I pretty much just hooked them up like standard LED blinkers. I just crimped on the male connectors to the LED strips and plugged them in to the old blinker connections. They are meant to wire up to a 12 volt source and go. I also modified my flasher relay so that it would work with LEDs so I would not have to purchase a new relay.
The LED strips alone looked really ugly because thy had all sorts of emblems and markings on them, so I punched some holes into shrink wrap to cover everything but the LEDs and shrank it on. I drilled a hole in each guard where I liked it and ran the wires through. Some double-backed tape and it is ready to go.
It took me a few hours with some help from my dad.
My biggest concern would be visibility. No point in even having them if other drivers can't see them and can tell which way you are going, regardless of bright daylight or pitch black midnight.
I've seen way too many bikes on the road that the signals weren't visible or so close to the center that from a distance you can't tell which way they are going. At least with your hand guard mounted ones that second issue shouldn't be a problem for you.
I know what you mean, some of those tail light break light blinker combos are way too hard to see. I held them up and walked around the bike to see how the visibility was. You have to be standing within 2 feet in front of the bike to not be able to see them. I have not done anything to the rear blinkers yet but I have some ideas after I chop the grater off.
I Also compared them side by side with the original blinkers and the LEDs were as bright as if not brighter than the originals, and they are instant on/off as well. I have yet to test them on the road to see if traffic acts any differently though.
I've never tried this before . . but let me try a video. . . . I posted pics when I did it.
They are HUGE . . . So is the population. Be mindful that Chicago and Los Angeles COMBINED are smaller than Brooklyn. They play for keeps here so "big and clunky" wasn't a problem for me.
Trying to figure out how to get it into YouTube . . . . . but . . anyway . . folks on Queens Boulevard or 57th and Fifth Avenue shield their eyes across the intersection.
Same thing for brake light on the rear . . . I was really concerned about how the luggage blocked the view of the brake light.
You can't tell if from that 3' off the ground level shot . . but if a pickup truck is behind you at an intersection the luggage pretty much obscures the view of the tail light.
Same thing for brake light on the rear . . . I was really concerned about how the luggage blocked the view of the brake light.
Me too! Bad design right there. I decided to throw a couple of SMD505 LED strips behind my reflector. Total cost of LEDs, wiring, connector etc was about $12. They are almost as bright as my normal stoplamp, and with the greater surface area, they REALLY grab your eye.
As far as the turn signals go: your install looks great. I am concerned about visibility. 1) they don't appear as bright as even standard turns, and 2) there's a lot to be said for sheer surface area when you are concerned about being visible. I chose 1125CR mirrors and rear turns for an updated look with great visibility:
Ok so I tested them in the hot 95 degree weather and full sun today. They are as bright as the old blinkers, but I think I would like them to be brighter. I will probably upgrade to Tri-chip 5050 SMD LEDs after I get an ECM cable to tune the bike.
haha, I noticed that too. I have HIDs on a 10 second delay relay. I merely took the picture within 10 seconds of turning on the ignition so the HIDs had not fired yet- another few seconds later and the lights would have been on