L.E.D. Lighting?

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationNo eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationok so i got an 83 k1100 and want some brighter lighting.

Thinking about getting a all in one tail/brake/turn indicator light like this:


and on the front:


i think they will give it a nice clean look.

now for the questions: going to LED do i need to change any fuses, wiring, or add the load resistors?
and if so: do i put load resistors in before the controls or just before the lights?

Has anyone done LEDs on their bike and got any pics/tips?

You need load resistors to use the stock flasher with LEDs, but solid state flashers are available at all car parts stores.

FYI: that rear light is illegal for street use. Read the attached text and note the part about a minimum required spacing of 9" between the centers of the turn signal bulbs.

The ad says it fits a CBR600, it never says it is street legal or DOT approved.

If you want brighter brake/turns, get 3W Luxeon LEDs from superbrightleds.com. They fit the existing sockets just like an 1157 bulb.

I have been running them for about 6 years.

www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/in...115x-xLX3.htm#photos

With regards to those LED's through the attached link, did you have to install load resistors for any/each bulb as they say might be required?

I am curious since they claim that they are a drop in replacement, with 'Built-in Current Limiting Resistors or Constant Current Drivers' which i should think in theory should eliminate any problems. I know most of out bikes don't have a 'light out' warning anywhere, so that shouldn't be an issue.

I would assume you would need to replace your flasher unit with one of theirs or a solid state automotive one. (I am unsure what the difference is between the stock Kawi flashers and a solid state automtive one; my past understanding of solid state was as a general replacement for vacuum tubes, which I don't think are part of motorcycle flashers.)

I'd like to go to all LED for the added brightness, and reduced power drain on my already anemic charging system, but at the combined cost of 15/bulb plus additional wiring?

Thanks for the advice.

Jon

Flashers? What if you have some LEDs and some reg bulbs.. ?

As I understand it, you'll need a solid state flasher to run LEDs in your turn signals. You can mix and match some LEDs with some regular bulbs. I've got LEDs in all but headlamp (halogen) and brake light (regular incandescent).

I found the LED brake light (at least the one I tried) was plenty bright, but the difference between the running and brake state was not as pronounced as with the incandescent. Different bulbs will probably produce different results. But I swapped back to my regular incandescent for the brake.

Coming back to the flashers, if you add resistance to the circuit you'll basically be adding back in the power drain you were trying to eliminate by going LED. What you want instead is a true "no load" solid state flasher unit.

Jonny wrote: I know most of out bikes don't have a 'light out' warning anywhere, so that shouldn't be an issue.

Jon

My 79 KZ750 has one: it's the flasher that tells you when the brake light is blown.

so with the whole nine inch thing and the load resistors thing if i were to just get the solid state flasher fuse, turn signal bullets front and back and a set of the led 1157s i should be plenty bright and not have to worry about anything else?

Found something interesting in anyone wanted to have a little more in depth look at the nature of flashers and how they work in our applications.

relays.te.com/appnotes/app_pdfs/13c3310.pdf

I can only assume from reading this that the standard flasher units in our bikes are still the very old style bimetallic units. Actually this makes good sense given their wieght automotive electric technology at their date of design. (Surely alternatives were around, but why mess with something that is cheap and works?) These flashers however, and current sensitive and will flash faster under reduced load.

So, using a solid state or hybrid flasher as described in the article eliminates the problem by functioning independently of current throughput, and operating the flashers at a fixed rate regardless. In short, you shouldn't need to use and sort of load resistor for you turn signals in combination with an upgraded flasher, allowing us to take advantage of decreased load on the system and brighter lights at the same time.

Presumably this also means you DO need install a ballast if you want to run an LED tail/brake light if you have or are concerned about the brake light out warning on your instrument cluster.

Okay, so that is a nice bunch of theory powered by a little but of online research, and a little but of first year physics. I guess I have to order in the bulbs now and see if it's actually going to work.

Cheers!

I just installed an LED tail light and I keep blowing the 10a rear fuse. What do I need to do to fix this? Add a ballast?

bountyhunter wrote:

Jonny wrote: I know most of out bikes don't have a 'light out' warning anywhere, so that shouldn't be an issue.
Jon

My 79 KZ750 has one: it's the flasher that tells you when the brake light is blown.

As known, the brake-light-warning idiot light is supposed to remain dark while cruising along without any application of either brake.

During brake application, the idiot light is supposed to burn a steady bright red.
(This lets the world know that the idiot light bulb and its related circuitry are functional).

Here's the "warning" part:
When the rider notices the idiot light is "blinking" when supposed to be dark while cruising along without either brake applied, the "blinking" idiot light is warning the rider that "the next time brake is applied, the rear brake light ain't gonna light up."
Such warning typically results from a blown brake light filament in the rear bulb, but may also result from other deficiencies such as a bad wire, loose connector, etc.

Good Fortune!

Gotta give a shout out for these folks.
Creative Wiring Solutions
I use their solid state flasher and it works like a charm. No more quick or slow flash rates, independent of engine speed. Shoot them an email, they can probably give some ideas.