Low cost LED running light upgrade

[willie]

I'm amazed at how inexpensive LED light strips are being sold by Chinese firms on ebay. I bought a a couple for less than $4 each delivered. I installed them by heating the strip with a hair dryer to make it very pliable. I then formed it around the inside perimeter of my signal/running light lens. It stays in place without any glue. I then drilled a hole in the reflector just large enough to slide the leads through (covered/protected with heatshrink tubing). I then disconnected the leads going to the signal and determined which one was the running light (brown wire in my case) and connected that one to the proper lead off the LED. Keep in mind that LEDs are polarity dependent (ie. which wire goes to the + is important). The other lead was grounded. Then, to make my signals a little brighter, I wired the lead for the running light (ie. brown) to the lead for the signal. Now, the LED running lights are ALOT brighter than OEM, using ALOT less current and my signals are twice as bright because both filaments are used instead of just one.
Total cost was less than $10 for both sides.
Willie

[KRyder13]

Sounds good. Pictures ?
Ken
Inquiring minds want to know.

[willie]

[QUOTE=KRyder13;1527337]Sounds good. Pictures ?
QUOTE]
Forthcoming. Waiting on the camera battery to charge.
Willie

[Steve]

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[bakalorz]

I'm amazed at how inexpensive LED light strips are being sold by Chinese firms on ebay. I bought a a couple for less than $4 each delivered. I installed them by heating the strip with a hair dryer to make it very pliable. I then formed it around the inside perimeter of my signal/running light lens. It stays in place without any glue. I then drilled a hole in the reflector just large enough to slide the leads through (covered/protected with heatshrink tubing). I then disconnected the leads going to the signal and determined which one was the running light (brown wire in my case) and connected that one to the proper lead off the LED. Keep in mind that LEDs are polarity dependent (ie. which wire goes to the + is important). The other lead was grounded. Then, to make my signals a little brighter, I wired the lead for the running light (ie. brown) to the lead for the signal. Now, the LED running lights are ALOT brighter than OEM, using ALOT less current and my signals are twice as bright because both filaments are used instead of just one.
Total cost was less than $10 for both sides.
Willie

For what its worth, if you are going to do the rear lights, you can use RED LEDs, they will shine red through the yellow lens.
when the flashers activate they will flash yellow.
This will keep the running lights legal. (its illegal to have any color but red on the rear except turn signals)

[willie]

Okay, okay. I regret posting before getting some pics. I guess I was just so excited with the way this project turned out that I couldn't help but tell the GSR. Now, Martin, about your comment re: rear light color...does this mean rear running lights also have to be red? Doesn't seem right to me.
Willie

[bakalorz]

Okay, okay. I regret posting before getting some pics. I guess I was just so excited with the way this project turned out that I couldn't help but tell the GSR. Now, Martin, about your comment re: rear light color...does this mean rear running lights also have to be red? Doesn't seem right to me.
Willie

Yes, PA state law says so for sure ... and I'm sure PA gets it from the federal FMVSS 108, which effectively makes it all fifty states.
All rear facing steadily illuminated lights must be red.
The only lights facing rear which can be any color but red are turn signals, which may be either amber or red.

When you are driving or riding at night take a look, you will never see any color but red as taillights.

And I think its pretty likely you will get pulled over for it ... its very obvious/visible (increased visibility is kind of the point ... )

Fortunately the solution is simple ... spend $4 more and get red LEDs for the back. The red LEDs will shine red through the amber lens.

By the way, one additional suggestion:
You drilled your reflector for the wiring, you can make the hole waterproof by going to home-depot or walmart and getting "liquid electrical tape" and putting a dab of it on the wire where it goes through the hole.

(alternatively, you can run very thin wire through the hole in the mount/stalk right next to the OEM wire, or you can drill out the hole in the stalk to take bigger wire)

(and you really only need one wire going through ... you can connect the ground by looping it under the bolt which grounds the socket for the turn signal)

[1980GS1000E]

We would love pics, please....

[willie]

I edited my 3 posts to include a picture in each. 1st one shows the finished product. 2nd one is the type of light strip I used of the 2 types I see available on ebay. 3rd one shows what the strip looks like when inserted into the reflector housing before trimming the ending of the strip to fit. The strip is fairly flexible to begin with. Heating it with a hair dryer makes it all the more pliable and enables it to be formed around the lens post. You'll also notice just how fine the leads are. FWIW, I measured the current draw and it was only 137ma.
I was high bidder (under $3 incl shipping) on a couple of red LED strips last night and will use them in the rear signal housings as running lights. I'm considering putting another strip of white LEDs in the housing to work in conjunction with the signals.
Willie

[Steve]

OK, thanks for the picture update.

Just for information, those same light strips are available at Harbor Freight, for about $13 each, but I have only seen red and blue ones there.

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[terrylee]

Does that mean they still work as turn signals too? terrylee