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  • #1

    Fun with LEDs

    I've been meaning to convert the signals on my 79 Standard to LED for some time now. I put LED replacement bulbs in the tail light some time back but I wasn't as thrilled with those for the signals.

    As you can see in this pic, most of the LEDs are facing the wrong direction. Even if I felt like polishing up the reflector, the body of the bulb would still be blocking some of the output.


    My idea to fix this was panel mount LEDs but these have always been too expensive (almost $17 a pop at supperbrightLEDs.com.) Until now anyway when they showed up in the catalog of one of my suppliers. Here's one sitting in a somewhat scruffy signal housing.



    Now for a brightness comparison.

    This is with the normal 1156 bulb


    With the LED bulb


    And now with the LED panel...


    My only concern with this is it may be too bright. What do you gys think?

    I used 2 different signal housings for this because only one of them was in good shape. The other one had a socket that looked like this...


    I used the same lens so the comparison would be as fair as possible...

    right now I only plan to order enough of these to do my own bikes, VW bug and my shop truck but if there's enough call for them, I could retail them for 7 bucks a pop...

    Geezer
    Last edited by Geezer; 03-13-2012, 07:24 PM.
    Hi my name is Tony and I'm a bikeoholic.

    The old gray biker ain't what he used to be.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    It wouldn't take much work to fab a bracket that would mount two of those together and attach via the small boltholes that normally hold the socket strap. That would be one amazing set of signals! If mine had the square signals I'd be all over that.
    My Special is as old as I am.

    Comment

    • #3
      Looks great and dont worry about the brightness...the brighter the better...
      1980 XS650G Special-Two
      1993 Honda ST1100

      Comment

      • #4
        So which supplier? I was actually thinking of making something like that panel, but if the price is right, buying would be much better (and probably cheaper to boot).
        -- Clint
        1979 XS1100F - bought for $500 in 1989

        Comment

        • #5
          These have 2 sided foam tape on the back side and they'll stick where ever you put them. I'm thinking about either removing the reflector or make a wedge out of foam so they'll sit flat but that's not really required. Stick it in and it'll stay put. I'd also seal the bulb hole with silicone sealer...

          Sorry I don't share my suppliers but if you do Google search you'll find them.

          I've always been unhappy with the tail and signal lights on my truck. I think I can get 6 or so of these in the tail lights and 3 or 4 in the front turn signals. It always has seemed odd to me that Ford would use a turn signal about 10" wide with only one 1156 bulb all the way at one end.

          Anyway I'm sure I will be ordering 50 to 100 of these in the next month or so.

          I'm also working on 12v lighting for the fixer upper house I will be moving into. I plan to have all the lights LED powered by solar panel and 12v deep cycle battery...

          Geezer
          Hi my name is Tony and I'm a bikeoholic.

          The old gray biker ain't what he used to be.

          Comment

          • #6
            Do they have a dual brightness version? I like the idea of that for the back but I'd like something like that in a dual brightness for the front of my Vetter Windjammer. That would be well worth the investment in both time and money. The only thing I would want to do would be make it so it had a plug in base for the socket rather than having to rip the wiring out of my turn signals.
            Cy

            1980 XS1100G (Brutus) w/81H Engine
            Duplicolor Mirage Paint Job (Purple/Green)
            Vetter Windjammer IV
            Vetter hard bags & Trunk
            OEM Luggage Rack
            Jardine Spaghetti 4-2 exhaust system
            Spade Fuse Box
            Turn Signal Auto Cancel Mod
            750 FD Mod
            TC Spin on Oil Filter Adapter (temp removed)
            XJ1100 Front Footpegs
            XJ1100 Shocks

            I was always taught to respect my elders, but it keeps getting harder to find one.

            Comment

            • #7
              Originally posted by cywelchjr View Post
              Do they have a dual brightness version? I like the idea of that for the back but I'd like something like that in a dual brightness for the front of my Vetter Windjammer. That would be well worth the investment in both time and money. The only thing I would want to do would be make it so it had a plug in base for the socket rather than having to rip the wiring out of my turn signals.
              No but there's plenty of room in there for 2 of them. I think I could get 2 of these panels into an XS11 rectangular signal without much problem. These have 48 LED's and I they also have a smaller one. The 2 together would be another option for a dual beam like a 1157 bulb.

              I'm planning to put one pointing down in the tail light on my bike for license plate light. I've never been bothered by the cops for having a red license plate light but it only takes one cop that hasn't written enough tickets that month to make an issue of it...

              Geezer
              Hi my name is Tony and I'm a bikeoholic.

              The old gray biker ain't what he used to be.

              Comment

              • #8
                Got a price?
                Nathan
                KD9ARL

                μολὼν λαβέ

                1978 XS1100E
                K&N Filter
                #45 pilot Jet, #137.5 Main Jet
                OEM Exhaust
                ATK Fork Brace
                LED Dash lights
                Ammeter, Oil Pressure, Oil Temp, and Volt Meters
                Green Monster Coils
                SS Brake Lines
                Vision 550 Auto Tensioner

                In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.

                Theodore Roosevelt

                Comment

                • #9
                  Originally posted by natemoen View Post
                  Got a price?
                  Read the first post Nate
                  Trapped in time. Surrounded by evil. Low on gas.

                  1980 XS1100G 1179 kit, Tkat brace, progressive springs & shocks, jardine spaghetti, Mikes coils, Geezer's rectifier

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Elevener View Post
                    Read the first post Nate
                    I missed that.
                    Nathan
                    KD9ARL

                    μολὼν λαβέ

                    1978 XS1100E
                    K&N Filter
                    #45 pilot Jet, #137.5 Main Jet
                    OEM Exhaust
                    ATK Fork Brace
                    LED Dash lights
                    Ammeter, Oil Pressure, Oil Temp, and Volt Meters
                    Green Monster Coils
                    SS Brake Lines
                    Vision 550 Auto Tensioner

                    In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.

                    Theodore Roosevelt

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      LED's are cool!!!

                      I've been playing with those lately myself. They come is all sizes from 12 LED panels to the 48's that you have there. That's a good price for the 48 LED panels. They can be found for less if you look hard enough on eBay. They a very bright indeed, will temporarily blind you if you look straight at them. I can think of lots of uses for these things. Very fun toy's IMHO.

                      Larry
                      Inventor of the YICS Eliminator. Want one? Get it here.
                      http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread...399#post183399

                      If you're not riding, you're not living!
                      82 XJ1100
                      80 XS1100G (Project bike)
                      64 Yamaha YA-6
                      77 Suzuki TS-185

                      79 XS1100SF Built this one for a friend.
                      See it here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBYT4C9_6Ac

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Originally posted by cywelchjr View Post
                        The only thing I would want to do would be make it so it had a plug in base for the socket rather than having to rip the wiring out of my turn signals.
                        The ones that I ordered, came with a number of adapters for pluging them into automotive light bulb sockets. They are sold as dome light replacements.

                        Larry
                        Inventor of the YICS Eliminator. Want one? Get it here.
                        http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread...399#post183399

                        If you're not riding, you're not living!
                        82 XJ1100
                        80 XS1100G (Project bike)
                        64 Yamaha YA-6
                        77 Suzuki TS-185

                        79 XS1100SF Built this one for a friend.
                        See it here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBYT4C9_6Ac

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Geezer View Post
                          I've been meaning to convert the signals on my 79 Standard to LED for some time now. I put LED replacement bulbs in the tail light some time back but I wasn't as thrilled with those for the signals.

                          As you can see in this pic, most of the LEDs are facing the wrong direction. Even if I felt like polishing up the reflector, the body of the bulb would still be blocking some of the output.


                          My idea to fix this was panel mount LEDs but these have always been too expensive (almost $17 a pop at supperbrightLEDs.com.) Until now anyway when they showed up in the catalog of one of my suppliers. Here's one sitting in a somewhat scruffy signal housing.



                          Now for a brightness comparison.

                          This is with the normal 1156 bulb


                          With the LED bulb


                          And now with the LED panel...


                          My only concern with this is it may be too bright. What do you gys think?

                          I used 2 different signal housings for this because only one of them was in good shape. The other one had a socket that looked like this...


                          I used the same lens so the comparison would be as fair as possible...

                          right now I only plan to order enough of these to do my own bikes, VW bug and my shop truck but if there's enough call for them, I could retail them for 7 bucks a pop...

                          Geezer
                          How can i get some of the panels. I like the brightness of them, and can they be retroed to work on the parking lamps and brake lamps. Thanks.

                          1980 and 1981 XS1100 Midnight specials

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            They can be found in various places. I will be stocking them eventually at my business. I figure I'll get 50 or 100 of them and if they don't sell, I can use that many over the next couple years.

                            Tony
                            Hi my name is Tony and I'm a bikeoholic.

                            The old gray biker ain't what he used to be.

                            Comment

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