Ok so i have been wanting something to do on my bike that meets these goals:
1. Less draw on the charging system
2. makes my bike safer! and esayer to see!
so with thsoe goals in mind i came up with a LED tail light... i was really fed up with the over priced H-D led tail lights that were small and didnt take into account that i might want to take it apart and fix it!!
so i went to harbor freight tools and got a "trailer wireing kit"
$47 went to "michaels" kraft store and got a hot glue gun and some hot glue...
$15of course by now you should have a cheep soldering iron and some electrical tape (right?)
it just so happens that the "main" cluster of LEDs (red) is the same size as the "round" lens on the cb750 and the tail lights have a built in licence plate light (white leds) and a side marker cluster (only on one side though * i will explain how to fix that)
So here is how i started:
1. i removed the tail light backing plate from the tail light mount.
2. next remove the old wiring..
3. remove the old reflector
4. use a razor blade and cut back that odd shapped rubber gasket in the middle and reinstall it with some black rtv to keep it in place and seal out moistier.
5. open up the LED tail light
6. open up the second led tail light
7. at this point your going to use the one with the licence plate light and cut the brown/ white leeds and splice in the "side marker" from the other tail light
8. once that is done "hot glue" the extra side marker light to the back side of the base for the led big cluster ... matching how the other side looks...
9. now cut up the old houseing from the led tail lights (black plastic.... and hot glue a make shift seperator for the licence plate light so you dont get "red" led light lighting up the licence plate
10. remember that old wireing... (hope you didnt throw it in the trash) reuse it and splice it onto the cluster... and add in a "Green" wire (i used the white one) for the ground and put a male flat spade connector on it...
11. now test fit everything the idea is to have the "main" LED cluster be HOT glued into the red tail light LENZ!!!! at this point you might have to do some trimming on the cluster edges to clear way for the 4 screws that hold the lenz to the tail light backing plate..
12. now that your satisfied that it looks good start glueing... make sure that you dont get too much glue down in front of the led cluster...
13. at this point i decided that i wanted to make sure NO moister got in this thing so i check all gaskets and seals. and resealed or hot glued any holes that existed!
14. now your ready to put the thing together! feed the 3 wires though and get ready to hot glue the 3 wires though the rubber gromet that you saved from the old setup! (you did remember to reinstall that right
there you go! now tighten up those 8mm bolts that hold the backing plate to the mount and remove your licence plate to re-hook up the 3 leeds and your ready to go... enjoy the safer and brighter tail light...
On a side note here are some Amp readings i took before and after :
STOP light: 2.07A (1157)
Tail light: .550mA
(old setup licence plate light would get MUCH dimmer when brake was off)
LED light:
STOP light: 255.7mA
Tail light: 161mA
BOTH: 389mA
now my other idea is NOW there is some freeeeeed up Amps on the charging circut to charge a cell phone or have other accessories or if you just want to have your alt last longer because there is MUCH less load...
Food for thought:
1156 turn signal: 1.63A
my next project LED turn signal 99.6 mA
on the 77 cb750 the front turn signals are also "marker lights" thats 3.26A
first picture is tail light.
2nd picture is stop light
