Taillight question

[afpreppie04]

So I think I broke my taillight the other day. It still lights and all, but I heard a crack when I leaned on it and the housing is wobbly in the rear fairing now. I took the seat off and checked and the two screws are still there, and still tight and not broken. When I wobble the light you can see it moving on the rubber bushings it is mounted on. Are there any tabs or anything else that normally hold the light in place? It did not wobble like this before.

I've thought about getting one of those LED taillights with integrated turn signals, and this might be my chance, but if there is some easy fix I'm missing with my stock one I'll just fix it.

 

[Caligula]

The rubber mountings give 5-10mm of play. How much movement is there?

 

[dturpen]

If you heard a crack, than you may have broken something. However, the stock tail light is actually fairly loosely mounted to the tail. I've never taken mine out of the tail section before, (I bought my bike brand new) and it's decently loose in there. I guess they wanted it to have some shock absorption or something.

I wouldn't bother with getting a different tail light unless you really want to, but odds are, the fitment will be the same. I highly doubt you broke anything if the mounting screws are still there and are tight.

 

[Tailgate]

It's a hassle to remove the tailight assembly---not a 5 min operation!

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

My 07 appears to be held in with 2 phillips head screws. It also appears that to R&R the lens, its a matter of removing both rear pods, the passnger handrail, the 2 screws and twist out the socket and its out...

The lens is not falling out as its tappered in towards the rear of the bike however if not rubber mounted (broke), it'll get some more vibration and be more prone to rear bulb failure.

At least check that often if you don't fix it...

 

[afpreppie04]

I noticed that it is held in by the tail itself when I checked it too, it was just the wobbling that bugged me. There was definately a cracking sound, that is why I checked it in the first place. The two screw areas seem to be fine though, and the lens itself isn't cracked either. I wonder if maybe it was just the screws unseizing in there, as when I went to check them, although they weren't loose at all, they also weren't seized up or tightened to the point that they only strip, like all the screws on my tail were when I put my fender eliminator on.

Assuming the rubber mounts are there for shock protection, I might try replacing them with something more solid to stiffen up the light. I have an LED bulb in there instead of a filament one so it should put up with any extra shock just fine, my turn signals are LED and solid-mounted and haven't had any problems over the last two years.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

I suspect the tabs are busted off. The screws are still tight into the tabs, the light assembly is just sitting there...