This is the tale of one mans desperation to wire a flashing brake light on his 2006 BMW K1200GT. At least the title sounds like beginning of a fairytale. :crackup
Anyways...If you're not aware, new model BMW motorcycles have an odd wiring system called the CAN-bus system. To over simplify something, it's basically a string of Christmas lights used to wire everything in the bike from headlights to the fuel injection. It works great until you want to add something to your bike like driving lights or, in this case, a Whelen TIR-3 flashing brake light. You see, the brake lights and the tail lights are an 1156 single filament bulb. When you apply the brakes the system applies a greater current to the bulb and viola, a brighter light appears. Great, until like I've already mentioned, you want to splice into the wiring and add an auxiliary brake light.
Turns out that this is not such a bad thing after all! While tinkering with the bike (lots of free time after coming down with pneumonia and having a wife that's a ICU nurse) I discovered that due to the limited voltage needed to run the light I could tap into the tail lights and the TIR operates like a really bright running light. Additionally, when you apply the brakes the TIR-3 flashes brilliantly like it was intended to. HOTDOG! Now I've got a "high intensity" rear fog light and a brake light that will make Ray Charles take note! :clap2:
So if you own, or you know someone who owns, a CAN-bus BMW with a signal filament tail light bulb (1200GT's, RT's and GS(A)'s I think are all) let them know that you can simply tap into the tail lights with a Whelen TIR-3 brake light. Though, I don't know if the other knock off brands of emergency lights will work the same way due to varying voltages in those lightheads. Also, if your interested in buying a Whelen TIR-3 set up you can get the light and tag mount from this guy.
www.ledsbyrobert.com
Anyways...If you're not aware, new model BMW motorcycles have an odd wiring system called the CAN-bus system. To over simplify something, it's basically a string of Christmas lights used to wire everything in the bike from headlights to the fuel injection. It works great until you want to add something to your bike like driving lights or, in this case, a Whelen TIR-3 flashing brake light. You see, the brake lights and the tail lights are an 1156 single filament bulb. When you apply the brakes the system applies a greater current to the bulb and viola, a brighter light appears. Great, until like I've already mentioned, you want to splice into the wiring and add an auxiliary brake light.
Turns out that this is not such a bad thing after all! While tinkering with the bike (lots of free time after coming down with pneumonia and having a wife that's a ICU nurse) I discovered that due to the limited voltage needed to run the light I could tap into the tail lights and the TIR operates like a really bright running light. Additionally, when you apply the brakes the TIR-3 flashes brilliantly like it was intended to. HOTDOG! Now I've got a "high intensity" rear fog light and a brake light that will make Ray Charles take note! :clap2:
So if you own, or you know someone who owns, a CAN-bus BMW with a signal filament tail light bulb (1200GT's, RT's and GS(A)'s I think are all) let them know that you can simply tap into the tail lights with a Whelen TIR-3 brake light. Though, I don't know if the other knock off brands of emergency lights will work the same way due to varying voltages in those lightheads. Also, if your interested in buying a Whelen TIR-3 set up you can get the light and tag mount from this guy.
www.ledsbyrobert.com