$22 DIY - Replace stock front turn signal pods with mini stealth led bulbs, Softail & Dyna
#1
03-13-2016, 06:20 PM
$22 DIY - Replace stock front turn signal pods with mini stealth leds, Softail & Dyna
I have had quite a few messages asking about my mod to replace the stock handlebar turn signals with a "stealth" type of new mini ultra bright LED bulb. the bulbs are super tiny and thin, but will blind you to look at them. they stick up under the handlebar controls totally hidden and it cleans up the look of the handlebars. Below are pics, parts and instructions.
Good luck it's pretty easy to do and highly visible day or night. these bulbs are the newest type of ultra bright T10 LED bulbs which contain a constant current driver and over-voltage protection. Plus they come with a 2-year warranty, and are stupid cheap on price.
Disclaimer: This is not DOT legal and may not meet local state or country vehicle requirements - however they exceed visibility performance of typical stock lighting by a very big margin.
Anyway, this took me a whole whopping 20 minutes to install (I had already removed the stock turn signals and tucked the wires back into the handlebars). I am not using these as running-lights, but, this same company on amazon does make mini bulbs with a running light function also.
Parts needed: solder, 26 gauge wire scrap (about 16"), heat shrink, 3M automotive trim double stick tape, acrylic conformal coating. If you are removing your stock turn signals you'll need new bolts to hold the mirrors.
LED-Bulbs (comes as a pair for $15): You can order these directly on the JDM ASTAR USA website- Here is the link. Select "amber" for the yellow ones.
https://www.jdmastar.com/shop-by-app...-2825-w5w.html
--------------UPDATE------------
!! As of August 2016 JDM ASTAR has stopped making this amber T10 model of bulb- I just spoke with them today, they are always very helpful to talk to. they may bring it back but right now they only offer it in white. If you want them to keep making these bulbs in YELLOW (http://www.jdmastar.com/product/148/...-Set-of-2.html) - email Jose at service@jdmastar.com and tell him about it!
They have a different model, similar one in yellow, it's $13/pair, but the front of it will stick out a bit. I would color the pc board black with a sharpie or paint pen and it should still be fairly stealth.
http://www.jdmastar.com/product/268/...-Set-of-2.html
They have a slightly bigger "921" version in amber, way bright, but they are 1.7" long, so they will stick out a bit unless you trim the rear wedge tabs down a bit. you can probably knock it down 1/4" shorter. The T10 version is 1.2" long with 9 diodes, this one has 12 diodes and is 1.7" long. But hard to go wrong for $20/pair. 800lm!!!
http://www.jdmastar.com/product/114/...-Set-of-2.html
and listed on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/JDM-ASTAR-lum...dp/B00VN20WG6/
----------END UPDATE----------
Acrylic Conformal Coating (use this to waterproof any electronics- seriously excellent stuff with many uses, $11):
The process is pretty easy. I first dipped the led bulbs into the conformal coating and let them dry. I dip all of my led auto bulbs into that stuff and they never fail from moisture. this stuff makes them completely water proof and you just dunk the whole bulb. *tip* if you solder the lead wires to the bulbs first it makes it easier to dunk them and hang dry.
Next, solder some thin wire scrap onto the left and right pads of the LED bulbs- each piece of wire should be about 4" long. thin flexible 24/26 ga silicon wire is best like the kind used on RC quadcopters. You can use all black wires because these bulbs can be hooked up any direction, there is no set + and - direction. the thinner wire you use the better as it makes for a cleaner install. there is no heavy amp draw so 26 or 28 gauge wire is fine.
If you have your stock turn signals mounted, you'll need to remove them and also take apart the switch housings on both side of the handlebar controls. the wires come from inside a hole in the handlebars and you have to unfasten the hand controls to give you access to the wires. you'll cut the three wires on each side going to the stock lights and leave yourself a few inches of wire to work with. this is all very self explanatory once you remove your handlebar controls.
You'll connect the wires from the bulbs to the black and purple stock wires on your bike, solder, use heat shrink to cover the connection, then tuck the wires back into the wire channels under the handlebar controls. Again it is very self explanatory once you look at it. Use high quality thin 3M body trim tape to stick the bulbs up under the handlebar controls. done. for extra security you can run a thin bead of black rtv silicon sealant along the edges where the bulbs tuck up against the underside of the handlebar controls.
Summary: $11 for the bulbs pair, and $11 for the comformal coating dip, 30 mins to 1hr to complete.
If you have a CAN-BUS HD, your handlebar indicators will flash fast, but, your actual LED turn signals will flash normally. If you have an earlier HD then you'll need to turn the ignition on but don't start bike- then turn on your hazards for 10 mins or so. the ECM will "learn" the new LED-bulbs and adjust to flash at correct rate.
These LEDs are extremely bright and highly visible even in full sun- they will shine forward and directly downward once mounted. If anyone else has done this please post up your pics!!
From normal distance the led turn signal bulbs are pretty invisible:
Closer shot of the mounting locations- they just stick underneath on the flat areas of the handlebar controls and these locations are adjacent to the wiring outlet channels
Brightness of turn signal in daytime- sorry my headlight is washing out the photo- I have an 80w LED bulb retrofitted into the stock housing and it is stupid bright.
on a related note I did my back turn / brake / running light with a similar new type of 1157 bulb- bright as sin day or night. thread here: https://www.hdforums.com/forum/softa...bs-ez-mod.html [[EDIT]] those rear bulbs didn;t last long, they cannot cool down enough in the small housing. I am testing these other bulbs here, inexpensive. will post results:
Update- these new rear bulbs worked out great! see pics on page 5 of this thread: https://www.hdforums.com/forum/softa...l#post15135783
Good luck it's pretty easy to do and highly visible day or night. these bulbs are the newest type of ultra bright T10 LED bulbs which contain a constant current driver and over-voltage protection. Plus they come with a 2-year warranty, and are stupid cheap on price.
Disclaimer: This is not DOT legal and may not meet local state or country vehicle requirements - however they exceed visibility performance of typical stock lighting by a very big margin.
Anyway, this took me a whole whopping 20 minutes to install (I had already removed the stock turn signals and tucked the wires back into the handlebars). I am not using these as running-lights, but, this same company on amazon does make mini bulbs with a running light function also.
Parts needed: solder, 26 gauge wire scrap (about 16"), heat shrink, 3M automotive trim double stick tape, acrylic conformal coating. If you are removing your stock turn signals you'll need new bolts to hold the mirrors.
LED-Bulbs (comes as a pair for $15): You can order these directly on the JDM ASTAR USA website- Here is the link. Select "amber" for the yellow ones.
https://www.jdmastar.com/shop-by-app...-2825-w5w.html
--------------UPDATE------------
!! As of August 2016 JDM ASTAR has stopped making this amber T10 model of bulb- I just spoke with them today, they are always very helpful to talk to. they may bring it back but right now they only offer it in white. If you want them to keep making these bulbs in YELLOW (http://www.jdmastar.com/product/148/...-Set-of-2.html) - email Jose at service@jdmastar.com and tell him about it!
They have a different model, similar one in yellow, it's $13/pair, but the front of it will stick out a bit. I would color the pc board black with a sharpie or paint pen and it should still be fairly stealth.
http://www.jdmastar.com/product/268/...-Set-of-2.html
They have a slightly bigger "921" version in amber, way bright, but they are 1.7" long, so they will stick out a bit unless you trim the rear wedge tabs down a bit. you can probably knock it down 1/4" shorter. The T10 version is 1.2" long with 9 diodes, this one has 12 diodes and is 1.7" long. But hard to go wrong for $20/pair. 800lm!!!
http://www.jdmastar.com/product/114/...-Set-of-2.html
and listed on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/JDM-ASTAR-lum...dp/B00VN20WG6/
----------END UPDATE----------
Acrylic Conformal Coating (use this to waterproof any electronics- seriously excellent stuff with many uses, $11):
The process is pretty easy. I first dipped the led bulbs into the conformal coating and let them dry. I dip all of my led auto bulbs into that stuff and they never fail from moisture. this stuff makes them completely water proof and you just dunk the whole bulb. *tip* if you solder the lead wires to the bulbs first it makes it easier to dunk them and hang dry.
Next, solder some thin wire scrap onto the left and right pads of the LED bulbs- each piece of wire should be about 4" long. thin flexible 24/26 ga silicon wire is best like the kind used on RC quadcopters. You can use all black wires because these bulbs can be hooked up any direction, there is no set + and - direction. the thinner wire you use the better as it makes for a cleaner install. there is no heavy amp draw so 26 or 28 gauge wire is fine.
If you have your stock turn signals mounted, you'll need to remove them and also take apart the switch housings on both side of the handlebar controls. the wires come from inside a hole in the handlebars and you have to unfasten the hand controls to give you access to the wires. you'll cut the three wires on each side going to the stock lights and leave yourself a few inches of wire to work with. this is all very self explanatory once you remove your handlebar controls.
You'll connect the wires from the bulbs to the black and purple stock wires on your bike, solder, use heat shrink to cover the connection, then tuck the wires back into the wire channels under the handlebar controls. Again it is very self explanatory once you look at it. Use high quality thin 3M body trim tape to stick the bulbs up under the handlebar controls. done. for extra security you can run a thin bead of black rtv silicon sealant along the edges where the bulbs tuck up against the underside of the handlebar controls.
Summary: $11 for the bulbs pair, and $11 for the comformal coating dip, 30 mins to 1hr to complete.
If you have a CAN-BUS HD, your handlebar indicators will flash fast, but, your actual LED turn signals will flash normally. If you have an earlier HD then you'll need to turn the ignition on but don't start bike- then turn on your hazards for 10 mins or so. the ECM will "learn" the new LED-bulbs and adjust to flash at correct rate.
These LEDs are extremely bright and highly visible even in full sun- they will shine forward and directly downward once mounted. If anyone else has done this please post up your pics!!
From normal distance the led turn signal bulbs are pretty invisible:
Closer shot of the mounting locations- they just stick underneath on the flat areas of the handlebar controls and these locations are adjacent to the wiring outlet channels
Brightness of turn signal in daytime- sorry my headlight is washing out the photo- I have an 80w LED bulb retrofitted into the stock housing and it is stupid bright.
on a related note I did my back turn / brake / running light with a similar new type of 1157 bulb- bright as sin day or night. thread here: https://www.hdforums.com/forum/softa...bs-ez-mod.html [[EDIT]] those rear bulbs didn;t last long, they cannot cool down enough in the small housing. I am testing these other bulbs here, inexpensive. will post results:
Update- these new rear bulbs worked out great! see pics on page 5 of this thread: https://www.hdforums.com/forum/softa...l#post15135783
Last edited by LA_Dog; 08-19-2016 at 12:23 PM.
The following 5 users liked this post by LA_Dog:
americanworkmule (08-22-2016),
DIABOLUS (05-16-2017),
Gommee (03-13-2016),
NSR (04-12-2016),
Seadog! (03-13-2016)
#2
03-13-2016, 09:21 PM
Road Captain
Details on the headlight bulb?
...and thanks for this info on the signals. I have the Primo Rivera LED headlight w/ built in signals on my bike now. The signals work well, but I'm not all that happy with the headlight itself, particularly on dark, twisty, tree-lined country roads. It's MUCH better than the light H-D builds the bike with, but I'm always on the hunt for something better.
Since these signal LED's are so bright, I wonder if it's possible to tint the clear coating somehow ... just to make the LED's really disappear under the control switchgear?
...and thanks for this info on the signals. I have the Primo Rivera LED headlight w/ built in signals on my bike now. The signals work well, but I'm not all that happy with the headlight itself, particularly on dark, twisty, tree-lined country roads. It's MUCH better than the light H-D builds the bike with, but I'm always on the hunt for something better.
Since these signal LED's are so bright, I wonder if it's possible to tint the clear coating somehow ... just to make the LED's really disappear under the control switchgear?
#3
03-13-2016, 10:58 PM
Details on the headlight bulb?
...and thanks for this info on the signals. I have the Primo Rivera LED headlight w/ built in signals on my bike now. The signals work well, but I'm not all that happy with the headlight itself, particularly on dark, twisty, tree-lined country roads. It's MUCH better than the light H-D builds the bike with, but I'm always on the hunt for something better.
Since these signal LED's are so bright, I wonder if it's possible to tint the clear coating somehow ... just to make the LED's really disappear under the control switchgear?
...and thanks for this info on the signals. I have the Primo Rivera LED headlight w/ built in signals on my bike now. The signals work well, but I'm not all that happy with the headlight itself, particularly on dark, twisty, tree-lined country roads. It's MUCH better than the light H-D builds the bike with, but I'm always on the hunt for something better.
Since these signal LED's are so bright, I wonder if it's possible to tint the clear coating somehow ... just to make the LED's really disappear under the control switchgear?
#4
03-14-2016, 01:27 AM
Details on the headlight bulb?
...and thanks for this info on the signals. I have the Primo Rivera LED headlight w/ built in signals on my bike now. The signals work well, but I'm not all that happy with the headlight itself, particularly on dark, twisty, tree-lined country roads. It's MUCH better than the light H-D builds the bike with, but I'm always on the hunt for something better.
Since these signal LED's are so bright, I wonder if it's possible to tint the clear coating somehow ... just to make the LED's really disappear under the control switchgear?
...and thanks for this info on the signals. I have the Primo Rivera LED headlight w/ built in signals on my bike now. The signals work well, but I'm not all that happy with the headlight itself, particularly on dark, twisty, tree-lined country roads. It's MUCH better than the light H-D builds the bike with, but I'm always on the hunt for something better.
Since these signal LED's are so bright, I wonder if it's possible to tint the clear coating somehow ... just to make the LED's really disappear under the control switchgear?
I am using an 80w H4 led bulb that was sent to me for review by an LED mfr. they are bright as crap- but they also don't focus for crap in an H4 reflector housing- they were initially to test in my Nissan Frontier. Very bright and blinding everyone within a 100 yard radius. lol
I tested one of them in the Breakout housing just messing around one evening. I found that by flipping the reflector upside down and moving the bulb inwards a few mm, it actually focused quite well. I further tilted it to the left a few mm and got my oncoming traffic cut line pretty good. I consider this interim though until I find something more permanent.
I've been looking at this daymaker clone and thinking about ordering one- www.ebay.com/itm/361413254498
This one is even brighter but I don't like the chrome inside it for my bike-
www.ebay.com/itm/131650541535
The specs are good on these and the price is right, same cree chips and driver circuits as the daymaker, and fits our small buckets. I don't know why the Daymaker (or JW Speaker) is still so expensive when the actual cost of these LEDs, drivers and assembly is practically peanuts now.
for the stealth led bulb turn signals- yeh you can't even really see them. I used a fine tip sharpie marker and drew black on the tiny bit of circuit board around the front facing leds, it stealthed it out even more. but these are so cheap you could experiment and screw one up - buy another no big deal.
Last edited by LA_Dog; 03-14-2016 at 01:30 AM.
#5
03-14-2016, 08:37 AM
#6
03-14-2016, 05:11 PM
#7
03-16-2016, 09:04 AM
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#8
03-16-2016, 09:20 AM
^ Thanks AZtek. So a quick update I've been rolling with these for a few months now and they have been rock solid reliable. I've washed the bike a number of times and water is not affecting the bare bulbs at all- the "conformal coating" dip is very permanent and durable (not rubbery or anything)- think of it as a hi-tek condom for the bare electronics. 
I had a rear bulb go out yesterday (1157 variety from same maker JDM ASTAR, link is in my post #1) - I emailed them last night and they will send me a replacement. All their bulbs have 2yr warranty which is excellent (on top of being $cheap$ to begin with!). I've been using their bulbs on my Nissan truck, dirt bikes for the past year and no issues.
I had a rear bulb go out yesterday (1157 variety from same maker JDM ASTAR, link is in my post #1) - I emailed them last night and they will send me a replacement. All their bulbs have 2yr warranty which is excellent (on top of being $cheap$ to begin with!). I've been using their bulbs on my Nissan truck, dirt bikes for the past year and no issues.
