Boogie_with_Stu
Senior Member
Offline
Look Ma, no hands!
Posts: 280
Raleigh, NC
Gender:
|
Adding additional lighting to a car/truck/boat is a breeze. Adding lighting to a motorcycle, especially one with an electrical system like the Savage, not so much. Either you add to the wattage total and use some of the power needed to recharge the battery, or you have to take wattage out of the "system" and then put in a reasonably close amount of power consumption with alternate light. I am going the latter route.
Our tail/brake/license light assembly uses 2 bulbs. One is a dual filament 1157 used for the running light and brake light, and the other is an independent 631 BA-15 style 8 watt bulb for the license plate. This is the bulb I will be removing from the system.
In place of the 8 watt license plate bulb, I will be using :
(2) ultra bright white LED license plate bolt lights @ .5 watts each.
(2) 2 1/5" red LED round "side marker" type lights, one installed in each of my saddlebags facing rearward. These will act as running lights and use 1 watt each.
(2) chrome 2" "retro" red LED lights mounted to the rear fender behind the saddlebags. These are really bright, even in bright sunshine. They pull 3 watts each.
Total drain on the system, about 9 watts. Instead of one license plate lamp, I will now have : 2 license plate lights (bolt style), 2 chrome running lights, and 2 round running lights for the saddlebags. The saddlebag lights are permanently mounted with a 2 wire automotive connector on each, so that if I zip off the bags...I just un-plug them from the system. That leaves 7 watts on the electrical line for the license bulb when the bags are taken off.
Since the license plate light is pretty much useless during the day, I lose nothing during daylight driving. What I gain, is at least 2 running lights that are daylight visible. At night, I gain 4 red running lights, a much better lit license plate, and lose nothing.
I dont know if the license plate lamp is part of the "fast blink" system that lets the operator know if a running light/turn signal lamp is blown, but even if it is....since I am so close to the original 8 watt draw of the lamp, there shouldnt be any change to the blink rate.
I'm an electronics guy....not a mechanical or automotive expert. Can anyone see a flaw in my plans? Something that I am mis-understanding?
Again, my quest was to improve nighttime visibility without losing any of the original lighting. I think I have accomplished that...but I'm open to suggestions or corrections.
3 watt (cree)red running lights, overall dimension on the lens end is 2.25" , the lens diameter is approx 1.750".
|