Feed back on Tail light ideas....

[ddragon63]

Ok guys I've got an idea of something i wanna do. My bike still runs the stock brake light which of course is hiding under the trunk. I've been told by several people that in day light its hard to see under there. So I've got a few ideas.

Idea #1 splice into the blinkers on the trunk to make them dual purpose like a car. So when brake is engaged all 3 light up. When Blinker is turned on that side blinks, when brake is applied the other 2 light up.



Idea #2 Mount these flush mount amber turn signals I've rat holed for some unknown reason from a previous bike project that fell thru



Idea #3 Remove the reflectors of the sides of the brake light and modify the bracket to except my factory R1 signals.





only other idea I have is a red LED strip on the trunk hooked to brake only

Any other ideas welcome guys. I'd rather not get corn holed in traffic buy a jacked up truck that can't see under the trunk

[bikerphil]

Don, I would use the two red lights on the trunk as brake lights/running lights (if they are dual filament capable) in addition to the stock brake/running light. The turn signals I would mount on a bar that attaches to the licence plate holder like the tour pak option would use, JMHO.

Is the trunk there to hold your radio station transmitter?

[ddragon63]

i forgot to mention if I do the amber lights I'll wire the @ old red blinkers into running/stop lights.

[ddragon63]

Don, I would use the two red lights on the trunk as brake lights/running lights (if they are dual filament capable) in addition to the stock light. The turn signals I would mount on a bar that attaches to the licence plate holder like the tour pak option would use, JMHO.

Is the trunk there to hold your radio station transmitter?

it holds a case of beer and 3 family sized take and bake pizza's

When the wife and I travel its the only space I get... as she takes both side cases 1 for shoes and 1 for makeup

[BA80]

I would suggest if your going to mount extra lighting to use as many LEDs as possible. The charging systems on these old bikes won't hold up to a lot of electical appliances and could leave you stranded sometime where you really don't want to be. LEDs use very little juice.

They can seem to be doing fine but on long runs actually be discharging the battery with too many electrical things going on.

JAT

[bikerphil]

Here's how I did my signals, made a light bar out of flat steel and a couple custom L brackets...

[ddragon63]

I would suggest if your going to mount extra lighting to use as many LEDs as possible. The charging systems on these old bikes won't hold up to a lot of electical appliances and could leave you stranded sometime where you really don't want to be. LEDs use very little juice.

They can seem to be doing fine but on long runs actually be discharging the battery with too many electrical things going on.

JAT

Taxing the Charging system? You mean like my CD player, CB radio, and eventually GPS? I'm following you...

If I go with the amber flush mounts or my old R1 lights I will probably wire them blink only side so I'm not taxing the system more with 2 extra running lights. I'd like to dual purpose the existing lights but that could be a wiring nightmare to get everything to talk nice.

My goal is to not make it look like a Semi-Truck

[ddragon63]

Here's how I did my signals, made a light bar out of flat steel and a couple custom L brackets...

that looks clean. I was kinda looking to do the same thing with them big tear drop R1 signals. the signals in the trunk are 1157 bulbed so they are running/blinking now. so tieing them into brake system is straight forward.

[crazy steve]

....I'd like to dual purpose the existing lights but that could be a wiring nightmare to get everything to talk nice.

It's possible to have brake/turn/tail all in one light, but at the very least you'll need a 3-to-2 light trailer convertor or a couple of relays; the wiring can get rather complicated. You could easily convert the trunk lights to brake/tail if you run separate turns, that may be the best shot for visibility. Also note that tail/brake lights must use red lenses, amber is only legal for turns....

[BA80]

Taxing the Charging system? You mean like my CD player, CB radio, and eventually GPS?

Now, those things are way more useful on long runs than too many lights. The CB is a little outdated though.

Breaker breaker 19......you got the dead duck here......lookin' for a good buddy to come give my scooter a recharge.....come back

[ddragon63]

It's possible to have brake/turn/tail all in one light, but at the very least you'll need a 3-to-2 light trailer convertor or a couple of relays; the wiring can get rather complicated. You could easily convert the trunk lights to brake/tail if you run separate turns, that may be the best shot for visibility. Also note that tail/brake lights must use red lenses, amber is only legal for turns....

Ya your thinkin along the same line as me. It's pretty simple to run the existing turn wires to new lights. then tie the existing red lenses in the trunk to the tail/brake light. guess I need to mock up some stuff and sit back and look @ it.

Like I said my only other thought was a LED strip on the lower part of the trunk to tie into brake only. then I can leave turns the way it is.

[Schming]

I vote...

...for the R1 sigs on a bar wired just as sigs, trunk lights wired as running and brakes and stock tail wired same as trunk maybe even look into a modulater to help being noticed. Save the flush mounts for a VW Beetle resto

[crazy steve]

...Like I said my only other thought was a LED strip on the lower part of the trunk to tie into brake only. then I can leave turns the way it is.

That has the advantage of adding almost no load to the charging system, so may be the best/easiest solution...

[ddragon63]

Now, those things are way more useful on long runs than too many lights. The CB is a little outdated though.

When you don't have Cell service in the hills up here... you can find truckers on the CB. Hopefully they not the deliverance type

Back when the old man put this bike together CB was all you had except pay phones. I very rarely use it, except when I come across one of my buddies who drive truck. Or when we're headed over the mountain I'll turn it on to listen to logger traffic to know what I might run into.

Now that I think about it.... its alot more useful than I thought

[ddragon63]

...for the R1 sigs on a bar wired just as sigs, trunk lights wired as running and brakes and stock tail wired same as trunk maybe even look into a modulater to help being noticed. Save the flush mounts for a VW Beetle resto

LMAO... well they'll never get used now. anyone need any flush mount signals?!