| General -> Accessories. | Dakota PGR1000 Gear Indicator - De-Chroming | | | | Categories : |
|  | Topic : LEDs in Front Turn Signals |  |
| | | PapaSmurfMC | | Chaac |  |  | | Reg. Date | : | 03/10/2013 | | Posts | : | 871 | | Location | : | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
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| | Posted : 29 Dec 2014 - 20:33 Post title : LEDs in Front Turn Signals | | | Last winter I rewired my rear turn signals to accept run/turn/stop LED clusters (see Link ). Today I matched up the front turn signals with Custom Dynamics amber LED clusters.
They're a lot brighter than the incandescent bulbs; in all pics, the lenses are off.
They mount exactly the same as the rear clusters (scroll down to "Part 2 (of 2)", per the link above). If you're using the Custom Dynamics clusters, just make sure you use the yellow (high) and black (ground) wires and just insulate the end of the orange wire (low) so it can't short against anything; in my case, it's unused. I've got the Triumph aux lights in front already so had no need to use the low (orange wire) for running lights. If you want to use them as running lights, you'll need to run a switched (by the ignition) 12V wire to each front signal and connect to the cluster's orange wire.
Ride safe,
PapaSmurfMC
| 2013 Blue Marble Haze Thunderbird 1600 ABS
2009 Black Bonneville A1 ("Mag")
Buncha farkles
| | Post edited by PapaSmurfMC on 29 Dec 2014 - 20:36 |
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| | | RallyFan43 | | Set | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 27/03/2015 | | Posts | : | 75 | | Location | : | Monroeville, PA, United States |
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| | Posted : 30 Mar 2015 - 00:51 Post title : Re: LEDs in Front Turn Signals (Re: PapaSmurfMC) | | | I'm new to the forum and just wanted to extend a big thank you for the incredibly detailed write-ups you did. I JUST got a Commander and one of my highest priorities is gonna be converting the lighting to LEDs. Increased lighting = more easily visible = safer IMO. I'm probably gonna have to go a somewhat different route due to changes made with the Commander/LT (I think), but your write-ups have certainly given me a good head start! I trimmed down a couple sets of Custom Dynamics LED turn signal inserts to fit in my America before, and I'm already missing how that looked haha.
| JOSH
2014 Thunderbird Commander - Ravage 2.0
"Not all those who wander are lost"
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| | | PapaSmurfMC | | Chaac | | | | Reg. Date | : | 03/10/2013 | | Posts | : | 871 | | Location | : | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
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| | Posted : 30 Mar 2015 - 03:04 Post title : Re: LEDs in Front Turn Signals (Re: RallyFan43) | | | Good luck in your wiring adventures and welcome to the group, Rally. For me, the minimalist lighting was a major shortcoming of the TBird but then, it did give me a chance to customize and that gave me something to do over the winter. I've been tossing around some ideas for upgrading the headlight and aux lights but I just finished up Tors and Nitros and riding weather is any day now, so don't want any downtime. That'll be next winter's project. 
| 2013 Blue Marble Haze Thunderbird 1600 ABS
2009 Black Bonneville A1 ("Mag")
Buncha farkles
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| | | Terota66 | | Chaac | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 24/11/2013 | | Posts | : | 505 | | Location | : | Nova Scotia, Canada |
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| | Posted : 30 Mar 2015 - 04:10 Post title : Re: LEDs in Front Turn Signals (Re: PapaSmurfMC) | | | I've just had the Kuryakyn Torpedo Lights ECE Approved Turn Signals (Amber) (Front or Rear) (Pair) (Matte Black) installed, just the rear ones for now, but.....MY GOD their bright !!!!! Hopefully next week the fronts will come in
And my mechanic thanks you  PapaSmurf for your detailed posts on these type of lighting and wiring diagrams, especially the diagrams ..... I think he would've shorted out my bike a few times without these detailed posts
| 2013 Thunderbird Storm ABS
HardStreets
LED Headlights
Short Tors & tune
K&N air filter
Mustang Vintage 2 Up Seat
Scorpion Alarm
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| | | RallyFan43 | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 27/03/2015 | | Posts | : | 75 | | Location | : | Monroeville, PA, United States |
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| | Posted : 30 Mar 2015 - 12:25 Post title : Re: LEDs in Front Turn Signals (Re: PapaSmurfMC) | | | Yeah, that's what I'm struggling with at the moment, the thought of having downtime with the new bike. I'm anxious/excited/whatever to make the upgrades, but it's not exactly gonna be a quick project. As I said I'm used to having upgraded LED lighting on my other bike, and when riding alone on the highway being visible is a big concern of mine. I was riding home from Ohio Bike Week one year, about 3 hours, mostly highway. Everyone else had left before me and therefore I was making the venture alone. Had at least 3 occasions on that journey in which a tractor trailer nearly ran me over (in the slow lane), before they noticed me at the last minute. After that, night time visibility became a priority of mine.
From what I've seen of your other posts, you still have the stock 5 3/4" headlight, but this is what I upgraded the headlight on my America to. Link VERY much worth the money! Night time visibility was greatly increased, and the pure white light really grabs your attention during the daylight hours. I'm really hoping they make one of these in 5 3/4" cuz I would love to put a couple on the new bike. Don't really care for other LED headlights I've seen on the market.
| JOSH
2014 Thunderbird Commander - Ravage 2.0
"Not all those who wander are lost"
| | Post edited by RallyFan43 on 30 Mar 2015 - 12:25 |
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| | | PapaSmurfMC | | Chaac | | | | Reg. Date | : | 03/10/2013 | | Posts | : | 871 | | Location | : | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
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| | Posted : 30 Mar 2015 - 16:57 Post title : Re: LEDs in Front Turn Signals (Re: Terota66) | | |
Terota66 wrote:
I've just had the Kuryakyn Torpedo Lights ECE Approved Turn Signals (Amber) (Front or Rear) (Pair) (Matte Black) installed, just the rear ones for now, but.....MY GOD their bright !!!!! Hopefully next week the fronts will come in
And my mechanic thanks you PapaSmurf for your detailed posts on these type of lighting and wiring diagrams, especially the diagrams ..... I think he would've shorted out my bike a few times without these detailed posts
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Those torpedo lights are really sharp, perfect for a Storm. Assuming you wired them for run-turn? Got a photo of them on your bike (and lit up)?
Also, if I've saved a single blown fuse or melted wire for a fellow Birder, it's well worth it. 
| 2013 Blue Marble Haze Thunderbird 1600 ABS
2009 Black Bonneville A1 ("Mag")
Buncha farkles
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| | | PapaSmurfMC | | Chaac | | | | Reg. Date | : | 03/10/2013 | | Posts | : | 871 | | Location | : | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
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| | Posted : 30 Mar 2015 - 17:18 Post title : Re: LEDs in Front Turn Signals (Re: RallyFan43) | | |
RallyFan43 wrote: ... As I said I'm used to having upgraded LED lighting on my other bike, and when riding alone on the highway being visible is a big concern of mine.
........Don't really care for other LED headlights I've seen on the market.
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IMHO, nothing makes you harder to miss (visually!) at night than lighting up the bike itself. Strip LEDs are cheap, use negligable power and can be tucked away in all sorts of spots. Link
As far as headlights go, I lust after a Daymaker and a few here have done it. It's a little pricey and if that was all I needed, I'd probably go for it but I feel compelled to also do the Aux lights to match and that drives the "investment" up to about $700; hard to justify for the adequate lighting I have now. I've been eyeballing this 3800 lumen (claimed) H3 replacement LED bulb from Cyclops: Link just $65. Hard to tell how it'd play with the stock reflector.
| 2013 Blue Marble Haze Thunderbird 1600 ABS
2009 Black Bonneville A1 ("Mag")
Buncha farkles
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| | | Terota66 | | Chaac | | | | Reg. Date | : | 24/11/2013 | | Posts | : | 505 | | Location | : | Nova Scotia, Canada |
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| | Posted : 30 Mar 2015 - 18:26 Post title : Re: LEDs in Front Turn Signals (Re: PapaSmurfMC) | | | PapaSmurfMC wrote:
Terota66 wrote:
I've just had the Kuryakyn Torpedo Lights ECE Approved Turn Signals (Amber) (Front or Rear) (Pair) (Matte Black) installed, just the rear ones for now, but.....MY GOD their bright !!!!! Hopefully next week the fronts will come in
And my mechanic thanks you PapaSmurf for your detailed posts on these type of lighting and wiring diagrams, especially the diagrams ..... I think he would've shorted out my bike a few times without these detailed posts
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Those torpedo lights are really sharp, perfect for a Storm. Assuming you wired them for run-turn? Got a photo of them on your bike (and lit up)?
Also, if I've saved a single blown fuse or melted wire for a fellow Birder, it's well worth it.
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I'm waiting for all this snow to melt to take pictures of the bike outside, day and night, its still in the garage and I have other things to be put on it......but I will post picks after its all said and done ..... and yes, LED Daymaker headlights are the bomb when it comes to upgrades, don't know how I ever got through these winding Cape Breton roads with all these deer running the roads, the LED's light up the animals eyes way before you see them and has saved my butt and bike a few times
| 2013 Thunderbird Storm ABS
HardStreets
LED Headlights
Short Tors & tune
K&N air filter
Mustang Vintage 2 Up Seat
Scorpion Alarm
| | Post edited by Terota66 on 30 Mar 2015 - 18:29 |
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| | | RallyFan43 | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 27/03/2015 | | Posts | : | 75 | | Location | : | Monroeville, PA, United States |
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| | Posted : 31 Mar 2015 - 19:23 Post title : Re: LEDs in Front Turn Signals (Re: PapaSmurfMC) | | | PapaSmurfMC wrote:
RallyFan43 wrote: ... As I said I'm used to having upgraded LED lighting on my other bike, and when riding alone on the highway being visible is a big concern of mine.
........Don't really care for other LED headlights I've seen on the market.
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IMHO, nothing makes you harder to miss (visually!) at night than lighting up the bike itself. Strip LEDs are cheap, use negligable power and can be tucked away in all sorts of spots. Link
As far as headlights go, I lust after a Daymaker and a few here have done it. It's a little pricey and if that was all I needed, I'd probably go for it but I feel compelled to also do the Aux lights to match and that drives the "investment" up to about $700; hard to justify for the adequate lighting I have now. I've been eyeballing this 3800 lumen (claimed) H3 replacement LED bulb from Cyclops: Link just $65. Hard to tell how it'd play with the stock reflector.
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I couldn't agree more! That's another thing I have planned for this bike in the not-too-distant future. I had LED accent lighting installed on my first America while at Ohio Bike Week one year. That bike was totaled when some jagoff pulled out in front of me, but I stripped all the lighting stuff off it before the tow truck took it away. Never got around to putting it back on my 2nd America. Not gonna go with red this time, but having the control box and remotes will save me some money when I get around to it with this bike.
This is what my old America looked like:
With the headlights, getting a Daymaker would be easy cuz they come in 5 3/4", though expensive (especially since I'll need 2 of them). Though I honestly don't care for the look of them, or their association with Harley haha. So you've been "eyeballing" that Cyclops light, eh? I see what you did there hahaha  I haven't seen that bulb before, but that does look enticing! If you end up giving it a try let me know what your results are. I'm skeptical at how it'd perform in the stock reflector as well. I had an HID in my first America in the stock reflector, and although it was VERY bright, the light just kind of went all over the place and not where I needed it to go. Plus HID's are a pain in the arse to install.
| JOSH
2014 Thunderbird Commander - Ravage 2.0
"Not all those who wander are lost"
| | Post edited by RallyFan43 on 31 Mar 2015 - 19:26 |
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| | | PapaSmurfMC | | Chaac | | | | Reg. Date | : | 03/10/2013 | | Posts | : | 871 | | Location | : | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
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| | Posted : 04 Apr 2015 - 22:03 Post title : Re: LEDs in Front Turn Signals (Re: RallyFan43) | | | | RallyFan43 wrote: ....So you've been "eyeballing" that Cyclops light, eh? I see what you did there hahaha. I haven't seen that bulb before, but that does look enticing! If you end up giving it a try let me know what your results are. I'm skeptical at how it'd perform in the stock reflector as well.... |
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Well, I do enjoy a good challenge so after way too much research, I've ordered a [claimed] 3300 lumen fan-cooled H4 LED headlight bulb (almost identical to the Cyclops bulb) and a pair of [claimed] 750 lumen H3 LED bulbs for my aux buckets. The challenge for the aux buckets is bulb size; most of the H3 LEDs are about 60mm in length. The pair I found are close in brightness to the stock Halogen and still only 43mm long, although I will have to widen the headlamps' bulb opening to accomodate the width. Total outlay/gamble, less than $100.
| 2013 Blue Marble Haze Thunderbird 1600 ABS
2009 Black Bonneville A1 ("Mag")
Buncha farkles
| | Post edited by PapaSmurfMC on 04 Apr 2015 - 22:04 |
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