LED Flexible Arrays

At all the shows and rallies we I attend each year there has been one complaint that I hear from riders no matter what model or brand motorcycle they ride. "I don't have enough light in the rear of my bike when stopping or turning!

Well I have found the answer. Red and Amber Flexible LED Array's by Radiantz. Whether your just adding more lights or you want to completely replace your stock brake light and turn signals, they have a product for you.

Flexible Arrays are an extremely bright, "sun light visible" LED light strip that comes in both RED and AMBER. Flexible Array's can be used for anything from custom motorcycle turn signals and brake lights, to under the tank lighting.


What makes these so versatile is that not only do they come with red or amber LEDs but they also come in 9 different lengths for just about any application. They also are available with either a red or clear tube to match just about any paint scheme.



Because the are flexible you can use them on just about any surface too. Use them as LED turn signals on the rear fender. Form them around the forks for an awesome custom front turn signal. Add them to saddlebags, license plate frames, or trunks for an extra LED brake light. When it comes to these arrays, the possibilities are just about endless.

They measure only .325" thick by .325" wide making them one of the smallest LED strips with the biggest punch on the market. Because of there 135 degree angle of light they can be seen from just about any angle unlike most LEDs that just shine at a 35 degree angle of light.

They have even gone as far as putting more that one strip in a tube giving you the ability to add an extra brake light with turn signals to any tourpak or truck. These LED strips can be wired into your existing brake light and turn signal to work independently but will appear to be one continuous light bar when the bike is off.

You can check all of these cool new products out at http://www.chromeglow.com/

LED Motorcycle Fender Tips

I just love it when these cool new products come out. It's like Christmas morning for the motorcyclist every spring when the manufacturers introduce their new products. This is the latest one I have found to not only be decorative but also quite functional not to mention SAFE!
They are LED replacement fender tip lights for Harley Davidson models. They come in both Amber and RED and are available from 2 different suppliers.
The first one pictured above is by Radiantz and features 24 super bright SMT LED's in each tip. They are available in both red or amber and couldn't be any easier to install. Just pop off your fender tip lens, pull out the stock bulb, press in the new LED Fender Tip light, and re-install the lens. It's that simple. Now for the best part, everybody is going to ask if it needs a dual load equalizer, a diode, or a resistor of some sort to work? Nope! It just plugs in and works just like the stock bulb.

The 2nd style available is even better than the one above I just spoke about. It is a40 LED fender tip board that uses wide angle 5mm LED's made by Street Magic LEDs. This baby is just plain bright!!!
It works the same as the SMT style mentioned above as far as the installation process but it goes 1 step farther - The red one for the rear can be set up to be used as a running light and extra brake light. Yeah, you read that right. It has standard running light capabilities but also comes with a wiring harness so you can splice it into your brake light to work in conjunction with your stock taillight. Tis one comes with the LED Fender Tip board, brake light wiring harness, and connectors. With this style, you will have to cut the wires going to the taillight, but it all goes back together after the install using the supplied connectors.
If you have already converted your turn signals over to LED's, this is a fairly inexpensive way to "dress up" your fender tip lights as well. Both styles of LED fender tip lights can be found at www.ChromeGlow.com

18" LED Motorcycle Trunk Light Bar

Hi Chris,
I just wanted to let you and your readers know how easy it was to mount the 18" Trunk Mount LED Light Bar to my Yamaha Venture. Rivco knew exactly what they were doing when they produced this baby!. It fits like it was made by Yamaha JUST for my bike.
1st of all, the price was very affordable at $64.99 considering the quality, design, and appearance of the product. And talk about "blending in with the look of bike", this light bar looks like a part that should be on the bike straight out of the factory.
OK, now for the installation. The light bar can be mounted on the top of the trunk if you prefer but after looking it over for about 1/2 hour I realized that if I removed the 2 right angle legs on either end of the LED Light Bar it would fit beneath my trunk perfectly.


Under the trunk there is a mounting bracket that hold the trunk. On either end just inside the helmet locks are rubber stoppers. With pliers pull out the rubber stoppers. Then remove the right angle legs from the 18" LED Trunk Light bar. Then, find the right brackets supplied with your light bar. Attach them to the light bar with the supplied screws. Now mount the light bar to the bottom of the trunk by lining up the right angle brackets on either end of the LED light bar to the holes where you removed the rubber stoppers. Using the hardware - bolt it on. I then took a small amount of black RTV silicone and filled in the gap where the original legs were attached to the light bar.
Now just run the wires into your main wiring harness feeding the taillight. With the supplied connectors, tap into your running light, brake light , and ground wires. I had to call my Yamaha dealer to find out which color wires were which but I suppose you could find out for your self if you have a test light.
Now all you have to do is have someone stand back away from the rear of the bike (approx the distance of a following car) and pivot the light until it shines directly up at that persons eyes. Now using a Phillips head screw driver tighten the 2 end screws to lock the light bar in place.

Hopefully this info will help your readers. Thanks again.
Peter G. from Glendora, CA

Peter,
Thanks for info I will definitely pass it on.
For more info on the 18" LED Trunk Light bar go to http://www.chromeglow.com/store.asp?pid=6051&catid=19650.

Motorcycle LED Turn Signals Flash Fast

Chris,
I have a 2000 FLHTC Harley Davidson and I just switched my rear turn signals and brake light over to LEDs and now my turn signals blink way too fast. What can I do? Joe M. Palmyra, NY

Joe,
I get this question all the time and it's a simple fix. What you need is a Dual Load Equalizer. Motorcycle Turn Signals are load dependent and require the same load draw equally from each side to function properly. If you have ever had a turn signal bulb blow in your car, you have noticed that the blinker light in your dash board stays on steady or flashes very fast when using your turn signal. This is because the "blown" bulb is causing an unequal load on the system and becomes a warning devise to let you know there is a problem.
In the simplest terms, converting your motorcycle turn signal bulbs over to LEDs is "fooling" your electrical system into thinking you have a burned out bulb. LED replacement bulbs draws so few amps that the system "thinks" a bulb is blown. Your flasher, in turn, blinks very fast to warn you. The Load Equalizer will balance the load equally between the turn signals and slow the flash rate back down to its normal speed. Dual Load equalizers are easy to install and can be mounted under your seat or in your headlight housing. Keep in mind, you will need one Load Equalizer for the fron turn signals and one for the rear. To purchase a Dual Load Equalizer visit www.Chrome Glow.com and click on the "Lighting Controls" button.
Thanks for the question Joe.
Chris S.

Start of the season motorcycle tips

With Dayton Bike Week and spring season just ahead, I have comprised a "Motorcycle To Do" list that will help you bring your bike out of winter storage. This is a simple list of checks and tips that could save you lots of time and money this riding season. Do all of the following steps BEFORE starting the bike for the first time.

1) Set aside time a few weeks before the season starts to give your bike a "once over". This way if you do encounter a problem you will have plenty of time to get it fixed before you want to head out on your first ride.

2) Roll your bike into a well lit, clean area to perform the following checks. You may want to use a work light to see in the darker areas.

3) Charge your battery. You may want to consider how old your battery is? If your battery is more than 5 years old and it hasn't been placed on a trickle charger on a regular basis, it should be replaced. Has the bike been sitting in storage for a long period of time? Was the battery kept on a regular charging schedule or was a motorcycle trickle charger used? If there's any doubt about the condition of a battery, check it out and replace it!

4)Change your oil. If you changed it in the fall when you put the bike away, you should be fine. However, if your bike has been in storage for more than 8 months, I recommend that you change the oil again. Check your other fluid levels such as coolant, transmission fluid, and brake fluids.

5) Check your tires for wear and "dry rot". Look for any cracks in the tread or side walls. Properly inflate your tire to the manufacturers recommendations.

6) Remove and clean your spark plugs. Replace if they seem extremely worn or if any part of the ceramic is cracked or damaged. Check your spark plug wires for any signs of drying out.

7)Check all of the lighting on the bike. Both high and low beams of the headlight, running lights, brake lights, and turn signals. It is very common for incandescent bulbs to burn out after sitting for long periods of time in cold weather. A great way to solve this problem is to convert your motorcycle lighting over to LED's. There are a wide variety of LED Turn signal, LED brake lights, and LED replacement bulbs available for just about any bike. Rememeber, LED's can last up to 100,000 hours and many have life time warranties.

8) Check your mirrors. Pivoting mirrors can come loose and can spoil a ride if they are not tightened properly.

9) Check your fuel. Remove and properly discard any fuel that has been sitting( untreated) in your tank for more than 1 year.

Remember, your bike will come OUT of winter storage much easier if you have put it INTO winter storage properly.
Have fun and ride safe.
Chris

Cycle Sounds Speaker Replacement

Chris,
One of the speakers on my 2 Wheel Tunes motorcycle sound system has blown. Is there a trick to getting the old speaker out of the housing? Thanks, Jim

Great question Jim.
To change a speaker in a Cycle Sounds or 2 Wheel Tunes motorcycle sound system just follow these steps:
1) Unscrew the speaker grill just enough to allow a medium sized flat blade screw driver to fit between the speaker grill and the bullet housing.
2) wrap a soft cloth around the end of the screw driver and gently pry between the speaker grill and the housing. Work your way all around the speaker so that the assembly comes out evenly. Continue this procedure until the inner speaker seperates from the bullet housing. The speaker should now be dangling from the wires with the grill still attached.
3) Unscrew the grill from the speaker. Disconnect or cut the speaker wires as close to the defective speaker as possible. Discard bad speaker.
4) Using included hardware, attach the new speaker to the speaker wires inside the bullet housing.
5) Screw the grill back on to the speaker and gently (and evenly) press the new motorcycle speaker back into the bullet housing. You may need to unscrew the speaker grill slightly in order for the new speaker to seat all the way down into the bullet housing.
6) Tighten speaker grill and you are all set.

That's all there is to replacing a Cycle Sounds or 2 Wheel Tunes bullet speaker assembly.
Replacement motorcycle speakers and lots of other motorcycle sound system accessories can be found at http://www.chromeglow.com/

Auto-Dimming Motorcycle Mirrors

New motorcycle accessories come out about every week throughtout the year but rarely does a new product get introduced that really makes a big difference. While endlessly searching the world for the next "must have " motorcycle gadget, I stumbled upon the new Auto-Dimming Wireless Motorcycle Mirror by AlphaMirror. These things are just plain cool! Not only do they look great but they really work too.

Who hasn't been riding at night and had that jerk behind you with the bright headlights shining directly into your mirrors and back into your eyes. What a distraction from the ride! Now you are either fumbling to adjust your mirrors on the fly or you just can't stop looking back to see if he'll pass.

Problem solved! New Auto-Dimming Motorcycle Mirrors that are lithium battery operated. They work just like the rear view mirror in your car that automatically dims when bright lights approach from the rear. With these new Digital Auto-Dimming Motorcycle Mirrors, high intensity headlights are automatically dimmed away to protect the riders vision - without any manual adjustment! The mirror's sensors adjust the tinting to current lighting conditions and improve vision in all weather.

Made from 6061-T6 extruded billet aluminum that is polished and available in both a bright chrome or black finish.These Digital Auto-Dimming Motorcycle Mirrors are designed to fit a variety of motorcycles. The billet frame and stainless steel alloy post make them a very durable mirrors for miles and miles of glare-free riding. Available in both Cat Eye and Oval shaped that add sleekness and style to almost any style motorcycle - Street to Cruiser, Factory to Custom.

With 4 colors to choose from in both Chrome or Black, these new Motorcycle Mirrors are going to be the hot new product for 2008. They are available for almost any American or Metric motorcycle at ChromeGlow.com.

Great advice straight from the source - The customer

This letter came from a customer and I thought it was so informative that I just had to pass it on to all our blog readers. Enjoy and feel free to comment or send along your success story for us to share with everybody.
Thanks, Chris

I own a 2006 V Star Classic and recently purchased the L.E.D. board tail light conversion kit (#9011-10) from Denise at www.ChromeGlow.com. I find it to be a necessary addition to the bike for several reasons.
First and foremost is that the V Star, like most motorcycles, comes with only one tail light bulb. Should that one and only bulb burn out while riding at night, the rider is in a very unsafe situation. This unit has 32 L.E.D.s on it, which gives redundancy,as well as the fact that it will outlast an incandescent bulb. I also find that this light assembly projects light brighter than the stock 1157 bulb. We all know that visibility is the key - the more lights, the better!
The second factor is that the charging system on the V Star (I can only speak for the 650) is insufficient. This is a fact which is well known and was told to me by the factory regional service representative from Yamaha after the dealers scratched their heads for two months looking for the problem. My bike has the Yamaha auxiliary passing lamps on it and the charging system is insufficient to power everything if you ride in cold weather, as the lamps in combination with the carburetor heaters pull more than the system can generate. This leaves the owner with two choices - upgrade the charging system to one with higher output (Yamaha upgraded mine under warranty), and/or start trimming electrical draw. If you are experiencing this problem and they try to tell you to just not turn the lights on, or that it is normal, don't believe it.
A stock 1157 bulb draws approximately three amps when both filaments are illuminated compared to just milli-amps that L.E.D.s draw, making the conversion a logical choice. However, it is important to understand that not all L.E.D. bulbs will produce the desired results. I have tried several aftermarket bulbs which have the L.E.D.s in a cluster and they do not produce enough light! By design, the diodes project light in a straight beam, so any of the diodes that are not directly facing the lens are useless. While using other bulbs, I have had drivers tell me that they couldn't see my brake light. It's comforting to know that a few still pay attention out there!
The problem has been solved with the #9011-10 L.E.D. Board conversion kit. I now run that along with a Signal Dynamics Quad L.E.D. license plate frame and Back-Off XP tail light modulator. The bike is extremely visible now. If you are considering an L.E.D. light, this is the way to go. If anyone has any questions, feel free to e-mail me at N56289@aol.com.
I found the service at Chrome Glow to be great - friendly along with fast shipping! You won't be disappointed. Order your L.E.D. Board tail light kit for your Star today!
Remember - visibility is the key. See and be seen! Happy riding and be careful out there.

Bob Hanlon
Aston, PA