Beating a dead horse... LED brake lights & signals
01-17-2012, 12:36 PM
#1
Member
Squid
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: osage cisty, ks
Posts: 36
Beating a dead horse... LED brake lights & signals
I want to install an LED brake light to replace the OEM unit, but I don't want to ditch my turnsignals.
IMO having one side of my brakelight flashing yellow instead of having separate *Back Off* signals and "I'm going This Way" signals makes me uncomfortable.
Anyone had experience with these brake units?
Honda VTR1000 LED Brake Tail Light CLEAR Lens 98-05 | eBay
Also, is it possible to get them with something other than a clear lens?
I'm not very handy, and therefore very leery of trying to fabricate a mod from something that "almost" fits rather than just a bolt-on (which still might take some tweaking.)
I'm planning on replacing my "shorty" aftermarket filament-bulb signals which have very small lenses and bulbs with LED units that will be DOT legal, or at least close.
If the rear signals don't stay illuminated as running lights, is it difficult to change the wiring & relay setups so that they will?
I see no reason to get ticketed just for the sake of looking fashionable,
so what the heck, I'll just appease "the Man" before I start by buying the right parts.
IMO having one side of my brakelight flashing yellow instead of having separate *Back Off* signals and "I'm going This Way" signals makes me uncomfortable.
Anyone had experience with these brake units?
Honda VTR1000 LED Brake Tail Light CLEAR Lens 98-05 | eBay
Also, is it possible to get them with something other than a clear lens?
I'm not very handy, and therefore very leery of trying to fabricate a mod from something that "almost" fits rather than just a bolt-on (which still might take some tweaking.)
I'm planning on replacing my "shorty" aftermarket filament-bulb signals which have very small lenses and bulbs with LED units that will be DOT legal, or at least close.
If the rear signals don't stay illuminated as running lights, is it difficult to change the wiring & relay setups so that they will?
I see no reason to get ticketed just for the sake of looking fashionable,
so what the heck, I'll just appease "the Man" before I start by buying the right parts.
01-17-2012, 02:05 PM
#2
Out of my mind, back in 5
MotoGP
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Skurup, Sweden
Posts: 6,109
One word regarding eBay LED tail lights... "Crap"...
As for the running lights and LED's... If you are like you say, "not handy", get a set that's already wired for running lights, three wires... LED re-wiring and "not handy" usually doesn't work very well filament bulbs are easier... The only thing you need to do with the relay, is to swap it to a load independant one, www.customled.com have one that's plug-n-play, this is neccessaryfor all LED's so running lights doesn't matter here...
As for the running lights and LED's... If you are like you say, "not handy", get a set that's already wired for running lights, three wires... LED re-wiring and "not handy" usually doesn't work very well filament bulbs are easier... The only thing you need to do with the relay, is to swap it to a load independant one, www.customled.com have one that's plug-n-play, this is neccessaryfor all LED's so running lights doesn't matter here...
01-18-2012, 06:19 AM
#3
Member
Squid
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: osage cisty, ks
Posts: 36
Man, my head is about to explode from google-frustration.
There is a serious lack of retailers willing to separate me from my money in order to sell a tail- and brake light-only LED setup for a VFR.
What a PITA.
Any ideas for building/adapting something through the back of the original housing?
There is a serious lack of retailers willing to separate me from my money in order to sell a tail- and brake light-only LED setup for a VFR.
What a PITA.
Any ideas for building/adapting something through the back of the original housing?
01-18-2012, 07:34 AM
#4
Senior Member
MotoGP
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 3,869
This guy made one from a cbr LED taillight... removed the assembly from a cbr and put it in his vtr...
https://www.superhawkforum.com/forum...version-24726/
https://www.superhawkforum.com/forum...version-24726/
01-18-2012, 10:43 AM
#5
Senior Member
SuperSport
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Delmar NY
Posts: 805
I pretty much agree with Markus, but I would add that it is possible to get "acceptable" quality off Ebay, but it is a risk.
Mine came from ebay shipped from Canada, not from China and was one of the ~$30 something price range. I'm not sure I would recommend risking 2x that amount on the hope of better quality.
As for hooking up your new after market LED signals and retaining running lights make sure they are 3 wire. On the brake light you can still get the integrated turn signal unit and either choose not to hook up the signals or you can hook them up in parallel to the outboard signals and use both.
For lens colors I have only seen clear and smoke and I would personally go with clear to get as much light as possible.
Mine came from ebay shipped from Canada, not from China and was one of the ~$30 something price range. I'm not sure I would recommend risking 2x that amount on the hope of better quality.
As for hooking up your new after market LED signals and retaining running lights make sure they are 3 wire. On the brake light you can still get the integrated turn signal unit and either choose not to hook up the signals or you can hook them up in parallel to the outboard signals and use both.
For lens colors I have only seen clear and smoke and I would personally go with clear to get as much light as possible.
01-19-2012, 02:11 PM
#7
CPT Obvious
Squid
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Richland, Washington
Posts: 39
Use the search function this site. There is a post about using a LED trailer light as a rear brake. To over simplify things- Buy light, remove stock tail light, put stock tail light in oven on low to heat glue, separate stock tail light halves, insert LED light and epoxy, reassembly and install stock tail light, wire and enjoy.
01-19-2012, 02:12 PM
#8
CPT Obvious
Squid
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Richland, Washington
Posts: 39
01-19-2012, 04:59 PM
#9
Connie Demico does toad?
Superstock
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Lakeway
Posts: 383
Did you mean Cloudy Alternatives? I have one that I haven't taken the time to throw away, I keep thinking I could use the LED panel in a stock taillight. There was no loss in visibility factor when I went back to stock.
01-19-2012, 08:30 PM
#10
Senior Member
MotoGP
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: NYC
Posts: 5,033
I have the "how to retro fit led light" in both my bikes and am happy with it. I don't think anyone should run the squid light thing that has turn signals incorporated into the tail light. Its way to unsafe. I have extra turn signal lights so no one can miss me.
01-20-2012, 05:29 AM
#11
Moderator
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Gettysburg, Pa
Posts: 5,071
Well kid, if we knew where you are from maybe someone close to you would assist you with the hacknslash taillight mod. Wiring can get complicated if you have NO experience messing with such things. Do you have any riding friends that would help for a 6 pack?
01-20-2012, 05:41 AM
#12
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01-22-2012, 05:46 AM
#13
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Squid
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: osage cisty, ks
Posts: 36
Doesn't look as difficult as I thought
Believe it or not Wolverine, I actually don't have any riding friends.
(Gee, sounds pathetic, doesn't it?) I live in a small rural town about 40 miles south of Topeka, KS and work Saturdays. That kind of puts a damper on searching for other people to ride with, and it seems like the Harley and Harley-clone types around this general area tend to hold the sportbike crowd at arms length.Haknslash's idea looks like just about exactly what I had in mind because it maintains the original lines of the 'Hawk.
Thanks for the link guys!
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