Wiring questions: rear lights

[YoungPUP]

When I purchased my 99'std  the PO had had the taillight "shaved" when he had it painted. I got it with NO lights on the rear at all. I ordered a replacement set of fronts (  1157) and put them in place of the stock turn signals.  I then had to add a set of lights for turnsignals as the brake light, turnsignal, taillight wiring was above my level of expertise. I'm wondering if using a trailer converter would allow me to ditch the 2 small turn signals, and make the 1157's do all three functions??? Sorry so long winded....

[98valk]

might help u

http://www.rattlebars.com/valkfaq/circuits.html

[X Ring]

Actually Ian, yes they will.  I used a Hoppe's unpowered trailer wiring converter.  Did a search of my docs and found the instructions.  I've emailed them to you.

Marty

[Valkpilot]

Here's a write-up on doing that on a Spirit 750.  I've done it to my Valk too, but didn't update the write-up.

http://www.barnettdh.com/taillights/taillights.htm

Concepts are the same. 

Use the schematics from your manual or from Rattlebars http://www.rattlebars.com/valkfaq/schematics/index.html to make sure the wire colors are correct. 

The Hoppy company is now called Hopkins and the model of the converter has changed.  This is it: http://www.hopkinstowingsolutions.com/products/basic_wiring/taillight_converters/standard_converters/tail_light_converter_12.html.  It is availabe at almost any auto parts store for about $15.

[X Ring]

Here's a write-up on doing that on a Spirit 750.  I've done it to my Valk too, but didn't update the write-up.

http://www.barnettdh.com/taillights/taillights.htm

Concepts are the same. 

Use the schematics from your manual or from Rattlebars http://www.rattlebars.com/valkfaq/schematics/index.html to make sure the wire colors are correct. 

The Hoppy company is now called Hopkins and the model of the converter has changed.  This is it: http://www.hopkinstowingsolutions.com/products/basic_wiring/taillight_converters/standard_converters/tail_light_converter_12.html.  It is availabe at almost any auto parts store for about $15.

That's the same instructions I emailed him.

Marty

[Brian]

Will this converter allow 1157 LED's to be used?

[Valkpilot]

Will this converter allow 1157 LED's to be used?

Yes.

Just LEDs on the back will be OK with the Tridon EL12 flasher referenced.  That's how my bike is set up.

LEDs on all four signals will need a different flasher or load equalizers and you may have to unplug the signal indicator in the headlight shell or install a diode in each of those wires.

[X Ring]

When I did this mod on the 750 ACE several years ago, I used the Tridon flasher.  When I did it on my Tourer, I used a LED flasher from Custom Dynamics.

Marty

[Brian]

Hello guys, Tail light mod update.
I did this mod with the Hoppy converter and bought the flasher too. The drawing was great help but, did I have to use the flasher listed when the OEM seems to be working just fine even with LED's in the back since I two sets of signals on the front. Also, this set up does not allow the running lights to drop out when the signal portion of the bulb is flashing. Did I miss something?
 FYI, I purchased 2 - 1157 LED's in red from the Super Bright LED website, 30 LED's on each bulb at the 100 degree angle. These lights are brighter now than the stock tail light with a 1157 even with the amber lenses painted in the candy apple translucent red model paint. The new lights were only approximately $9.00 each and $2.95 for shipping. So far I am pleased with this set up except for the fact that they do not function like the front signals. More brake and running lights back there is definitely a good thing.  The new bulb fills the lenses with light, not just the middle like the original LED bulbs I picked up at auto zone. I took those back after I saw how well these worked.

[X Ring]

Hello guys, Tail light mod update.
I did this mod with the Hoppy converter and bought the flasher too. The drawing was great help but, did I have to use the flasher listed when the OEM seems to be working just fine even with LED's in the back since I two sets of signals on the front. Also, this set up does not allow the running lights to drop out when the signal portion of the bulb is flashing. Did I miss something?
 FYI, I purchased 2 - 1157 LED's in red from the Super Bright LED website, 30 LED's on each bulb at the 100 degree angle. These lights are brighter now than the stock tail light with a 1157 even with the amber lenses painted in the candy apple translucent red model paint. The new lights were only approximately $9.00 each and $2.95 for shipping. So far I am pleased with this set up except for the fact that they do not function like the front signals. More brake and running lights back there is definitely a good thing.  The new bulb fills the lenses with light, not just the middle like the original LED bulbs I picked up at auto zone. I took those back after I saw how well these worked.

Did you use load equalizers?  If you did that's why you can use the stock flasher.  The bad things about load equalizers is they add resistance to the circuit which nullifies the gain of using less power.  You're still using the same amount.  The product of added resistance is heat so you need put them someplace cool, where air can get to them.

Marty

[RonW]

Hello guys, Tail light mod update. I did this mod with the Hoppy converter ....
.... this set up does not allow the running lights to drop out when the signal portion of the bulb is flashing. Did I miss something?

Perhaps, it's not programmed to switch off the running light, although I would expect that it should. On my other bike, I used a regular motorbike converter which retains the 1156 single filament bulbs so I didn't have the same problem. Whatever the case, you can take advantage of the front signals' built-in override by tapping the front running lights wires to power the rear running lights. The hassle is routing the two wires all the way from the front of the bike to the rear of the bike. If you do this, I highly recommend sheathing the wires. Just going on my experience, even if the running light doesn't shut off when the same bulb is flashing, there shouldn't be that noticeable a difference. Silly question, but are you sure you inserted the 1157 bulb correctly. If the high-filament is mistakenly connected as the running light, than the flashing will use the low-filament while the high-filament remains constant ON in running light mode. That might diminish the flashing differential.

[Brian]

 The 1157 pins are off set so they can only go in one way. The tail light sockets I used were off the front of another valk so the wire colors matched and was wired in the back to match the fronts. Not sure at this time when the high or low filament is burning. I like the idea of swapping the circuits to see what it does, but that's a bit of work. However, this work would need done anyway if I were to wire the running lights to work as the fronts disconnecting them from the hoppy. I had added a two wire trailer plug at the fender joint when I did this to allow for this added tail light wire. I ran a spare wire into the side cover and just have to add another one to the rear.

X-ring, you are reading this thread I did not use load equalizers. When I added the National Cycle light bar on the front I left the stock turn signals in place to add extra lights up there as well. There are three bulbs blinking on one side now the rears being the LED's.

[RonW]

The 1157 pins are off set so they can only go in one way.

I've inserted a few 1157s the wrong way, so I know for a scientific fact that it can be miscued even with the pin offset. I didn't word it properly, but I meant more the high/low filament wires that connect to the module itself might have been crossed up. Again, that's because I've had the running light (low-filament) remain ON but it didn't depreciate the flashing that much visually. And yeah, swapping the circuits is one of those 2 minute jobs that takes 2 hours. Just simple on paper.

[Brian]

Ronw,
I had a few moments to check what filaments are burning when. The fronts burn the high filament as the running, the low is the turn signal, with high dropping out when the signal blinks. Factory wiring had not been changed on the fronts when I installed the light bar. Checking the rear operation using the bulb verses the LED's the filaments burn the same as the front. The low filament does seam brighter, I haven't checked the resistances between the two filaments for comparison yet.

I remember a thread a few months back that showed the filaments in operation and when. I am going back in to find it for reference.

[Brian]

You all are probably getting tired of me beating up this subject by now. Anyway the weather is finally starting to cool off a little here so I went out and disconnected the common wire to the rear running lights coming from the Hoppy convertor. Turn signals continue to flash as well as both sides have brake lights. The next few weekends are busy with a veteran fund raising poker run and a fallen veteran memorial ride. I will deal with the running light wiring in the fall when it starts to get dark earlier when I want the running lights anyway.

Thanks for all the great suggestions.

[Valkpilot]

You all are probably getting tired of me beating up this subject by now. Anyway the weather is finally starting to cool off a little here so I went out and disconnected the common wire to the rear running lights coming from the Hoppy convertor. Turn signals continue to flash as well as both sides have brake lights. The next few weekends are busy with a veteran fund raising poker run and a fallen veteran memorial ride. I will deal with the running light wiring in the fall when it starts to get dark earlier when I want the running lights anyway.

Thanks for all the great suggestions.

The Hoppy/Hopkins converter uses the low-intensity filament of the 1157 bulb to create the running lights.  It uses the high-intensity filament to create both the brake light and the turn signals, by sending both down the turn signal wire.  The flashers override the brake light function on whichever side is flashing.  The low-intensity running light should stay on all the time.  If the running light is brighter than the turn/brake light, you might have the connections reversed at the housing.