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LazinCajun · October 5th, 2009, 08:57 PM

I've decided I'd like to add DRL's, but I couldn't find any threads (sorry if my search-fu is weak!) I have a few concerns before I chop up my bikes's wiring, and I was hoping you guys could help me clear up a few of them.

1) I'm undecided on how best to implement DRL's. I found a few guides on converting the stock turn signals to DRL's on pre-gens on other sites. Some simply added relays, and another modified dual filament bulbs to work. A third possibility is to add strip LEDs, but I'm not sure they'll be bright enough. This is complicated a bit by #2 and 3 below -- I want the install to be as simple as possible, but I have to keep battery life in mind. Any suggestions?

2) I basically have no electrical experience outside of making temporary circuits on breadboards (ie, no soldering). Can anybody recommend a good resource for learning to do basic soldering, crimping, splicing etc. properly?

3) Battery life -- A significant fraction of my riding is a fairly short city commute (~6 miles, although I certainly don't ride the bike every day). I'm worried that converting the stock halogens to DRL's will drain the battery far too fast with my riding pattern, especially if I put DRL's on the front and the back using halogen bulbs. I think adding LEDs or converting the stock turn signals to LEDs would help here, but that's adding more expense and effort to the project. I'd prefer to avoid both of those if the battery drain isn't too bad with halogens.

4) Bulb life -- If I do convert the stock turn signals to DRL's, how long can I expect the bulbs to last? Would this be any better with the dual-filament style bulbs? Obviously this isn't much of an issue with LEDs.

Finally, 5) Wiring -- Like I mentioned, I found a few guides to converting turn signals into DRL's... for pregens. Is the turn signal circuitry similar enough that these guides are still relevant? I think it should be, but I don't want to make any stupid assumptions since I'm a newbie with electrical work.

Edit: After a lot more searching, I found that Vex has some info on DRL's here: http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=10094 -- that answers some of this. However, it only covers using LEDs for DRL's, so I'm going to leave my original post intact.

October 5th, 2009, 08:57 PM	#1
LazinCajun ninjette.org guru Name: Anon Location: Atlanta, GA Join Date: Aug 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Ninja 250 (Blue!) Posts: 488	Daylight Running Lamps I've decided I'd like to add DRL's, but I couldn't find any threads (sorry if my search-fu is weak!) I have a few concerns before I chop up my bikes's wiring, and I was hoping you guys could help me clear up a few of them. 1) I'm undecided on how best to implement DRL's. I found a few guides on converting the stock turn signals to DRL's on pre-gens on other sites. Some simply added relays, and another modified dual filament bulbs to work. A third possibility is to add strip LEDs, but I'm not sure they'll be bright enough. This is complicated a bit by #2 and 3 below -- I want the install to be as simple as possible, but I have to keep battery life in mind. Any suggestions? 2) I basically have no electrical experience outside of making temporary circuits on breadboards (ie, no soldering). Can anybody recommend a good resource for learning to do basic soldering, crimping, splicing etc. properly? 3) Battery life -- A significant fraction of my riding is a fairly short city commute (~6 miles, although I certainly don't ride the bike every day). I'm worried that converting the stock halogens to DRL's will drain the battery far too fast with my riding pattern, especially if I put DRL's on the front and the back using halogen bulbs. I think adding LEDs or converting the stock turn signals to LEDs would help here, but that's adding more expense and effort to the project. I'd prefer to avoid both of those if the battery drain isn't too bad with halogens. 4) Bulb life -- If I do convert the stock turn signals to DRL's, how long can I expect the bulbs to last? Would this be any better with the dual-filament style bulbs? Obviously this isn't much of an issue with LEDs. Finally, 5) Wiring -- Like I mentioned, I found a few guides to converting turn signals into DRL's... for pregens. Is the turn signal circuitry similar enough that these guides are still relevant? I think it should be, but I don't want to make any stupid assumptions since I'm a newbie with electrical work. Edit: After a lot more searching, I found that Vex has some info on DRL's here: http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=10094 -- that answers some of this. However, it only covers using LEDs for DRL's, so I'm going to leave my original post intact.