The lighting on a scooter is more of an aesthetic value than a practical one. With its help, you can make the appearance of your vehicle more interesting. To some extent, in the dark, the backlight makes the moped more visible, which increases riding safety.
The main lighting element is LEDs in the form of a strip, strip or tube. LEDs are placed differently for different parts of the scooter. The best option is tape, since it is flexible, easy to attach and does not require too complicated installation steps.
LEDs have very good performance characteristics. Firstly, their cost is not high and you can choose a color to suit every taste. Secondly, they are very economical and durable. Despite the abundance of colors of light bulbs, blue and green colors are popular. You can highlight them as separate elements, for example, illuminate the license plate, or completely outline the contours of the motorcycle.
First of all, you need to decide which elements of the motorcycle will be illuminated. A large assortment of LED strips can be found in electrical goods stores, and at very affordable prices. In addition to the tape, you will need wires and a simple switch.
Motorcycle lighting with LEDs
An outdated but original format vehicle tuning LED strips of different shades are placed in the structural elements of the bike to create a glowing effect. With such lighting, the motorcycle is visible on the road, looks bright and stylish.
What's included in LED lighting:
- motorcycle wheel lighting;
- motorcycle license plate illumination;
- illumination of structural elements; motorcycle LED strip .
Until 2021, there were no problems with such tuning, if the glow effect did not cause discomfort to other road users. The LEDs are hidden in a special cord; the tape creates an unobtrusive glow around the body and wheels without the effect of a “Christmas tree decorated with garland,” although such examples are also found. From a legal point of view, there were rarely any questions about the lights for wheels or motorcycle license plates .
Making the motorcycle more visible with lighting
Initially, backlighting was the specialty of heavy road motorcycles. As a certain parameter of a luxury tuning service, the presence of LEDs made such a pilot stand out from the crowd and made him similar to the “ghost rider”. Nowadays, getting a diode strip is not difficult. The backlight has migrated to the trump cards of street racers, because it is at night that the backlight looks most advantageous.
Completely different parts are highlighted:
- wheels
- engine
- frame
- plastic
- radiator
- additional headlight lighting
- license plate
The color of the LEDs is selected according to the appearance of the motorcycle. It’s better to take a waterproof one, its index is 68.
There are two ways to attach a diode strip:
- Without additional devices with direct circuit closure to the battery
- Creating a complete circuit that is controlled by a separate switch and has a fuse
Shorting the diode strip directly to the battery is not beneficial for two reasons: the danger of a short circuit/voltage surge and the constant operation of the diodes, which shortens the service life. Therefore, it is much better to think through a complete circuit with a separate switch for the tape. This approach can be compared to blood circulation circles, where the large one is the main electrical circuit, and the small one is the loop we created from a fuse, switch, and diodes. Particularly meticulous thought out uses radio controllers and stabilizers in this circuit. Both circles are closed to the battery, like blood circulation circles to the heart.
So, you choose the place you want to highlight. When illuminating local areas, you only need to take individual diodes, but when working with edging, installing them will not give the desired effect, so diode strip is in great demand.
It is better to install the backlight from the inside, then you get the effect of an internal glow.
Diode strips have an adhesive backing. Before final installation, try out the location. If you are making a complete network from a large number of elements, check their functionality before attaching them to the motorcycle. Make sure that parts of the new electrical circuit do not come into contact with particularly hot areas. Clean the surface of dirt, you can even degrease it before gluing the tape.
Install the equipment only with the battery disconnected from the circuit. Would you say that this is an unnecessary reminder? No matter how it is, simple things sometimes fly out of your head most often.
All wire connections should be insulated with heat shrink - practical and convenient.
If any protruding wires remain, secure them with clamps so that they do not interfere or dangle. You can make ring terminals at the ends and insulate them with the same heat shrink, so that the connection to the battery and the minus bolt on the frame is convenient and does not turn into a game of “catch the shorty.” The location of the switch is chosen by the pilot, most often it is either a place under the seat or an additional output on the steering wheel.
Creating lighting is not very difficult; more time is spent on preparation and dismantling the body elements under which you plan to mount additional lighting. Careful work and a well-thought-out procedure will undoubtedly bring success!
Is motorcycle lighting legal?
The rules changed with the passage of the bill prohibiting unauthorized modification of cars and motorcycles, which came into force in 2021. A resonant incident occurred in Moscow at the beginning of 2021, where the traffic police fined Mosgostrans for decorating buses for the New Year with electric garlands, although this practice had been in effect for 5 years, does this mean that they will now fine the LED lighting of a motorcycle , we’ll figure it out a little later.
...and lasers
At any moment, classic light bulbs can disappear from motorcycles, as, for example, in the Honda CB 1000 R. Now we are waiting to see who will be the first to use adaptive headlights on a motorcycle. The next step is laser lights, which are already used in expensive cars.
motorcycle headlights
Enhancing optics on motor vehicles
The second type of improving the visibility of a lightweight vehicle on the road is enhancing the standard light. As in the case of a car, if the standard car light is not enough for you, replace the standard optics with legal LEDs or xenon, and install new light sources.
Until recently, all bright car lights were illegal, but now the situation has changed; from large manufacturing plants you can buy certified products that will not dazzle oncoming traffic and violate traffic rules. But taking into account recent changes in legislation, if LED headlights are not provided by the manufacturer or are not intended for a specific brand, this is an unauthorized change in the design.
What you will need
- Waterproof strips with LEDs
- Fuse
- Insulating tape
- Soldering gel or soldering iron and solder
- Lighter
- Electrical wire 0.8 - 1.2 millimeters thick (preferably red and ceren to make it easier for you to distinguish positive wires from negative ones)
- Stripping pliers
- Velcro or other means of fixation
- Thick wire for extracting wires from tight spots on a motorcycle
- Switch and round terminals
- Pliers or wire cutters
- Screwdriver
- Battery for testing the performance of LEDs
Additional lights
An effective way to improve lighting on a gravel road or in off-road conditions is to install additional headlights. Until last year, in order to avoid problems with inspection, the owner of a bike or scooter installed an additional light and did not turn it on on public roads. In 2021, any post can stop transport and check the legality of the updates made.
Matrix light...
Let's return to the shape of the lamps. Daytime running lights can have any shape (the regulations only establish a minimum luminous surface area of 25 cm2). Thanks to diodes, lamps can have compact sizes. For example, the headlights that illuminate the corners of the Kawasaki H2 SX are mounted in the side fairings. If there were no diodes, this solution would not be possible because a properly powerful bulb would require more space and it would be difficult to install them.
LED headlights have another big advantage that is currently only used by automakers. In the latest car models, the lights adapt to the situation on the road, without the use of complex drive systems, etc. decisions. Such reflectors are called matrix reflectors. In great simplification, how they work looks like this: Many single, easily controllable LEDs emit a shaped beam of light onto the road. Its appearance is determined by sensors and cameras installed in the vehicle, which turn off individual LEDs to prevent the headlights from blinding the driver of a vehicle approaching from the opposite direction. These headlights are able to match the light beam to the curve, adapting it to the curved line in a few milliseconds. The very moment the bend tightens and yet the spotlight shines straight ahead,
New rules
Illumination, additional headlights and replacement of weak halogen with LED light, according to current legislation, are equivalent to unauthorized modifications to the design of the car . The exception is when they are provided by the manufacturer or are intended for a car or bike model and have been tested, which is confirmed by certificates.
For violation, the inspector may deprive the driver of registration or even the right to drive a vehicle for a period of 6-12 months, and illegally installed lighting equipment may also be confiscated.
The legislator has provided a special procedure by which a car owner can register new optics and then there will be no problems.
❶ How to make a backlight for a scooter
Before starting work, prepare the necessary parts and tools. You will need wide-angle LEDs, resistors with a resistance of about 600-800 Ohms, a fuse with a holder, small cross-section wires of various lengths, a soldering iron and other small accessories.
Decide on the installation locations for the LEDs, and then mark the seats for them. To do this, use a marker to draw lines for approximate markings. After this, apply more precise markings to evenly distribute the LEDs over the surface. After this, take a small diameter drill, 4.8 mm is optimal - this diameter is ideal for installing an LED. Drill holes and sand them down with side cutters or sandpaper to remove any excess burrs. In order to “drown” the LED to the optimal depth, take a drill of a slightly larger diameter and carefully drill out the holes. Be careful not to go right through with the drill, otherwise the diode will simply fall into the hole. Insert the LEDs into the holes provided for them and treat the contact area with the scooter body using a special radio adhesive that has insulating properties and firmly secures the diode. After that, take a soldering iron, wires and resistors. Solder a resistor to each LED and connect the light devices to each other using wires. If possible, place all connecting wires in heat-shrinkable tubes, which isolate the contacts not only from each other, but also from moisture. After completing this stage of work, attach all structural elements to the scooter body using double-sided tape. After this, connect the system to the battery via a toggle switch and check its operation.
- lighting for scooter in 2018
Procedure for registering changes to motorcycle equipment
- Before making new lighting equipment, contact an accredited testing laboratory, which will issue a positive conclusion on the planned changes. At the first stage, plans may be rejected if they do not comply with the standards and regulations.
- With this permission, go to the traffic police and receive permission to install the equipment.
- Buy certified equipment from a reliable manufacturer from an official distributor and contact a qualified service station for installation. The traffic police may request documentation from the work contractors confirming the qualifications of the employees who made the design changes.
- After completion of work, return to the testing laboratory to check the changes made.
- Pass inspection.
- Return to the traffic police for a visual inspection for compliance.
At any stage, the procedure can be stopped or rejected; all stages of approval are paid.
New rules make it more difficult to install more powerful optics, but bright lighting gives lightweight vehicles confidence and safety on the road. Whatever option you choose to improve your visibility on the road, without certified equipment it will be illegal, which means it will lead to problems and costs.
In the catalog of the Wesem-Light online store buy factory certified products with test results on various brands of cars and bikes at an affordable price . Check out the options for additional headlights for your motorcycle right now.
LED Strip Light
Before the installation process itself, let's look at the material, that is, the tape itself. In the store, the price for this pleasure starts from 100 rubles (30 UAH) per meter. The price may increase depending on the number of LEDs (from 30 per meter), brightness and color. Such tapes have a relatively long shelf life, and they will also consume a small amount of electricity. You can easily install the tape anywhere on the scooter, it is so flexible that the backlight can be placed in any desired place. And if you don’t know which color to choose, use the most popular and quite beautiful colors - blue or green.
