Using LED As A Motorcycle Light?

You would need to check that the single LED would have the proper intensity (is it bright enough?). I don't think that is the case. You might need several stacked in parallel. Next, the way you get dual intensities with LEDs is either you have several and light a few for low intensity, and the rest for high intensity, or you pulse width modulate at some rep rate and duty cycle. If you simply try to lower the driving potential from 12 Vdc to something lower, the LED color changes, and that is not allowed. Believe it or not, there are strict color temperature requirements on park and brake lights. You can use a 555 timer or a 74123 type dual one-shot to set up the rep rate and duty cycle, and a FET driven from the timer circuit to power the LEDs. Be aware that automotive electrical power is noisy, you will need to properly filter the 12 Vdc that drives your circuit. While LEDs have advantages in energy efficiency and longevity (they don't burn out like incandescent light bulbs), they are much more sensitive than light bulbs to short duration transients. You must clip and or filter such transients both for your LEDs and the timing circuits, should you choose to go the PWM route.

Or he could just buy one already manufactured. Allied Electronics, or LEDtronics sells replacement LEDs that will replace his incandescent bulb perfectly.

If you want to go further, Grote now sells a Trilliant light that can be used as a spot, flood, or trapezoidal light. These are the same light, powered by 18 white LEDs, with only a change in the polycarbonate lens. They were developed for the military, and the light from the spot has amazed me.

You can buy 12 volt LED dual element tail light bulbs at most automotive parts stores, I know cuz I've been running them for years on all my Harleys, 4, their great last longer than filament bulbs. Happy Trails, jazz. checkout "jazzridez" at google.

Try electricalconnections.com, or google motorcyle LED lights, there are quite a few makers of motorcycle LED lights. There are also replacement light bulb/LED makers out there.

There was a thread a while back wherein Case491 (a member here who has not been around for a few months) did exactly this. Try a search on his username and see if you don't come up with that thread. As I recall, it was one of the last ones he posted to, and he'd had success, but it wasn't simple.

Try this place. http://www.instructables.com/tag/?q=LEDs&limit%3Atype%3Aid=on&type%3Aid=on&type%3Auser=on&type%3Acomment=on&type%3Agroup=on&type%3AforumTopic=on&sort=none

77 Pages

More things to use LEDs for than you ever wanted to know.

Brad