[BeekMan]

I'm still thinking of doing the same Cyber... are you still impressed with the brightness compared to a regular bulb?

[The CyberPoet]

I'm still thinking of doing the same Cyber... are you still impressed with the brightness compared to a regular bulb?

Yes, I'm still quite satisfied with it. It's about 130% of the brightness of the incandescent straight on in daylight, about 160% of the brake brightness, and has a fairly wide viewing angle (about 45 degrees before it seems weaker than the stock incandescent).

I've only found one brighter LED solution so far (about twice as bright as the 48-LED solution), but it is a large, single LED solution intended as a complete light assemby swap out for trucks (think UPS delivery vehicles) and I haven't been able to figure out a good way to make it work in the right form-format for the rear lens for the 98-02 Kats.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[HS2020]

cool Cyber. Now the ? is can I do this mod on my 89 Kat? How hard was it to cut the the tail light. Just put up a how to on this mod...

[The CyberPoet]

cool Cyber. Now the ? is can I do this mod on my 89 Kat? How hard was it to cut the the tail light. Just put up a how to on this mod...

No clue if the mod would work on an older Kat; the bulb is like 1.85" across, and I got it with the 1157 base permanently mounted. Whether that would fit into the older light assembly is beyond me...

Here's the how to copied-and-pasted over from my entry at KP (LINK TO THE ORIGINAL THREAD HERE:

For the last eight months or so, I've been trying out LED after LED tail light to try to find one that is at least as bright as a high-output 1157 incandescent. The 9, 11, 13, 19, and 32 LED taillight bulbs were all a wash and I never installed them after comparing their outputs. Last week I received the new 48-LED tail light (1.85", LED cluster is manufactured by www.Radiantz.com and sold by www.CustomDynamics.com with an 1157 dual-contact base suitable for our use). The problem with many LED's aside from the low light output is the size for the larger cluster-counts, and this one is no exception. But it was bright enough to justify a permanent mod to the bike.
After the full mod, I found that the directional brake lighting (i.e. - towards those directly behind you) is about twice as bright, but the off-angle lighting isn't as bright as the incandescent, mostly because this LED cluster has no side-firing LEDs to hit the reflector and uses LED's with a width focus of around 35 - 45 degrees.

Here's the how to... with pics

1. Remove the tail light lens assembly.


2. Look at the bulb. Gotta cut the opening in the tail light assembly to be able to fit the bulb through the opening. When you look at the back of the stock light assembly, you'll find a hole in the center for the bulb, surrounded by flat plastic and two rings of raised plastic reinforcement. You need to cut the plastic back to just shy of the outter reinforcement ring to fit this bulb adequately. Here is a pic of the bulb (turned upside down -- you can't see the 1157 connector on it from this angle), just to show the size comparison:


Note that this resulted in a ton of plastic shavings everywhere, including through-out the inside of the tail light assembly (and my body, the floor, the counter, etc). You might want to do it outside if at all possible...

If they hadn't glued that lens on pretty damn well, I would have removed it instead and then cut the plastic as necessary. As it was, I ended up using tap water to flush out as many of the cuttings as possible (since they float) and picking up the rest with toilet paper (which is soft enough to catch the tiny barbs on the excess cuttings and lift them out with it when the TP is removed). Be careful to not scratch the reflector when pulling out the cuttings or drying out any water.



Go back and remount the lens assembly on the bike.

Inset the bulb into the bulb socket and test it to ensure it is working right both as a running light and as a brake light. Note that you have to put the bulb socket into the bulb socket retainer bracket before sticking the bulb in, and you need to mount those three pieces (the bulb, the bulb retainer and the metal bracket that the bulb retainer normally turns into to be held in place) as a single assembly. It's only held by two self-tapping phillipshead screws, but it can be tricky to get them aligned right.

Final results (note, it was like 2:45 am, so the contrast isn't very good):



Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[HS2020]

Thanks Cyber. The older Kats run a 1157 bulb only one though. So I guess it would work then. That will be a winter thing for me. Once again thanks for the how to on this. I know it will help alot of people out.

[Froggy]

I bought some LEDs for my front indicators that were awful (I have clear lenses), I ended up going back to mt stock ones.
The next are my rear indicators, I've seen some cool iridecent ones

I purchased LED amber bulbs for the front of the bike (2 use with the clear lens), but the LED wouldn't work in either of the front turn signals. They both work in the back, so I will end up using them there. Anyone else have this problem?

[Spedee]

I must say CyberPoet yours are much brighter then mine.

[BeekMan]

I purchased LED amber bulbs for the front of the bike (2 use with the clear lens), but the LED wouldn't work in either of the front turn signals. They both work in the back, so I will end up using them there. Anyone else have this problem?

Yes, you have to reverse the polarity of the front wires. All late model Kats have the front hot wires reversed at the final connector near the bulbs.

[The CyberPoet]

I must say CyberPoet yours are much brighter then mine.

I forgot to compare them at the KP rally... I had meant to use everyone else's as a comparison for how bright it was.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[kwebbel]

another link for nice led-stuff including load resistor kits (to eleminate the fastflashing problem.

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=CAR

[BeekMan]

I got mine and installed them....



I like their brightness and overall looks. They are shown here in running light mode so they do get twice as bright.

[Spedee]

After seeing your new ones today Beek, I really like them. Tammie does too!

[BeekMan]

The modding just never seems to stop.

[HS2020]

Those look good BEEK. Now how are they in a running light mode? I only have 2 wires per side for mine. Does it have to have 3 wires in order to make it have the running lights and the brake lights?

[Spedee]

No wire changing. Just add the Kissan Signal Minder. Added bonus:
Cancels signal
Four Way Flasher
and all signals as running lights.

http://kisantech.com/kisanWeb3/frameSample.htm