Lucas Tail Light LED?....

[Speed3Chris]

Lighting is pretty important to most of us and the rear brake light is particularly important because most of us don't want to become a hood ornament for some half baked, cell phone prattling, soccer mom...sadly the times we live in.

The factory tail light is big and looks like ET but aside from that is very functional but lets face it, not remotely attractive and why many here change to the popular Lucas light. Truth is, the Lucas light as correct as it looks, is pretty wimpy for lighting...not a good thing for safety. It isn't as much the inadequacy of the 1157 bulb which is a pretty typical tail light bulb and the one the stock tail light uses I believe but rather the reflector is not only small but not very reflective unlike the stock light. So what are our options?

1. with the Lucas tail light one can upgrade to the a higher power version of the 1157 incadescent bulb which I have. Same 15D base and globe looks the same but a higher wattage filament for a bit more light. It really doesn't transform the light however as the reflector is still the limiting factor...not unlike the headlight incidentally. (another subject)

2. Can use a plug and play LED bulb (misnomer)....not really a bulb but a unit with multiple LED's connected to it. It maybe fractionally brighter but again is limited by the crappy reflector.

3. Enter perhaps a better option. A complete LED lens replacement (see pic below including a pic of the stock Lucas light in question).
Here is the link: http://motorcyclemods.com/
This may have the most merit for those suffering from a nice looking but inadequate rear Lucas tail light. It doesn't rely on a reflector for its light emission and has multiple LED's with broader surface area for possibly better overall illumination.

My thought is no. 3 has to be better than any other options but I haven't seen it in operation. Does anybody have any experience with it? I presume it is plug and play in replacement of the 1157 bulb/base and lens for the generic Lucas tail light base sold by many aftermarket companies.

Any experience?
Thanks

 

[Texas94fs]

Exactly what I think needs to be done for the light, it just isn't bright, enough. then to top it off if you have a seat cowl that shrouds it even more. Never seen one of these but let me know if you pick it up and it works well.

 

[Nick Morey]

:thread::snack:

 

[Speed3Chris]

I nosed around the web a bit and was fortunate to find a couple of pics and therefore put a side by side comparison together to show you guys. This compares the stock tail light to the Motorcyclemods.com Lucas LED which is comprised of approx. 25 rearward firing LED's and 5 down firing LED's for plate illumination. Notice the contrast. The stock light is clearly larger and the LED outfitted Lucas light is taken to another level of brightness...smaller than the stock light but much brighter. Based upon this I believe I will order up the Motorcyclemods.com LED and fit it to my Lucas tail light. I will add to this thread at some point with a comparison between the stock Lucas light which most agree doesn't cut it and then outfitted with the LED lens.
Have a look:

 

[innominate]

do u have the lucas lights from newbonneville? if u do i'd like to know what all's involved in getting the motorcyclemod led lucas to fit into your current set up. so let us know how it goes when u get it. i was wonderin if it would simply involve takin the guts out and makin the swap?

 

[Speed3Chris]

Innominate,
I checked and yes...bought the Lucas rear light from NewBonneville.
I believe Brent at British Customs and a couple others sell the identical light.
I just ordered the LED lens today. In an effort to contribute to the community here, I will post a DIY with pictures showing a before and after comparison of brightness.
Pretty sure its what you say...remove reflector and bulb base and plug and play of LED board...3 wires as before...one to brake, one to constant tail light and one to ground. I am also thinking about a run brake turn module but will likely do that later.
Love the Lucas light cosmetically but no question it needs some help with illumination. Few things as important to motorcycle safety as being seen from behind and why I decided to order it.
Cheers.

 

[thearcticsea]

I'm not sure that just splicing the led board into the regular wiring will work. You'll most likely need a regulator to kill some of the voltage. LEDs can't take that much juice.

 

[kinky stunt]

Another option for increased visibilty is the tail light modulator which flashes when brakes are applied. I've got one in my Lucas. They sure get my attention when I see them used by others. They're actually kind of annoying if you're stuck behind one for a few stop lights, but the point is to be noticed.
Same reason I decided to leave my big ass rear fender with the reflector.
Sanity over vanity.

 

[Speed3Chris]

I'm not sure that just splicing the led board into the regular wiring will work. You'll most likely need a regulator to kill some of the voltage. LEDs can't take that much juice.

Nope. Fact is, LED's only draw the amperage they need. Regulators regulate voltage and not amperage. Amperage draw is based upon resistance.
No regulator required. I have also replaced all the incadescent bulbs in my instrument panel with LED's....one of the best improvements I have made as the turn signal and neutral light indicator lights are too dim from the factory in bright light. LED's are a popular upgrade for the speedo and tach as well. No adjustment to voltage required...most LED's are 12V rated and again they draw comparatively less amperage by design for the same if not more lumens.
I have done a lot of LED's on many motorcycles. The only adjustment required FWIW with LED's is turn signals which require a load resistor to ballast a stock flasher which is basically a time decay capacitor. Flash rate in turn signal applications is increased with LED's because there is less resistance to store charge in the flasher. A replacement or variable pot (potentiometer) flasher is another work around.
Hope that helps.

 

[Speed3Chris]

Another option for increased visibilty is the tail light modulator which flashes when brakes are applied. I've got one in my Lucas. They sure get my attention when I see them used by others. They're actually kind of annoying if you're stuck behind one for a few stop lights, but the point is to be noticed.
Same reason I decided to leave my big ass rear fender with the reflector.
Sanity over vanity.

Yup. Studies are conflicted however as sometimes drivers misinterpret a braking situation if they look only briefly between pulses. The annoyance you speak of can lead to confusion as well. I would say by and large they are positive for the reasons you state.
I will tell you what I do for safety. I wear a solid white (Arai Profile) full face helmet and raise my hand when I stop or turn. Plus if I have a cager right on my ass, I take a long time to slow down gradually before I turn. A white helmet is better than any lights on a motorcycle. When stopped at a light, I leave my front wheel turned and watch my mirrors with bike in gear if traffic is approaching from behind and try like hell not to be a victim of somebodies' inattention.
Ride safe.

 

[thearcticsea]

Okay, I was thinking they needed something because of the turn signals I put on my bike. They required a load equalizer.

 

[innominate]

I'm thinking it all just comes down to the size of the new housing/led panel. I called motomods and the guy I spoke with said a couple diff asian suppliers make Lucas style lights. So he said it might just bolt right it or might not. But just from the pics our red lens housings look deeper than the led one. So I'm hopin the other dimensions make for an easy slip in mod. I'm also thinking about putting some 1" or 1.25" led clusters from custom dynamics in the bullet markers I got from NB too. Those tiny bulbs aren't bright at all. I use hand signals when someone is behind me hopin they don't run my ass over.

I met a guy that rides and lives near me a couple weeks ago. He oversees security installs and he said if I had any probs he had all kinda electrical supplies at his place to help me out. So I'm prob gonna order the lucas LEDs in the next couple days and see what we can rig up.

 

[innominate]

Okay, I was thinking they needed something because of the turn signals I put on my bike. They required a load equalizer.

I think I saw something on another crappy site that if the led are in series on a board that something is needed or they may not all light up. Is that right? Do most indicators have regulators, or whatever they're called, on the board to ensure all the LEDs light up equally? Or am I just misinformed?

I know if u add led indicators u need resistors in-line or a new flasher relay to get the same blink rate.

 

[kinky stunt]

I will tell you what I do for safety. I wear a solid white (Arai Profile) full face helmet and raise my hand when I stop or turn. Plus if I have a cager right on my ass, I take a long time to slow down gradually before I turn. A white helmet is better than any lights on a motorcycle. When stopped at a light, I leave my front wheel turned and watch my mirrors with bike in gear if traffic is approaching from behind and try like hell not to be a victim of somebodies' inattention.
Ride safe.

That's good advice S3C.

 

[strokerlmt]

I tend to agree with some posters. Lights during the day are what they are no matter LED or nuclear powered because good drivers IMO see the "rider and the bike" not the lights. During the day cell phone users, texter's, coffee drinkers, make up artists will get your ass. When I ride to bigger cities I put bigger mirrors on and watch my ass. Now at night BRIGHT is good...but I ride very seldom at night.
Good luck....
LMT

 

[Speed3Chris]

I'm thinking it all just comes down to the size of the new housing/led panel. I called motomods and the guy I spoke with said a couple diff asian suppliers make Lucas style lights. So he said it might just bolt right it or might not. But just from the pics our red lens housings look deeper than the led one. So I'm hopin the other dimensions make for an easy slip in mod. I'm also thinking about putting some 1" or 1.25" led clusters from custom dynamics in the bullet markers I got from NB too. Those tiny bulbs aren't bright at all. I use hand signals when someone is behind me hopin they don't run my ass over.

I met a guy that rides and lives near me a couple weeks ago. He oversees security installs and he said if I had any probs he had all kinda electrical supplies at his place to help me out. So I'm prob gonna order the lucas LEDs in the next couple days and see what we can rig up.

I think we are good if you have the standard rectangular Lucas light as shown in the pic of my bike above. I measured mine and dimensions compare to the ad. There are a couple of different shaped retro lights but if you have the square-ish one, believe it will bolt up no prob. If you do decide to retrofit LED's to your bullets, biggest factor there aside from firing direction is room inside the recepticle for the smaller bullet lights in particular. Globe size is smaller than a std. 1156 or 1157 and therefore the LED length has to correspond or there will be interference with the inside of the lens. You can determine this with some careful measuring of the lens and receptical depth before you make your purchase. I actually find the larger bullets that NB sells to be adequate for lighting. They have a strong 23W bulb and decent reflector and don't believe major gains would be derived by replacing the bulb with a LED cluster bulb...but maybe there would be some benefit. I believe the larger bullets in fact are stronger than the DOT stock lights that come on our bike which I believe are only 10W. The Lucas replacement light is not however and the purpose of this thread.

 

[Speed3Chris]

That's good advice S3C.

Thanks. I like to leave my bike in neutral like the next guy at the light to give my left hand a rest...and sometimes do if no traffic behind me as far as I can see. As soon as I see somebody coming up however, bike goes in gear with front wheel slightly turned. Kind of the price we pay for being at such a size disadvantage.
Cheers.

 

[Speed3Chris]

I tend to agree with some posters. Lights during the day are what they are no matter LED or nuclear powered because good drivers IMO see the "rider and the bike" not the lights. During the day cell phone users, texter's, coffee drinkers, make up artists will get your ass. When I ride to bigger cities I put bigger mirrors on and watch my ass. Now at night BRIGHT is good...but I ride very seldom at night.
Good luck....
LMT

Agree...lights aren't as effective in the day but all of us have been deceived while driving by another car that doesn't have any brake lights so...brake light in particular IMHO matters even during the day. Statistically motorcyclists get run over every year. Technically it maybe the cagers fault but we can avoid most of these incidents by riding like we are invisible. Sadly, we have to compensate for bad drivers. Those motorcyclists that don't, even though they maybe following the letter of the law, can end up dead right. Didn't mean to hi-jack my own thread with discussion about safety but aside from the fun of riding a motorcycle and thrill of speed which is why we all do it, nothing is more important. Nobody knows where the line is but every little bit helps and why increasing the brightness of the low output Lucas light is at least directionally good. This became real apparent when I switched bikes with a friend and followed my bike.

 

[innominate]

If you do decide to retrofit LED's to your bullets, biggest factor there aside from firing direction is room inside the recepticle for the smaller bullet lights in particular. Globe size is smaller than a std. 1156 or 1157 and therefore the LED length has to correspond or there will be interference with the inside of the lens. You can determine this with some careful measuring of the lens and receptical depth before you make your purchase.

i think i'm ok with depth with the small bullets. i just need to go out and measure the width. i think the 1.25" is too big to fit from just a quick look at em the other day. i'm just not sure i want to shell out $40 to find out the 16 leds in the 1" cluster dont put out much more light than even the mini bayonet bulbs that are in there. i can buy a lotta beer fer $40

 

[Speed3Chris]

i think i'm ok with depth with the small bullets. i just need to go out and measure the width. i think the 1.25" is too big to fit from just a quick look at em the other day. i'm just not sure i want to shell out $40 to find out the 16 leds in the 1" cluster dont put out much more light than even the mini bayonet bulbs that are in there. i can buy a lotta beer fer $40

Exactly. Personally, don't believe its worth the experiment in the case of the mini bullets as I believe the 23W bulb in there which incidentally is a very difficult bulb to find internationally in either single or dual contact base...does a good job. Had the same dillemma with the Lucas LED but in this case felt the Lucas tail light was so inadequate, it was worth the expense. Will give you guys a decent take when I get it installed.