[ericboutin]

I wanted to add a little more visibility to the back of the KLR and I happened on these bulbs on the FJR forum. I still lurk over there from time to time from when I owned my FJR. Anyway these bulbs are excellent! Just plug and play. The bulbs are awesome because they flash 5 times before going steady. To reset the flash simply let off the brake and reapply and the sequence starts over. 5 flashes then a steady light. The other I added was a license plate bracket that has turn signals, running lights, brake lights and plate lights all in one. I've had this on several bikes over the years and they really hold up well and work good. I bought the plate bracket thing at Cycle Gear. The brake light is lit up in the pic. They are a bear to wire up.....not so much cus it's hard, just that it's a lot of wires! Anyway here is a pic and a link of the two and also a video showing how they work. The license plate bracket lights do not flash.

Amazon.com: AUXLIGHT 2057 1157 2357 7528 2057A 1157A BAY15D LED Strobe Bulbs Brilliant Red, Ultra Bright 57-SMD LED Replacement for Brake/Tail/Stop Lights (Pack of 2) : Automotive

Buy AUXLIGHT 2057 1157 2357 7528 2057A 1157A BAY15D LED Strobe Bulbs Brilliant Red, Ultra Bright 57-SMD LED Replacement for Brake/Tail/Stop Lights (Pack of 2): Brake Lights - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

Hopefully I did this right.....Clicky for video

 

[klr4evr]

Apparently some reviewers point out that this bulb is illegal in California as it flashes too much.

 

[ericboutin]

Oh wow good catch. I guess a "Check your state and local laws before purchase" disclaimer is necessary.

 

[CamoColton]

I could see how those might be frowned up in some jurisdictions -- must be the strobing combined with flashing. Instead of just flashing like most other brake light modulators would do.

 

[ericboutin]

Another reason I'm glad I live in the South, I didn't even give it a thought when I ordered it. Lol

 

[Damocles]

Might not matter, but . . . you could check for DOT (Federal Department of Transportation) compliance; maybe on the box or in the installation instructions for your light. Yet, . . . as stated, may not matter at all, ever!

 

[OutlandMoto]

I took a look at this and found they also make a non-flashing version of that bulb, for those who may want the brightness, but not the strobe. They have turn signal lights too. Seem like good products. I’m gonna give them a try.

https://amzn.to/30J8DYH

 

[jaimesix]

Following in on this thread rather than opening another one, I will add a red LED lamp on the back to use as second brake lamp & rear fog lamp as used in Europe (here in US it is not known)
A rear fog lamp is very useful in heavy rain or heavy foggy conditions where tail lights are not readily visible and that could be the difference between ending up rear ended or being seen in due time. It shows as a powerful brake lamp would, much more visible than a regular tail lamp.

Well, my question is about wiring, probably related to this post since that lamp needs connection as well, to use it as a stop lamp, all I need is connect the positive wire from the auxiliary stop lamp to the wire going to the stock stop lamp function on the stock lamp.

I assume the stock tail lamp has three wires, one for ground, one for taillight function and a third one for stop lamp function, so by connecting the stock stop lamp wire to the auxiliary stop lam + wire that function would be mirrored by the auxiliary stop lamp.

Now, in order to make it possible to activate that auxiliary brake lamp as a rear fog lamp, with a toggle switch, would I need a toggle switch connected on one side to the battery or live + wire , and to ground, and towards the other side,from the switch over to the lamp a wire connecting the + side of the lamp to the + side of the switch ?

This is the lamp, 👍

 

[Damocles]

Maybe of no consequence, but before you mount you continuously-on back-up lamp, you might check with you jurisdiction's (state's ?) vehicle code regarding rear lighting.

 

[jaimesix]

Maybe of no consequence, but before you mount you continuously-on back-up lamp, you might check with you jurisdiction's (state's ?) vehicle code regarding rear lighting.

Not concerned at all about that issue. Nowadays I see cars and trucks driving with LED off road lamps even on streets, in a stupid display of none sense, light bars and the like, and seems cops do not care.

I do not think a cop would give a second look at my bike and even if he did, my safety and my life is a bigger concern.

In heavy fog or rain it would be idiotic for a cop to stop me for using a rear fog lamp, and otherwise my brake lamp will only work when braking, not a show off kind of lamp.

 

[MVMike]

Modulated brake lights are perfectly legal in CA if they follow this CA Veh code :
(c) Any stoplamp or supplemental stoplamp required or permitted by Section 24603 may be equipped so as to flash not more than four times within the first four seconds after actuation by application of the brakes.
Will the officer count 5 vs 3? Probably not.
My KLR brake light flashes 3 times. No issues for over 2 yrs now in CA.

 

[jaimesix]

My lamp will just turn on, not having a flashing lamp. 👍

 

[ericboutin]

Following in on this thread rather than opening another one, I will add a red LED lamp on the back to use as second brake lamp & rear fog lamp as used in Europe (here in US it is not known)
A rear fog lamp is very useful in heavy rain or heavy foggy conditions where tail lights are not readily visible and that could be the difference between ending up rear ended or being seen in due time. It shows as a powerful brake lamp would, much more visible than a regular tail lamp.

Well, my question is about wiring, probably related to this post since that lamp needs connection as well, to use it as a stop lamp, all I need is connect the positive wire from the auxiliary stop lamp to the wire going to the stock stop lamp function on the stock lamp.

I assume the stock tail lamp has three wires, one for ground, one for taillight function and a third one for stop lamp function, so by connecting the stock stop lamp wire to the auxiliary stop lam + wire that function would be mirrored by the auxiliary stop lamp.

Now, in order to make it possible to activate that auxiliary brake lamp as a rear fog lamp, with a toggle switch, would I need a toggle switch connected on one side to the battery or live + wire , and to ground, and towards the other side,from the switch over to the lamp a wire connecting the + side of the lamp to the + side of the switch ?

This is the lamp, 👍 View attachment 31704

This is basically like the license plate bracket that I also added except without all the extras. I'm curious why you would want to shut it off? I, like you was looking for more lighting for safety reasons. I agree that the more light back there the better so not to be rear ended. Why not just leave it lit up all the time like your rear running light is on all the time. You could then just tap into the rear running light wire. When I wired up the license bracket I removed the whole rear tail so I could get to all the wires I needed but to do what you want you wouldn't need to. The connections are right there when you remove the seat if I remember correctly. Tomorrow I will try to get out there and snap a pic.

As far as the flashing and jurisdiction stuff I was a LEO for 25 years (retired 5 years ago - where does the time go!?) and never hassled motorcyclists for trying to make themselves seen on the road. I think people think we have every violation memorized. LOL. It helped that I also rode but truthfully unless you're being reckless you're not going to be stopped for it. Not saying you shouldn't check your local laws and do what you are comfortable with -- I'm just telling the reality of it. Anyway like I said I will try to get a picture of the pigtail for you tomorrow with the color code for the running light. Your light looks good; be cool to get a 2nd one and mount them opposite each other on either side of the plate on the reflector bracket....it would be Harley-esque!

 

[jaimesix]

The fog lamp function is very bright, like having a brake lamp on all the time.
That would bother many at night time unless it was really bad weather like heavy rain or fog, that is the intended use of a rear fog lamp

No reason to have it on all the time EXCEPT upon braking, in which case it would work as a second stop / brake lamp as in cars.

My tail light is plenty visible under normal conditions, I have an LED bulb in the stock housing so I need no more than that.

Just need traffic behind me to be alerted when I stop, and when the tail lamp combined with another light that was not there (it was off) lights up, that calls on attention

If I were to have the second lamp on all the time , then at time of braking it would not make any difference because it would be on all the time irregardless , plus it would be annoying others on the road

 

[ericboutin]

The fog lamp function is very bright, like having a brake lamp on all the time.
That would bother many at night time unless it was really bad weather like heavy rain or fog, that is the intended use of a rear fog lamp

No reason to have it on all the time EXCEPT upon braking, in which case it would work as a second stop / brake lamp as in cars.

My tail light is plenty visible under normal conditions, I have an LED bulb in the stock housing so I need no more than that.

Just need traffic behind me to be alerted when I stop, and when the tail lamp combined with another light that was not there (it was off) lights up, that calls on attention

If I were to have the second lamp on all the time , then at time of braking it would not make any difference because it would be on all the time irregardless , plus it would be annoying others on the road

Ahh now I understand. In my small brain I was thinking you were using it for another "running light". Yah the addition of a 2nd brake light definitely makes sense. I think a million years ago we owned a Mercedes with that light you describe. There was a switch on the dash and it only lit up one side of the brake. I always thought it was broken!

 

[Damocles]

Ahh now I understand. In my small brain I was thinking you were using it for another "running light". Yah the addition of a 2nd brake light definitely makes sense. I think a million years ago we owned a Mercedes with that light you describe. There was a switch on the dash and it only lit up one side of the brake. I always thought it was broken!

Conjecture: The switched light at the rear of your Mercedes was a, "Parking Light." Many streets (and alleys) in Europe are very narrow; cars parallel parking sometimes extend into the roadway. Thus, motorists in cars so-equipped with parking lights activate the low-wattage lamp for the visibility of motorists passing by on the roadway.

Somewhat similarly, my KLR has a, "PARK," position on the ignition switch, controlling the tail light only.

Doubt this? Hey, I SAID it was conjecture!

---------------------------------------
Continuing the previous discussion, why not install a FOG LIGHT (as in, a light with a yellowish lens) instead of a back-up (clear lens) light? If the object is, visibility in heavy fog or rain for approaching motorists, mayhap a fog light would be more effective than one with a clear (or, "white") beam. Just sayin'.

 

[jaimesix]

Yes, as Damocles described, most possible it was a parking Light that European cars have.
I remember the old MB as well, I remember a rotating switch the would have a position for the parking lights and if not careful inadvertently the parking light would end up activated.

Wonder why cars today do not have this features which are useful. A parking light activated by motion detector would allow a car parked in a dark road to blink or turn on parking lights when needed, as well as (in US, European cars have it) a rear fog lamp which could save lives in bad weather

👍👍

 

[jaimesix]

Conjecture: The switched light at the rear of your Mercedes was a, "Parking Light." Many streets (and alleys) in Europe are very narrow; cars parallel parking sometimes extend into the roadway. Thus, motorists in cars so-equipped with parking lights activate the low-wattage lamp for the visibility of motorists passing by on the roadway.

Somewhat similarly, my KLR has a, "PARK," position on the ignition switch, controlling the tail light only.

Doubt this? Hey, I SAID it was conjecture!

---------------------------------------
Continuing the previous discussion, why not install a FOG LIGHT (as in, a light with a yellowish lens) instead of a back-up (clear lens) light? If the object is, visibility in heavy fog or rain for approaching motorists, mayhap a fog light would be more effective than one with a clear (or, "white") beam. Just sayin'.

Agree with the amber/yellow back up lamp. I did this on my Suzuki Samurai

Better ilumination, less glare on any possible oncoming traffic and if it were to become the norm, would indicate others someone is indeed backing up

👍👍

 

[jaimesix]

Just thinking upon reading our posts, having this rear fog lamp/brake lamp that could work as such, brake lamp and fog lamp works as added security on case of having the tail lamp fail.

Years ago when I was building one of my first cars, a Datsun B210, I put all my money into suspension, wheels/tires, engine work ... but the body was still awaiting its turn to get tlc.

Late night drove to a hamburger stand starving for a burger ... heavy fog ! Looked like one of those 50's movies were the Wolf man encountered Frankenstein in the woods ! lol

When I arrived at the stand noticed my tail lights failed ! It appears the fog was so thick everything was wet all over ,fog with drizzle and the moisture probably interferes with ground.

Could not fix it right away and had to wait until a friend appeared and he escorted me back home. It was that bad of a situation

Having a separate red lamp on back on a separate circuit allows that security, because there are times on trips when time constraints or location / parts availability will put any of us in dire straits

 

[OutlandMoto]

So I went out to Amazon to get and 1157 led bulb for the KLR. I got one that didn’t strobe but was from the same manufacturer (Auxlight). VERY NICE!! Super bright!

https://amzn.to/3HQWBNZ

I decided to get 4 turn signal bulbs as well. In my infinite wisdom, I did not check the bulb type and just ordered two amber 1157 bulbs and two amber 1156 bulbs. Every bike I’ve owned has used these in their turn signals.

Turns out the ‘22 KLR uses a different kind of bulb for the turn signals, and I can’t find what kind it is. Anybody know??