Can I Use Led Bulbs?

Discussion in 'Daytona' started by bananaracer, Oct 29, 2021.

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  1. bananaracer

    bananaracer New Member

    Aug 4, 2020
    12
    3
    Dunmow, Essex
    As the question says, can I put LED indicator bulbs on my Daytona? I have one in the tail light but for some reason I have in my head that you can't put LCDs in the indicators as they don't flash. Don't know if I tried it many years ago or just read it somewhere, or just made it up. Anyone got them fitted, and if so, part number/supplier would be great :)
     
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  2. Pegscraper

    Pegscraper Elite Member

    Jun 12, 2020
    2,936
    800
    Yorkshire
    You need either LED's with built in resistors or fit additional resistors, similar to those on the TEC website, (other sellers are available). The issue is that standard filamant bulbs offer a resistance that the flasher relay "sees" whereas the LED's can appear as open circuit.

    https://www.tecbikeparts.com/product/led-indicator-resistors-pair/
     
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  3. bananaracer

    bananaracer New Member

    Aug 4, 2020
    12
    3
    Dunmow, Essex
    Thanks Pegscraper. A bit of a trawl around t'internet suggests that in-line resistors generate a bit of heat and that fitting a different relay is the better way to go. Any thoughts on this before I just goa head with the in-line resistor option?
     
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  4. joe mc donald

    Dec 26, 2014
    13,874
    1,000
    slough / burnham
    Bananaracer.
    If i missed you welcome to the family.
    Joe.
     
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  5. underdoug

    underdoug Member

    Oct 13, 2021
    20
    8
    Victoria BC
    i am working on this. i think you can replace the flasher relay with a $.50 modern relay (or $12 of amazon) and not waste time/energy/effort with resistors. I will not know until the parts arrive from aliexpress. I'll post an update somewhere on the tirumphorum.com once the parts arrive. Follow my posts for a few months, i hope the parts arrive soon.
     
  6. Ducatitotriumph

    Ducatitotriumph Crème de la Crème

    Apr 25, 2019
    2,181
    1,000
    Rothwell
    Don't forget that there's a positive and negative on the led indicators. If they don’t work straight away, reverse the wires!
     
  7. underdoug

    underdoug Member

    Oct 13, 2021
    20
    8
    Victoria BC
    Still waiting for the flasher relay …
     
  8. underdoug

    underdoug Member

    Oct 13, 2021
    20
    8
    Victoria BC
    Success. I replaced the turn signals with LEDs on the 2013 T100.

    On almost any motorcycle (not just triumph), you will probably run into hyperflashing if you replace bulbs with LEDs. Try installing the LEDs and see if you get hyperflashing. If you do and your bike has a flasher relay:
    - don't install load resistors until you have replaced the flasher relay. You probably won't need them, except for maybe some canbus purpose. They chew up more power and emit heat. IF your bike has canbus-based signaling for determining if lights are out etc. order teh appropriate LEDs.
    - order a relay flasher compatible with your bike and specifies LED compatible (these really aren't flasher relays they are timing circuits and probably solid state). There are a few different form factors. so make sure the one you order matches what is on your bike for connectors and and for form factor. My T100 has a two pin flasher relay. A flasher relay should run $6-$12 on Aliexpress/Amazon.

    If you install turn LED turn signals and they don't light up at all, the wiring is probably backwards to your needs (see @Ducatitotriumph's earlier reply). All 4 were backwards on my T100. The positive needs to be going to the center contact of the bulb and the negative to the sleeve. The hardest part of the install for my T100 was taking the lamps out of the holders, swapping the leads to the lamps, and reinstalling the lamps. This was time consuming, and I managed to break one of the wires pulling the lead off the lamp, fortunately I had the supplies and tools to replace the connector. Be careful to pull on the connector, not the wire.

    Be careful installing the bulbs. I managed to bend a contact in the lamp and shorted out the wiring, which fried the flasher relay i patiently waited for from China/aliexpress. The second relay I ordered was from amazon for speed.
     
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  9. Pegscraper

    Pegscraper Elite Member

    Jun 12, 2020
    2,936
    800
    Yorkshire
    I discovered recently that the later water cooled models have 4 settings in the ECU for indicator flash rate, accessed by the function button to facilitate a change to LED's.
     
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  10. underdoug

    underdoug Member

    Oct 13, 2021
    20
    8
    Victoria BC
    That is a much more sensible design. Probably a computer does the timing and switches with a transistor of some sort.
     
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