Installing LED Strip

msatrakkoic

msatrakkoic

Well-known member
I recently bought one of those LED strips to put on my bike. I'd like to wire it directly to the daytime running lights. I did some research and saw some people recommending using wire tee taps to directly tap into the wire. Apperently its legit. Howver, after more research I saw far more people saying that they are unsafe and unreliable and that soldering would be the better option.

Do i need to strip the daylight wire then solder directly on to it (after connecting the led strips together?)

are there any better alternative because im worried i might cut right through the daytime wire
 
If your going to do it solder and shrink wrap always a better option over vampire clips.
 
Get the heat shrink that has glue inside so the wiretaps become weather proof as well
 
The "vampire" taps used for trailer wiring are junk and should not be used.
Soldering is the preferred method IF you know how to solder. (Too much heat makes the wire brittle, not enough heat and the connection falls apart).

There is a "vampire" tap that is acceptable called a "scotch lock". When you squeeze a "scotch lock" the cavity where the connection is gets filled with di-electric grease.
http://www.google.ca/imgres?newwind...QcMBk&iact=rc&dur=252&page=2&start=23&ndsp=28 (a real 3m scotch lock)
or
http://www.google.ca/imgres?newwind...QcMEQ&iact=rc&dur=348&page=3&start=51&ndsp=25 ( a knock off pass thru version)

...oh... and heatshrink will not weather proof a connection, heatshrink filled with di-electric will though.
 
bitzz said:
There is a "vampire" tap that is acceptable called a "scotch lock". When you squeeze a "scotch lock" the cavity where the connection is gets filled with di-electric grease.
http://www.google.ca/imgres?newwind...QcMBk&iact=rc&dur=252&page=2&start=23&ndsp=28 (a real 3m scotch lock)
Click to expand...

those are great, I have a about 30 or so left.....got them from a Bell Installer guy a few years ago.......

if you see an Installer guy working in your area, see if he has any he can part with.....
 
bitzz said:
There is a "vampire" tap that is acceptable called a "scotch lock". When you squeeze a "scotch lock" the cavity where the connection is gets filled with di-electric grease.
http://www.google.ca/imgres?newwind...QcMBk&iact=rc&dur=252&page=2&start=23&ndsp=28 (a real 3m scotch lock)
or
http://www.google.ca/imgres?newwind...QcMEQ&iact=rc&dur=348&page=3&start=51&ndsp=25 ( a knock off pass thru version)

...oh... and heatshrink will not weather proof a connection, heatshrink filled with di-electric will though.
Click to expand...

can you tap into a wire with the first real scotch lock. It seems like you need to put two wire ends into it. Maybe I am looking at the picture the wrong way but wiould it let me tap into my existing wire?
 
Don't use wire taps. Even the supposedly "good" ones result in a big ugly lump that you have to find a place for. It just looks and smells like "butcher job".

Before you touch any wire harness, think about what happens in the future when you have to do a maintenance task that involves the part of the wire harness that you are dealing with. Can you unplug it; can you feed the wiring harness through access holes that it was designed to go through; etc.

I generally don't like making any modifications to the main wiring harness itself, unless it's for something like this.



This non-original-equipment voltage regulator can be unplugged from the bike just like the original regulator could, so there's no issue with maintenance. Installing this involved extending the wiring - it's soldered and shrink-wrapped, and the harness is taped over just like the original harness was.

If you are going to pull power to an accessory, try to do it in a way that is reversible if you (or the next owner) don't like it or change your mind. Failing that, try to do it in a way that looks and works factory original. Definitely do it such that if there is a failure of some sort, the fuse that blows won't be one that you rely on to get home (ignition, main lighting, etc). Make modifications on easily-replaced sub-harnesses, not on the main harness. If your bike has accessory power leads that are switched with ignition (most aren't!) use those. If you can plug something in rather than cut and solder, do that. If you can make your own entirely separate wiring harness rather than modifying a factory one, do that.

I HATE working on butchered wiring.
 
Brian P said:
Don't use wire taps. Even the supposedly "good" ones result in a big ugly lump that you have to find a place for. It just looks and smells like "butcher job".

Before you touch any wire harness, think about what happens in the future when you have to do a maintenance task that involves the part of the wire harness that you are dealing with. Can you unplug it; can you feed the wiring harness through access holes that it was designed to go through; etc.

I generally don't like making any modifications to the main wiring harness itself, unless it's for something like this.



This non-original-equipment voltage regulator can be unplugged from the bike just like the original regulator could, so there's no issue with maintenance. Installing this involved extending the wiring - it's soldered and shrink-wrapped, and the harness is taped over just like the original harness was.

If you are going to pull power to an accessory, try to do it in a way that is reversible if you (or the next owner) don't like it or change your mind. Failing that, try to do it in a way that looks and works factory original. Definitely do it such that if there is a failure of some sort, the fuse that blows won't be one that you rely on to get home (ignition, main lighting, etc). Make modifications on easily-replaced sub-harnesses, not on the main harness. If your bike has accessory power leads that are switched with ignition (most aren't!) use those. If you can plug something in rather than cut and solder, do that. If you can make your own entirely separate wiring harness rather than modifying a factory one, do that.

I HATE working on butchered wiring.
Click to expand...

How much would it cost to get done by a professional?

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
First you'll have to find such a professional. Then you'll have to ask them. Beware of so-called "professionals" who talk the talk but don't walk the walk. Seen enough scary car stereo installations to not trust places like that ...

I do stuff like this myself. I don't work on other people's bikes. But, a little bit of poking around on these forums ought to reveal a few people who have done work on other's bikes and have a good reputation. I'm not in a position where I can name names, though.
 
Brian P said:
First you'll have to find such a professional. Then you'll have to ask them. Beware of so-called "professionals" who talk the talk but don't walk the walk. Seen enough scary car stereo installations to not trust places like that ...

I do stuff like this myself. I don't work on other people's bikes. But, a little bit of poking around on these forums ought to reveal a few people who have done work on other's bikes and have a good reputation. I'm not in a position where I can name names, though.
Click to expand...

Would soldering the lights directly to the instrument panel light be a good solution. Ive soldered before and am pretty confident I can do it.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
Depends what you are doing with that LED strip, which you haven't told us!

Will you still be able to unplug and remove the instrument cluster if you do your proposed modification ... is there any foreseeable job that might need doing in the future, for which if you do your proposed modification, you will curse the day you were born for having done that modification?
 
Brian P said:
Depends what you are doing with that LED strip, which you haven't told us!

Will you still be able to unplug and remove the instrument cluster if you do your proposed modification ... is there any foreseeable job that might need doing in the future, for which if you do your proposed modification, you will curse the day you were born for having done that modification?
Click to expand...

Oops. Im going to put them in the air intake holes at the front of my hyo gt250r. Run the wire through the front. Pull out the cluster, solder the wires and put the cluster back. Ive seen it done and it looks really good. The wires themselves dont interfere with anything because they come through the front.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
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