Flashing Brake Lights

[schupperts]

https://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/YAMAHA-FJR-1300-FJR1300-LED-FLASHING-BRAKE-LIGHTS-1157-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem35ad095c5bQQitemZ230536338523QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

 

[Texan]

I have a brake light flasher. But I don't recommend replacing your incandescents with LEDs. Most have found that th LEDs are not as bright. Lots of threads on LED brake lights in this forum. You can find them with Google.

 

[HotRodZilla]

As a disclaimer, I don't really buy stuff from Ebay. Lots of theives, and lots of crap being passed off as quality stuff. Those lights look to fit the latter.

If you are really interested in your rear lights flashing and having the install be as simple as possible, look HERE. I bought these off a forum member a couple of years ago and really like them. They cost more, but I bet there's a reason.

 

[RossKean]

https://cgi.ebay.com/...sQ5fAccessories

You might have a look at This Thread . Probably going to do this one next season.

Ross

 

[dragonchef]

+1 on the Kisan Tailblazers. The bulbs are halogen, and installation is the same as replacing a taillight.

 

[bramfrank]

Supplementary brake lighting is in my opinion a good thing. My nephew was rear-ended this past summer and I decided that I'd prefer it not happen to me.

Bulb replacements, whether they be incandescent units with flashers built into the base or LED arrays have serious liabilities; The incandescent units are expensive and tend to burn out because of filament shock - LEDs are very directrional and much of what's out there is not as effective as their traditional cousins - rotating patterns and such don't help as they reduce the overall average brightness. Besides, using any other than the 'official bulb in a OEM fixture on a vehicle is a technical no-no.

Note too that modifying your existing brake/tail lighting will almost certainly mean you will have work to do to keep your ABS functional.

The suggestions about Hyperlights and Whelen modules are IMHO solid - LEDs don't often fail, and this type of solution supplements your existing lighting. Brake light modulators show up on Ebay for $15 shipped - no need to spend huge amounts of money for 'back-off' branded modulators if you don't want to.

I was looking to install the TIR-3 solution from Whelen when another option presented itself:

What I did was to go with what Whelen calls the 'Dominator-2' - if is a mini police light bar that comprises two of the TIR-3 modules. What made it interesting was that I mounted it on my bike without having to cut any plastic whatsoever. And because I had a brake light driven relay for my cruise control, installing it was as simple as wiring it across the coil of the relay . . . .

I have it set up to flash five times then go solid - anyone following too close will either slam on his brakes or have an epileptic seizure, believe me. No one can ever say he 'didn't see' me.

Note that off axis these things are still brighter than the stock brake lights - but the camera is saturated.



Some links, photos and more information on the components can be found here: https://www.fjrforum....ndpost&p=739605 and here: https://www.fjrforum....ndpost&p=754236

 

[SacramentoMike]

Agree very much with what Bramfrank says, though I haven't done it--yet. I have, though, added Hyperlites as well as three strips of cheapo stick-on LEDs to my license plate frame (one "always on," plus two that light with the brakes). I'd still welcome more and eventually will go with the Whelens or something like.

To the Original Poster: I DID buy a set of these cheesy little LED bulbs--possibly identical to the ones you posted about, but maybe not. They were supposed to light in a "spinning" pattern when the brakes went on. And they did. So there were maybe 12 or 15 little LED bulbs in each unit. When they "spun," most of the bulbs went OUT, but the few lighted bulbs cycled off and on in a pattern that looked like it was spinning--like a theater marquee. That's what BF was talking about when he said "rotating patterns and such don't help as they reduce the overall averge brightness."

The other thing about those bulbs was they were not even as bright as the stock 1157 bulbs when ALL were fully lit. They went straight into the circular "Myth: Busted" bin I keep in the garage.

 

[FJR Flyer]

Got a flasher module off of ebay for about $15 for the brake light in the trunk. Its been working fine for about a year or so (knock on wood). Easy install.

 

[e2b]

I've been trying to replace bulbs with LED's for a long time as LED's have many advantages over other bulbs. Up till now I haven't found a satisfactory replacement LED "bulb" that can replace incandescent bulbs directly in 1157 type applications. So far the only satisfactory LED tail lights are ones built from stratch

 

[Fred W]

Go with one of the Whelen LIN3 lights and the flasher module that Da Judge refers to above.

It is the bomb diggety and will not break the bank.

I spent only $70 and it is much better (brighter and more attention getting) than any of the others that I have ever seen in person. I'm going to get another for each of my other bikes this winter.

Based on my experience with the Whelen LIN3, I have no doubt that Bramfrank's Whelen module is even brighter (if that is really necessary)

 

[DELETE-PLEASE]

I would ADD LED flashing lights to your current bike. Not replace your rear lights. Something like "Back Off" brand where the license plate holder has a light bar that flashes. So you keep your current lights and ADD flashing lights.

Or just do what I do. Squeeze the brake lever three times before braking. And tap the brakes if you're at a stop sign and see someone coming up behind you.

Alexi

 

[Meltdown]

Just add one of these and you're all set.

https://www.admorelighting.com/index.php?page=products/index.php&subpage=4

 

[cougar8000]

As a disclaimer, I don't really buy stuff from Ebay. Lots of theives, and lots of crap being passed off as quality stuff. Those lights look to fit the latter.

If you are really interested in your rear lights flashing and having the install be as simple as possible, look HERE. I bought these off a forum member a couple of years ago and really like them. They cost more, but I bet there's a reason.

If you are on the market for this product, you might want to wait a month. Kisan is coming up with a new line and I am told it will be better and supposedly a few bucks cheaper. Another of my suppliers is Signal Dynamics who has similar product, but it works in a bit different way that I suggest you look at. They have a BackOff module that works with regular bolb as well as LED and it has two mods. What I did on my bike is added an LED strip to the bottom of the plate. Their LED strip is supper bright and visible even during the day light.

I have connected my stock light to Mode 1 and LED to Mode 2. It makes my stock flash 5 times and then go steady to keep me legal. While LED flashes 4 times slowly, then steady for a couple of secs, then four flashes again.

Another future BackOff has that is not advertised anywhere is it has a build in emergency flasher. You connect yellow wire to a battery plus and put an on/off switch in this line. What it will do it will turn one of those brake lights into an emergency flasher. Drawing less power as only one light flashes, or in case of LED it can be left for hours. And you do not need to keep your key in the ignition.

 

[bramfrank]

Go with one of the Whelen LIN3 lights and the flasher module that Da Judge refers to above.

It is the bomb diggety and will not break the bank.

I spent only $70 and it is much better (brighter and more attention getting) than any of the others that I have ever seen in person. I'm going to get another for each of my other bikes this winter.

Based on my experience with the Whelen LIN3, I have no doubt that Bramfrank's Whelen module is even brighter (if that is really necessary)

The TIR3 and LIN3 can be found for $50 or $55 shipped if you search the web.

Just add one of these and you're all set.

https://www.admorelig...x.php&subpage=4

The Whelen light bar would seem (to me) to be better built, probably brighter and costs a bit less.

Another future BackOff has that is not advertised anywhere is it has a build in emergency flasher. You connect yellow wire to a battery plus and put an on/off switch in this line. What it will do it will turn one of those brake lights into an emergency flasher. Drawing less power as only one light flashes, or in case of LED it can be left for hours. And you do not need to keep your key in the ignition.

Again, the Whelen products have built-in flashers - for the TIR3/LIN3 you would disable the function because the flashers are buried inside the module, but for the light bar the flasher is external - mine is wired so that the police mode (programmed flash patterns) is activated when the bike's 4 ways are engaged - it requires a bit of circuitry and a relay to make that happen. but is extremely impressive when I'm pulled over to the side of the highway.

 

[RaYzerman19]

I appreciate what you guys are trying to do, but the TIR/LIN are a bit much for me. Just ordered the Whelen Strip-Lite PSRASXCR to work with my existing flasher system..... I am expecting it has brightness that won't burn retinas yet get lots of attention. I already have a Kisan Vectralight system, which uses the signals as running lights as well, so I do have a bit of extra already.

https://www.strobesnmore.com/whelen-strip-lite-series-led-lightheads.html

Looking for something similar for the front that I can use as nice bright amber fork lights... amber is very visible.

 

[frito1]

I use the Sound Off Ghost on my bagger and will soon have one on the FJR. It's compact, powerful, has adjustable patterns to fit your mood, and just draws .75 amps. People that have ridden behind me for any distance say it's really annoying, but they always ask where to get one. It is an attention getter. ~$100, 30 something patterns and 6 LED's. It's available in a pure flasher or brake/tail configurations

https://www.soundoffsignal.com/warnamber/ddg/ddg_GHOST.htm

 

[frito1]

Note too that modifying your existing brake/tail lighting will almost certainly mean you will have work to do to keep your ABS functional.

My '06 is the first ABS bike I've owned. Please enlighten me as to what *work* might have to be done. My plan is to add the Sound Off Ghost in parallel to the stock brake light. I didn't figure a .75 amp additional load would queer the deal; it didn't affect my HD that already had a turn signal brake light module on it.

 

[Fred W]

Note too that modifying your existing brake/tail lighting will almost certainly mean you will have work to do to keep your ABS functional.

My '06 is the first ABS bike I've owned. Please enlighten me as to what *work* might have to be done. My plan is to add the Sound Off Ghost in parallel to the stock brake light. I didn't figure a .75 amp additional load would queer the deal; it didn't affect my HD that already had a turn signal brake light module on it.

Frito,

Bram was saying that is you modify the original brake light you'd run into problems. Hanging an aux brake light in parrallel off of the OE one (as you intend) will not cause any problems.

 

[Meltdown]

The Dominator 2 that you have is running about $130 plus the cost of the bracket. The DP2 is about is about $220.00 plus the cost of the bracket.

The single unit modules are less.

As far as build quality is concerned, my AdMore light bar is constructed out of quality materials and is very bright. It also contains running, turn, and brake lights into a single module for about $130 with the bracket.

https://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/productview/4643/680/

You can see for yourself how bright it is and how it works here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PPCGZXgc-s&feature=player_embedded

While this is not my motorcycle, it does show my exact set-up. Having said that, the Whelen would have the advantage in being able to configure it to flash the brake lights.

The Whelen light bar would seem (to me) to be better built, probably brighter and costs a bit less.