Article [11] ST1100 - LED front indicator upgrade

Wow
I just wire em in and hope for the best....you two are getting too deep for me...

The two resistors in series is called a voltage divider network. Not a very efficient way to do it, as it wastes power. One resistor in series with the LED is sufficient, and doesnt draw any un-needed current. A simple way would be to use a simple voltage regulator, they are cheap and easy to connect.

Unless I'm embedding the LEDs or making them otherwise inaccessible, I don't even bother with regulators any more. Just string 'em in series with as low a value resistor as possible (find exact correct value, then go to next highest value) so less power is dissipated in the resistor and wasted. I haven't had an LED die due to power spikes yet (and there are 748 LEDs on my bike with the strobes, message matrix, running lights, turn signals, fork lights etc etc!)

Mrfixit, I still can't understand your "inline resistor cuts current but not voltage" comment, because as far as my little doggy brain can grasp, it defies Ohm's Law. Perhaps I misunderstood its context? And taking a feed for an LED from between two 1k resistors would mean there wouldn't be enough forward voltage or current to drive the LED... Maybe a circuit diagram would clear up the confusion!

It would certainly help me out I think

I'll be putting 2 Resistors there to cut the Voltage down as they will be on when lights are running as one in line only cuts the current down not the voltage..

Click to expand...

2 resistors ( say 1ohm for simplicity sake) in line (series) is the same as 1 2ohm resistor, or did when I passed my electronics exams.

The resistors purpose is to limit the current through the LED (or LEDs) to about 20 mA in most cases. This is done by dropping the excess voltage of supply, to around 3 volts at the LED (its voltage drop)

alphafang said:

Wow
I just wire em in and hope for the best....you two are getting too deep for me...

Click to expand...

I have been looking at led's online but can't seem to find a good place to buy them. Where do you get yours, they seem very bright?

I've been thinking about putting 6 or 12 of these in my front indicators - 2 parallel series of 6 each with no resistor - except in orange, not red. http://cgi.ebay.com/10p-10mm-40-1W-Watt-Red-LED-Light-Bulb-300mA-280000mcd-/120724384927?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c1bbbec9f search ebay for 300 ma led. The ones in my taillight are brighter than the 2357s. At one time I had figured out how to use a double throw relay to run the leds full output as running lights and use the blinker to turn them off and on for turn signal mode but can't think right now how I was going to do it. This would probably necessitate replacing the oem blinker switch with an electronic type, something I'm not sure can be done without hacking the terminal plug.

[/IMG]

I like the rear light set up Das, far better than my single filiment bulb set up, it just happens I have a spare rear light pod. OK back to ebay to get yet more leds...

My Next Rainy Day Project

So here is my plan (based on what I have read on this thread). Take a look and let
me know if there is any problem with my calculations. I used 13.8v as the output of
the alternator with the bike running. Using 12v or 14v showed only minimal difference
in the LED ARRAY WIZARD results.

Total cost (shipping included) is $34.58 USD and will give me 10 LED's in each color
and 5 resistors of each size. I am going to order these lights early next week and
will post pics when I get them installed. Everything is coming from Hong Kong, so
don't hold your breath for the pics... it will take a while.

There is a local industrial electronics shop that I went to today, but the brightest LED's
they had were 12,000mcd and they were only 20mA. So I decided to get the super
bright ones from eBay.



Each turn signal gets two 2.2v 300mA amber LED's added in series with a 33 ohm 5W resistor.
Total LED's required: 8 Total resistors required: 4



Brake light gets four 2.4v 300mA red LED's added in series with a 15 ohm 5W resistor.
A 2W resistor would have been sufficient here, but the 5W was more readily available
from the same retailer (saving me shipping fees). With the extra LED's (ordering a pack
of 10), I might put a few up in the top box which has a Givi brake light kit already.



And just because I had one of these laying around, I am adding in a flashing module
to the brake light LED's. Max current on this unit is 800mA. You can get it here.


Amber LED's from eBay here.
Specs: 2.2v, 300mA, 10mm, 280,000mcd
Ya... that's a bright one!



Red LED's from eBay here.
Specs: 2.4v, 300mA, 10mm, 280,000mcd
Ya... that's a bright one too!

Re: LED front indicator upgrade.

Most excellant. What a great winter upgrade. Thanks to the whole community for all your great ideas. A newbie needs all the help he can get.

4 walls, I get it!! pi, pi, pi or pie! pie! pie! HA!

Re: LED front indicator upgrade.

I have a few questions, I too would like to use or convert my signals and tail lights to LED.
Why do you "add" the LED to the incondescent lights? I was thinking of replacing them ....
What problems would the "flasher" encounter with LED's?
I just had the idea it would be a simple conversion.
Thanks!

Hello there
I added the leds for added light, I'm not too sure about replacement led bulbs if that's what your contemplating. They tend to only give light in one direction so by spreading the leds about in the indicator housing I filled the whole indicator lens with light. Straight led replacement would cause the flash rate to increase as far as I'm aware.
Whilst I was in there I also changed the incandescent bulb to a twin filament brake light bulb I wired the side light element as a running on all time light and the brake element as the indicator.

Resurrection of this thread has meabout this again. Yes, if all the turn signal lights are switched to LED then an electronic flasher switch is needed. If I change only the front turn signals the flasher will probably just slow down.

I'm also thinking of a way to run the led's full brightness all the time and the turn signal flasher turns them off and on. hmmm

10mm is a big old led Dan.
I used multiple 5mm, I would think that gave me more scope for positioning in the case.
Good luck with the on all the time press to flash, interesting but not really practical in the UK.

I have no issue with using all SuperBright LED replacements and although a bit faster, my flasher works fine. I have all but the headlight changed over on the Black and Silver BeaST. Honda's flasher doesn't have much issue with changed to voltage, and I notice it works when only on bulb is in the circuit. The Naked bike has regular bulbs in the rears right now but the fronts are some cheapo LED Signal Mirrors and they are weak so I added a flex strip to add to them.
The flash time is about the same as the other bike.
I don't like the looks of the set up so I will be changing the it and going with actual turn signals with the mirror ones just a running light. I will likely go full LED at that time on that bike.

Thanks everybody! I think I'll just ride it as it is.

Re: LED front indicator upgrade.

Many thanks 4walls, I did all blinkers and taillights (flashing) and I'm as happy as a pig in mud. Used all the ingredients that you mentioned (all took about 10 days to Australia) and had a great time doing it (yes, I need to get a life). I hope that the flashing taillights minimises any idiot/s running into the back of me. Thanks again to all involved. Cheers from Oz.

alphafang said:

This upgrade has been done on an 1100 but I should imagine would be OK for the 1300.

Whilst touring Scotland last June Dave Whitley mentioned that when I was behind him he found it hard to tell if my indicators were on due to my under mirror spot lights washing them out. It's been playing on my mind and has been mentioned on here before. So today I decided to have a go at upgrading the front indicators.
I for once remembered to photograph the project, so here you go.
It's a simple upgrade using 6x 5mm bright white leds.
I took off the mirror pods and simply drilled three 5.5mm holes in the flat surface at the back of the indicator.

I soldered the leds in line with a suitable diode at the start of the feed.

Fitted them into the drilled holes with a smear of silicone around them.

Added (soldered) suitable lengths of wire and connected these to the indicator feed (green/yellow) and the corresponding earth (solid green).

And finally covered the whole mess with good old tank tape to keep everything in place.

OK it's not pretty but it is functional. I can't get the phone camera to get a decent pic of the indicators working. I can tell you that it was worth the effort though and for little outlay cost. I look forward to hearing what Dave thinks next time were winding our way through the Glens.

Click to expand...

I see that you're using a resistor or diode, what are the specs or parameters for that?

Sorry for the late reply
I got the leds supplied with the corresponding diodes from Ebay.