Rear LED bulb swap questions on GenIII

[MountainMaxMan]

Hey guys, I want to swap out my rear signal light bulbs and brake/park light bulbs for brighter LED ones, I have searched the forums but I couldn't find what I wanted here. The taillight bulbs on my Gen III for looks like old school 11/57 bulbs but the turn lights are different, they look like the old 11/56 but the tabs on the base are offset from each other not directly across. I came across this once before on a JLG telahandler but I forget the bulb number and it's too small to read on the stock bulbs. What do you guys use for the swap? and do you put in the resistors so it flashes the same or can we update the flasher? Thanks in advance

 

[MountainMaxMan]

Hey guys, I want to swap out my rear signal light bulbs and brake/park light bulbs for brighter LED ones, I have searched the forums but I couldn't find what I wanted here. The taillight bulbs on my Gen III for looks like old school 11/57 bulbs but the turn lights are different, they look like the old 11/56 but the tabs on the base are offset from each other not directly across. I came across this once before on a JLG telahandler but I forget the bulb number and it's too small to read on the stock bulbs. What do you guys use for the swap? and do you put in the resistors so it flashes the same or can we update the flasher? Thanks in advance

 

[Warpdrv]

Been done here by someone, but there wasn't a huge difference in light output

Plus your now into adding resistors to slow the blinking. Not worth it IMO.

Add some aftermarket LED brake lights down by the license plate.

Www.hyperlights.com

 

[BkerChuck]

This question has shown up several times here and onother bike forums.

I worked in a HD parts department for almost 16 years and had the same question come up there quite often too. From my experience I can tell you that I have yet to see an aftermarket LED bulb for this application that worked well enough and without adding additional resistors or some other cobbled together affair to make this a worthwhile venture. In recent years both Harley and BMW have begun to offer their own LED turn signals and tail light assemblies for some of their bikes. Key point being "assemblies". These are the only ones I've seen that worked as advertised and they don't come cheap. YMMV.

 

[ionbeam]

IMO, just leave the stock lights and go with something like Whelen LIN3 3rd brake light and a strobe control to supplement the stock lights.

If the bulb is a single filament it will have the base pins opposite each other, if it's a dual filament like brake/signal the the pins are offset to key the electrical nubs on the bottom correctly.

 

[Teehaml]

I agree with ionbeam. Leave the stock bulbs in there. As has been stated many times on this forum the reflector optics in the tail light assembly are designed for "old school" incandescent bulbs and you may not be happy with the results of LED's.

 

[SacramentoMike]

There was a unit made for the KLR that replaced the stock bulbs--plug and play. It was an array of LEDs on a panel shaped to fit in the taillight housing. Brighter than stock by a lot, and it flashed too, with a choice of flash patterns. So brighter, longer lasting, and using less voltage. Or wattage. Or whatever they use. shrug.

A few years back I put a single LED in my taillight housing--one of those "towers" with multiple diodes. It's as bright as the bulb next to it, but does not brighten with the brakes. Because I also have three 16-light blocks of Hyperlites back there to brighten and flash like crazy, this doesn't bother me, although I've been told MANY times during group rides "one of your taillight bulbs is burned out."

Still, I wish somebody would produce the same kind of fixture for the FJR that I had on that Kawasaki.

 

[Top_Speed1]

Hey guys, I want to swap out my rear signal light bulbs and brake/park light bulbs for brighter LED ones, I have searched the forums but I couldn't find what I wanted here. The taillight bulbs on my Gen III for looks like old school 11/57 bulbs but the turn lights are different, they look like the old 11/56 but the tabs on the base are offset from each other not directly across. I came across this once before on a JLG telahandler but I forget the bulb number and it's too small to read on the stock bulbs. What do you guys use for the swap? and do you put in the resistors so it flashes the same or can we update the flasher? Thanks in advance

I think know the LED tails have been covered here in length, all with poor(er) results than the stock bulbs. The housing/reflector is just not made for these LED's, and the reflect/coverage is dim, making your light housing (the "spread" of light) very inefficient.

You can update the flasher module, I did on my Gen2. It's behind the right headlight asm. You need to pull the front cowling (tupperware). Pain, but certainly can be done w some time.

---or---

Just wait for the Gen4?. Certainly will have the more modern LED's, and, not the LED/filament-bulb retrofit crappy one's either.

 

[MountainMaxMan]

the stock single turn bulb tabs are not opposite from each other, when viewed from the bottom they are about 12:00 and 7:00 on a clock face, and I want the LED's in there to match everything up front.

 

[HotRodZilla]

What they're saying is, "This has been done before, and this has failed before." The LED bulbs don't take advantage of the OEM reflector pattern and just shoot light straight out. Because of this, the LED light is reduced at most angles, making it appear they are not as bright. So far, this has happened every time, with about 80-85% going back to the OEM bulbs.

What most do, and what I did is add an auxiliary LED based light in addition to the existing OEM lights. I use the Whelen LIN3 and have it mounted below my plate, just above the OEM reflector. It is super bright and gets attention, while my OEM housings are still reflecting filament based light at at their intended targets.

Up to you, but we're trying to save you money and hassle. As this thread lingers more, I'd bet people that have tried the LED route in the rear housing will pipe up. Haven't seen one of them happy about the change yet, as far as light output is concerned.

 

[jblanken64]

I too have experimented with LED replacements and found them lacking. Because they didn't draw enough current, the ABS light stayed on. And they didn't see as bright. So, like others, I added a Whelen LIN3 with a flasher. If some LEDs came out in tower form using some of the Cree LEDs that we see in flashlights and headlights, I may reconsider. For me it wasn't really about saving power, I just want the conspicuousness.

 

[redneckj]

Whelen TIR3, done.

https://www.amazon.com/Whelen-Engineering-TIR3-Super-LED-Lighthead/dp/B009LQGZRQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442412615&sr=8-1&keywords=whelen+tir3

 

[MasterBabu]

What's the difference between the TIR3 and LIN3?

 

[DeSudet]

Been done here by someone, but there wasn't a huge difference in light output
Plus your now into adding resistors to slow the blinking. Not worth it IMO.

Add some aftermarket LED brake lights down by the license plate.

https://www.hyperlites.com/

Fixed that for you...Was tempted to change it to https://vololights.com/ but figure it would be better to leave the option.

TwoWheelObession did a video review of the license plate frame that automatically flashes on decel.

https://twowheelobsession.com/2015/06/08/vololights-install-review-yamaha-fjr1300/

 

[rbentnail]

I added the Admore light bar, video of modes at the bottom. Lots of compliments from the guys I ride with.

 

[Fred W]

What's the difference between the TIR3 and LIN3?

Clicky

 

[Ijuggle]

If you search the Forum you will find that I tried this swap. I uses Superbrightled bulbs. I think they have 45 legs each.

When I swapped both bulbs the dash ABS light came on. Not good.

When I swapped one bulb everything works normally. The Led bulb is just as bright as the 1157.

IMO. Really not worth the effort.

 

[Teehaml]

I installed the Hyperlite 3 way non-flashing setup.