[ZDM]

Is the 5w license plate bulb an OEM only or can it be purchased anywhere?
It has an odd shape....

 

[Kinkykelly]

I have no idea, where are you located? I don't recognize you location on your profile.

 

[TimOz]

What bike do you ride?

If you have a MTS1200, it has a "Number plate light: bulb type C5W (12-5W)".

Any Auto shop should have them. Osran, Narva brands etc. There are also LED versions that should also work if the CANBUS lets it.

 

[ZDM]

I have no idea, where are you located? I don't recognize you location on your profile.

It's Warrington, PA spelled backwards....sorry! I own a 999 and replaced the 999 taillight assembly with a MS one. The MS registration light works better than my old unit with the Evoluzione kit light installed in it. I'm also running a Ducati Design LED tail/brake light.
Thanks guys!

 

[Kinkykelly]

I have my plate holder from my MS1200 if the bulb will work for you let me know, I will send it to you....

 

[Willie B]

I would think that you should be able to source the bulb at an Advance or Carquest type auto parts store. I'm sure it's a euro type bulb, but most of these stores stock these items.

 

[ZDM]

Thank you for the info....and the offer. I'll see if I can match it up at a local Pep Boys or AutoZone...

 

[ZDM]

What bike do you ride?

If you have a MTS1200, it has a "Number plate light: bulb type C5W (12-5W)".

Any Auto shop should have them. Osran, Narva brands etc. There are also LED versions that should also work if the CANBUS lets it.

Thanks Tim!

They are called "Festoon" bulbs and are made by Osram as you stated. Common bulb, LED would be cool.....but a standard bulb is sufficient.
Thanks again....

 

[TimOz]

Hi ZDM,
The "festoon" mane is the bulb type for sure but there are quite a few sizes in both length and diameter. I think the C5W is the actual bulb name that is the exact size. In any case. if you take the bulb into the shop you should be fine.

 

[mnb]

OK, clearly someone here has replaced one of these since ducati designed a circuit that likely overloads the bulbs. I haven't even had mine 2 months and it burned out.

So, I broke the cover removing that. The press clip part of the plastic broke off almost instantly with virtually no force. It's made of the world's most brittle plastic apparently. Probably made by the same company that made the filament for the bulb.

Oddly enough, the cover was extremely reluctant to come out, but I finally managed to get it out. The bulb was easily removed.

I have a Philips LED replacement. Here's where my question comes in.

The bulb, when mounted, is precariously suspended between two spring steel fingers with holes in them. This is the most ridiculous bulb mounting design I've ever seen. Not only is it rinkey dink, but it must require some kind of special tool to remount the bulb. There's no room to get your fingers in there. Kneeling on the ground doesn't really get you low enough to have a good view. I'm able to get the cone part on one side in a hole, but I can't get the other side to drop in for the life of me. Needle nose won't hold it firm enough. I tried hemostats, but needlenose worked 1000 times better and didn't work well enough.

What's the trick to getting this piece of crap mounted? I look forward to never having to replacing it again since I sprang for the LED.

 

[Hooli]

Replace it with something that presents much less of an ordeal:

But yeah, I feel you man...

http://www.ducati.ms/forums/4195529-post3.html

 

[mollycbr123]

Wonder if they have changed the mountings, since I was able to get a new bulb in with little effort. Put in one end, then use needle nose pliers to push it away from the loose end until it slides up into place. Took about 5 seconds. I also broke the tab on the lens getting it off. It really is a brittle POS. I secured the lens back with clear packing tape. Come to think of it, I better check to see if it's still there.

 

[mnb]

Every time I try to drop the bulb in the 2nd hole, it pops out of the first or slips out of the needle nose and falls on the ground. I tried for a good 20 minutes.

 

[Pampero]

It is a giant pain in the ass. It is as ridiculous a design as you have identified it to be. I have watched Ducati trained techs struggle with it and break the plastic just as you did. My dealer keeps the lenses in stock if that tells you anything.

There is no trick, it's just a booger.

 

[R0CKETMAN]

Every time I try to drop the bulb in the 2nd hole, it pops out of the first or slips out of the needle nose and falls on the ground. I tried for a good 20 minutes.

Have you considered the LED tail light option from Blaster X? It's not very expensive and you can easily add actual stalks if you feel the need. I wired in a cheap LED strip for my plate light.

 

[MTScott2]

HA HA HA Ha .... the laughter is from the Ducati designers giggling at us!

My Sausage fingers and almost upside down positioning was making me mad.

I took a wire twist tie and wrapped it around the new bulb (LED) and used the wire to hold onto to set it into place. popped right in first time ,after a few (read many)failed previous attempts, with needle nose pliers and roach clips and whatever else I tried!

My Lens cover broke at the tab, sos I Siliconed the POS in there Temporally (unless it works that is) that was last summer.
Easy.

 

[oalvarez]

I took a wire twist tie and wrapped it around the new bulb (LED) and used the wire to hold onto to set it into place. popped right in first time ,after a few (read many)failed previous attempts, with needle nose pliers and roach clips and whatever else I tried.....

Major value add post.....thanks for this, Scott.

 

[MTScott2]

Hall Of Wisdom Value??? maybe

Sometimes it is best to just walk away from a little problem and sleep on it.

I thought that that would make a great puzzle, Like a rubiks cube level of difficulty...Mirrors flashlights, Ugggh WTf were they thinking.

 

[mnb]

HA HA HA Ha .... the laughter is from the Ducati designers giggling at us!

My Sausage fingers and almost upside down positioning was making me mad.

I took a wire twist tie and wrapped it around the new bulb (LED) and used the wire to hold onto to set it into place. popped right in first time ,after a few (read many)failed previous attempts, with needle nose pliers and roach clips and whatever else I tried!

My Lens cover broke at the tab, sos I Siliconed the POS in there Temporally (unless it works that is) that was last summer.
Easy.

Brilliant suggestion with the twist tie. I'm not sure your typical produce twisty would work, but I'm going to go try this beefy one in a bit.

I had to dig around for a twist tie. Found a good, stiff one in a kit of parts for an electric trailer tongue jack that I need to install. Those washers can roam freely in the parts bag for a while.

I was thinking of making a tool, but lacking any fabrication equipment...

I have some black gaffer's tape that will be securing the lens cover. The cover can probably be removed with a small screwdriver w/o breaking it, but using your finger ... schnapp!



Thanks!

 

[mnb]

It took me about 10 minutes to get it to work. But it was clear from the get go that fabricating a tool from that twist tie was a better approach. If it just were a little more rigid, I could have installed it in seconds. It popped out on me 5 or 6 times before I got it wedged in close and was able to reuse the too as a pry lever to convince it to slide into the 2nd hole.

I angled it backwards a tad because I didn't want it to shine into cars, but I probably should have angled it parallel with the ground. Not worth fixing for now.

Thanks for the tip!