Bulbsthatlast4ever

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Bulbsthatlast4ever

Bulbsthatlast4ever


I got this yesterday to replace the busted up tail light from my recent adventures. You recall the one, correct?

While I have a replica tail light on the bike the only spare lens I had was a real Lucas one. For some reason the replicas are... not the same, exactly. The screw holes for one are not the same.

Bulbsthatlast4ever


So the lens is currently held on with tape...

I have a replacement lens (replica style) on order from Old Britts, should be here by the weekend. When it does I'll finish the installation of the LED tail light. And I might share the pictures.

If you beg.
 
Good move I bashed and crashed on this kit knocking wires and LEDs off the various boards but always got em going again, so should you with your highly magnetic Commando.
 
Hey Matt
You should be able to bend the tabs slightly for the screws to align. I also have a lucas and a after market copy but the bolt hole distance is the same. This system is much brighter and draws less power than the original system.
Cheers,
Tom
CNN
 
I still have the same 1170 bulb for 20 years. I don't trust anyone seeing my brake light no matter how bright!
 
Prime supreme point of reality logic is anyone putting their butt in a saddle that is animal or engine horsepowered has given up all logic that they are in full control of life and limb, period end of story throw in the ole towel and wrap it up gone home.

LED's to have more sparkle notice and help prevent stall outs creeping on high beam with small or low battery and ya put the brake light on.

Swooh if you want to be even more funny famous than you already are, put in some non R plugs and get your video out to show off the most noticeable light show for traffic to avoid. You may also become controversial list authority on how non issue non R plugs are to various ignitions that claim other wise. Peel's stereo may require them of course.
 
I've had one of these on my Bonneville for about five years. Works great. I was replacing filament bulbs about every couple of months. The vibes just ate them up.
 
Here's Peel after a few years traumas, IIRC cost was like $100 with the running light option

Bulbsthatlast4ever
 
Bulbsthatlast4ever

Well, you know how I said I thought the replica lens might not be the same because the original lens didn't fit? Apparently I didn't take into account that the mounting brackets were a wee messed up from the hit. :?

Anyways, on to the installation. I will say the instructions left a little to be desired. I would have liked a little more details. But that's what you have me for, right? This is for the earlier tail lights. You'll have to wait until I get an 850 for the other style. :D

Bulbsthatlast4ever

So here's the tail light. As noted it's a replica. I have an original one but the instructions said that the replicas would be easier to work with. I'm not sure if this is true or not.

The first step is to remove the reflector. That is about all the instructions said. Other than a Dremel might work better than side cutters. Actually I found the side cutters to work just fine. What you don't want to do is what I did and cut too far. You want to leave the housing area on the back of the light intact.

Bulbsthatlast4ever

As you can see if you snip and twist you should be able to remove the reflector. The instructions said to make a notch at the bottom of the reflector but didn't give much detail. I could have studied it closer I guess.

Bulbsthatlast4ever

Once the reflector was out I took some pliers and recrimped down the lip so that the back housing wasn't loose. While it doesn't make a difference it would be one less thing to rattle.

The instructions said to insulate the back of the LED board so I covered it with electrical tape. Not elegant. :|

Bulbsthatlast4ever

Next I pulled out the wires.

Bulbsthatlast4ever

Noticed I've also straighted out the lens mounting tabs. You won't have this problem.

Bulbsthatlast4ever

Pull the new wires through. They said White on one side and the Brown and Green on the other. I don't know why.

Bulbsthatlast4ever

Attach the three wires. White is Brake (no idea why white, isn't that usually switched power? Green is ground. I think that is typically Red or Black (depending on ground polarity). And Brown is Running Light. That was actually closest to the Norton wiring, not sure about other bikes.

Bulbsthatlast4ever

Using the shorter of the supplied bolts you thread the bolts in (but not too far) put the thinner of the nylon spacers on, and then screw the bolts the rest of the way.

Bulbsthatlast4ever

You may need to start the supplied nuts on before getting the bolts all the way in. WIth my tabs not perfect one side worked and the other didn't.

Bulbsthatlast4ever

When I was done this is what was left over from the kit.

Bulbsthatlast4ever

I took this opportunity to tidy up my wiring. I still don't like it. The LED board requires a ground wire and they provide a fitting for this. I made a jumper to my ground wire I have for the turn signals.

Bulbsthatlast4ever

And anyone see my first problem? I've emailed them to see if this is warrantable. Otherwise it looks great.

Bulbsthatlast4ever

The running light is fine but the brake light is really bright.

Is it worth the effort and cost? I don't know. I was hoping for a brighter light (which I got), less power draw (this I also got) and longer bulb life (haven't lost a bulb yet but the thrashing the tail light takes I can't imagine them lasting 4 ever). :mrgreen: I don't like the way the wires wrap over the top of the board. They could theoretically rub and short here. While I have ground wires I don't think the instructions mentioned how to properly ground the light if you don't. WIth better instructions it would have taken me a less time. It took me about an hour but remember I was also documenting the process for you, my dear readers.

So now the biggest electrical draws I have are the headlight and Boyer. Going to a different ignition can lessen one of those.
 
Oh yeah forgot about having to modify about everything under the lens to fit the LEDs in Peels kit. Older style had the wires sticking out the back to get pinched once nipped up so I had to make a hole in black plate to route them out w/o
pinch or bent sharply. Mount holes didn't line up well either but forced em to work ok enough to hold in all together. Its not that these LED make more total light more that they are more pointy sharper on/off lights to notice than incandescent. Glancing in mirror in regular cycles ain't a bad habit to pick up but a hard one on a Commando that generally is leading the way ahead. Don't forget to get non R plugs and video after dark for us.
 
It seems like a lot of money but I may do this when funds permit. Have never dealt with British Cycle. My bulb has already lasted forever but a brighter brake light is probably a good thing. I just upgraded my landscape trailer with all LED lights and really liked the increased brightness. Some of the new car tail lights are too obnoxiously bright at night - Toyotas especially.

If not any circuit traces at the top of the PC board maybe you could file out a notch so the wires couldn't get pinched.

Thanks for the documentary. Nice work.

Russ
 
batrider said:
It seems like a lot of money but I may do this when funds permit. Have never dealt with British Cycle. My bulb has already lasted forever but a brighter brake light is probably a good thing. I just upgraded my landscape trailer with all LED lights and really liked the increased brightness. Some of the new car tail lights are too obnoxiously bright at night - Toyotas especially.

If not any circuit traces at the top of the PC board maybe you could file out a notch so the wires couldn't get pinched.

Thanks for the documentary. Nice work.

Russ

Not worried about the wires getting pinched. If I need to I could put some heat shrink around them.
 
Hey Matt
I feel your frustration.... 1 bulb not firing.... WTF.... now its got to go back after all that work. :x
Don't worry Mark at BCS will take care of you. I noticed your board is Rev. F. Mine are earlier boards Rev. C
There was a notice that came out with earlier boards that would get overloaded when used with 3 phase high output stators. These would reset after you turned the bike on and off so these boards are warrantee to new board design.
I am using the standard Stator so no problems. I'll send you a PDF if you are interested.
They are brighter are they not? :D
Tom
CNN
 
I emailed Bulbsthatlast4ever and they said send it in. Great. Oh, what's that? 2-3 week turnaround? Great. I ask to wait a month for riding season to get over. No problem.

Still sucks I have to take it apart again.
 
Ordered one of these from ebay last night for the grand total of $3.89 free postage, no mention of wattage equivalent, I will report on performance when it arrives


Bulbsthatlast4ever
 
fredful said:
Ordered one of these from ebay last night for the grand total of $3.89 free postage, no mention of wattage equivalent, I will report on performance when it arrives


Bulbsthatlast4ever

Can you can do a couple before and after shots in the dark to see the difference in the old bulb to the new LED's?
 
I dont think freds plug in led bulb will be very bright. I had one something like this, it just didnt have enough leds. Later I located a $20 plug in led bulb that had 18 leds, it was pretty decent, definitely brigher than an 1157.
Dave's replacement board should be quite bright, there are a good number of leds on it. But there are also various candle power levels from different LEDS so you really dont know exactly what you have until you try it out.

For my project bike I had a company in Florida make up a string of 140 LEDS (special Superbright LEDs according to the maker) in a small diameter self adhesive transparent red flexible housing. They split the lights in half side to side, 70 leds ea side, so that it also works as a turn signal. This is not of any use on a standard commando but could be used on some modified cafe racer
setups, provided they can accomodate a wrap around style light. Visibility is very good with 140 LEDS.
Cost was about $120, not bad considering the number of LEDS and the fact that it also gives you a really tidy and very visible set of turn signals.

Glen
 
Are those new plug-in LED/bulbs made to take into account positive ground? Or have you converted your bike to negative ground?

I have seen them made for positive ground but not for $3. I think Goffy bulbs had some.
 
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