Rear turn signals as brake lights

[..]

Am I imagining this or is there a way to make this happen?

[Jopson]

You ain't imagining it!
You'll need a Hopkins tail light converter, a pair of front turn signals for the dual bulbs, or you can be a cheap bugger like me and just get a pair of 1157 bulb holders and glue them into your current holders.
Make sure you run LED bulbs as you can melt the housings by using regular bulbs, you'll also need a heavy duty flasher relay because of the LEDs, there's plenty of write ups on the forum that I found very helpful! 

[Jess from VA]

Paul, my supervalk came with a little black box (under the seat) that converts my rear signals to run/turn/brake (and red cone-shaped signal lenses because you cannot run full time ambers in back in most states).  It obviously has the Valk std/tourer tail light added in the interstate fender knockout (and I added the big LED array to it to replace the std 1157 bulb in there).

I think my rear signals are originals with the single filament 1156 bulbs, but I got a box of parts with this bike that also includes a complete rear signal/plate/plate light assembly, so it's possible that my rear signals are fronts (with dual filament 1157 bulbs) that have been moved to the rear bracket.  I have never changed a bulb or had the lens covers off so I don't know for sure.  But could easily go out and look.

The black box has a name on it I have seen before, but I don't remember it.  I could also pull the seat and identify it if you want.

I have done searches in the past and seen Kuryakyn and other electrical companies selling black boxes to do this (and other things); some are bike model specific plug and play, and others universal metric that require a little wire tapping.  I am no auto electric guy, so I am no help on wiring or tapping such a rig up, but they all come with instructions.

Run/turn/brake rear signals is better than just turn/brake.  Finding red signal lens covers can be tricky, but they can be found (some valks have two screw mounts, others one screw).  I've read here that you can also get a little bottle of Testor's Candy Apple Red and paint the inside of the amber lenses with good result.

My bike also came with a Back Off license plate frame, with a single row of leds that is a brake light.

So I have three full time rear reds, red signals, and four brake lights.

PS:  I once spent half a summer trying to work out all the kinks with LED turn signals.  It would work with battery on but not running.  Then I got it to work running, but not riding.  I had the electronic flasher (would never use high heat load equalizers).  I never got it to work properly, and would never ever try LEDs in signals again, anywhere else fine, but not turn signals, no never.  It was a ground ( or common ground) issue, I could NEVER figure out.  Not on a Valk, a Yamaha.

[IamGCW]

Kury triple whammy kit.

Gil

[Red Diamond]

Signal Dynamics

[Bighead]

http://www.amotostuff.com/product/01314.html

[MarkT]

If you like to tinker you can do it cheaply but requires some wiring.  I did this with Deerslayer and Jade.  It can be done with 1156 sockets in back but you need to run LED's - incandescent as running lights will melt the housings.  With LEDs you need to have an LED flasher - easy to find online.  The wiring mod mainly, is to use 2 5-pin relays to select which line powers the filiment - brake or turn signal.  It is selected by the front marker light circuit.  Add a resistor and a diode and you can power the same filiment (LED array) as a running light w/o going to 1157 sockets.  Use red LED arrays (easily found online) and clear lenses and the color problem is solved.  If you add LED's in front then you also need to do the flasher-indicator mod - kind of off-topic here. I wrote this up at http://www.horseapple.com/Valkyrie/Tech_Tips/VTX_signals/vtx_signals.html

Here's the circuit diagram:

[..]

Thanks all.

My electrical skills are crap so I'll just ride as is.

[John Schmidt]

Too bad you don't live closer to central Florida, we could fix you up in an afternoon. I have all kinds of wire, proper size bullet connectors, multi-pin connectors, etc. 

[..]

Too bad you don't live closer to central Florida, we could fix you up in an afternoon. I have all kinds of wire, proper size bullet connectors, multi-pin connectors, etc. 

I'm leaving right now   

[..]

http://www.amotostuff.com/product/01314.html

I need to read the installation instructions before purchase. I'll email them. Thanks.

[Miker]

The Electrical Connections kit works well and is easy to install.

[Ken Tarver]

The universal kit by Kuryakyn is super easy to install. It gives you run, brake, &  turns. I have it on 2 valks. Take off your seat, find the wire harness coming out of the rear fender. Just wire the converter into the harness there next to the battery box. There is a plug-in loop adapter to make the brake lights flash, it's made the lights go wonky at times, so I don't use it anymore. I use the bullet type or blade connectors, or go the solder option. 

Ken

[BF]

http://www.amotostuff.com/product/01314.html

I need to read the installation instructions before purchase. I'll email them. Thanks.

That's the one I have.  It's not hard to install at all...and it works. 

The one thing I did different was to install clear lenses and use yellow bulbs for the turns...plus the red LEDS shine much brighter. 

[BF]

http://www.amotostuff.com/product/01314.html

I need to read the installation instructions before purchase. I'll email them. Thanks.

Instructions are in Shoptalk. 

http://www.valkyrieriders.com/shoptalk/ledturnsignalmod.htm

[Crackerborn]

I had the homemade version found on Barrass Choppers that Electrical Connection sells a kit for. This winter I changed over to a Custom Dynamics product called Dynamic Clusters. Only two wires to chase and plugs right into the 1156 base. That and Hyperlights on the license plate with running and flashing brake light. Don't forget the Radiantz tombstone running-brake light just to make sure the back end is glowing.