Do it YourSelf - How to upgrade brake lights

[Martin Slovakia]

Hi guys, I have seen somewhere an upgrade to brake lights on F3s. Ever since I was wondering how they did it. As i could not find any article about it, I did it myself.
Maybe some of you will find it as a good idea. Yeah I know, many will say it is dangerous and not road legal.
For me they look much more fresh and up to date.
One update: cm are wrong, there ahould be mm, so therefore add one more 0 to inches. Sorry office plancton mistake

 

[Steve W.]

Sorry, but blocking a major portion of the brake light lens without also increasing the light output is more of a "change" than an "upgrade".

Points given for creativity, but points taken away for not increasing visibility. :lecturef_smilie:

.

 

[Revalden]

Rear tire is tooooo wide.:2thumbs:

 

[spyder01]

I probably wouldn't do this on my bike which is an RT anyway but I like the fact that you do what you want and are a creative free spirit.Keep it up bro.

 

[Eviltwin]

Covering up the center of the lenses with some black plastic so they look "Cool" isnt an upgrade and reduces overall visibility.

 

[Peter Aawen]

C'mon guys, just cos it's not something you'd do, there's no reason to pick away at it or at Martin for doing it! :lecturef_smilie:

It's a modification that someone else has done & been thoughtful enough to show the rest of us what they did & how they did it - if you don't want to do it yourself, then don't! If you can't post politely about it, or offer helpful advice, then it's probably best not to post about it at all.

 

[EdMat]

Maybe add some high output bulbs so it stands out more?

 

[Martin Slovakia]

Sorry, but blocking a major portion of the brake light lens without also increasing the light output is more of a "change" than an "upgrade".

Points given for creativity, but points taken away for not increasing visibility. :lecturef_smilie:

.

I hear ya, I hear ya. BUT if you know how I rYde, you know, that there is no much "traffic" behind me.. so anyway those lights were useless ))) somebody have told me about LED bulbs that I may replace in the back, so that is my next step, to make it more visible in the back.

 

[Martin Slovakia]

Rear tire is tooooo wide.:2thumbs:

yup and I love the look every day when I sit on TheBeast

 

[Martin Slovakia]

Maybe add some high output bulbs so it stands out more?

Hi buddy, not sure if it was you or somebody else with the same comment on YouTube. thanx for this idea, and I will have a loook on a replacement for LED bulbs at the back. thanx for this, good point!!!

 

[Martin Slovakia]

I probably wouldn't do this on my bike which is an RT anyway but I like the fact that you do what you want and are a creative free spirit.Keep it up bro.

Thank you for watching and understanding what the Spyder world is about.!!!! be safe.

 

[Martin Slovakia]

Covering up the center of the lenses with some black plastic so they look "Cool" isnt an upgrade and reduces overall visibility.

thanx for wathcing and commenting, and be safe.

As I wrote to other spyder member, I hear ya. First of all its not that tragic as you see it, but I wgot the point. Second, there was some comment there to try to add some stronger bulbs, which i think its great point, so I will go and search for some great LEDs.

 

[Martin Slovakia]

C'mon guys, just cos it's not something you'd do, there's no reason to pick away at it or at Martin for doing it! :lecturef_smilie:

It's a modification that someone else has done & been thoughtful enough to show the rest of us what they did & how they did it - if you don't want to do it yourself, then don't! If you can't post politely about it, or offer helpful advice, then it's probably best not to post about it at all.

Peter, thanx for holding my back. I was expecting such comments, but that is good. Criticism opens the way for new ideas. SOmebody wrote here and also on YouTube that i should have a look at stronger bulbs, maybe some LEDs, and that is great point i think,. I will do it as I think it is smart to do so.

have an awesome day - be safe,
thanx again for support,
Martin

 

[Peter Aawen]

Rear tire is tooooo wide.:2thumbs:

yup and I love the look every day when I sit on TheBeast

You don't really get much choice about tire width/sizes do you Martin?! :dontknow: Isn't your country one of those where the 'Authorities' will check your Spyder's papers to confirm the allowed tire sizes - or at least they check electronically to see what's in the system, and then compare that to what's written on the tire you've got fitted..... So you're effectively restricted to fitting sizes that either match the OE Spec nominal size or that you can show match up to the original rolling diameter & width & then get approval for?! :banghead:

Here in South Aus, besides matching bead profiles & meeting or exceeding the load & speed ratings, we have a size range plus or minus for both rolling diameter and width that we hafta stay within when changing the brand/sizes of our tires.... which I'd think most do at some stage! :thumbup: On our Spyders/Rykers, it's actually pretty hard to go outside that range when going larger without making some fairly significant mods to fenders, steering, &/or swingarms. So for going bigger, those restrictions are simply not too much of an issue.... anything bigger than what's permitted simply won't fit! As to why anyone would ever want to go any smaller than the fairly generous lower limit in the first place is well beyond me! :shocked: Altho I guess I could fit a 195/45R15 on the rear of my Spyder & turn it into a 'tire shredding donut spinning weapon'...... altho the Nanny would probably object & dump it into Limp Mode! :gaah:

Lights are a bit different here tho - basically, if we want to change the OE lights, we can do that just so long as any alternatives we fit satisfy the legislated 'colour, brightness, placement, height, & width requirements' etc.... but there are quite a few bikes, trikes, & imported vehicles that have 'special exemptions' from meeting some/many/all of those requirements in the first place, so unless you really do your homework to start with, it's always a bit risky to change the lights too much!! :sour: But if we decide to modify the lights that came on a vehicle that has exemptions, the mods only hafta satisfy the 'lines of sight' & 'visibility' requirements as well as matching or exceeding the lumens put out by the OE lights.... and THAT''s pretty hard to measure by the side of the road! hyea: So there's a good chance that your light modification would be fine here - only we don't whatever we do cover or remove any reflectors!! For some reason, THOSE hafta be there somewhere; and even if we replace them with lights, they STILL hafta remain reflective when unlit! :shocked: So I hope the centre section of the lights that you covered wasn't reflective, cos if it was, you won't ever get The Beast registered here! :lecturef_smilie:

:roflblack: :cheers:

 

[bikerbillone]

Always a fun time ready your comments accented with the icons. :roflblack:

 

[Martin Slovakia]

Hi Peter, yes you are right, the authorities will check the size of the tire and will compare it to what you have in papers - this can happen while you being stop by Police.
In have received hefty fine and they took my license plate and papers - leaving me on the street with TheBeast and I cannot move it, just because I have had 16ich wheels in front and in papers you have of course 15 inch. But its fair to say, that still, because nobody has a real idea what the Spyder is in Slovakia, i have brought some papers from CanAm community, some PPA papers from their website, and they did write some extra tire sizes to the bike papers. So its all legit now

I can see, based on your comments, you cannot do much as well in Australia. Thanx for all of the updates about the situation in Australia. Its interesting to see, what is legal and what not in some countries around the world.
Be safe, and remember, always have fun

You don't really get much choice about tire width/sizes do you Martin?! :dontknow: Isn't your country one of those where the 'Authorities' will check your Spyder's papers to confirm the allowed tire sizes - or at least they check electronically to see what's in the system, and then compare that to what's written on the tire you've got fitted..... So you're effectively restricted to fitting sizes that either match the OE Spec nominal size or that you can show match up to the original rolling diameter & width & then get approval for?! :banghead:

Here in South Aus, besides matching bead profiles & meeting or exceeding the load & speed ratings, we have a size range plus or minus for both rolling diameter and width that we hafta stay within when changing the brand/sizes of our tires.... which I'd think most do at some stage! :thumbup: On our Spyders/Rykers, it's actually pretty hard to go outside that range when going larger without making some fairly significant mods to fenders, steering, &/or swingarms. So for going bigger, those restrictions are simply not too much of an issue.... anything bigger than what's permitted simply won't fit! As to why anyone would ever want to go any smaller than the fairly generous lower limit in the first place is well beyond me! :shocked: Altho I guess I could fit a 195/45R15 on the rear of my Spyder & turn it into a 'tire shredding donut spinning weapon'...... altho the Nanny would probably object & dump it into Limp Mode! :gaah:

Lights are a bit different here tho - basically, if we want to change the OE lights, we can do that just so long as any alternatives we fit satisfy the legislated 'colour, brightness, placement, height, & width requirements' etc.... but there are quite a few bikes, trikes, & imported vehicles that have 'special exemptions' from meeting some/many/all of those requirements in the first place, so unless you really do your homework to start with, it's always a bit risky to change the lights too much!! :sour: But if we decide to modify the lights that came on a vehicle that has exemptions, the mods only hafta satisfy the 'lines of sight' & 'visibility' requirements as well as matching or exceeding the lumens put out by the OE lights.... and THAT''s pretty hard to measure by the side of the road! hyea: So there's a good chance that your light modification would be fine here - only we don't whatever we do cover or remove any reflectors!! For some reason, THOSE hafta be there somewhere; and even if we replace them with lights, they STILL hafta remain reflective when unlit! :shocked: So I hope the centre section of the lights that you covered wasn't reflective, cos if it was, you won't ever get The Beast registered here! :lecturef_smilie:

:roflblack: :cheers:

 

[Greven]

Nice mod Martin, looks great!!!