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LED idiot light help for idiots - repost!

  • Thread starter Thread starter iDodgimus
  • Start date Start date
I

iDodgimus

Guest
as summer's gone and fall's here my riding time is being replaced of thoughts of projects before ski season rolls around :smile: I really want to cafe my bike up a bit, give it a little edge... its my first bike and first project - its small but i'm psyched... i've even found a guy that works in vinyl to make me custom decals so I wont have to paint my tank, anyhoo...

first off I'm planning to replace the gauge set with minis and hopefully LEDs so this thread was a godsend (as is this site in general)... however, I have little-to-no electrical savvy (i'm smart, just un-knowledgeable and inexperienced) so I'm hoping someone can give some advice/instructions on switching the idiot lights
to LEDs... I'll figure out the mounting later - someone mentioned a lego brick in another thread, genius!

byrdman76, i love what you've done (the whole scud bike, not just the gauges) so hopefully you've time to type a little more detail about the LED installation. bgmart450 you took the same route, yes? Is there any issue with lights that arent wanted anymore, or are they just tapped off and left dangling?

i plan on buying the speedo/tach from www.partsnmore.com, has anyone used them? the prices are great and there's no shipping cost to Canada - yay :smile:

thanks in advance guys...
oh, and here's some 'before' shots :smile:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...7&id=906615054
 
So are you wanting to replace the center box with LED or do you want to just replace the Light bulbs with LEDs
 
the whole center box, so its just the bars, the gauges and the headlamp - just like the 'best looking gauges' thread.

Mounting is an issue I think I can deal with, its the actual electronics that I dont have any experience with.
 
Even the lights in the center box are bulbs, that was the only way to light up things when these bikes were built. You can find LED replacement bulbs in just about any size these days at your local auto parts store. More expensive than the incandescent counterparts, but last longer and stay cooler. Also consume a fraction of the power, is where signals don't always 'know' there's a bulb in the socket, and go blinky. Then, you need to add resistors to the circuit to fool the relays.

And now, seeing that it's "dash illumination" that yur after, the same applies. Take your dash apart to see what is there. Then find the replacement.
 
ironb12s said:
Also consume a fraction of the power, is where signals don't always 'know' there's a bulb in the socket, and go blinky. Then, you need to add resistors to the circuit to fool the relays..
Click to expand...

I'm hoping to remove that whole panel and replace with just a few LEDS.
It's this 'adding resistors to the circuit' part that I need help with - how will I know, what kind/load of resistor, where in the circuit etc.

Electrics isnt my forte, but I'm a quick learner
 
iDodgimus said:
I'm hoping to remove that whole panel and replace with just a few LEDS.
It's this 'adding resistors to the circuit' part that I need help with - how will I know, what kind/load of resistor, where in the circuit etc.

Electrics isnt my forte, but I'm a quick learner
Click to expand...

Okay, then a better description of what you're trying to achieve is in order. If you're replacing the entire assembly, then it's a different animal altogether. LED's can be put in place of the indicators without modification, there are no relays in the circuit. In fact, the lower draw of the LED will probably make that circuit cleaner, and allow power to go elsewhere for other things, like neon, for example.

You can get these LEDs at Radio Shack, or some such. In different colors and capacities. They are made for AC and DC flavors as well. They are a diode, that emits light, and function as such. Heck, you could even put them in place of the rectifiers in the R/R and have a light show whenever the engine is running... :-D They only allow power to run one way through them, simple in-out gate.
 
I guess the best description is a picture...

This one from Byrdmans "SCUD" cafe project is probably the closest to what I'd like to do... I believe its left/right turn signal, neutral light and oil warning light all mounted in the headlamp bucket. I'd like to maybe add 5 leds to show which gear i'm in also (in the bucket or elsewhere, depending on what looks nicest).

gs550022.jpg


Is that a bit clearer? I appreciate the help (and patience) :)
 
I had a thread a while back about using those same speedo/tachs partsnmore is selling. They were pretty cool. I got the speedo with the idiot lights built in. Nice clean look. Find that thread and it'll give you all you need to know.
 
awesome :D
so they'll replace bulbs without issue and any lights i dont want anymore (eg hi beam indicator) i can just tape off and tuck away?

much appreciated folks, pics will follow in a couple of weeks... probably not before more questions tho :)
 
I went with the one's from radioshack with the resistor already installed just like the pictures. Just mark your wires before you start cutting.

Good luck

Byrd
 
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