Phil's 2014 (neww) DARTH Mods

[nikki.ullis]

I didn't go to heb schools, went to bransford , Colleyville middle and grapevine high so it would be mustangs not blue Raiders. However, I did go to Texas Tech which are the red Raiders

 

[Phil]

I've had a few emails and FB PMs with questions. I'm traveling so I don't have all of the answers with me......

But from the questions, I decided to go ahead and post a pic that previously I said I didn't want to post. I'm not really happy at the organization as you see it in the pic. It was in process, and I'm leaving room for one more controller. AND, I made them where they each are removable for maintenance. The larger unit in the lower left is the WiFi hot spot device. With it, I can use the iPhone app to controll the lights within about a 300' radius. The hotspot is USB powered so I installed a 12vdc - 5vdc USB power converter (hardwired). It has a spare USB 2amp outlet so I've set it up for the future.

Here's all of the LED controllers....

All of the wires enter and exit from the upper left of the saddlebag. I drilled about a 3/4" hole there.It's exposure to wet is very low. This shot does give a good view of the while LED illuminating the bag.

 

[billrob71]

That looks pretty tough!

Great job

 

[spyder3]

Looks awesome!! But your 12 step is a def. FAIL :roflblack:

 

[Wlfpak65]

ime stuck on stupid with LED light too lol.... But cn I get more info on how u installed lights in the compartments of the spyder?

 

[Phil]

ime stuck on stupid with LED light too lol.... But cn I get more info on how u installed lights in the compartments of the spyder?

HA! LEDs are very simple and it's like how you eat an elephant.... one piece ar a time. So, here's the idea of how to do LEDs in the compartments....

1. Go to PepBoys and get a package of the WHITE 12" LED strips. There will be 2 strips in a package. You can also order on line- http://www.pepboys.com/product/details/523264/00314/accessories/fashion_lighting/led

2. LED strips like these most always have 2 things in common-

a) They mount easily via double sided adhesive tape that is affixed to the LED strip. Once you figure out where you want to mount it (I put it on the top of the compartment near the front), you peel and stick. OK... you should use something like denatured alcohol and a clean cloth to make sure the plastic is really clean before you stick the LED strip to the plastic.

b) They have 2 wires coming out of one end. One of the wires (in the case of these strips) has a white line on it and the other doesn't. The one WITH the white line goes to +12volts. The one without the line goes to -12 volts (also called 'ground' on Spyders). These lead wires (lead as in leader) are pretty long and the insulation is already stripped off a little on the ends for you.

3. HERE"s a potential heart stopper- you need to drill small holes to get the LED lead wire from inside the enclosure out to a convenient place still inside the tupperware, but out of sight. I drill my holes in the 90° bend of the compartments. Make the holes small, but large enough to push the wires through. Then, if you really want extra points, put a dab of silicon seal back in the hole to seal it up.

4. Now... wiring them up.....
a) If you are wiring these on the back compartments, the smartest place to hook up the LED leads is around the rear light housings. The leads will be long enough, easily.
b) I HIGHLY suggest using PosiTaps for this next step-- http://www.amazon.com/Posi-tap-Conn...1406852952&sr=8-5&keywords=posi-tap+connector They really make wiring easy. You CAN get wire taps from PepBoys as well, but they'll work very differently. In any case, the idea is to not permanently hurt the stock Spyder wiring, yet make it easy to 'tap on' to that wiring to get the +12 volts and ground.
c) Assuming you have taken off the back tupperware and removed the back light housings (about 10-15 min to do that step), now the wire tapping begins.
d) I'm NOT going to get into wire colors (much) since it can vary by the year and model Spyder a little. So here's what I do.... BLACK wire on the Spyder is almost always -12volts (ground). So use the wire tap and attach the LED lead that does NOT have the white stripe to most any of the black wires.
e) Now we might have to experiment..... (electron guys, just work with me here)... I turn on the power to the bike (key on) so that the back lights come on steady (meaning not the turn signals or the brake lights). I then get a small safety pin. Wedge the bare portion of the LED lead wire that has the white stripe into the curly bit of the safety pin. Then, CAREFULLY push the pin into the non-black wires that run to the rear lights until your new LED strip lights up. YIPEE! You have found the +12volts source you need. Now CAREFULLY remove the pin (you don't want that pin touching anything metal). Immediately turn off the power to the bike and tap the LED wire with the white lead properly with the PosiTap or other splice to that wire you just found.
f) Do the other side the same way (likely it will be the same color wire) then test your work before the next step.

5. Tidy up extra wire. I usually make it into a loop and put a tiewrap on it. TEST it again!

6. Put the tupperware back on.

7. Turn on the key, stand back and say WOW... lookie dat!

Now... you say how to I get them to go off when the compartment is closed? I say don't worry about it. Unlike incandescent bulbs (the old ones with filaments that got pretty hot), LEDs barely get warm. At lease the ones we're talking about here barely get warm. There IS some heat, but it is really small and dissipates pretty well. So I let mine stay on all the time that the bike power is on. Remember that these LED strips draw VERY little power. VERY little. And they last for 20,000-50,000 hours (about 70 years in case you're curious). So, like the light in your fridge... don't worry about it!

NOW.. as with everything... you do this at your own risk. But the risk is very low on LEDs. Go light up your world!!

 

[MarkLawson]

One thing I might add to Phil's great instructions above is to label your wires. You or your mechanic will appreciate the labels later on down the road when you've forgotten what wire goes where. I have a label maker printer and will print, peel and tag the wire in a place that you'll most likely see it and wonder what it is, for me, generally where it hooks into power.

 

[Phil]

One thing I might add to Phil's great instructions above is to label your wires. You or your mechanic will appreciate the labels later on down the road when you've forgotten what wire goes where. I have a label maker printer and will print, peel and tag the wire in a place that you'll most likely see it and wonder what it is, for me, generally where it hooks into power.

GREAT add Mark. 100% correct.:thumbup:

 

[Wlfpak65]

Thanks of all the great info! Wasn't expecting the thorough steps lol soo I think I got it now lol... I'll be attempting this install in the next few days? I'll let u know how it goes?

 

[Phil]

Small addition today. See if you can pick it out before scrolling down....

Ok.... I added EL wire light to accent the fog light housings. It's the same technology that drives the round SpyderIchthus logo in the middle. In fact, it's the same driver that runs all 3 lights (2 light wires and the round bit). In a few days, I'll show how it's mounted.

And.... I'm experimenting with a company that does black chrome painting. Here it is on a bit of my Bell helmet (along with some rain drops)...

 

[MarkLawson]

Or you could look at this option...

or this...

 

[Phil]

Mark- I've had conversations with them. As soon as Sue Hopper gets a minute to breathe, I'm shipping several body panels to her to do a layout on Psycho (Bobbie;s bike) that should be awesome. Then, it's over to Dark Side, then back to Sue then back to us. HOPEFULLY by this fall we'll have a REALLY cool design done.

 

[taxmyzer]

Lights by windshield deflectors?

Phil, how did you install the led's by the deflectors near the windshield? Thanks!

 

[robmorg]

I can only think of one appropriate word to add to this thread....

WOW!!!! :clap: :thumbup:

 

[Phil]

Phil, how did you install the led's by the deflectors near the windshield? Thanks!

I know I didn't go into a lot of supplier detail nor pics, and I will fill in those details along the way. But let me try to help on this one.

After a loooooong search, I found these guys: www.Lumenedge.com If you look at their site for a bit, you'll find the secret sauce. They have RGB 5050 LEDs on a 1/4" substrate that fits very nicely into a plastic U channel that they sell. The wings use their U channel that has one long leg aand the other leg is shorter. It is NOT flexible, so I had to be creative to make it fit. Also- soldering the strips in NOT for the faint of heart. High power magnifying glass and digital iron!!

More pics later, but that will get you started

 

[Phil]

I promised pics of the Lumenedge lights. Here are 2 CU views so you can see how they mount...

 

[Phil]

A few more lights. Hey, it was my birthday. That's my excuse and I'm stickin to it. The additions are the gobo lights, aka projector lights. They are LED, of course.

 

[M109Dreamer]

Man I so wish you lived closer. I would love to be able to do just a fraction of what you have done. Very nice....

 

[Phil]

FARKLE your helmet

I found one place that I had not used for LEDs! So I got this-----

It works really well and took about 30 minutes to install.

 

[Phil]

Bright Side Install.... And modification

Brightsides have been around for a number of years and many of us have them----
http://www.customdynamics.com/can_am_spyder_led_lighting.htm

I installed them on Darth today (2014 RT) and got a pleasant surprise. More as we progress...

Here is what the stock Brightsides look like out of the box. I've never been a fan of the harsh LED look. I believe that you should always see the results of the LED light and not the LED itself, when all possible.

I won't rehash the instructions, but first you peel off the reflector from the bike and you are supposed to discard it. I decided to clean it off (get all of the mounting tape gunk off), 'scratch up' the Brigtside light, and glue the reflector to the Brightside light. For good measure, I ran an edge of foil tape...

Mounted on the bike and unlit. It sticks out about 1/4" further than just the reflector.......

and lit.......

But the interesting thing I found on the 2014 is that BRP has molded into the plastic the holes needed to route the LED wire. On older RT models, you had to CAREFULLY drill 2 holes and feed the wire (as the Brightside instructions say). Here are the holes, untouched.....

I ran the LED wire......

But it's a great idea to add a sleeve on any wire that will be flexed a lot.....

This is a close up of how it looks, lit, with the reflector glued to the front of the Brightside. It's easy to see how the reflector disperses the light making it much less harsh.

Bottom line----- a very easy mod to add loads of 'be seen' at the tail end of your bike