LED strips on the bumpskid

[zuni]

I think they are 5mm LED's. I don't know if what comes with the bumpskid are 5050 or 5630 LED's. But since they are pretty bright I would think maybe they are the 5630 version. Where did you get the LED strip that you installed on your Spyder?

I bought them off ebay. 5 5 meter roll for $12 delivered. Can't say for sure that is what is happening but the previous poster may be on to something with the thermal expansion of the bumpskip. Not sure what the coefficient is for that particular material but heat and cold can cause a fairly large change in some materials. Considering the location of the plate and the heat coming off the road.... spyders parked on the fresh asphalt at the recent Spyder Gathering in Orlando displayed temps over 120 degrees. If the led strip it tightly attached to the plate and doesn't expand at the same rate it could easily create connection issues.

CJ JAX

 

[Ex-Rocket]

When you replace the LED strip, Make sure you lay the bumpskid on a blacktop driveway or concrete and let it heat up in the sun. I believe the bumpskid is expanding with the engine and road heat and breaking the solder joints in the LED's. I heated my skid up to 116 degrees and then installed the new strip. Been over a year now and so far no problem. At the time I measured the skid when it was cool and after it was heated. Don't recall the actual measurments, But I think it was around 3/8 inch difference. It does expand in the heat. Hope I didn't just jinx myself. Randy

I think you are unto something here. I went out today and just turned the key on to move the Spyder some, and almost all the LED's came on except for maybe 2 or 3. Where the 2 LED's aren't working is the exact area where they weren't working before. I moved the bike to wash it and when I finished washing the bike, I turned the key back on and 2/3 of the LED's are out again. So it seems that temperature is the problem. I guess the bump skid expands when the temperature rises, as Gldwinger stated and causes the solder joints to break.

 

[Bob Denman]

So if this is being caused by temperature variances: how do we solve it? :dontknow:

 

[Ex-Rocket]

So if this is being caused by temperature variances: how do we solve it? :dontknow:

Do as Gldwnger stated. Lay the bumpskid on the concrete drive, or just put the bumpskid in direct sunlight for awile and let it get hot and the bumpskid should expand and then install the LED's to the bumpskid. That way the LED's when installed on the bumpskid are at the already expanded state. So now when the bumpskid cools and heats up again, hopefully the solder joints won't break.ray:ray: Thats my opinion, unless someone else has a better idea.

 

[Bob Denman]

:thumbup: Thanks!
But could that cause a problem, when it cools and contracts?? :dontknow:

 

[SpyderAnn01]

one of shawn smoaks videos contains a rant on aftermarket leds. does
not like people splicing wires to install and either does the computer.--irv

It seems that he may have been wrong... I don't remember the exact details, but I believe that there turned out to be a completely different source, for the problem that caused the rant.

A bit more research is in order... nojoke

Bob, you are correct on that. Shawn made a video and blamed one persons issues on bad LEDs and it wasn't the case at all. He had two bikes confused.

 

[remark2013]

We have the Spyderpops lighted bump skid and been having all kinds of problems with the LED's. I give Harvey all kinds of props, I call or email him about the problem and he replies.....new ones on the way! That my friends is customer service at it finest!!!!! It does get annoying having to replace them about every month or two. Next time I might try heating it up before installing the new light strip.

Kent

 

[pitzerwm]

IMO one of the issues is the Chinese dumping sub par LEDs on manufactures that were getting premium LEDs. It's not easy to test for that problem.

I think that installing them where the bumpskid and the tupperware meet, leaving a little room for expansion and contraction is the best solution. You can buy the strips 5m for <$20, use a plug and if they fail its cheap and easy to replace.

 

[Dragonfly]

Did not have that in my days

At least not the Bumpskid with LED lights, think they came shortly after Spyderfest 2014 where I had my Bumpskid installed. Found some super thin LED's at Oznium they are SMD3528 0.18in with 30 LED's per foot and waterproof. I clean the surface with denatured alcohol and a Q-tip and then use a 3M 94 Primer Tape Pen. These super thin LED's can be trimmed after every three LED's.

 

[Ex-Rocket]

Well with the current LED bumpskid, there are 60 LED's per foot at least thats whats on mine now. But the ones you have look pretty bright. Do you know if the LED's are the 5050 or 5630?

 

[Dragonfly]

They are SMD 3528. I had to pull my white and switched to amber due to Virginia Code Issue with more that 5 white front lights. I have them attached through a 4 channel controller so I can dim them way down.
The 5050 are bigger and brighter however bulkier and generate more heat than the smaller 3528 chip. I have been buying the 16 ft rolls and make my own ends with clip on pigtails and Liquid Tape.

 

[jcthorne]

They are SMD 3528. I had to pull my white and switched to amber due to Virginia Code Issue with more that 5 white front lights. I have them attached through a 4 channel controller so I can dim them way down.
The 5050 are bigger and brighter however bulkier and generate more heat than the smaller 3528 chip. I have been buying the 16 ft rolls and make my own ends with clip on pigtails and Liquid Tape.

Almost every higher end new car and the Spyder RT all have more than 5 white lights up front as delivered. They meet DOT standards. VA cannot just decide they are illegal. The RT has 6, my wifes explorer has more than a dozen. The law you refer to is outdated, contrary to federal standards and unenforceable.

 

[Dragonfly]

Not disagreeing but tell that to the Superintendent of State Police who is the approval authority in Virginia. (Thanks to former Gov. Tim Kaine and the likes) Any lights that are not OEM or ASE Certified have to be approved by the State Police.

 

[CapeSpyder]

At least not the Bumpskid with LED lights, think they came shortly after Spyderfest 2014 where I had my Bumpskid installed. Found some super thin LED's at Oznium they are SMD3528 0.18in with 30 LED's per foot and waterproof. I clean the surface with denatured alcohol and a Q-tip and then use a 3M 94 Primer Tape Pen. These super thin LED's can be trimmed after every three LED's.

Do they come with the 3m tape already on them?

 

[Dragonfly]

Do they come with the 3m tape already on them?

Yes they do, I would think that almost all flexible LED Strips on the market have the tape already attached.

 

[WEB-WVR]

Just curious if others are having problems with the LED's on their bumpskids. At Spyderfest 2015 I had installed a new lighted bumpskid. Well the very next day the LED's quit working or about 3/4 of them did. Went back to vendor and he put on another one. That one lasted maybe 4 months and again 3/4 of the LED's quit working. So by now the manufacture had changed to a different LED lights, so the vendor sent me a updated version that has the LED's that are now replacable. Again the LED's only lasted another 3 months or so. Vendor sent me the LED's and I installed them this time which brings me up to present. The LED's are out again with only about 1/4 of them lite up. I'm about fed up with the lighted bumpskip. Does anybody know if there is a better quality LED's that will last longer than 3 or 4 months???? I really love the looks but if I have to change this out every 3 or 4 months. Maybe I'm just snake bit. And no nothing has hit the bumpskid since the lights were working when the bike was parked last and when I got on it to ride, the LED's were out. Please help with suggestions.

That is why I went with the non lighted BumpSkid: I have seen too many light strips that have sections burn out. I was also concerned that any scraping, bottoming out or that squirrel you hit going 60 mph....would just break the light strip anyway. I do not ride that often at night anyway.

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE: is some clear white flashing strobes (like on Police vehicles) that would mount in the headlight assembly and some located on both sides of the Spyder....switch activated. So that you could activate it in high risk areas, such as; going through an intersection, sudden slowing traffic, etc. I know.....may not be legal, but I would do it anyway to stay alive ! :clap::thumbup:

 

[CapeSpyder]

Yes they do, I would think that almost all flexible LED Strips on the market have the tape already attached.

I sent an email to Spyderpop 1/3 of the new set just went out and im looking at alliterative


CapeSpyder
Sent From my Note 5

 

[tmcquain]

LEDS OUT

Just got mine in Maggie Valley, on a ride yesterday I realized they weren't on. I ran the wire to see if it was lose somewhere, and when I got back to the edge of the skip where the wire and LEDS meet, I moved it and they came on. There is a short in the wire right there. Now my question is do I have to have a whole new led strip or can I rewire the LEDS. ??? I emailed spyderpops just a few minutes ago...haven't heard back yet.

Any Ideas.... ?

 

[tmcquain]

GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE

Got an email from Harvey in less than 15 minutes saying a replacement strip is on the way....that is the way to keep customers happy !

:thumbup:

 

[pegasus1300]

so now that a replacement strip is on the way and you know where the break is in your current strip why don't you put a drop of solder on it and see if it will fix the problem. If so keep the new strip for a backup and run the old strip till it dies again. And let us know how the project went if you decide to do it.