Stock super bright tail light fix / project

[BoDiddley]

This might seem a little labor intense but it is winter.  Did I say I am in Michigan and I really hate winter!  And this might seem a bit extreme but after my friends father at a dead stop was shot in the back by a truck doing 60 I have been paranoid about being rear ended.  And I did not want all those crap looking extra LED's hanging on the back of my Duc.  This way it is stock in appearance and I have a three times bright attention getter.  And it is bright.  After experimenting with the Cheap ones off Ebay I can say they are not worth it.  Buy the good ones from Superbrightleds.  I noticed on other posts that the single replacement LEDS are made to sound better and brighter that stock.  IMHO they are not.  Especially in the daylight.  I tested them side by side and even the best ones from superbrightleds are not as bright.  They are at night but not in daylight.  So if you want a truly bright attention getter, be adventurous and do this fix.  If you messed up the project their are at least six used taillights for sale on Ebay for $45.00.    It took me an hour to do it but I am a tube audiophile so I have everything I needed to make it work.  If you do not have soldiering equipment and a hot glue gun maybe you need it anyway or a friend might.  And it is winter so what else are you going to do but work on a Monster.  This is on my 07 SR4s but this tail light is used for several years on a lot of Monsters.  

Not sure about the photobucket link, it is for an album but I might need to list each one seperate?  


http://s1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff406/DucatiRocket/

TIPS

You worry to much, just jump in and do it!  Like my cantankerous old man used to say, "Just shut up and do it" or is that a Nike commercial.  I think my old man was the Nike commercial.

OK : I heated up a 13mm old socket (on a vise grip) with a butane torch for the holes but anything metal the size of the bulb shaft and round (thinner the better, copper pipe is best) would work and you could use the kitchen flame.  Makes a bit of a stink so maybe run while it is hot and do it in the garage.  Make it oblong while you are at it to allow the bulb to face straight back.  It does not need to be perfect as the hot glue will fill the gaps.  You just need enough room for adjustment.

Strip wire for the ground by laying a length on the table, rest razor knife parallel flat on the wire and pull the wire underneath it, if the angle is right it will peel off easy.

Find the Running light with a tester and mark it or check out the photo (red for runner) as they should all be the same for this light.  Or find the right side of the bulb for the running light by looking at which one is being used on the stock bulb and the use the studs on the side to compare.  The 1157 will obviously go in one way.

Start the ground by leaving an inch out of the wrap to which you will twist tight with a pair of needle nose.  This looks a bit cobbled up but it is the only way to ground it and if its tight their is plenty of wire to stay in contact.  The hot glue will keep it in place.

Using a hot glue gun makes keeping them in position very easy.  You just hold it where you want it, add glue, blow on it and move on around the bulb until it is solid.

If you take a hot knive and make the holes oblong you can get the bulbs to face straight back.

The LEDS are supposed to last for ten years and by that time we will all have new bikes.

While I was at it I installed a simple small inline flasher unit which really tops it off.  
Here the link for the LEDS and the flasher

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/index.cgi?action=DispPage&Page2Disp=%2Fspecs%2F1157-R19W6_motorcycle_bulb.htm

I also installed the  Lockhart Phillips lights but I used the dual filiment so I would have the blinkers for runners.

Now if I could only get all the drunks, airhead texters and map readers to look up!

[booger]

http://www.monsterparts.com/pc/10501/Electrical/10501.html 

I like the spirit of DIY, don't get me wrong, but only if the work is sanitary. Sometimes it's best to just buy something and hook it up. I don't understand why you wouldn't fill the whole taillight with LEDS on a board shaped to fit the enclosure lens itself, instead of concentrating the LEDS in those three circular pods inside the lens. That's an inefficient solution. Also, why not line them up inside the lens? Why stagger them so sloppy like that? Sorry but it looks like a home kludge job to me. Thumbs way down. You should have bought something made for the application. There are some really good and bright LED boards available that would have looked a whole lot better.

[stopintime]

I think it's the perfect way to waste some winter time 

When I tried LEDs in my turn signals, I wasn't too impressed with the visibility.
How do you think these compare to a standard bulb?

I noticed the offset bulb position, as mentioned by grumpy Bergdörfer, but I guess it's because of the offset inside bulb mount. Actually, I think visibility might have been better if the two outside bulbs followed the reflector a little, shining left/right - since LEDs offer limited light spreading.

Picture posting: when you point at a single picture, a drop menu appears - click the second option to copy it. Then paste in between the "img" signs that appears when you click the picture(/painting) icon.

 

[todds89]

Nice work!

Not to get off topic, but what turn signals are those? I like the way they tuck in under the seat cowl.

Thanks!

[BoDiddley]

The "slop" is mandatory as the placement around the factory socket as noticed in the pics.  These are not turn signal leds and if you think it would be easier to solder a bank of leds have at it. The intention was to keep it factory lense.  What can I say I am a gadget maker at heart.  Fix is not for everyone, only the adventrious.  You cannot buy a break light this bright to hook up......IMHO of course.

[BoDiddley]

 "home kludge job to me"   Give me a break

[booger]

You cannot buy a break light this bright to hook up......IMHO of course.

wrong

"home kludge job to me"   Give me a break

yes that's what it looks like uh huh
contact NASA maybe they'll give you a job making taillights for space shuttles

[BoDiddley]

Must have missed the intent of the fix.  BRIGHT HIGH FIZ TAILLIGHT.

My wife is a fox and I will bet her butt that the ones you posted are not nearly as bright.  I used to work for NASA.  I will sacrifice a little unevenness to wake up a cage.

Here is the link for the blinkers.....

http://www.lockhartphillipsusa.com/store/

In case anyone did not read the entire post the rear blinks are dual filement using them as runner lights along with a blink.
The photo is not of the break light but running lights.

[sbrguy]

well yuou are right you can't buy a brake light for the older style monsters anymore that are super bright.

the vizi tech site used to sell what was considered by many here (anyone that bought one of the supanova lights will attest that nothing is brighter than that light) "the brightest" led rear light that was ever made aftermarket for the older style monsters that looked almost 100% stock when installed but literally 5-10 times brighter.  It was expnsive though, at $300 for the light you paid for a very very high quality light that was amazing.

but hey good for you for doing a cheaper DIY project. 

[lofty55]

here is my vizitech model HSi... w00t

[BoDiddley]

Now that is what I am talking about.   They must have used the best HiBright leds,  to bad they went out of business.  With all the airheads driving cages it seems to me it is one of the easiest saftey mod you can do to a bike.  I don't mind dumping my own bike but thier is nothing worse than someone else doing it for you and getting rearended is 99% of the time "their" fault.  Catching an eye coming at you could save your butt.

[Heath]

Now that is what I am talking about.   They must have used the best HiBright leds,  to bad they went out of business.  With all the airheads driving cages it seems to me it is one of the easiest saftey mod you can do to a bike.  I don't mind dumping my own bike but thier is nothing worse than someone else doing it for you and getting rearended is 99% of the time "their" fault.  Catching an eye coming at you could save your butt.

They didn't go out of business.  They just discontinued the SN490i.  Then replaced it with the SN-HS/i which didn't look as good in my opinion.  Now they are out of those.  Both of which where $300 for a tail light.  

[lofty55]

Then replaced it with the SN-HS/i which didn't look as good in my opinion

they look the same.

unless your referring to the layout of the lights on the circuit board.  

The HSi is the brighter . I got the smoked model so you cant see the board as much.... sort of

Im very happy with it though. On their website, they have one HS unit left. It doesn't have the integrated (i) feature. $275 gets it.


http://www.vizi-tec.com/products/ducati_supanova.html

[Ohmic]

I love to see others make their own DIY tail light for our Monsters.  Fun stuff! 

The SN490i was designed with beauty/cosmetic in mind! It was one of the most dense PCB i have ever done in terms of components per surface area. It has been called a work of art by some. Again.. something different. Why make something that looks like any other LED light from China?

The HS/i was designed for sheer power in mind. I wanted to do something that would output a crap load of light! Nothing more... nothing less. It uses the most power LED for its package manufactured to date. Because of its massive light output, there is a user input function that allows for different power level selection.  BTW... The "HS" in the name is for "Heat Sink". It has an active cooling system to extend the life of the LEDs. When you power this baby up... you can hear the fan kick in.

I stopped making these simply because of cost. The volume is not there to get the price breaks in order to pass it down. To have them produced by third party manufacturing house(ie China) i need to order min 1000 units before they would even consider taking on the order.

It was a fun project while it lasted

For those who email me every other week to sell them a SN. I'm sorry. I have no plans to make more as I've sold out of all the kits originally bought. The only ones i have left are warranty for the ppl who already have one.

But i do have some really COOL blinkers i designed(CNC) using the same LEDs that are in the HSi! Designed to look like a 10W stock blinker bulb from an electrical stand point. So will work as is without the need of loading resistors. I'll post more about them after the holidays. They make other third party blinkers look like a small birthday candles These bad boys have nothing on the market that comes near in terms of power for its size! 20mm OD and pivots around 2axis! More later w/pics.
Sorry for the thread-jack. Now back to regular programming.

-Bernard (vizi-tec)

[stopintime]

 

Bernard, why after the holidays?