- Joined
- Dec 3, 2009
- Messages
- 22,403
- Reaction score
- 238
- Location
- Van Nuys Ca.
- My Bike Models
- 1983 Interstate
2018 KLR 650
2018 BMW S1000 RR
- My Bike Logs forum link
- https://classicgoldwings.com/forums/dan-filipi.122/
(I was asked to post this article and link to some interesting information about LED lighting.)
Two things everyone who owns a motorcycle cares about are 1. Being safe and 2. Looking awesome while doing so. You'll want to look into local laws first, but https://www.ledlightsgallery.com/ aftermarket LED lights can help you accomplish both ends. They can provide superior visibility and will definitely up your vehicle's cool factor by a large degree of "wow. They're not that hard to install yourself but be aware that there's more than one way to do this. The details below are simply a rough outline.
Once you've bought your lights, you will want to start by removing the seat and disconnecting your bike's battery. Then, you'll want to hook-up the correct wires (positive to positive and negative to negative, right?) and make sure the darn things light up the way they're supposed to. Next, you want to attach two-sided adhesive tape (VHB) to allow you to experiment a bit with just where those pretty LED lights will make your Gold Wing pop as beautifully as possible. (You also should clean those areas with rubbing alcohol before you do that.) Make sure your brand of lights will allow you to simply clip off a light to match the length you need while maintaining the very important water-proofing. You'll need to consider where you'll be able to hide the wiring once you've made your final creative decisions. (You only want people to notice the lights when they're on!)
A quick thought or two on aesthetics: everybody likes to accent their bike's chrome exterior -- engines and what not -- and it's also popular to run a short light strip near the wheels and saddlebags. Placing a couple of short strips inside the saddlebags can also create a nifty effect.
Once you've committed creatively, it's time to hook things up properly, paying close attention to manufacturer's instructions and general safety, of course. The basic idea is to thread all the wires along the frame and through all the nooks and crannies until you get it close to your battery location. Then, you'll need to attach, if you haven't already, the relay box to the battery and do all the other important housekeeping you'll need to do to make sure you're battery is properly attached to the lights and, of course, the engine. Junction boxes, wire strippers, electrical tape, and other such items are definitely involved.
At this stage, I'm a big fan of actually reading the manual, both for the bike and for the LED lights. Once you've done all that, it'll be time to re-attach everything and, go to town with your Classic Gold Wing looking cooler than ever.
Two things everyone who owns a motorcycle cares about are 1. Being safe and 2. Looking awesome while doing so. You'll want to look into local laws first, but https://www.ledlightsgallery.com/ aftermarket LED lights can help you accomplish both ends. They can provide superior visibility and will definitely up your vehicle's cool factor by a large degree of "wow. They're not that hard to install yourself but be aware that there's more than one way to do this. The details below are simply a rough outline.
Once you've bought your lights, you will want to start by removing the seat and disconnecting your bike's battery. Then, you'll want to hook-up the correct wires (positive to positive and negative to negative, right?) and make sure the darn things light up the way they're supposed to. Next, you want to attach two-sided adhesive tape (VHB) to allow you to experiment a bit with just where those pretty LED lights will make your Gold Wing pop as beautifully as possible. (You also should clean those areas with rubbing alcohol before you do that.) Make sure your brand of lights will allow you to simply clip off a light to match the length you need while maintaining the very important water-proofing. You'll need to consider where you'll be able to hide the wiring once you've made your final creative decisions. (You only want people to notice the lights when they're on!)
A quick thought or two on aesthetics: everybody likes to accent their bike's chrome exterior -- engines and what not -- and it's also popular to run a short light strip near the wheels and saddlebags. Placing a couple of short strips inside the saddlebags can also create a nifty effect.
Once you've committed creatively, it's time to hook things up properly, paying close attention to manufacturer's instructions and general safety, of course. The basic idea is to thread all the wires along the frame and through all the nooks and crannies until you get it close to your battery location. Then, you'll need to attach, if you haven't already, the relay box to the battery and do all the other important housekeeping you'll need to do to make sure you're battery is properly attached to the lights and, of course, the engine. Junction boxes, wire strippers, electrical tape, and other such items are definitely involved.
At this stage, I'm a big fan of actually reading the manual, both for the bike and for the LED lights. Once you've done all that, it'll be time to re-attach everything and, go to town with your Classic Gold Wing looking cooler than ever.
