the two 10mm nuts that hold the tacho in place.
Here are the two LED's already powered. Remember, they are polarized, so test them before fitting!
A brief test, in almost direct sunlight...
And a test under the bike cover, in the shade... sort of! It does make a difference, however!
Since I had all these parts removed, I also removed the RID...
Easily, first remove this panel on the right side (as seen when riding the bike) from the back of the instrument cluster.
Make sure you mark the screws. They are different sizes!
This is what you see when you remove the RID. The top screw holding the RID is the same top screw that also holds the panel above, in place.
As you can see the multicolored cables once had a plastic cover. With years passing, this disintegrated.
I insulated the wires again, using hard fabric tape. I have done this cover-up in other parts of the bike, where the original insulation has gone... Especially when removing the tank, there's a lot of wiring needing some TLC!
Time spent: About 45 minutes. Tools used: Only the ones that are under the bike's rear seat! OK, I cheated a little and used a 10mm ratchet and an extension, but otherwise, the bike's tools are sufficient!
A DIY for the LED headlight is in order, soon!