DavidEW

I ordered a smoked read LED light for my 98 Hawk and there were no instructions. Obviously the plug coming out of it fits into the light plug from the bike, but I have no idea where to plug the blue and yellow wires coming out of the other tail light opening to. I just want to be careful because I just had to change my bad R/R and get a new battery and I also installed an HID headlight so I don't want to do something stupid and blow something. Thanks in advance - this forum has taught me tons. Below is a pic of the rear LED light with the wires. This is NOT an integrated light with turn signals.

Tweety

Would it be one with integrated signals? Then those would be for left and right signal...

DavidEW

No like I stated this is not the integrated one. I wanted to keep my flushmount side markers. This is pissing me off because all I want to do is ride. Stupid thing should come with instructions. I wish I was smarter.

Tweety

Well... then just don't plug them in and it should work out fine... The one plug for the rear/brake/ground should work just fine and as long as you don't short them out they can't hurt anything... including blowing stuff up...

Tweety

Could possibly be a LED going down to light the plate? just thinking out loud...

VTR steve

Just a thought but is one set of wires for the stop and tail and the other set for the number plate?

Looking at the pic can see yellow and blue wires and a plug with what looks like yellow,red and black. If so i would say that and this is a guess the plug will be the stop and tail lights black being earth red and yellow being the tail and stop. The others i would say are number plate light wires.

DavidEW

Ok now I'm going to kill myself. Here's another pic so you guys can get a better idea. So I plugged the one end that obviously went together in. Left the blue and yellow wires alone and not touching anything. The brake does not light when the key is turned on (no running light). It does light up with the front brake, but not the rear brake. For fun I plugged in the original light bulb into the other hanging empty socket to check it out while trying the LED lights and it worked fine. I want to rip my eyes out and throw them down the street. The bottom of the light has white LEDs to light the license plate so I don't think that's what the yellow and blue wires are for.

Gregw

Hi David,
I can't imagine why there would be 5 wires to that LED brake and not have turn signals. They may have sent you an integrated one anyway. You may have a bad connection in the old light socket. Maybe switch with the one you tested the old bulb with. Does the lic. plate LED work properly?

Stevebis1

Front brake provide lights it, but not the back brake? and the back brake works ok with your original set up? That does not seem to make sense.
I know just enough to get me in trouble - Tweety is the expert here.
In any case LED - D meen diode. That mean it is only going to light if it has the correct polarity - if the + and ground get reversed then you won't hurt anything you just won't have light.
Looks like you have a red/yellow/black going to the plug, and a yellow and blue separate right? Reasonable guess black is ground, so you should put 12+ V to each of the other conductors ans see what happens. I expect one is parking, one is brake, and one is license plate light. No idea what the other conductor goes to.
I haven't bothered to go to the shop manual to see which conductors on the bike do what, but you should.

Gregw

Hi Steve,
In the second of David's pictures, it looks like the black wire from the LED goes to the green wire (ground) of the harness, so the polarity should be correct.

Stevebis1

Greg - I get it. When I first looked at the picture I was not really getting what I was looking at. Apparently the "connector" just mimics the bottom of a bulb?
If so you must be right - the other two conductors should be for turn signals.

Dave - got it working yet?

Tweety

Nope... no expert... Just seen more shortcircuits than most...

Looking at a bulb (i have one here) they should be unidirectional ie no difference in how they are put in... dunno if that applies to that simulated bulb though... Try turning it over in the socket and see if that helps...

I think Stevebis1 gave an excellent suggestion though, try 12v at the two and use the black as ground and see what happens...

DavidEW

Screw it...I couldn't take it anymore so I just ordered a Clear Alternatives LED light. Tried saving money but the old rule applies, you get what you pay for. I've used Clear Alternatives in the past and the quality and instructions were great. Pricey but sometimes it's worth it if it saves you an afternnoon of being pissed off.
I just installed my undertail today too and it looks so nice and clean I don't want to put my license plate on there. Anyone ever experimented with maybe a side mount tag holder off the swingarm? There's no room even back behind the undertail underneath the battery for it. Thinking that's my only option. I'm guessing no one probably makes one for the Superhawk so I'd probably have to rig one...

Stevebis1

David - on the plate I felt the same as you. I have mine ahead of the wheel under the battery. There is just room for it attached to the plastic dirt guard that stops crap from flinging into the shock.
That said, I absolutely know I am a ticket waiting to happen. Waking up to the bike you can see the plate, but from a in a car or on another bike from behind it is totally obscured by the wheel. I think I will leavr it there until I get pulled over...

inderocker

The yellow and blue wire are for the left and right turn signals, the blue goes to the orange wire in your harness and the yellow goes to the blue wire in your harness. The black wire on the yellow plug needs to align with the green wire in your harness. AFAIK the Clear Alternatives taillight is not plug and play like the one you bought, I may be wrong though.

lazn

Even with that plug that fits the old socket, it can be plugged in the wrong way around and the LEDs won't light.. Flip the connector over and plug it back into the socket.

FIVESTARKID

I JUST PURCHASED AN INTEGRATED TAIL ALSO, YOU HAVE DESCRIBED THE SAME WIRING SCHEME I HAVE. THEY PROBABLY HAVE SENT YOU NA INTEGRATED TAIL LIGHT BY MISTAKE. I TOO IM WONDERING WHAT THE HECK TO DO WITH THIS BECAUSE THEY SAID IT WOULD JUST PLUG RIGHT INTO THE STOCK PLUG BUT ITS A DIFFERENT FITTING ON THE NEW LIGHT. MIGHT HAVE TO DO SOME SPLICING.....ANY IDEAS?

FIVESTARKID

CAN ANYONE RECOMMEND A COOL WINDSCREEN FOR MY 99 HAWK? WANT TO CHANGE THE STOCK SHIELD OUT.

lazn

You take the stock socket out, and remove the bulb, then the wiring plugs into that for the brake and running light.

The other wires for signals are just a little small but work if you kinda crimp the plug.

FIVESTARKID

THANKS....IM ON IT IN THE MORNING!! WOULD HELP IF THESE COMPANIES HAD DIRECTIONS INCLUDED...

supertim996

Those are for the turn signals

Wolverine

That thread is OVER 5 years old. Why?

NZSpokes

he felt it needed an answer?