Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => Accessories and modifications - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: mtn.connie on May 26, 2011, 10:36:48 AM
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I am looking at the Admore light bar for the back of my 2011. It`s 129.00 which is not bad, but wondering if anyone has some other items that I should look at to help prevent me from getting it in the rear...so to speak;) I like options, not to mention farkle shopping. The shopping is half of the fun!
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I'm adding a pair of Street FX ElectroPods LED brake lights to the inside of both reflectors on the back. Wired into the brake light. Comes with all wiring, looks pretty simple to install (there was a long thread on the old site about doing this, including a video showing how *****BRIGHT***** they are) and at about $25 or $30, pretty decent price.
I figured I'd try this first. The kit is very complete and the price is a lot less than an Admore.
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Hyperlites. I like the ability to flash a few times then stay solid. Decent images on their site. http://www.hyperlites.com/moddf.html (http://www.hyperlites.com/moddf.html)
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AdMore lighting is great! Nice and bright and much higher up than the stock ones. I have the run/brake/turn for the Givi V46 and love it. Now I am not afraid a tractor trailer will run me over for lack of seeing my brake lights.
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Hyperlites. I like the ability to flash a few times then stay solid. Decent images on their site. http://www.hyperlites.com/moddf.html (http://www.hyperlites.com/moddf.html)
Yep- those were my first choice also. They are expensive, but brighter than Electropods and don't annoyingly flash forever during those times you HAVE to hold the brake at a light to keep from rolling away...
But this Admore bar looks even more interesting (and yet MORE expensive), and three flashes only, which I like even better. Hmm. Decisions, decisions...
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AdMore lighting is great! Nice and bright and much higher up than the stock ones. I have the run/brake/turn for the Givi V46 and love it. Now I am not afraid a tractor trailer will run me over for lack of seeing my brake lights.
Where did you get access to your rear turn signal wires?? I am doing the same kit any help greatly appreciated.
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I saw these on ebay when I was looking for something else, haven't used them but they say they are brighter than stock and look to be a direct swap??
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/08-11-Concours-14-ZG14-GTR-LED-Tail-Light-Turn-Signal-C-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3367f0fa51QQitemZ220787178065QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/08-11-Concours-14-ZG14-GTR-LED-Tail-Light-Turn-Signal-C-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3367f0fa51QQitemZ220787178065QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/08-11-Concours-14-ZG14-GTR-LED-Tail-Light-Turn-Signal-B-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem336798cee5QQitemZ220781399781QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/08-11-Concours-14-ZG14-GTR-LED-Tail-Light-Turn-Signal-B-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem336798cee5QQitemZ220781399781QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories)
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I saw these on ebay when I was looking for something else, haven't used them but they say they are brighter than stock and look to be a direct swap??
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/08-11-Concours-14-ZG14-GTR-LED-Tail-Light-Turn-Signal-C-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3367f0fa51QQitemZ220787178065QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/08-11-Concours-14-ZG14-GTR-LED-Tail-Light-Turn-Signal-C-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3367f0fa51QQitemZ220787178065QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/08-11-Concours-14-ZG14-GTR-LED-Tail-Light-Turn-Signal-B-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem336798cee5QQitemZ220781399781QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/08-11-Concours-14-ZG14-GTR-LED-Tail-Light-Turn-Signal-B-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem336798cee5QQitemZ220781399781QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories)
Interesting. They don't say a whole lot. I guess I don't see much point in replacing the stock LED light with an LED light. Although they say it is (supposedly) brighter and does integrate turn signals, that doesn't jive with the "easy installation- no wire matching necessary, plugs in just like stock light". Looks to me more like something if you were trying to get rid of the stock turn signals (which I think would be crazy). But it certainly is cheap! $40! Makes the $130+ for the Admore seem outrageous, doesn't it?
My objectives would be a non-annoying, nice looking, and reliable setup that provides:
1) More total light
2) A larger "footprint" of light (more area of light)
3) More effective light (momentarily blink of brake)
So this Ebay one is only good for #1, the Admore and Hyperlites would meet all three. Then for the front of the bike.... ug...
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I did the Admore light kit for my Kawi 47 trunk and love it, good quality, install directions, and communication. :thumbs:
As I said before, I was only posting these as something I saw surfing for something else (smoked blinkers... ;) ) for the op.
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I'm happy with Admore kit in my E52. I would buy it,again!
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Where did you get access to your rear turn signal wires?? I am doing the same kit any help greatly appreciated.
VERY easy install. All the wires you need are under the seat. I do not like the clamp on style connectors that comes with the kit (posi-tap) so I just cut my wires and soldered them together.
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Where are you guys mounting them (or thinking about) - assuming not on the trunk or saddlebags?
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Where are you guys mounting them (or thinking about) - assuming not on the trunk or saddlebags?
I am thinking about fitting them between my Givi rack and the stock rack if the measurements look like they will work. I am also thinking about buying the plate bracket and mounting the lights there. That is a sharp setup.
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I replaced the rear reflector with a Whelen red LIN3. It gets everyones attention. I have it set to most likely illegal for now but it has a setting to strobe a few times and then stay solid. The whole thing cost me under $75.
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Where are you guys mounting them (or thinking about) - assuming not on the trunk or saddlebags?
That is a good question. One I have been pondering for weeks (I don't have a trunk). Sometimes when I am not sure about something, I just wait and observe and think... that is the mode I am in right now. If I get the hyperlites, I am thinking the reflector locations. If I get a mini lightbar, I am thinking an on-bottom-of-license-plate holder. I really like the idea of additional lighting on the saddlebags, but I am not thrilled about wires tethering to them.
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I have the hyperlite brake light kit and it is great. I have had people tell me they are VERY noticeable.
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Hyperlites...
Placement...
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-nCMyY7W-wJQ/Tbnc0a0-SzI/AAAAAAAAAbM/DCcSL0sIMd8/s400/2011-04-28_06-50-25_317.jpg)
Running lights...
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MqknVJaj5tQ/TeJo9pZlafI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/44rm0PxxMcI/s400/2011-05-29_09-37-21_78.jpg)
Brake Lights...
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-x-XxQibVO5Y/TeJo0xEqqII/AAAAAAAAAdM/oyLMoZmzctY/s400/2011-05-29_09-38-20_945.jpg)
The 2 outer modules blink, which didn't get caught in the pic... they are as bright as the 2 center modules... they do catch the eyes!
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I ordered two Admore 8 inch mini light bars from Twisted Throttle which arrived with cracks in the plastic lenses. The Admore packaging was top notch so I doubt they were abused in storage or during shipment. It looked like three of the combined four screws were over torqued and either the cracks were not noticed or didn’t actually appear until after the product was packaged and out of view. Anyway, Admore was quick to respond to my email and I had two new un-cracked plastic lenses in the mail from Canada in less than a week. Admore says “Housed in a sturdy, weatherproof, black polycarbonate case.”, but I wasn’t totally convinced about the “sturdy” part. I mounted them in an aluminum channel assembled from two Home Depot 1½ inch angle extrusions. This should provide some protection, both from the elements, and from me banging into them when walking around the bike. I had considered hanging them under the Givi mounting brackets about even with the plate light, but then I decided that they would be even more protected right under the topcase just above the stock taillight. The higher location might also be more “in the eyes” of the driver behind me. I bent some aluminum bar stock and mounted it on the back of the assembled channel. I then clamped the bar in position and drilled small pilot holes through both the bar stock and the Givi mounting brackets and then enlarged them separately to ¼ inch. Exclusive of the painted brackets, most of the mounting hardware that came with the light bars was Stainless. I replaced the four ¼-20 bolts that were not stainless, with stainless equivalents and purchased two stainless bolts and acorn nuts to attach the assembly to the Givi brackets.
Since the LEDs don’t go all the way to the ends of the bars I knew there would be a light- gap in the middle even if the light bars were touching, so I decided to purposely have a gap between them and just fill it with a red reflector. The gap also made it much easier to get at the inboard end screws of the light bars. The whole assembly measures 18 inches wide. I cut a piece of aluminum to fill the middle gap, and attached a reflector there, and a reflector on each end. The inboard turn signals are only used when I first turn on the bike or when the hazard flashers are on. I accomplished this by putting two 12v relays (http://fartymarty.smugmug.com/photos/i-xjvwStd/0/X3/i-xjvwStd-X3.jpg) in series (http://fartymarty.smugmug.com/photos/i-ZBw8PZ4/0/X3/i-ZBw8PZ4-X3.jpg), each activated by opposite turn signal circuits which functions as in an electro-mechanical AND gate to activate the inboard turn signals. These light bars were not designed to work in pairs yet the initial 3 flashes are fairly well in sync. Overall I’m happy with the results, I think it is as visually present as if it was a full 18 inch light bar. Admore seems to have excellent customer service, now to see if the mini light bars will hold up and for how long. I think the way that I have mounted them will give them a maximum chance at survival. I'll let you know if they quit working. In the last photo (flash) you'll notice that I disassembled the Givi case and put some silver reflective tape behind the Givi's red plastic in the center rear and on either side. With all that red plastic it really should be much more reflective than it is. I don't understand why Givi doesn't make it that way in the first place.
Edit: Just in case you're interested, the wimpy led brake lights in the Givi case are NOT Admore, they are the ones that Givi installs in their Deluxe case.
(http://fartymarty.smugmug.com/photos/i-kLgjdgp/0/X2/i-kLgjdgp-X2.jpg) (http://fartymarty.smugmug.com/photos/i-kLgjdgp/0/X3/i-kLgjdgp-X3.jpg)
(http://fartymarty.smugmug.com/photos/i-ZvxHFGZ/0/XL/i-ZvxHFGZ-XL.jpg) (http://fartymarty.smugmug.com/photos/i-ZvxHFGZ/0/X3/i-ZvxHFGZ-X3.jpg)
(http://fartymarty.smugmug.com/photos/i-D4KqpgH/0/L/i-D4KqpgH-L.jpg) (http://fartymarty.smugmug.com/photos/i-D4KqpgH/0/X3/i-D4KqpgH-X3.jpg)
(http://fartymarty.smugmug.com/photos/i-S5LRhWc/0/L/i-S5LRhWc-L.jpg) (http://fartymarty.smugmug.com/photos/i-S5LRhWc/0/X3/i-S5LRhWc-X3.jpg)
(http://fartymarty.smugmug.com/photos/i-NqwKfXR/0/X2/i-NqwKfXR-X2.jpg) (http://fartymarty.smugmug.com/photos/i-NqwKfXR/0/X3/i-NqwKfXR-X3.jpg)
(http://fartymarty.smugmug.com/photos/i-zqfxVRL/0/X2/i-zqfxVRL-X2.jpg) (http://fartymarty.smugmug.com/photos/i-zqfxVRL/0/X3/i-zqfxVRL-X3.jpg)
(http://fartymarty.smugmug.com/photos/i-P4cq8tf/0/X2/i-P4cq8tf-X2.jpg) (http://fartymarty.smugmug.com/photos/i-P4cq8tf/0/X3/i-P4cq8tf-X3.jpg)
(http://fartymarty.smugmug.com/photos/i-9qHdXGr/0/X2/i-9qHdXGr-X2.jpg) (http://fartymarty.smugmug.com/photos/i-9qHdXGr/0/X3/i-9qHdXGr-X3.jpg)
edit: Finally added a video. Not very good, which is why I didn't put it up in the first place. If I get a better one I'll come back and replace this one.
https://vimeo.com/55235790 (https://vimeo.com/55235790)
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I bought a plate frame from premier cycles, it works as running lights, brake lights, and turn signals,