Ninjaman12R
Needs a job
as a Deal's Gap tour guide.
Posts: 4767
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posted February 16, 2002 07:35 AM
 Edited By: Ninjaman12R on 16 Feb 2002 12:26
Graphic Art Moto Design Undertail LED upgrade (pic)
I installed my LED coversion kit last night. All I can say is that it definitely looks better with the LEDs, and that those fucking things are BRIGHT!!! I really hope Robert makes a set of front flushmounts with LEDs for the 12. If he does I can guarantee you that I will buy them. That's all the good stuff, now to the bad.
First off I am not trashing Robert in any way because he is a nice guy and has an excellent product. I plan to call him monday and give him some suggestions on how this upgrade should be done to hold up over the long haul, and that maybe he could write up a small instruction sheet to send out with the kit. I will tell anyone that is planning on doing this that if you don't have a hot glue gun, go get one, because you really need it if you want to do this right. The reason I say this is because the hot glue will hold up great, but if one of your LED boards goes bad, or for any reason you need to take it out you can. If you used epoxy or super glue it'd be a bitch, and if you're thinking silicone think again. It's not rigid enough to hold everything in place like you need. The hot glue is the ticket and it's super easy to work with.
Now to other issues, we'll call this weatherproofing, but it serves 2 purposes. One is to seal out the elements, and the other is to keep stuff you stow under your seat from coming into contact with the LED boards. I put clear silicone over the backside of the board, then after all the mounting , gluing etc., I took some scotch 130C rubber tape and covered everything up, then ran a bead of hot glue all the way around the tape to make sure that it'd take the abuse. This also will allow all the light to be projecting out of the lens, instead of lighing up the area under your seat as well. It's not rocket science, and I should have taken pics of this method so I could've sent them to Robert, and anyone that plans to do this. I can assure you it is 1000 times better than what it would've been had I just used what was sent with the kit. A decent Stanley dual temp hot glue gun will run you about $10 at Lowes, and glue sticks are dirt cheap. The 130c Scotch rubber tape isn't that high either and I've used the stuff to wrap connecting lugs on 500hp 480VAC motors on refrigeration screw compressors. It's good stuff. I know there is more than one way to do this, but this is a good method that anybody can do, and it should easily stand the test of time. 
I will post one shitty pic of the final result. My garage has shit lighting and my camera just doesn't take a good pic out there but it'll give you an idea of how good these things really look. (LEDs) It's a big improvement over the old bulbs, in form and function. Once again, these things are bright, REAL BRIGHT.
Also take note of the new license plate frame I fabricated. It is the same design as the one that comes with the undertail, but I made it to fit a standard size motorcycle plate. I also polished it , the other one wasn't polished. It also improved the look of things.
In short , even thought the installation of the LEDs was a little more involved than I thought it would be I am very happy with the results. Robert has an awesome product and I am in no way flaming him or saying otherwise,he's a hell of a nice guy that actually cares about his customers opinions. In all honesty when doing a retrofit of any kind I guess you should expect the unexpected , and Robert if you are reading this, hear me now when I say. MAKE SOME LED FLUSHMOUNTS FOR THE 12!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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What we're dealin' with here is a complete lack of respect for the law.
Sheriff Buford T. Justice of TEXAS
  
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harryzx-12
Needs a job
Posts: 3643
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posted February 16, 2002 07:38 AM
Looks great!!
You do good work! (for a blind onearmedfuckwad)
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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways- Body thoroughly used up, totally worn out...Screaming "WOO HOO, What a Ride !!!"
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F-15
Novice Class
Posts: 37
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posted February 16, 2002 09:07 AM
Ninjaman I tryed to lighten it up so we could see it better I didnt have much luck but here it is.
Dave
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Engage
Expert Class
Posts: 106
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posted February 16, 2002 09:19 AM
I just ordered an undertail from him yesterday!!! I can't wait to get it!! Thanks for the tips!!!
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Engage
Expert Class
Posts: 106
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posted February 16, 2002 10:46 AM
What did you make new bracket out of? How long to polish it?
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Ninjaman12R
Needs a job
as a Deal's Gap tour guide.
Posts: 4767
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posted February 16, 2002 11:11 AM
SLOW 1 !!!!!!!!!! It's on now........
F-15,
Thanks on trying to make the pic better, but I'll get some good photos as soon as I get my bike back together. The reflection from the bottom of the undertail really doesn't help matters, and my garage needs more lighting.(another freakin' job I need to do) But I'll roll it out on a sunny day and take several "Better" pics. Now about this "Slow 1" shit..........WHY I SHOULD...............oh nevermind.
Engage,
I made the bracket out of stainless (same as what came with the undertail) and it took me about 15-20 minutes to polish it. I polished it before I put it in the press to bend it, the die on the press made a small mark on the outside of the bend so I had to buff that area again because I polished both sides. I looks slick as hell, I should have taken a couple of pics of it before I put it on. But even in the shitty pic I posted you can see that MF shine. Looks WAY better than non-polished stainless, and now I don't have to drill holes in my plates so they'll mount. I actually went and got a new plate because I didn't want the one with the holes drilled in it on there. I told them my old one fell off. Well.......it did after I took the bolts out. Cost me $6.75 for the new plate and oct. sticker. Also note that I used stainless button socket head 10-24 machine screws, instead of the standard hex heads. The bracket wasn't hard to make, but I was using the stuff in the machine shop to do it, but stainless isn't the easiest metal to work with. If you can get some aluminum , and have a die grinder with a cut off wheel, or even a dremel tool with a cutting wheel, you can cut your bracket out, then polish it, then bend it in a bench vise. But put something over the metal before you put it in the vise to keep from messing up your polishing job. I started to make mine out of aluminum but everything that was at the shop was too thin.
Good luck with your install, take your time and once you get finished you'll be like............DAMN that MF looks nice, very nice. If you need any tips just PM me or something.
____________
What we're dealin' with here is a complete lack of respect for the law.
Sheriff Buford T. Justice of TEXAS
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SleezyRider
Novice Class
Mean Motor Scooter
Posts: 79
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posted February 16, 2002 07:23 PM
Edited By: SleezyRider on 16 Feb 2002 19:24
Ninjaman, did you have to pay for the upgrade, and if so how much was the cost??
Your bracket looks very nice..
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Ninjaman12R
Needs a job
as a Deal's Gap tour guide.
Posts: 4767
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posted February 16, 2002 08:16 PM
Thanks
quote:
Ninjaman, did you have to pay for the upgrade, and if so how much was the cost??
Your bracket looks very nice..
Thanks for the props on the bracket, Robert did me right and that's really all I can say.
____________
What we're dealin' with here is a complete lack of respect for the law.
Sheriff Buford T. Justice of TEXAS
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SleezyRider
Novice Class
Mean Motor Scooter
Posts: 79
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posted February 16, 2002 10:18 PM
I Understand 
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F-15
Novice Class
Posts: 37
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posted February 17, 2002 06:41 AM
Whats Graphic Art Moto Design web-site address again? I think I might have to get one.
Thanks Dave
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Engage
Expert Class
Posts: 106
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posted February 17, 2002 08:21 AM
Here ya go www.graphicartmotodesign.com
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