BMW Motorcycle K1200RS front and rear turn signal bulbs use PY21W, P21W, or 12496 bulb sizes. The replacement chart covers 1997 to 2005 model years with corresponding bulb size specifications.
The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.
The BMW Motorcycle K1200RS turn signal specifications cover model years 1997-2005 across both front and rear positions, with lens type becoming a determining factor in bulb selection from 2001 onward.
P21W is the most consistently specified bulb across the K1200RS range, appearing in every model year from 1997-2005 for both front and rear turn signals, either as the sole fitment or as the non-clear-lens variant.
The P21W is an ECE-standard single-filament signalling bulb rated at 12V and 21W, fitted with a BA15s bayonet base. Its widespread use across the full production span of the K1200RS reflects its role as a standard European motorcycle signalling bulb.
PY21W shares the same 12V, 21W rating as the P21W but differs in two important respects: it produces an amber-tinted output and uses a BAU15s bayonet base rather than the BA15s. The offset pin arrangement of the BAU15s base physically prevents incorrect substitution with a P21W in most housings.
The base incompatibility between PY21W (BAU15s) and P21W (BA15s) means the two bulbs are not interchangeable, despite identical wattage and voltage ratings. Lens type on the K1200RS determines which of these two bulbs is required for a given position and year.
The 12496 is a Philips/Osram part number designation for a 12V halogen bulb used in specialty applications. On the K1200RS, it appears as the clear-lens fitment for the front turn signal in 2002-2003 and the rear turn signal in 2001-2002 and 2005.
For the 1997-2000 model years, the K1200RS carried no lens-type distinction in the specifications, with P21W listed as the single fitment for both front and rear turn signals across those years.
The front and rear clear-lens bulb assignments do not always match within the same model year. In 2005, for example, the front clear-lens position specifies PY21W while the rear clear-lens position specifies 12496, indicating that front and rear housings on that year should not be assumed to share the same bulb.
Similarly, in 2003, the front clear-lens position uses 12496 while the rear uses PY21W, reinforcing that positional differences in housing design on the K1200RS can result in different bulb requirements even within a single model year.
All bulbs specified across the K1200RS turn signal fitment chart operate at 12V, consistent with the standard electrical system voltage of production motorcycles in this class.