K11 Owners Group

Ernie-NH · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 12:09 pm Post subject: Tail/Brake bulb replacement !!

Good morning all...

Got a surprise yesterday... replacing aging light bulbs and discovered that the "tail/brake" bulb is NOT the 'ever popular' 1157 !! I should have known long ago perhaps, but have had to replace that bulb only once from the on-board spares that came with the bike . So, I picked up new spares ( 1157 of course ) and found while trying to fit, that the index pins of the required bulb are not on the same plane as are those of the 1157, but rather staggered "hi/low".... in fact the correct bulb turned out to be a 1077 which no one near to me seems to have !! While this is not a big thing, I thought perhaps some of you ( especially the new K riders ) might not have known this ! Today I'll pick up my new spares and all will be the 1077 as they should be.

Best regards all.........// Ernie in NH
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'11 G650gs
'95 K1100LT
'76 R100/7

Ernie-NH · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 12:51 pm Post subject:

Hi all...

OK... now I'm really confused. Just got back from picking up my new 1077 bulbs and they fit the socket perfectly. However, while at the "parts store" I looked at a 'shrink pack' of 1157 bulbs and each had the pins opposed but at staggered heights, JUST LIKE the 1077 bulbs. So WHAT did they give me yesterday that had the pins at the same height ??? I went through the dialog at the counter ( different guy of course ) about the difference in the pin layouts, and he went to get bulbs from the back. The bulbs that I brought back because of the incorrect pin locations it seems were industrial bulbs (?) and he also had others that though the 'bulb size and geometry' was the same as the 1157 the pin configurations were either (1) both on the same plane but 180 degrees apart, or (2) on the same plane but 120 degrees apart, or (3) 120 degrees apart but staggered 'hi/lo'... After all that, I couldn't tell which bulbs I had brought back, BUT after lightly scrubbing the old bulb which I removed from the bike, the numbering 1077 was clear. Despite that, I now also believe that the "tried and true" 1157 would work just as well, IF ONLY I knew the wattage which is not indicated anywhere on any of the potential replacement bulbs, whereas the 12w is clearly visible on the 1077. MY guess is that the so-called industrial bulbs we were comparing are really AC bulbs, but I have no way of knowing since none were marked.. ie: caveat emptor !

Moral of the story.... Know for certain what you need and why... then buy and replace only that of which you are sure !! Guess I was just too lazy to practice what I preach !

Best to all.....// Ernie in NH ( with new bulbs all around )
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AMA,, American Deaf Bikers
Airhead Beemers Club
'11 G650gs
'95 K1100LT
'76 R100/7

RJTrucker · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 1:36 pm Post subject:

Ernie there is a great tail light upgrade made by EPM performance. ( I do work for them). Instead of one bulb for tail light and another for break light it has both top and bottom sections of the tail light light for tail light giving twice the tail light and when you hit break the top section brightens (1157 dual element bulb) plus both side sections of the tail light light up. It is easy to install. Kinda plug and play. No wire cutting. And is a great value at approximatly $50. If you or anyone else wants info feel free to ask me. I am not a sales person but I have this set up on my 2 k100 and my k1100. It is caller " K2 Tail Light inhancer.
_________________
Ron
1993 K11LT
1985 K100RS with over 100K on it
1985 K100RS Luftmiester Turbo Work in progress (any help is appreciated)
1974 R90/6

Number 6 · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 3:07 pm Post subject:

Hi,

Just changed it this morning, bought it at OReilly, it is a 1003 (I have the burnt bulb in front of me).
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94 K1100LT

Ernie-NH · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 6:05 pm Post subject:

Hi "6".....

Is the "1003" a unique O'Reilly number, or is it a generic ? Are there any other markings on the bulb ?? Perhaps its too late since its installed, BUT if you ever get to remove it maybe you could check. As far as I know, GE started the numbering system by "style and wattage" quite some time ago, and I had always thought that 1157 was generic to that system. However the past days events and input from others indicate to me that this is still somewhat of a gray area, OR that I have not researched it enough !

Regards.....// Ernie in NH
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AMA,, American Deaf Bikers
Airhead Beemers Club
'11 G650gs
'95 K1100LT
'76 R100/7

Number 6 · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 6:21 pm Post subject:

That's the number on the burnt bulb, they o'reilly guy read it and grabbed a pack of 2 new bulbs, so I'll have a look at the package if you want.
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I am not a number, I am a free man.

94 K1100LT

Jim · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 8:04 pm Post subject:

Ernie - I always use the German bulbs - they cost a little more - but seem to work best. Especially the tail light bulb. Tried some imports that would not work with the bulb monitor.
_________________
Jim
1997 K1100LTSE 94,000 - still has gremlins!
1995 R100RT Classic 16,650 crashed - repaired!
1992 K75RTP 46,000

"We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed."

SugarHillCTD · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:06 pm Post subject:

Ernie-NH · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 11:29 pm Post subject:

Hi Jim... Hi John...

Do you know IF the "German" bulbs ( most likely Osram) have the dual wattage stamped into the metal base, AND is the number 1077 ?? Sometime if/when you are replacing bulbs, let me know eh? This is for educational purposes only and certainly not a matter of urgency.. it simply would be nice to know! BTW: In Germany my "tail/brake" bulbs were called T25 BDU or something like that... maybe yours are similarly marked ??

Thanks.........// Ernie in NH
_________________
AMA,, American Deaf Bikers
Airhead Beemers Club
'11 G650gs
'95 K1100LT
'76 R100/7

Number 6 · Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 1:08 am Post subject:

That's what I bought, they are rated 12W.
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I am not a number, I am a free man.

94 K1100LT

Scott_Anderson · Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 8:09 am Post subject:

Ernie, according to my BMW tech manual the factory lamp wattage for the tail marker lamp is 10W and the brake lamp is 21 watt. Both are single filament lamps by original design.
If you have a dual element lamp/socket it's not original equipment for the bike.
There is a Kit or 2 out on the market that replaces the factory original socket for a dual element lamp. I have them on both of my bikes. Some of the kits also offer lamps to fit in the empty sides of the rear lens areas.

Like both Jim and John have pointed out the original equipment lamps have the silver colored base instead of the gold colored base that is more common in the parts stores.
You can get the silver colored bases, you just have to look and ask for them special sometimes.
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Ride safe.

1995 K1100LT 0302044
2017 FLHTK Ultra Limited
Garmin StreetPilot 2820
Garmin Zumo 550
Garmin Zumo XT
"One who does not ask questions is ashamed to learn" Danish proverb
1997 K1100LT 0302488(R.I.P.)
1997 R1100RT ZC62149(sold)

Ernie-NH · Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 11:12 am Post subject:

Good morning Scott...

Well... I know you're correct about the "dual filament bulbs" not being OEM design, and that my configuration which uses the dual-filament is not standard, BUT my confusion came in simply trying to find replacement bulbs, and the fact that the Parts Store originally gave me bulbs they thought were 1157 bulbs but which turned out to be A/C industrial bulbs having the same configuration with the exception of the 'index pin' placement. As a result, I now know that the 1157 ( or equivalent ) will fit my socket, AND that there are quite a few other unique 'manufacturer' numbers that will do the same.

Here is the list by "base style" that I have found so far.:

T25= DIN lamp style
BAY15D= DIN universal base configuration indentifier for dual filament
Various Manufacturer Identifiers:
T-25 1016 1034 1130 1152 1154 1157 1158 1493 2057 2357 2397
7528 3496

... most seem to have a 20W/8W rating, or there abouts.

I guess this has just been "something to do" on a non-riding day !!

Best regards.........// Ernie in NH
_________________
AMA,, American Deaf Bikers
Airhead Beemers Club
'11 G650gs
'95 K1100LT
'76 R100/7

Inge K. · Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 4:17 pm Post subject:

Ernie-NH · Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 5:25 pm Post subject:

Hi Inge...

NOT useless at all !! Especially helpful is the wattage info. I think having such information and knowing how to apply it when you need to is something most BMW guys really like to do. Thats why I "almost" remembered the correct designation when looking for the bulbs, ie: when I had to replace bulbs in Germany or CH they always had some form of BA.*&$%D or S printed on the box.. Why cant they do this on this side of the pond ??

Thanks again Inge for the info !!

Best regards and Happy Holidays..........// Ernie in NH
_________________
AMA,, American Deaf Bikers
Airhead Beemers Club
'11 G650gs
'95 K1100LT
'76 R100/7

Shoganai · Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 6:10 pm Post subject:

1156 or BA15s That's the number you are looking for.

.
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1993 K1100RS aka The Shop Whore
1994 K1100RS aka Blue Streak

The long road is a rainbow and the pot of gold lies there.
So slip the chain and I'm off again,
You'll find me everywhere. I'm a Rover. - JT

Nana korobi ya oki

Inge K. · Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 7:42 pm Post subject:

Ernie-NH · Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 9:20 pm Post subject:

Hi Inge... Hi Shogs...

My "set up" requires the BAY15D so I'm all set... wattage is 20W/8W.. I know the original OEM setup required the two single filament bulbs, but mine was modified as were the 'side chambers' ... I installed 2 x 8-LED modules one in each chamber to increase night time visability.. My only "gripe" now is that (1) I could not recall the identifier BAY15D when I needed to, and (2) that these identifiers are not used universally on the boxes or packaging in which the bulbs are packed !

Thanks all for illuminating my ignorance !!......all the best....// Ernie in NH
_________________
AMA,, American Deaf Bikers
Airhead Beemers Club
'11 G650gs
'95 K1100LT
'76 R100/7

Inge K. · Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 10:04 pm Post subject:

Have a look at this page, and the cross reference list.
Then click at top left, and you got a lot of search possibilities.

Inge K.

Jnclem · Posted: Wed May 04, 2016 6:42 pm Post subject:

Sorry to resurrect such an old thread, but I thought I would add my experience over the last few days in trying to replace my old K1100LT tail light bulb. I had read this thread, and several others on various K11 sites, and came to the conclusion that some people were successfully using the 1003 bulbs. I don't have a dealer anywhere near me, so I wanted to find an acceptable bulb that I could buy in town, or find when on the road traveling.

I got a pack of two Phillips 1003 bulbs, put one in, and carried the other as a spare. I found the specs for that bulb on the Phillips site, and it was 10W, so all was good - for a couple of days, then the bulb burned out.

When I pulled it out, it was white, and there was a circle broken out of the top (rear) of the bulb. Hmm, not good. On closer inspection, I found that the clear, faceted, plastic piece that sits just inside (in front of) my red outer lens, was warped to the point of cracking, and had a round melted section where it had contacted the bulb. There were other indications of heat also.

The problem was not the wattage of the bulb, it was the size. The 1003 is 8mm longer than the stock bulb, so it either touches, or comes very close to touching, the inner clear plastic piece.

Anyway, I ordered a couple of stock bulbs from BMW, at $10 each with shipping, Shocked

and found a replacement tail light fixture on Ebay. I started to research bulbs, and here's what I found. I think an acceptable substitute is a #97 single filament bulb. It is .7mm shorter than the stock bulb, and 9.3W. A #67 bulb would even work, about the same size, but only 8W. In a pinch, on the road, I will use a #97 from now on.

Once I put a #97, or now the stock bulb, in my old fixture, I probably didn't actually need to replace it, but I already bought the one on Bay. The correct length bulbs don't come anywhere near the plastic. I just didn't pay close enough attention when putting in the 1003. Anyway, that's my take on this question, and I hope it keeps someone form making the same mistake I did.
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'93 K1100LT, '89 R100GS