CFMoto 650TK/TR fork mounted LED Aux lights

[trebor]

IMHO this mod is the best single safety enhancement you can make to your ride and should be standard on all street bikes. We all know that visibility is the biggest risk we have while out on the road, no need to go on about that, we all know someone killed because "I just didn't see him" !. We can dress like a day glow dork, have very loud exhausts and ride with high bream on but this does not address the light signature we give off like a car has.

A car has 2 head lights (when they are on). Each light is only 15cm but they are about 150cm apart making them 10 times more visible than a single light which is what we have. The advantage of 2 lights on a car is that you can gauge speed and direction (the lights get further apart, wider, bigger as it approaches and the time it takes indicates speed). A single light on a motorcycle does not provide the necessary feedback to other road users. It is difficult to judge speed and direction or if it is moving at all. We need to add an extra light to our bike to get the benefits cars have. The most published approach is the "Triangle of Visibility" , where we add 2 lights down low and as far apart as possible because we do not have the ability to spread 2 lights apart like a car does.

This post is about what I have done to my CFMoto 650TK which may help others consider doing something similar. We need to manage our own risks because no one else is doing it for us.

The first thing I did was to add a new 40A power relay driven by the ignition to supply power directly from the battery for my new Lights, GPS, Heated grips, Aux power sockets and future add-ons. I choose LED because they use so little power, very bright and controllable. I went with one spot and one flood, this combination is a compromise you could use duel spot or duel flood depending on what you were trying achieve. For me I use them as Day Light Runners (DRL) at 30% power during the day with the park lights on, low beam supplements at 50% and 100% on high beam. I do not need to run low beam during the day because the existing headlight park LED combined with the 2 fork mounted LEDs gives me the Triangle effect.

The LEDs are 10watt Cree's which will burn your retina on full power and I used an intelligent control module from http://www.lights.skenedesign.com/


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The controller is programmable via the high beam switch. Light switch off has everything off, park lights on LEDS on 30% power. Headlight on low beam LED is 50% (more than that and people flash you) and high beam puts the LEDs at 100%. Power consumption is 2 by 10watts on high and 2 by 3 watts as DRL's. Using the LEDs for low and high beam adding light reduces the need to upgrade the lights to HID although that would be the best combination. The extra 20watts of LED on full power high beam is much better than the extra 40watts if you went from 35 to 55watt halogen bulbs.

I am considering upgrading the low beam bulb to a 35watt HID for better light than the 35watt halogen without loading the alternator. Maybe upgrade the high beam to a 55watt halogen because it is better for flashing than a more expensive HID and would not be on much so power load would not be a major issue. What I have achieved is less power used during the day, 6 watts of extra LED compared to 35watt low beam and only 10watts more power on low beam and 20watts on high. The LEDs fill in the dark spots produced by the standard 35watt lights.

Another advantage is that if you flash your pass switch twice in 1 second, the LEDs do an emergency strobe at 100% power for 2 seconds. I used this the other night when a car started to pull out in front of me - scared the shit out them when they got my emergency burst. You can wire it to the horn as well if you wanted to.

Hope this mod adds to the forum and is helpful to someone.

Cheers Rob

[bikerdoc]

That sounds like a pretty good system you have installed. Would like to see more of how you have mounted what where if possible? Also any links to items you obtained to get this mod done would be a nice added bonus...

But, bloody good job... mind you not too many Roos in Tassie from what I recall, now the mainland that's a different story... especially the outback... and with them Roos doesn't matter much how many lights, strobes or what have you, a Roo will hang by the roadside until IT decides IT wants to hop/bound off in any direction of its choosing even if that might be towards "look - two moons"

OK, that "look - two moons" was off a NZ creative advert where two possums looked up at an approaching car with the headlights on... guess you'd have to have seen that advert to appreciate the humour...

Mod linked to the CFMoto CF650TR compilation thread

[trebor]

The LEDS come with a typical basic bracket which I attached to the front wheel guard using the rear bolt. The bolt is rubber mounted which worked great, just remove the bolt, place the bracket and replace the bolt. The bracket becomes a washer on the bolt head. Very simple. An alternative would be to make a special bracket and use the 2 front guard bolts but I have had no problem with the single back bolt due to the rubber mount stopping any movement.

The LEDs I used were sourced on e-bay for about $185 http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2-x-CREE-...item3cd6f5897e.

These are expensive but you get what you pay for. All CREE LEDs come from the same factory, they have first grade and a reject bin which is where the cheap LEDs come from. The LED is only part of the selection, you also need a good housing, reflector, lens and built in electronics. Good LED lights contain current limiting so they can operate over a wide range of voltages (9 - 58).

Specifications of the ones I used

• LED: 2 High Power Cree LED 6000K
• Input: 9-50V
• Power Consumption: 10W
• Dimensions: From the top of the light to the mounting face of the bracket is 80mm
• The face of the light is 60mm round and from the front to the back of the light is 75mm
• Lens: Virtually unbreakable PMMA lens - light transmittance >93%
• Heat resistance: + 90C
• Housing: Rugged Diecast Aluminium Housing (Optimum durability and heat dissipation)
• Bracket: Stainless Steel
• Connection: Deutsch waterproof socket Connector
• IP Rating: IP68*
• (*Manufacturer Standard - submersible under water up to 1.1Meter for 24hrs)
• Operating Temp: - 40 to + 105C
• Light Output: 900 Lumens
• Illuminating Distance: Super bright area covering 400m x 15m wide will illuminate reflectors 1km away
• Lifespan: Superior long lifetime up to 50000 hrs
• NET Weight: 320 grams
• Thermal Protected
• Reverse Voltage Protected
  

In Tasmania we don't have big Roos but we have dumb cages just like you do and deer and cows as well slow public servants. In Oz just avoid riding at night in the country else the Roos will take you down and the crocks will eat you. Ah and don't forget the Tasmanian Devils.

Cheers

[Jimmy Teh]

Hi,

Good job. I was thinking of doing this myself as well...however, I am not savvy when it come to the electrical part.. Where would be the easiest to access the ignition cable to connect to the relay? What color is the cable? Can I tap it from before the ECU? or fuse box?

[trebor]

I took the power from one of the fuses. Join into any 12volt wire that has power when the ignition is on. connect relay coil to this 12v supply snd the other side to ground. Connect 12v direct from the battery to one side of the relay switched contacts and the other side to your lights. So ignition on, relay on, relay switches power from the battery to the lights. I used a large 40A relay to rin lots of stuff not just led lights. Put a fuse between the relay and the accessories.

[Jimmy Teh]

Thanks. I will try this...Hopefully, I don't blow anything up