LED blinker mod, easy and cheap

[Eli69]

in an effort to keep my gs1000's failing charging system going, (too lazy and cheap to actually fix it so far) i'm replacing whatever light bulbs i can with LED's.

i found this marker light at a car parts store for about $12. i removed the bulb and socket from the signal unit and wired in the LED light fixture. the ground is connected to the socket mounting screw. the other wire is fed through the mounting bracket.

the LED unit fits snugly into the lens.

you can see the black rubber through the lens a little here:

and here it is lit up with a weak 9 volt battery:

i also have an electronic flasher which i think cost about $6. (won't flash without it)

 

[mriddle]

Very clever .. are they brighter than stock bulbs too ?

Mike

 

[Eli69]

they're probably not brighter than conventional bulbs but i think they're more eye-catching, more noticeable. here's a picture of how it might look to another driver at night:

the rear flasher is still a regular bulb. the LED probably isn't as bright on the sides.

 

[gsgeezer]

I love leds!

Of course they are directional and are mainly seen from head on, as you can see in your pic.

They don't use much juice, which is a good thing.

 

[Jd Powell]

Nice! Realy dig the fact that you found a way to keep the stock assembly and still use the LEDs awesome!

 

[Casino Joe]

I noticed those lights are 2wire, power and ground.
So they are being used as blinker only, no running light correct?


Sent from my iPhone

 

[Eli69]

no running lights on this year/model, 78 gs1000. if i had that type of setup i would probably have to buy the LED bulb that fits the standard base, 1157 i think. or do some kind of wiring changes. i did buy the cheap ones, which i use for my tail/brake light but they're not really bright enough. the better LED bulbs cost >$20 each. 3 watt Luxeon i think they're called. i've been hoping the price would go down a bit before i buy them.

 

[Planecrazy]

I've always been an LED fan, but I can't help but point out that it would most likely cost you less to fix the underlying problem with the charging system (most likely a weak R/R or maybe even just dirty or corroded connections) than you've spent on all the electronics to go LED.

Used Honda R/R's (of which several different types work well on our bikes) are dirt cheap on ebay every day ... so now that you've spent all the $$, time and effort to go LED, keep going and fix the charging problem too!

Regards,

 

[Eli69]

it's the LED's, i just think they're cool. goes way back to my childhood. i was the first kid in school to get a digital watch AND a calculator. must have been about 1973. and they didn't give them away back then either. i guess that's the real reason i haven't messed with the charging system - it's an excuse to get more LED's.

 

[Eli69]

the hosting service seems to have lost a couple of the pictures of the LED modifications. i've replaced them and hopefully they will show up here:

 

[tkent02]

goes way back to my childhood. i was the first kid in school to get a digital watch AND a calculator.

What the heck are you doing playing with 1978 motorcycles???

 

[Eli69]

tuned in, turned on, dropped out...

might buy an 05 gixxer 750 though from my kid. he's getting a busa.