GB506
New member
I have 2800 miles on the clock though I’m not positive when the problem occurred.
R18 Bagger headlight reflector vibrating when accelerating.
- Thread starter Phil-R18
- Start date
Good grief!!! I will be doing that in the next 6 months. I just went and checked mine and it seems alright but definitely something to look out for.
TBH it is quite worrying as this shouldn’t be happening at all. My F13 has adaptive lights as well and has worked like a dream and she has done 40K miles. It is as if BMW bikes are made by a different brand. I know it is a different division of the company but surely they have very similar standards and quality controls.
miquelmc65
New member
Well, the headlight has already arrived, they called me from BMW to put it on Monday, I suppose it will be a headlight with the defect repaired
GB506
New member
I was able to get my BWM dealer - a 5.5 hour round trip from my house - to diagnose the problem from afar with a photo. They've ordered the replacement headlight, but confirmed it is on backorder. How long did yours take to come in after they ordered it?
My suspicion is that the fairing vibrates considerably more than the headlight assembly can withstand. I think the best long-term fix isn't necessarily a beefier headlight but a reduction in high-frequency fairing vibration.
miquelmc65
New member
Llevé la moto con el problema a bmw el 15/02/23 y estoy en barcelona españa y alemania no queda lejos, preguntare si han solucionado el problema, puede ser en el faro y como tu digan los batidos de carenado y comentare por aqui
Scott Semone
Well-known member
A couple of questions regarding the B/TC failures?
How do I know if my Adaptive Headlight is busted; mine appears to be stuck and not jumping around?
I noticed that my headlight doesn't move if I turn the handlebars in either direction; it appears to not be symmetrical and I see slight rubbing on the Lower Right-Hand side (when looking at the headlight) plastic reflective chrome.
I assume I'm experiencing something similar to what others are seeing on their TC or B models.
Does the adaptive functionality move based on lean angle or gravity, or is there a motorized servo moving the lighting element?
How do I know if my Adaptive Headlight is busted; mine appears to be stuck and not jumping around?
I noticed that my headlight doesn't move if I turn the handlebars in either direction; it appears to not be symmetrical and I see slight rubbing on the Lower Right-Hand side (when looking at the headlight) plastic reflective chrome.
I assume I'm experiencing something similar to what others are seeing on their TC or B models.
Does the adaptive functionality move based on lean angle or gravity, or is there a motorized servo moving the lighting element?
My TC headlight looks like yours, has the same offset on the side.
I'm just starting to see some fine particulate on the corner where you see the rubbing.
I've not seen it move from that position and have not noted light beam adapt while riding.
Will talk to the shop tomorrow about taking a look at mine to verify operation and look at the rubbing.
I'm just starting to see some fine particulate on the corner where you see the rubbing.
I've not seen it move from that position and have not noted light beam adapt while riding.
Will talk to the shop tomorrow about taking a look at mine to verify operation and look at the rubbing.
miquelmc65
New member
Mañana paso a recoger la mía a ver si el faro que han puesto esta solucionado la avería
Scott Semone
Well-known member
I'm going to ride into work tomorrow, I'll see if I can stop by and have them take a quick look and verify the failure; at least, they can start the warranty and order process in getting a new headlight.
More to follow...
Good luck and looking forward to hearing what they have to say.
It should not happen on any vehicle, let alone a premium one. This may be an inconvenience but do you reckon that when idling the bike at a traffic light etc, is worth keeping the hands on the handles to somehow dampen the vibrations an hopefully prolong the service life of the headlights? I am thinking that once the bikes are out of warranty, if BMW does not do a recall or something we are going to end up with a lot of headlights miss aligned or thousands out of pocket to get the issue rectified.
I have been doing this on mine in any case and does not bother me, but that’s just me.
Scott Semone
Well-known member
Service Manager went outside and inspected the headlight and took some pictures; he's going to circle back with me on getting it replaced.
miquelmc65
New member
Ayer me dieron la moto con el faro nuevo y le pregunté al encargado si el faro nuevo está ya solucionado o es otro igual y pasará otra vez y su contestación fue que no lo sabía
Yesterday they gave me the motorcycle with the new headlight and I asked the manager if the new headlight has already been fixed or is it the same and it will happen again and his answer was that he didn't know.
Yesterday they gave me the motorcycle with the new headlight and I asked the manager if the new headlight has already been fixed or is it the same and it will happen again and his answer was that he didn't know.
I have a feeling that they would not know because at the end of the day this is a fairly new product to the market and although they sell the product, they don’t ride them as often as one of us would therefore, the only way of gauging this issue is by Motorrad receiving a considerable amount of claims via the dealerships requesting they send new headlights for replacements. This will tell someone up there at the Motorrad HQ that there seems to be a pattern here and they should investigate and effectively do a re call. The only issue is that a recall often takes time to be discovered, analysed and ultimately approved and in the meantime a poor soul may have been out of warranty and get charged thousands to replace the headlight.
Vauxhall Zafiras had an issue a few years back which basically had the potential of endangering life because the air con wiring was not well designed and was known to overheat and catch fire. Vauxhall first became aware of the problem in 2009, and in 2014 concerns were raised that reported fires had a similar pattern. However, Vauxhall didn't start to investigate until August 2015, after more than 160 fires had occurred.
I am not saying that Motorrad would take this long but if the issue is not life threatening I much doubt that there will be a rush to get the issue sorted out from their side, unless some lawsuits start appearing.
Vauxhall Zafiras had an issue a few years back which basically had the potential of endangering life because the air con wiring was not well designed and was known to overheat and catch fire. Vauxhall first became aware of the problem in 2009, and in 2014 concerns were raised that reported fires had a similar pattern. However, Vauxhall didn't start to investigate until August 2015, after more than 160 fires had occurred.
I am not saying that Motorrad would take this long but if the issue is not life threatening I much doubt that there will be a rush to get the issue sorted out from their side, unless some lawsuits start appearing.
Scott Semone
Well-known member
I remember when I was installing the TC Auxiliary Lights on my R18 B, the headlight and the associated wiring seemed pretty complex considering it is just a headlight; it made me think the Adaptive aspects introduced additional functionality.
Does anyone know how the Adaptive functionality is achieved?
Below is a Top-Down view showing the Headlight and ACC RADAR module.
Does anyone know how the Adaptive functionality is achieved?
Below is a Top-Down view showing the Headlight and ACC RADAR module.
That does looks complicated. I think adaptive headlights have small swivelling motors connected to sensors, most likely on the steering column that determine the angle of turn, speed and maybe inclination but I am not 100%.
I remember looking into this a couple of years ago when I wanted to buy my F13 since the E92 did not have adaptive headlights and I was researching as this was an expensive extra.
I remember looking into this a couple of years ago when I wanted to buy my F13 since the E92 did not have adaptive headlights and I was researching as this was an expensive extra.
These kinds of problems really make me hesitant to go out and buy a R 18 B with this setup. Knowing how most german companies are a royal PIA to deal with when it comes to warranty repair, plus how many get upside down on the price of these that they can't get out of the bike... just kind of makes me want to pass on buying one and go look at something else.
I expect BMW to be top notch quality, has it fallen off that much, or are they using cheap sub contractors on these lighting systems?
I expect BMW to be top notch quality, has it fallen off that much, or are they using cheap sub contractors on these lighting systems?
R18Squid
Member
It’s a mega bike - don’t let these issues put you off. Just get a warranty
nielsm
Well-known member
BMW first had an adaptive headlight on the K1600 back in 2010, so it’s not the first time they’ve done this feature. But, each model has a different part # and may have variations in the mechanism. The original K1600 version was very complicated with a moving mirror setup. Generally all these systems are based on lean angle, so you may not see any movement just moving the handlebars.
Keep in mind that the R18 setup across all models is basically within a round headlight, so the movement and road impact won’t be as great as a bike with a larger headlight cluster like the R1250RT or the K1600 series. On my Classic for example, BMW describes it as this:
The adaptive headlight for significantly improved illumination of the road when cornering. The additional LED lighting elements of the Headlight Pro switch on at lean angles of 7°. This significantly improves illumination of the inside of curves in the road. This makes riding in the dark more comfortable and safer.
While I do notice the adaptive headlight on my Classic, it’s not a massive difference, rather it fills in some areas that would normally be dimmer. On the K16, this was much more noticeable.
I think BMW R18 Bagger owners will need to start filing reports with NHTSA to get this on the record and to get BMW to resolve the issue with a proper fix. Maybe the reason why so many are on back order here in the USA is that BMW is in the process of having the sub contractor do a complete redesign? Only time will tell, but if they already installed a new head light for you, at $3100, and it fails again, and it's on your dime, the problem is not adequately addressed.
Scott Semone
Well-known member
Perhaps someone can draft up a description of the adaptive headlight issues, and how it's a safety concern; where we all can cut & paste a unified narrative. I looked at the online form that was posted earlier, we will need to enter VIN number and submit the safety concern. Below is the link:
www.nhtsa.gov
Report a Safety Problem | NHTSA
File a complaint with NHTSA if you experienced a vehicle, tire, car seat or equipment safety problem that could be a safety defect.