Anyone Using Led Tail Light Bulbs? (update: Video)

I've got autolumination.com Eagle Eye Tower LEDs for turn signals, no problems there, pretty satisfied. I'm wondering if anyone has used LEDs for their brake lights?

The reason I posted this in the 6th gen forum is I'm pretty sure there wouldn't be enough clearance to get the Eagle Eye Towers in the bottom socket without removing the rear fairing (which is a huge PITA if you have side+top cases). There's *barely* enough room to change a regular bulb.

Funny, I was going to order these tomorrow. I'll let you know how it works out. (Note: price per pair.)

http://www.v-leds.co...634413-1-2.html

[image: View Post]coderighter, on Aug 2 2009, 07:11 PM, said:

Funny, I was going to order these tomorrow. I'll let you know how it works out. (Note: price per pair.)

http://www.v-leds.co...634413-1-2.html

Side note, related to that link... aren't the rear bulbs 7443s just like the turn signals? Also, you don't need red ones, you want clear since the lens housing is red.

[image: View Post]klinquist, on Aug 3 2009, 07:43 AM, said:

[image: View Post]coderighter, on Aug 2 2009, 07:11 PM, said:

Funny, I was going to order these tomorrow. I'll let you know how it works out. (Note: price per pair.)

http://www.v-leds.co...634413-1-2.html

Side note, related to that link... aren't the rear bulbs 7443s just like the turn signals? Also, you don't need red ones, you want clear since the lens housing is red.

I have put LED for both the turn and the breaklight. Have Yellow/Amber for the turn and Red ones for the Break. The couple of things

1) Turn - they blink faster since there is no resistance. Need to put resistor across so they blink slowly
2) Break/Park - have the red ones here only thing is that the light on the number plate is no red. I have fitted the WHITE LED bolts on the number plate which sorted the problem. Have to now blank out the lower side of the tail lens so the red does not fall on the number plate.



This shows the difference between the old and the LED ...Guess which is the LED
http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/uploads/1249184513/gallery_16926_4827_33697.jpg
Tail LED - right side.JPG

With both LEDs
http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/uploads/1249184513/gallery_16926_4827_391712.jpg
Tail LED - both.JPG

I am, but in a 5th gen.
True, you should use the same color bulb as the lens. Does complicate things if your lens has a clear window for the tag. Mine doesn't, but I'd block it off and use red if it did. My Pacific Coast has one tail light panel that doubles as tag light. No brake light in that one, so I did use white. It's a smaller bulb, so it is difficult to accurately compare brightness.
I found a signal relay that can be easily converted to VFR use:
Signal Relay Post
I didn't like the idea of resistors for a couple reasons. They build up heat and cannot be mounted on plastic, and they use the excess energy I'm trying to keep in the system for things like heated gear, etc.

[image: View Post]AnikMankar, on Aug 3 2009, 12:58 AM, said:

1) Turn - they blink faster since there is no resistance. Need to put resistor across so they blink slowly

I already have a custom dynamics turn signal relay that fixed this problem, $20-30 and no resistors.

[image: View Post]KPerham, on Aug 3 2009, 03:00 AM, said:

True, you should use the same color bulb as the lens.

Why is this? The OEM bulb is clear on a red lens.

On the 6th gen, the license plate is illuminated with its own bulb.

Ok, so what is the stop/brake light bulb number?

[image: View Post]klinquist, on Aug 3 2009, 10:09 AM, said:

[image: View Post]KPerham, on Aug 3 2009, 03:00 AM, said:

True, you should use the same color bulb as the lens.

Why is this? The OEM bulb is clear on a red lens.

On the 6th gen, the license plate is illuminated with its own bulb.
I was reading an earlier post that said something about having to blank out the bottom of the lens to avoid red light on the tag. I guess that wasn't a 6th gen, but was a 5th with the popular mod of putting clear plastic over the bottom to allow light onto the tag after removing the stock tag light.
The LED sellers seem to agree that a red lens will filter all light and allow only red to pass through it. A white LED has less red in it than a red LED, therefore less overall light will pass through. Remember, a red LED is not filtered, it just emits red light.

7443, although most companies ship 7443s even if you order 7440(the single 'filament' type).
These look like the shiz because of the high output relative to other leds, but they are expensive.
http://www.v-leds.co...634406-1-2.html
I think you're going to be okay with most leds for upper and lower, but I guarantee that these will fit, because I run them in mine.
Greg :fing02:

http://superlumination.com/images/auto_bulbs/7443_mt_r_wm.jpg

Out on the highway... late at night...

inky blackness is stealing your sight...

you got halogen head lights and they ain't bright...

your motorcycling by pale moon light ....

PIAA 60/55 watt Zeon gas Super White bulbs that glow in the 4200 Kevlin
range.
http://home.comcast.net/~netters2/pics11-3-03/bigimages/RC45WhiteHeadlights.JPG

http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/brandsportinc/kelvinchart.gif
http://www.icbmotorsport.com/pics/Piaa/He63_He92_He99_168_Display.jpg
http://www.velocityfactor.com/ProdImages/300.jpg

Out back the twin tail light bulbs are replaced with dual round circuit
boards of LED... a plug and play system sourced at WSB Laguna Seca...
http://home.comcast.net/~netters2/pics11-3-03/bigimages/LEDBulbs.jpg

Adapting the LED to center inside the existing housing requires some
mild fabrication but you're good at it and you don't mind the hours of
work tricking out your baby...
http://home.comcast.net/~netters2/pics11-3-03/bigimages/LEDbrackets.jpg

Behold LED tail lights...
http://home.comcast.net/~netters2/pics11-3-03/bigimages/PersonalPlate.jpg

Hit the LED stop lights and now you're really shinning.. in fact the
intensity hurts the eye...
http://home.comcast.net/~netters2/pics11-3-03/bigimages/RC45LEDStopLight.JPG

[image: View Post]klinquist, on Aug 3 2009, 10:09 AM, said:

[image: View Post]KPerham, on Aug 3 2009, 03:00 AM, said:

True, you should use the same color bulb as the lens.

Why is this? The OEM bulb is clear on a red lens.

On the 6th gen, the license plate is illuminated with its own bulb.

If I understand correctly LEDs are more efficient because they can use all their energy to emit a single wavelength of light. White LEDs would emit many wavelengths and then all but the red wavelength is filter out. This means that the energy used to produce the other wavelengths is wasted. Therefore a red LED is more efficient in that application because most of the light is unfiltered.

This is the one i used for my brake lights. they are very bright and fit perfectly.

http://www.v-leds.co...835733-1-2.html

I also got one for my license plate but it was from superbrightleds

Video! Autolumunation Eagle Eye Tower (red) on the top, standard clear incandescent bulb on the bottom:


http://www.youtube.c...h?v=_dqghiC3IfE

[image: View Post]klinquist, on Aug 4 2009, 01:06 PM, said:

Video! Autolumunation Eagle Eye Tower (red) on the top, standard clear incandescent bulb on the bottom:
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=_dqghiC3IfE
The above is a perfect example of another difference of led/incandescent bulbs........
The lower clearly shows the internal reflector, which is DOT spec'd to work with incandescent clear bulbs.
Among the other stated reasons already mentioned, a RED led is best to not wash out the red lens with the pinpoint intensity of a white led. it almost burns through the lens looking at it.
IMHO, it's best to get leds with the most number of and multidirectional firing of those to utilize as much of the reflector as possible. A relay will deal with the heat/flash rate issues, but I've also used the resistors gooped on the inner side of my rear fender with no long term problems.
I am however interested in these, http://www.v-leds.co...634406-1-2.html because the wattage output is greater, but still, if you consider the total of running all leds, you won't come close to the consumption rate of the originals.
Greg :fing02:

[image: View Post]Veefer Madness, on Aug 4 2009, 11:45 AM, said:

[image: View Post]klinquist, on Aug 4 2009, 01:06 PM, said:

Video! Autolumunation Eagle Eye Tower (red) on the top, standard clear incandescent bulb on the bottom:
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=_dqghiC3IfE
The above is a perfect example of another difference of led/incandescent bulbs........
The lower clearly shows the internal reflector, which is DOT spec'd to work with incandescent clear bulbs.
Among the other stated reasons already mentioned, a RED led is best to not wash out the red lens with the pinpoint intensity of a white led. it almost burns through the lens looking at it.
IMHO, it's best to get leds with the most number of and multidirectional firing of those to utilize as much of the reflector as possible. A relay will deal with the heat/flash rate issues, but I've also used the resistors gooped on the inner side of my rear fender with no long term problems.
I am however interested in these, http://www.v-leds.co...634406-1-2.html because the wattage output is greater, but still, if you consider the total of running all leds, you won't come close to the consumption rate of the originals.
Greg :fing02:


Yep, in that video I am using RED LEDs on top. It'd be nice if there was a LED assembly that had LEDs that faced "down" a bit... take the side-facing ones and tilt the bottom few down 45 degrees... that'd work much better with the reflector.

[image: View Post]coderighter, on Aug 3 2009, 10:48 AM, said:

Ok, so what is the stop/brake light bulb number?

7443 '05 and older.

[image: View Post]Veefer Madness, on Aug 4 2009, 12:45 PM, said:

I am however interested in these, http://www.v-leds.co...634406-1-2.html because the wattage output is greater, but still, if you consider the total of running all leds, you won't come close to the consumption rate of the originals.
Greg :fing02:

Is anyone using the Putco 360 LEDs?

http://www.putco.com...art/237443R-360

They seem quite bright, but no wattage is listed... Any experience?
RJH

There was some discussion on this before, have just skimmed over this but LED's are highly directional and with the reflectors in the housing it does not work as good as I want anyway. The thing is bikes with stock LED's there are so many of them in broad daylight they stand out so well. Just a brain storm but it's to bad a company doesn't make a drop in housing that looks factory with LED's already in there so we can have that safety feature.

If anyone on here has the skills to make a drop in housing, why not fabricate one you would probably have some customers on here. Would want to see different pictures in various lighting conditions and angles but most definitely would be interested.

[image: View Post]landlover, on Aug 12 2009, 10:50 PM, said:

There was some discussion on this before, have just skimmed over this but LED's are highly directional and with the reflectors in the housing it does not work as good as I want anyway. The thing is bikes with stock LED's there are so many of them in broad daylight they stand out so well. Just a brain storm but it's to bad a company doesn't make a drop in housing that looks factory with LED's already in there so we can have that safety feature.

If anyone on here has the skills to make a drop in housing, why not fabricate one you would probably have some customers on here. Would want to see different pictures in various lighting conditions and angles but most definitely would be interested.
You can buy them in flat panels, already wired up. In some cases with connectors that fit bulb housings. Don't know if they are trimable, but if so you could try to remove the stock backing to the light and glue the new led panel into the lens.
There are a lot of multi-directional LEDs out there that put out a similar light pattern to the standard incandescent bulbs. The lenses pick up the light and disperse it well, in my opinion. The Fifth Gen VFR has much better lenses for this than my Pacific Coast. Probably similar results with the 6th Gens, too.

[image: View Post]klinquist, on Aug 4 2009, 11:06 AM, said:

Video! Autolumunation Eagle Eye Tower (red) on the top, standard clear incandescent bulb on the bottom:


http://www.youtube.c...h?v=_dqghiC3IfE
Off topic but I love the license plate. :fing02: