Indicator accessories
Upgrading your motorcycle with LED indicators sometimes presents practical challenges. Luckily, there are handy accessories to make your installation go smoothly:
- Adapter cables: Ensure a quick and hassle-free connection of your new indicators without modifications to the wiring.
- Shims: Ideal for mounting smaller indicators on older motorcycles with larger mounting openings. This ensures a neat fit.
- Relays: The easiest way to control the flashing speed.
- Extenders: Create the right distance between your indicators to meet legal requirements and ensure a sleek look.
- Resistors: Install resistors to control the flashing speed if an indicator relay is not an option.
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How do you control the flash frequency when installing new LED indicators?
When replacing halogen indicators with LED indicators, the flash frequency can change. This is because LED lights consume less energy, reducing the load on the electrical circuit. As a result, the turn signals may flash too quickly, which falls outside the legal norm (90 flashes per minute ±30).
There are two ways to solve this:
1. Replace the relay
An LED-compatible relay is a simple and efficient way to correct the flash speed. If it is not possible to replace the relay (on an older motorcycle), you can opt to add a resistor.
Advantages:
- No calculations or extra resistors needed
- No heat generation like with resistors
- Easy to install
2. Add a resistor
If replacing the relay is not an option, you can add resistors to increase the load. Resistors can get very hot (up to 100°C). Therefore, ensure adequate cooling and do not place them near plastic or other heat-sensitive parts. We recommend mounting them on an aluminum plate and giving it a place in the airflow, for example, near the control unit.
Note:
- Always mount resistors in parallel
- Ensure they stay sufficiently cool
How do you calculate the resistance when installing LED indicators?
Determine the voltage level (U) of your motorcycle (12V or 6V), calculate the difference in power (P) between the original indicators and the new LED indicators.
Use the following formula to calculate the necessary resistance (R):
R = U² / P
This will determine the required resistance (in ohm). Choose a resistor that is as close as possible to the calculated value, with a sufficiently high power.
Want to know more about common combinations and handy tips? Read the full blog for a detailed explanation and examples.