KLR DIY LED Aux Lights

By: AdvWisdom
Title: KLR DIY LED Aux Lights
Sourced From: advwisdom.com/a/klr-diy-led-aux-lights/
Published Date: Tue, 14 Jul 2020 03:03:58 +0000
Homemade LED Auxiliary Lights for the KLR650 DIY

Enclosed are the step by step instructions I used to make custom LED auxiliary/running lights. The intent of the lights are to supplement the KLR650 headlight. The advantages of this lighting system are:
1. Bight lights = increased visibility. A safety issue
2. 2x additional forward facing bright lights gives other drivers a depth perseption in judging your distance relative to their location.
3. LED�s are very vibration resistant, never burn out, and are low power consumption. The ones I selected are the brightest I could find within a 1 inch diameter cluster. This system consumes 5.4 watts total!
Note: No LED auxiliary lights are commercially available, so I was forced to make my own. There are 4x phases of this install.
1. LED bulb evaluation.
2. Light attach bracket to KLR650 (fellow KLRworld Mark was the inspiration for my design).
3. LED bulb attach to light housing.
4. Wiring to bike.
The Bracket material was 6061-T6 at .10 inches thick. It can be found here for $11.87, all you need is a 12 inch x 12 inch size:
http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant…owunits=inches
The LED�s can be found on E-bay here for $13.50 each:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/WHITE-24-LED-replacement-bulb-lamp-light-s-with-wires_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ35598QQihZ010QQit emZ200061654414
The auxillary lights can also be found on E-bay here for $14.99
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/3-in-CLEAR-HALOGEN-ROUND-FOG-DRIVING-LIGHTS-NEW-AB_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6755QQihZ013QQitemZ2 30090466726
The cost of the modification costs about $54 total!

start all projects by reviewing topic

light bracket overall size 12 inch x 7 inch

remove front fender

measure attach bracket pad �land� size

gross trim iteration 1.

after the band saw


check placement

trim again

mark again

trim again

locate attach holes, this bracket will be part of the fender stack-up

drill here

check hole size

drill and deburr

time to place back on bike

check clearance. Does not hit the nerf bars! That�s good.

light will be mounted about here

this is the light to mount. This one came with a 55 watt H3 type bulb. I replaced the as delivered bulbs with these 35 watt bulbs

need this 12 volt DC source for testing. It actually puts out 14 volts.

amp and volt meter

shrink wrap kit

wire connector kit

35 watt H3 bulb output

measured output = 3.016 amps or 42 watts

This is the LED I�ll be swapping out for that H3 incandescent bulb.

measured output =.192 amps or 2.7 watts per bulb

bulb diameter = 1.034 inch

will fit the bulb deep and securely in this light housing

side by side . Small LED flashlight, normal 2 D cell flashlight, 12 volt LED light, and 35 watt H3 bulb.

LED has cluster lights shining to the side

measure small diameter = .577 inches

power-up the LED�s. very bright and cool to the touch

light from rear

need to attach(glue) this plastic washer to the LED�s

washer size outer diameter = 1.258 inch. Can get at Home Depot

measure and trace

best to hand file to the marking

press fit on the LED�s

need to attach some of this reflector tape to those washers

trace and cut

attach to LED

glue on

disassemble these new lights

like so

mark trim line

will fit LED deep in here

ready for cutting/trimming

since the metal is so thin, best to route to trim line. Drill will thrash the housing. Spotface won�t work either.

slowly open-up the hole

blow out particles collected

nice centered hole to accept the LED bulb

center LED bulb in hole

tape in place. Note: I destroyed a light housing in an earlier attempt at this project by gluing the bulb in place at this step. The fumes given off while the glue is curing got into the reflector area and stuck to the reflector and glass. This made the reflector �dull�. Tape works fine. Although not clearly shown it is fully taped up and sealed.

like in this view

the LED bulb extends far into the light housing and is secure

another view

remove the baseplate for trimming

want it flush up to the bracket

measure and mark. Need to take a little off the edge

trim

sand

tad bit off the end

re-assemble. Note: I reversed the light bracket to the rear

will fit like this

final bracket trimming required

mark trim lines

band saw trim

disc sanding trim

light attach holes

drill, deburr, and countersink

quick check on fender

attach on bike

adjustable sturdy and robust design

check clearance. No issues

A-OK here too!

make wire connectors. White = 12v ground. Black and Red = 12v +

crimp and shrink wrap

Using this on all electrical connects to keep water out of the connections

light wiring all done

view of system with no power

wire connection in faring. No binding issues when turning handle bar

the bike side connection is covered here �KLR650 Marker lights install and review�:
http://klrworld.com/forums/index.php/topic,1956.0.html
I�m basically tapping into the city light leads in the front faring.

fire up the lights!

with headlight on

close up of LED light

off centerline view

lights off

1/4 view lights off

forward view lights on

1/4 view lights on. Note small marker light on faring

another view

with camera filter

off front view
Review of Mod.
1. Very bright system. I�ll leave them on always.
2. Low power consumption 5.4 watts total.
3. Low cost modification $54 total
4. Light system will outlast the bike
In summary I�m very pleased with the project outcome, It exceeded my expectations.

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