I see that there is a lot of talk about replacing the blinkers (both 1156's and 1157's) with LED equivilents.
I have read through most of this and have yet to see mention of load equalizers.
Using LED's as turn signals and brakes can work fine for you if you get a good quality substitute (some of the cheaper ones are just too dim to be useful
), but keep in mind that if you replace a turn signal bulb with an LED you will experience a quick flashing signal (Jim_R this is what you experienced).
Most bikes are set to see a certain resistance when the bulb is working correctly. When the bulb burns out the resistance changes signaling the system of the failure. What your suppose to get is a quick flashing blinker (the little blinker light on your speedo) to tell you of the failure. Also the blinker itself will blink much quicker. LED's have a much lower resistance which will let the system think there is a failure.
To rectify this you need to put load equalizers into the circuit that will increase the resistance thus fooling the system into thinking everything is ok.
You only need the load equalizers in the turn signal circuits, the brake/tail lights do not act this way.
As far as LED's go they are a lot more durable then the standard bulbs. I have been running them in my Intruder for years now without failure.
Just keep in mind that you get what you pay for. If you buy some of these cheap $2-3 dollar replacements they will just sit on a shelf and you will have a negative outlook on LED's. If you get a good quality set they will be near blinding and very easy to see.