Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Electrical Question

I want to install all LEDs on my bike except for the headlight and the high beam indicator on the console.
I put "superbrights" WLED-G6 in the directional idiot light and 1156-A12 in the directional (also LEDs).
I ordered a "LED Compatible Flasher" that came with only half the directions, I e-mailed them back inquiring about the rest of the directions and in the mean time they had a web site at the top of the directions so I went there, and he started talking about adding diodes and resistors cut wires and splicing this to that and grounding the other one to the tach. I get a e-mail back showing to just add two diodes and no resistors and grounding one lead.
MY QUESTION is, has any body done this (I know I'm not the first)? and how did you do it. I hate cutting and splicing wires when I don't need to or cause any electrical problems down the road.

Look here LED trun signals

then here The definitive LED console light page.

BTW they included a LED (to replace the stock light) with what looks like a couple of resisters encased within the LED, but it only a small single LED and I don't think it has the out put (brightness) of the 6 headed LED that I have from Super Bright.

Is the splicing you're writing about for the turn signal indicator? On our bikes that lamp isn't the same as the rest and is run by the two hot leads in the turn lamp circuit. I had to construct a dual LED indicator (from a couple of single ended super brights) with the polarity of each in the opposing direction to get it to work properly. Kind of a poor man's Sandman kit without his nice neat circuit board (follow Moe's link).

Yes,about the splice. I want to use the plain WLED-G6 from Super Bright and I realize that Triumph uses a floating(?) ground but looking at the LED that they supply looks like they have resistors in it.

The turn signal console light can be a pain till you figure out what's happening. As built it's just a light globe between the left & right sides. It draws power from whatever side is on and uses the other side as an earth, relying on the globe's high internal resistance to stop the "off" side from being lit up by the "on" side.

An LED has very low internal resistance, and will only allow power to flow in one direction (because an LED is a type of diode) so if you to a direct replacement it won't work at all in one direction, and both sides will light up in the other direction.

To make it work you need to do two things: first you have to add a proper earth wire so the LED doesn't have to earth through the "off" side. This is most easily done on our bikes with the tacho's earth connection. The earth gets connected to one side of the LED. Secondly you need to connect both the left and right to the other side of the LED so either can make it work, but if you just connect directly both sides will light up when you turn either side on, so you have to stop the left from feeding the right and vice versa with a pair of diodes (which act like one way valves for electricity).

Finally, if your LED doesn't already have one built in you need to add a resistor in line with the LED so it doesn't draw too much current and kill itself. Because you have an "LED replacement for an automotive globe" it'll already have the resistor so you won't need to worry about that, but you'll still need to do the rest.

It used to be that the bigger problem was the tail/brake light as it projected light both to the licence plate through the top of the globe, and out the back of the bike through the side of the globe. My solution was to build a circuit board with LED's facing in both directions that completely replaced the socket, but I see SuperBright now have an LED globe replacement that will do that for you. 3 years late, from my perspective but good for you.

The other thing to be careful of is not to replace your high beam indicator with too bright an LED. This light can be on for long periods when it's dark and will burn a hole in your retina if you go too bright.

That's whats screwing me up (looking at different ways that guys are rigging it up)

I got the LED fasher from http://bellacorse.com/bcc169.htm

oooh.. I getcha now. They gave you an LED idiot light with the flasher then left you to your own devices on how to make it work - brilliant.

Step one - cut off the two wires leading to your turn signal idiot light, leaving long enough wire pigtails on the end of the socket to solder to. Remove the standard globe and plug in the LED globe. Figure out which of the wire pigtails will be the earth for your LED globe.

Step two - locate the tacho/clock's earth wire. It'll be the brown wire on the 3 pin connector under your console. Splice a wire into this long enough to get to your turn signal idiot light, and solder it to your LED globe's earth wire pigtail.

Step three - get two diodes from an electronics supplier. They'll ask you what type, you can either explain to them what you're doing and let them figure it out, or just say 1N4001's, which will do (they've worked fine for me for 3 years now). Look closely at the diodes and you'll see they're a small black package with wires poking out either end and a white stripe drawn around one end. On each diode, solder the wire furthest from the stripe to one of the wires coming from the turn signals. The other two wires from the diodes (closest to the stripes) get twisted together and soldered to the remaining wire pigtail on the socket. This'll form a sort of Y shape, with the two wires connected to to diodes, then the other end of the two diodes connected to one wire. Make sense?

At this point you can test it out and make sure it all works. If not, re-read the instructions and go back over your work checking for errors. Once it all works insulate and water proof everything, then try to figure out how to squeeze it all back into the console.

Hope that helps.

The WLED-6 s from http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/s...s%2FWLED-x6.htm I thank You for putt'n up with me.
Do I need a resister? from a e-mail from SB ->
The WLED-G6 bulbs have built in current limiting resistors for 12vdc
operation. They will operate anywhere between 9-14.8 vdc. However they
are optimized for 12vdc operation.

--
Thanks
Mat
Super Bright LEDs, Inc.
superbrightleds.com

I don't need 1n4007's?

In Sandman's article "LED light console" he states to use 1N4007's but in the explanation above, he says to use 1N4001's That's what I'm wondering about.are they similar that it doesn't matter which one I use?

Doesn't really matter... they're all power diodes. You can use 1N4004's too if you like. They are all different, but they're all capable of doing this job. Only reason I said 1N4007's in the article was because that's what I happened to have on hand at the time.

Oh and no, SB are right... their globes have resistors built in so you don't need to add any more resistors, just diodes.

Thank You, To everybody, Have one on me, maybe two.

Anyone considered the fact that the front indicators themselves reflect off the headlight housing and are much easier to see?

Admittedly I haven't got a windscreen so I don't know if they block this

I have a fly screen over my headlight and I'm sure if I look hard enough you might see the reflection on the brackets. Soldiered the wires up tonight and try to put in back together tomorrow.

I wasn't knocking anyone or trying to be funny
My point was that once you've completed your turn and are back looking at the road straight ahead, the reflection is more noticable than the little green light that you have to look down at

Usually I don't use my signals unless I'm in traffic and there are cages close to "my space". I keep my thumb on the directionals to remind myself to shut them off. When I look down at my headlight,it's to GLANCE at the speedometer. I just want them (the LED lights) for insurance. I hate when somebody turns in front of me, never mind if we meet by accident and to find out that I forgot to flip the flipping switch!!

I tend to forget I have the indiwinkers since none of my bikes ever had them thusly I rarely use them. I do use hand signals though.