Author |
Message |
Xenox
| Posted on Thursday, September 17, 2009 - 03:13 pm: |
|
I wanted a twin tail light but they had to look right and at least be as bright as the original . It also needed to be returned to the original tail light easily with cosmetics intact. The results were a light that was brighter than the stock light that IMO looks pretty good ,and is reversible. There are other benefits like low power consumption, cool temps , and fast on/off cycles, as well as a virtual lifetime service and dual redundancy . These are set up as brake/run lights. Brake/turn/run could be had with an integrator.
Oops! Don't mind the double sided tape scrap. Pics show fit detail. At a glance from the seat you can see if your brake light is working, in almost all but the strongest sun wash. It's not a big point but it's good to know you can.
A separate hidden LED for the tag light,any color (sans law) can easily be installed. The area of the original tag light is open now so I don't know what wet weather riding will do, but I don't ride this bike in the rain. The opening can be cleanly closed up, but I'll leave it open for extra engine heat venting. The LEDs used are 1.25" clusters, All dimensions are very close on this set up which made it challenging. I've worked everything out though,DIY pointers for anyone interested, PM works best. The red lenses aren't necessary (save for local vehicle code law/regulations/enforcement in your area, which I'm not so sure the lenses would qualify for either). Without lenses you'll have 2 - 1.25" clearish white disks when the ignition is off. Otherwise you'll have vivid red anytime the ignition is on. I prefer to go with the lenses. I plan on tinting a set .
The 2 left pics are stock lights in the shade. It may not look like it but the stock run light is "on" in the top pic, the 2 right pics are the LEDs in Sun wash. It looks like the LED run light is as bright as the stock brake light .Pics were taken 50ft away and zoomed. Please excuse the poor pic quality.
Another attention getter is the way the center tag (out of 3) LED reflects off the tag cover, it looks like a micro super bright beam shooting directly out back,you can easily see it from a distance. A regular uncovered tag has the same effect to a lesser degree. I could run a diffuser to lessen/eliminate this but I can't decide . Otherwise there is pretty good white tag illumination at night. The pic doesn't quite relay what you'd see in person, the light is crisper and brighter. The LEDs used are vivid red in color (in the pics they look bleached,and in real life are much brighter ,I suppose they are too bright for my camera to capture properly) and at least as bright as what's seen on LED equipped emergency response vehicles, maybe too bright for night...The brakes in daylight are extremely bright. At night they are weapon like (I'd hate to be on the receiving end of these at a light) ; after I confirm the vehicle behind me without question sees me stopped at the light, I'll release my brakes (if practical) to cut them some slack.
Ok, that's about it for now.......... |
Wardamneagle
| Posted on Thursday, September 17, 2009 - 04:04 pm: |
|
Looks good. |
Xenox
| Posted on Thursday, September 17, 2009 - 05:12 pm: |
|
Thanks! This is what's under the lenses:
|
Biggie
| Posted on Thursday, September 17, 2009 - 08:59 pm: |
|
Where did you pick up those led arrays?I found something similar but they are overseas so.... |
Metalstorm
| Posted on Thursday, September 17, 2009 - 09:10 pm: |
|
Very cool |
Xenox
| Posted on Thursday, September 17, 2009 - 09:13 pm: |
|
Biggie check your pm. |
Xenox
| Posted on Thursday, September 17, 2009 - 09:14 pm: |
|
Thanks Metalstorm ! |
Biggie
| Posted on Saturday, September 19, 2009 - 09:23 pm: |
|
Xenox could you PLEASE send another msg I forgot my old pass and had to open another account till I figure that one out. |
Xenox
| Posted on Friday, October 02, 2009 - 12:49 pm: |
|
I couldn't add these pics in to the original post........
They seem to match some LED t/s set ups, when the ignition is off.......
Otherwise.....The light being emitted is a very stark,sharp,and bright red, pic fails to reproduce this..Something else that isn't captured well is how the edges of the clear lenses seem to mimic a sort of neon tube effect.
Ok that's about it for this project,thanks for looking! |
Polkiejoe
| Posted on Friday, October 02, 2009 - 03:43 pm: |
|
Could you send me a PM about where you found the lenses and LED's those look great!! |
Biggie
| Posted on Friday, October 02, 2009 - 11:55 pm: |
|
Ditto on the lenses totally badass. |
09ltrain
| Posted on Saturday, October 03, 2009 - 02:11 am: |
|
Please PM me about the lenses and LED's too if you don't mind. That set up looks killer. |
Pogue_mahone
| Posted on Saturday, October 03, 2009 - 10:04 am: |
|
neeed lenses that look like 50's car/jet engine exhaust/tail lights. but scaled down and shaped right. but then again i want to cover the front of my blazer in woodgrain decal and cut a nice wood flamed front end out of it. really......wood flames.....i love it ! maybe outline it in red or orange pinstripe |
Gunut75
| Posted on Saturday, October 03, 2009 - 12:01 pm: |
|
.........Pogue said "wood"!....heh...heh |
Gunut75
| Posted on Saturday, October 03, 2009 - 12:02 pm: |
|
Those tail lights look badass! |
Xenox
| Posted on Saturday, October 03, 2009 - 12:29 pm: |
|
yeah heh, heh,... wood... Gunut , which do you prefer the clears or the red lenses? Pogue I like your ice cool sense of aesthetics... I think I might try to french a set of these lenses.. |
Gunut75
| Posted on Saturday, October 03, 2009 - 01:30 pm: |
|
I would prefer the red one, just cuz it defines the shape of the light a little more.........Oh yeah, what do you mean "french"? Kiss em? Just kidding. I've heard the term, just don't know what it would do to the light. |
Gunut75
| Posted on Saturday, October 03, 2009 - 01:31 pm: |
|
Of course, I like the neon tube effect. Too bad we can't have the best of both worlds. |
Xenox
| Posted on Saturday, October 03, 2009 - 03:01 pm: |
|
Thanks for your input Gunut, I know what you mean, I feel like I'm getting all OCD about this....Red defines on or off, Clear defines when on, both are seen from the side... I decided to try this, not easily seen from side but as soon as the angle shifts to the rear it flares up.. the clears are flexible in that they can be painted and tinted any color .....I'll use a silver base coat on the next ones. Not really needed but I want to see the effect if any, these LEDs don't need a reflector to work..I'm curious about the looks on or off. I used gloss black to match the body instead of the matte to match the undertray.......
|
Gunut75
| Posted on Saturday, October 03, 2009 - 03:44 pm: |
|
Now THATS sweet! Blue to match my bike? Leave the color just forward of the part of the lens facing rearward, for some visibility from the side. That setup with the black looks slick as hell! |
Sparky
| Posted on Saturday, October 03, 2009 - 06:04 pm: |
|
The red ones are pretty stylish. I like 'em. |
Xenox
| Posted on Tuesday, October 13, 2009 - 09:54 am: |
|
I've been using these for a while now and.. All vehicles so far, stop way behind me, and may even get out of the lane I'm in to avoid looking at these....... I had a feeling,and I don't blame them .. No word from the "man" so far. So far the brightest tail light set up I've seen on the street or anywhere for that matter ...Not to say there aren't brighter taillights out there, I just haven't seen them in person yet... |
Tomzhog
| Posted on Sunday, May 09, 2010 - 11:52 am: |
|
a work of art |
Xenox
| Posted on Sunday, May 09, 2010 - 12:02 pm: |
|
Thanks TJ ... |
|