led tail light brake light

[undertaker54andwife]

put a red led 1157 bulb in
it has a little spot that glows with switch off
is this normal will it discharge the battery
thanks   i have a clear lense

[sandy]

I can't answer your question but this is the best taillight for a Valkyrie. I've had one on my last 2 Valks with no problems. VERY bright.

https://www.amazon.com/Radiantz-Tail-Light-Honda-Shadow-Valkyrie-VTX/dp/B000TK8LY8/ref=sr_1_4?crid=11U6P2G8Y0SUK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Hz-uRgH2d65Kck6-YnrtFUofbWUTiaASx4NW2spYVHozyGc4f9bwHhoAFDP-baWivhxW6sdOMTA5gBnedMrVTGKM5O0DOsOqVk4wNVzEnhQPWNxizBECL16TX9NZ9zl2Jc_VgcSHvmlW-tAMrc2gBCJHsENF8oaaPfMPfQbXC-tijfPEpU0osbpVtlqlVCYGeURelh5s6Xru8lF9accL6F00JcITdoFoKfB6HzGTeTiz8yNEwTx2IE4Exw1ZcYAZpVmpN2B8l0bPnj3D5kZsXDZiWgQYZ-paFI3mJk84-r4.OOklCuflI6yNQBhuryequmdvfs1u7n_1qUqT3l8tVQc&dib_tag=se&keywords=valkyrie+taillight&qid=1718489640&sprefix=valkyrie+taillight%2Caps%2C122&sr=8-4

[Pluggy]

put a red led 1157 bulb in
it has a little spot that glows with switch off
is this normal will it discharge the battery
thanks   i have a clear lense

EDITED
My bike has a cheap 1157 LED and there is no red spot.  There may be an additional circuit in your LED bulb that is to eliminate faults in a newer car.  Such a circuit may hold some residual power and cause the glow.  Unplug the glowing LED and see what happens.  If it stops glowing, power is leaking through the LED to ground.  The problem would not be apparent with a regular bulb as those take more power to glow.

[WintrSol]

Following up on Pluggy's post, does it still glow after a few hours?

[Pluggy]

Following up on Pluggy's post, does it still glow after a few hours?

This can happen.  I bought an assortment of LEDs to evaluate. On the workbench, one type of T5 mini had a small glow after power was removed.  The tiny circuit that makes it work must have a capacitor that stores energy.  

Is it the LED or the bike?  We can disconnect the battery and look to see if the glow stops.

[Foozle]

I can't answer your question but this is the best taillight for a Valkyrie. I've had one on my last 2 Valks with no problems. VERY bright.

https://www.amazon.com/Radiantz-Tail-Light-Honda-Shadow-Valkyrie-VTX/dp/B000TK8LY8/ref=sr_1_4?crid=11U6P2G8Y0SUK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Hz-uRgH2d65Kck6-YnrtFUofbWUTiaASx4NW2spYVHozyGc4f9bwHhoAFDP-baWivhxW6sdOMTA5gBnedMrVTGKM5O0DOsOqVk4wNVzEnhQPWNxizBECL16TX9NZ9zl2Jc_VgcSHvmlW-tAMrc2gBCJHsENF8oaaPfMPfQbXC-tijfPEpU0osbpVtlqlVCYGeURelh5s6Xru8lF9accL6F00JcITdoFoKfB6HzGTeTiz8yNEwTx2IE4Exw1ZcYAZpVmpN2B8l0bPnj3D5kZsXDZiWgQYZ-paFI3mJk84-r4.OOklCuflI6yNQBhuryequmdvfs1u7n_1qUqT3l8tVQc&dib_tag=se&keywords=valkyrie+taillight&qid=1718489640&sprefix=valkyrie+taillight%2Caps%2C122&sr=8-4

+1 on Alex's recommendation.  Not particularly inexpensive - but exceptionally bright.  I, too, have one in each of my two Valkyries.  Terry

[Challenger]

I installed an LED 1157 in my Std which has an audiovox cruise control.  One night I was in the garage in the dark and could see the tail light glowing. I disconnected the cruise control wire that goes to the brake light wire and the glow disappeared. I figured it was a small bleed from the control. The other bike without cruise did not do it.

[Willow]

...
Is it the LED or the bike?  We can disconnect the battery and look to see if the glow stops.

Both.  The LED takes a very small amount of power to activate it, at least partially.  You have something maintaining some power with the key off and bleeding into the ground.

[Jims99]

I installed an LED 1157 in my Std which has an audiovox cruise control.  One night I was in the garage in the dark and could see the tail light glowing. I disconnected the cruise control wire that goes to the brake light wire and the glow disappeared. I figured it was a small bleed from the control. The other bike without cruise did not do it.

The Audiovox cruise control hooks to the brake lights to cancel when brakes are applied. Once you replace that bulb with an LED, it will not work properly. You’ll need to install a relay to the brake light for it to work correctly.

[Challenger]

I installed an LED 1157 in my Std which has an audiovox cruise control.  One night I was in the garage in the dark and could see the tail light glowing. I disconnected the cruise control wire that goes to the brake light wire and the glow disappeared. I figured it was a small bleed from the control. The other bike without cruise did not do it.

The Audiovox cruise control hooks to the brake lights to cancel when brakes are applied. Once you replace that bulb with an LED, it will not work properly. You’ll need to install a relay to the brake light for it to work correctly.

Already done. Thanks

[h13man]

Well I had a similar situation with a LED shop light I installed. It would glow ever so slightly when it was off. Found out I had wired it backwards as it is a switched outlet from 22 yrs. ago running 110v bulbery' thus LED require exact polarity at least on 110v circuits.

So yes it will run down the battery IMO.

[WintrSol]

As far as bright, the brightest ones I've gotten are from Diode Dynamics: https://www.diodedynamics.com/1157-xp80-turn-signal-led-bulbs.html
A little spendy, but VERY bright.

[HayHauler]

I can't answer your question but this is the best taillight for a Valkyrie. I've had one on my last 2 Valks with no problems. VERY bright.

https://www.amazon.com/Radiantz-Tail-Light-Honda-Shadow-Valkyrie-VTX/dp/B000TK8LY8/ref=sr_1_4?crid=11U6P2G8Y0SUK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Hz-uRgH2d65Kck6-YnrtFUofbWUTiaASx4NW2spYVHozyGc4f9bwHhoAFDP-baWivhxW6sdOMTA5gBnedMrVTGKM5O0DOsOqVk4wNVzEnhQPWNxizBECL16TX9NZ9zl2Jc_VgcSHvmlW-tAMrc2gBCJHsENF8oaaPfMPfQbXC-tijfPEpU0osbpVtlqlVCYGeURelh5s6Xru8lF9accL6F00JcITdoFoKfB6HzGTeTiz8yNEwTx2IE4Exw1ZcYAZpVmpN2B8l0bPnj3D5kZsXDZiWgQYZ-paFI3mJk84-r4.OOklCuflI6yNQBhuryequmdvfs1u7n_1qUqT3l8tVQc&dib_tag=se&keywords=valkyrie+taillight&qid=1718489640&sprefix=valkyrie+taillight%2Caps%2C122&sr=8-4

+1 on Alex's recommendation.  Not particularly inexpensive - but exceptionally bright.  I, too, have one in each of my two Valkyries.  Terry

+1.
The Radiantz is the brightest taillight I have seen that doesn't melt the red lens.  I also have red LEDs between the bags and fender out back.  All flash several times before staying on for 15 seconds, then flash again, following the same pattern.
One can never have too much red brake lights out back, in my mind.

Hay  
Jimmyt

[rug_burn]

    From the electrical standpoint:
  Yeah-  it sounds like it's bleedimg off a little power.  Since it's an LED this could be very little.   But I would guess it's somewhere in the LED driver circuit.  Like maybe a transistor biasing setup is letting a emitter-base junction allow a little current go to ground. 
   I'd try a different LED for starters,
     

[clanky]

FWIW,
I added a wrap around the license plate LED red string ANmD kept the original brake bulb set up.
Now when I hit the brakes a large rectangular red glow lights up around my license plate and the regular brake light. Who ever is following me can't miss my light display when braking.
Clanky

[Bagger John - #3785]

The Audiovox unit may need an isolation diode (1N4002 or similar) installed between the brake light wire and the cruise control - cathode end to the Audiovox.

Without examining the bike in person, I suspect what's happening is the CC unit somehow remains at battery potential even with the key off, and the trigger line is a few volts positive. A diode in series will allow current to flow into the CC when the brakes are applied but won't allow the CC unit to source voltage elsewhere.