I recently updated my Luggage and Brake lights with Dual Strip LED’s. These Strips are made with 2 rows of Red 5050 Led’s and covered with a silicon sleeve. These make it very easy to upgrade your lights. I had to do a repair on one of my lights due to a loose solder joint, so I am using the opportunity to take some pix on how there assembled.
This is the light with one section of LED’s out.
This is the back of the light. I used the old light sockets as plugs. I pulled the center one out to check for a loose wire.
When opening the light, I use a couple of screwdrivers to get it open, and a razor to slice the adhesive.
When I got it opened, I saw that a ground wire was loose. Easy fix. I used X-ray film for my backing. Besides it being thin, flexible, and easy to trim, I had it on hand.
To make the lights Dual use, You can use a 100ohm resister with 2-1amp diodes. The red wire is for the Parking lights. It keeps the lights dimmed down. The black wire would go to the brakes. It will take the lights to full brightness. The diodes are directional, and will keep you from blowing fuses. Connected the end to the “+” on the LED strips, and “ –“ to ground.
This is the business side of the lights. These LED’s inside of the silicon sleeve, fits perfectly inside the lens. You don’t have to fasten it to the backing, but if you do, a couple dabs of silicon adhesive to hold it to the backing material.
This is very helpful when doing LED work. It’s a 12V - 1.5amp Power Supply. I keep a piece of tape on the positive lead, it keeps thing simpler.
After you have your lights working, apply a silicone adhesive to the back of the lights, and press the lens in place. Check again to make sure your light is still functioning.
This project was simplified by using the dual strip, but it is a little more expensive to do it that way. 1-5 meter roll of LED’s will do all the Red lights on a GL1500.
What voltage did you use for your diodes ? I was looking at 1 amp 4001 diodes as they are listed as above 12 V but didn't know if the diode voltage had to be closer to 12V or has to match 12 V exactly. What did you use? I haven't removed any of the luggage or tail lights yet, so I'm assuming you used a resistor/diode set for each "bank" of lights that you modified to LED's.
For example, one diode/resistor set for the luggage stop/tail and one set for the rear bike tail/stop LED's ? Like I said, I haven't pulled it apart yet, and perhaps the wiring/connectors might be evident after I do so, but just hoping to get everything on hand before I disassembled any lights. Plenty of choices for diodes on e-bay. Just want to buy the correct diodes. Thanks for any advice.
HondaGeorge
hondageorge wrote:What voltage did you use for your diodes ? I was looking at 1 amp 4001 diodes as they are listed as above 12 V but didn't know if the diode voltage had to be closer to 12V or has to match 12 V exactly. What did you use? I haven't removed any of the luggage or tail lights yet, so I'm assuming you used a resistor/diode set for each "bank" of lights that you modified to LED's.
For example, one diode/resistor set for the luggage stop/tail and one set for the rear bike tail/stop LED's ? Like I said, I haven't pulled it apart yet, and perhaps the wiring/connectors might be evident after I do so, but just hoping to get everything on hand before I disassembled any lights. Plenty of choices for diodes on e-bay. Just want to buy the correct diodes. Thanks for any advice.
HondaGeorge
Any 1N4001 diode will work just fine. They can handle hundreds of volts, so 12 volts will be no problem whatsoever. Diode current ratings are more critical - if you put a 1 amp diode in a circuit that is drawing 3 amps, the diode is going to fail.
The draw on the fixture is extremly low. I can power it with a 12 volt 1 amp power supply. each fixture will use 1 resistor, and 2 diodes. remember that the diodes are directional.
Here is my attempt at doing the same as you'all. I have to admit I do need to do some clean up and may redo some of the lights but its riding season and I don't want to take her down in mid season. Step one is finding some LED'S to use I ordered mine direct from The I-net Through ledlightsworld.com the cost was $183.95 and $9.00 of that was shipping, I purchased a 5m role and was unable to complete the center trunk bags light but will complete it at another time. I found that the Silicone cover That I purchased which is just a small silicone sleeve was easy to work with but the raw LED strips where quite delicate. I pulled a couple of contact pads right off the strips. My first left bag light went as planned. I removed the tab like WingAdmin, I glued it to the back of the light fixture. and wallah i was done. Right bag I took a different approach just to see the difference and choose to complete the project this way. I actually Siliconed the LED's directly to the Lens. The only problem with this approach is that the Silicone is Optically neutral to the Lens and you can see it like a big glob on the lens (This is what I may change in the future). I think that the closer the LED'S are to the lens makes for a prettier Display and a brighter Illumination. This also allowed me to not need to modify the internal structure of the fixture at all I also did my yellow front Marker/turn signal lights as well with a single strip of LED'S. This required me to dremel the trailing end open and wide enough to slide a single strip into the fixture. All regular bulb attachments pieces, the bayonet rubber bulb mounts were left intact just cut wires as to be for weather soundness. I did fill the open ends of the silicone tubes and open ends of the marker/turn signals with silicone for weather soundness. The only Lights that I used the two Diodes and one resistor on were the Brake/Driving lights. Here are some pictures during modification.
Total cost $183.95 LED Reel Pure White(5500-6500K)
Diodes Model: 276-1141 Radio Shack 1.99 x 4 = $8.00 aprox.
Resistors Model: 271-1347 Radio Shack .99 x 1 = $1.00 aprox.
Total = $192.95 + a little solder + 20 hours maybe.
Depends on if you have worked with this type of project before I have not so was new to soldering and i did a lot of thinking.
Well I hope this encourages someone else to love their rides and love themselves for a job well done.
anoriginally tested the project was both red LEDs and the white LEDs. What I discovered was the white LEDs are surprisingly brighter and projected much further. However the red LED's give you a truer red color more of a cherry type coloring. I wanted visibility, thus safer. I also choose the 5600k- 6000k for that very same reason.
Well I got my parts in today and the resistors are wrong (too much resistance). I ordered part number 2711131 from the post above and I got 100K ohm. The correct part number for 100 ohm is 2711311 if anyone is wanting to do this mod.
I just found this great post! New to the forum and loving all the fantastic how to threads. Did you find you had to add a load resistor to prevent hyper flashing or did was it fine?
Hello, everyone, I am in the process of changing to LEDs, with all your entries, the side lights of the trunk and I took them out but the direction and main brake lights, I could not, surely I have skipped a step, you can clarify that I must disassemble, the lower part of the trunk is disassembled, the interior screws too, but I can't get them to come out ;;;
regards
Carlos Málaga /Spain
Viento en el rostro , sonrisa plena y dsifrutar de la ruta.......
, sonrisa plena 
y dsifrutar de la ruta.......
