"Chris, I bought some of your LED Flexible Arrays to wrap around my front forks as turn signals but I need to know the best way to bend them without breaking them. Please help". JB in New York.
Ok, there it is. The most asked question I get concerning Motorcycle LED Flexible Arrays. "How do I bend these damn things without breaking them"? I'm going to break it down for you step by step and make it as easy as possible to get it right the first time. As many of you already know the Flexible Arrays are anything but flexible right out of the package. Actually they are quite rigid. This is a good thing because you are going to mount it to your motorcycle. They only become flexible once you have warmed them up. As they cool they will maintain the shape you have bent them into.
Remember, Flexible Arrays can only bend in one direction(pictured above). They can not bend in a 'Smiley or Frown" face direction which make them perfect for forks or rear fenders.
So here we go. This is how we do it.
The manufacturer recommends that you evenly warm them up using a Heat Gun or hot Hairdryer.We found that the best way to evenly warm them up is to set them on a portable room heater for about 20 minutes. This works very well because it heats the Flexible Array all the way through to the LED strip inside the tubing. Plus it frees up both hands to start forming the array in a "U" shape. Using a heat gun can get awkward and makes it hard to evenly warm up the array.
Once the LED Flexible Array is completely warmed it becomes very pliable and easy to work with. Using your forefingers and thumbs SLOWLY start to bend the array working from end to end to get an even "bend".You may need to re-warm the array as you go along to keep it soft and bendable. As the array cools it will harden and maintain the shape you have bent it into.
Now comes the best trick of all. We use a plumbing PVC end cap to maintain the shape and allow the LED Flexible Array to cool without having to hold in your hands. Choose a PVC end cap with the inside diameter size that is close to your fork size. We like to use 1", 1-1/8", or 1-1/4" end caps.Place the formed array into the PVC end cap and using your thumbs work the array into the the "U" shape desired. You may need to use a little extra effort near the ends of the array since this area tends to be more rigid than the rest of the strip.
Allow the LED Flexible Array to cool in the PVC end cap for at least an hour to ensure that it completely cools and will hold that shape. We like to leave the LED light strip in the PVC end cap until we are ready to mount it to the forks. This way you don't have to worry about it spreading back open. If you're pressed for time you can always throw it into the refrigerator to speed the cooling process.As you can see from the pictures this method works very well and you should be a pro at it after doing just one set.
Don't forget about our mounting accessories too. We carry the 3M promoter prep pads that will make the array stick to just about any surface. We also have Chrome Cable Ties, extra tape, or whatever you need to complete your install. All the LED Flexible Arrays can be found at www.ChromeGlow.com.
Please let me know if you found this article helpful. Thanks
