Radiantz LED tail lights

[Joe Nardy]

My KTM 620 is a real paint-shaker. The 1157 type tail light bulbs last a couple hundred miles before burning out. Since they burn out so frequently I'm never sure I have any tail or brake lights and I would prefer not to be run over by some car (or worse) that didn't see me. I did some research into LED tail lights and found that there can be a huge difference in brightness. One company, Radiantz: http://www.radiantz.com/ seemed to have the best reviews. They have all kinds of LED lights, replacement 1156 and 1157 type, 1156 and 1157 type bases with an LED wafer on a pigtail, and the LED wafer with just the wires. They come in 1", 1.25", and 1.85" sizes. They recommend using the same color LEDs as your lens so I ordered two (one set) 1.25" red LED wafers with just the wires and was able to mount both of them in the KTM tail light assembly. They are BRIGHT! If you look directly at them, especially the brake light, you'll be seeing spots for a few minutes. Now that I have them mounted they look pretty cool by themselves. The red KTM lens takes some of the brightness away so I'm going to fabricate a clear cover. My wife is out of town with our digital camera so I can't post any pics yet. I'll take some as soon as I get my hands on a camera. These LED's aren't cheap, about $30 for a set but they should last forever and could save my life so I guess that is a small price to pay.

Thanks,
Joe

[Planecrazy]

Good deal, Joe! I'm a big fan of LED wherever possible, and that's why I converted a GM third brake light, originally mounted on the top of Blazers, Suburbans, and Astro vans, for use on my KG trunk (and I did the same for Brad's).

They definitely get your attention, and I may also convert the conventional tail light for the same reason. I also like the "instant" response time compared to a conventional bulb -- could be the difference between being rear-ended or not.

Regards,

[Unclesol]

For any felow Canadians in the crowd, Canadian Tire sells an 1157 equivalent (in red or white) for about 8 bucks. I put one in the back of my 83 GS750ED and it is bright. Cheap and effective.
Sounds like a girl I used to know...

[jeff.saunders]

A most of the LED lights consume less watts than the original bulbs, this helps where you want to increase the output of the headlight.

[Joe Nardy]

Here's a pic of the new taillight (unlit). The led's are red when lit. I'll post a pic of them lit next time I start the bike. It doesn't have a battery so it has to be running for the headlight and taillight to be on. Skreemer, Nerobro, and First Timer saw them lit on Sunday and can attest to their brightness...............

Joe