Rear Running - Brake Light - Signal Confusion HELP

[F7daved]

After spending a couple hours in the search department i thought it would be best to just ask...
I'm looking for the best way to get the BRIGHTEST Daytime, & Night Running - Brake - Signal Conversion.
I am aware you cant run yellow on the rear so that's a dead issue. I'm also not looking to paint the caps red. I spoke to a tech at electrical connection, and he indicated that his kit works great however in the day light or better yet in the sun light, the running light is very dim.
No looking to save cost, just looking to do it the brightest, and most neatly installed.  Thanks

[R J]

Okay , we try this again.    So much for hitting the wrong key after ya got it all typed in.  Damn.

Link to the taillight conversion.

http://www.radiantz.com/

Click taillights, then click Honda.

It is the conversion on the left.  It will fit a Valkyrie, all ya have to do is trim a tab off the right side as you look at it and then it slides right back in the lite.

Here is a shot of the Brake light in a well lighted shop, with the reflection off of a John Deere tractor seat.



Here is the taillight alone.



90% of the riders behind me in a group will tell me my brake lights are stuck on at the 1st stop.

Oh, I might add, lifetime warranty on the LED's.     Mine have been in there for over 7 years and none are burned out yet.   Knock on wood.

[MarkT]

These are clear VTX lenses & pods:




I see you have bags in your avatar.  You're going to have a problem with heat if you try to have the brightest possible running lights using tungsten bulbs in the daytime.  I melted two pairs of Hondaline rear pods by having them on in the daytime, and that's with stock 1157 bulbs. The plastic parts inside that hold the guts in melted, and the lenses and internals dropped out and hung by the wires - on the road at a VOA ride in, of course.  There are halogen bulbs that are way brighter, and make even more heat.  The problem is, there isn't enough cooling air behind bags to dissipate the heat, together with the warm air in the daytime summers.  I solved the problem at first, by putting the running lights on a "night switch", and shutting them off in the daytime.  Reasoned that they really aren't visible or needed in the daytime anyway.  The pods stopped melting.  Later I changed them to red LED arrays, inside clear VTX lenses - and VTX pods.  With 1157 sockets inside. Which I discovered later, I could have kept the single filiment sockets with a mod to the circuit I designed.  So the answer is, get some really bright 1156 socketed LED array boards for the rear pods, and use my circuit below.  Recognize, the running lights need to be lower brightness than the signal brightness.  My circuit could be modified, by taking the running light power off the front lines instead of using a resistor to dim them - the front running lights are shut off by the turn signal switch to increase contrast when the blinker is on.  (We are using that feature to control the relays, in my circuit - so the front running light power is connected to trigger on the relays.)  That would make the turns with running lights, differentiated by the signal side flashing, but not brighter.  You would not have a brake light function - so I wouldn't try to have very bright running lights if I was you - and I didn't, when I am me.  See http://www.horseapple.com/Valkyrie/Tech_Tips/VTX_signals/vtx_signals.html

[Gryphon Rider]

My approach was not to make the existing lights brighter, but to add lights to the saddlebags.  Like others have said about headlights on the front of a bike, having a triangle of lights greatly improves conspicuity.  On my bike all the saddlebag rear lights are brake/tail lights like the centre one.

[John U.]

Check out the Custom Dynamics' Eclipse 1.8" 48 led clusters. They will fit a 1157 socket and they are bright.
This is a universal cluster that you will need to glue in place. If you have the single screw type turn signals they make a custom fit version. It's not hard to glue them in place, place them close to the front of the socket area, they don't need a reflector.
The company stands behind their products. Just a satisfied customer.
http://customdynamics.com/motorcycle_led_bulbs.htm

[John Schmidt]

Here's what I did using those super brights from Custom Dynamics. I replaced all the lenses with clear, then installed red LED's. One pic shows them unlit, one shows them in the daytime, the others are a night shot. They are so bright that riders following me think I'm running with my brake stuck on until I show them differently. By the way....those aren't OEM turns on there but the LED's are the same ones I had in the OEM before I changed the housings to aftermarket. I agree with the melted OEM units, that's why I went to aftermarket with metal housing. I've followed bikes with the Elec. Connection conversion and they're nowhere near as bright or effective. Too dim in my view.




Daytime w/brakes on.


Night...no brakes.


Night...w/brakes. I had to back up with the camera but it still blurred. Ask the Florida gang, they know what I'm talking about. As I mentioned, I'm often asked if my brake is stuck or my foot is resting on the rear brake pedal. Even had motorists comment about them after following me a ways. Very effective.