LED Kits from A to Z

SaintJPN · December 27th, 2010, 11:22 PM

I've been searching and I figured it was time to encompass everything under one roof. Everything about LED kits from cheap low grade autozone type LED's to professional kits. Are they legal/illegal in your country/state/city?

Hello my name is Saint
I live in Japan
I currently have a green Stingerz LED sports package on my 2009 Kaw Ninja 250r Lime green
Legal/Illegal= Legal

I personally believe the main reason LED's are banned in a lot of areas is because ppl go overboard and have them flashing and doing crazy distractive things. If ppl grouped together and put together a very smart idea in a smart package and sold that package to the insurance companies/DMV's/Police departments... you could push for legalization of LED's to a certain extent.
Do your research. Do the leg work. Get the numbers together. Provide a kickass presentation backed up by hard evidence and support. The worst that can happen is that they remember everyone involved was trying to save lives. If that happens then let them go to sleep every night with a guilty conscience all the while you mail them everytime someone on a motorcycle is in an accident that could have been avoided if the driver of the car more easily noticed the motorcycle if it had LED lights. Just a thought.

Anyone wanna know about how to hook up a Stingerz kit or great placements for thumbswitches....just ask. Picks to follow soon.

oroboros · December 28th, 2010, 08:41 PM

Hey Saint, of course I want to hear more... I would also be interested in getting aftermarket parts discounted from Japan! Anything we should know about?
Posted via Mobile Device

SaintJPN · December 29th, 2010, 03:51 PM

"For the carbon fiber rear hugger and a lot of other carbon fiber options like mirrors, signal lights, and gauges (these are all covers that replace stock covers). You can order them through Kawasaki Japan. In fact, when you buy a bike from here in Japan...they give you a catalog that has all sorts of parts for most of their bikes they make. I can almost guarantee you can talk to someone that speaks english pretty decently if you say, "Do you speak English?" and "I need to speak to someone that speaks English" or See-ma-say, go-minnow-sai....knee-hung-O.. DA-may... Go-min-ay. English Oni-ga-she-moss. Translates to: Excuse me, I'm sorry but Japanese language is bad. Sorry. I need English please. "

As for discounted aftermarket parts that are not in the Kawasaki catalog (Japanese). Most of the local stores here (Driver's Stand, Rough & Road , and one more I can't think of right now) sell American and UK goods. Japanese goods are usually tires/bags/chains/line of racing jackets and goods called Yellow Corn (super small sizes) and everything is a little more pricey due to overseas shipping. A RAM Mount Aqua box will run you $300+ here.

I will keep my eye out for the cool items that pop up from time to time.

SaintJPN · December 29th, 2010, 08:52 PM

I took some pretty good pictures of my Stingerz green LED kit (already mounted on my bike and in the dark). I'll post picks after the New Year and I'll do a short step by step on how to wire it with my personal recommendations on wiring/splicing/where to run the wires for stealth/and how and where to place thumb switches.

Meanwhile.... everyone feel free to post what state or country you're from and if it's Legal or Illegal and if legal then what colors.

randomwalk101 · December 30th, 2010, 09:44 AM

is jap 250r is FI?

oroboros · December 30th, 2010, 01:35 PM

Great information. I realize that ordering from Japan would most likely be expensive but this is a nice option. I was in Tokyo about a year ago and saw so many different bikes. I have to admit being surprised to find when I bought my 250R that it was actually made in Thailand. I can perfectly understand why this is the case but I guess I just did not expect it. It seems like the link to getting any aftermarket goods from Thailand is tenuous at best...

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaintJPN

"For the carbon fiber rear hugger and a lot of other carbon fiber options like mirrors, signal lights, and gauges (these are all covers that replace stock covers). You can order them through Kawasaki Japan. In fact, when you buy a bike from here in Japan...they give you a catalog that has all sorts of parts for most of their bikes they make. I can almost guarantee you can talk to someone that speaks english pretty decently if you say, "Do you speak English?" and "I need to speak to someone that speaks English" or See-ma-say, go-minnow-sai....knee-hung-O.. DA-may... Go-min-ay. English Oni-ga-she-moss. Translates to: Excuse me, I'm sorry but Japanese language is bad. Sorry. I need English please. "

As for discounted aftermarket parts that are not in the Kawasaki catalog (Japanese). Most of the local stores here (Driver's Stand, Rough & Road , and one more I can't think of right now) sell American and UK goods. Japanese goods are usually tires/bags/chains/line of racing jackets and goods called Yellow Corn (super small sizes) and everything is a little more pricey due to overseas shipping. A RAM Mount Aqua box will run you $300+ here.

I will keep my eye out for the cool items that pop up from time to time.

SaintJPN · January 2nd, 2011, 03:49 PM

When ordering from Japan, everyone is so worried about shipping charges. The actual cost for the Japanese post office isn't that expensive. Once you take on the other services like "express" and such...it can get a little expensive just the same as America.

I've had absolutely no luck when it comes to tracking down any parts directly from Thailand. It seems that everything is made there in a factory but not sold there. Your best bet is finding an online shop in the Phillipines or Indonesia. They're kind of shy when dealing with the English language but if you can find a friend or co-worker that knows the language. Here's a big help.... if your friend is from that country but doesn't speak the language, try asking if their mom or aunt can help out. Women from these countries are generally really great hagglers when it comes to talking about prices and they could possibly swing you the same price as what a local would pay for.

SaintJPN · January 2nd, 2011, 04:23 PM

I've noticed in a lot of forums that ppl tend to buy their LED kits from ebay. Don't get me wrong, ebay is sometimes a great source for finding something cheaper but when it comes to buying cheap over quality it doesn't make sense. Would you put cheap quality tires on your bike?

In my experience, to save money you gotta buy good quality and what you're going to like the first time around. It's like buying furnishings for your house. Most ppl buy cheap at first and say, "Oh, we'll replace it later with better stuff". The problem with that is; 1. you're not satisified with what you currently got and 2. You're going to have to buy it a second time. So, to inject a little math: Cheap stuff $$$ + What you really wanted to buy $$$ = A hell of a lot more $$$ than just buying what you really wanted in the first place.

If you suffer from the "I gotta have it now cause it's cool" like I did when I was younger then you're going to be using a lot of duct tape, zip ties, and drilling. Basically butchering your ride. There's a time and place for DIY but sometimes that item that's made specifically for your ride or for motorcycles in general is going to be a 1,000 times better than trying to cook up something at home.

Some of these cheap items you can find are sold from China. They'll have the same stamping and markings as the real articles that you want to buy and they will be the same in looks. They usually came off the same assembly line but they didn't get shipped to the stores because they didn't pass quality assurance. So now someone is trying to sell subpar products to you with absolutely no warranty. I know because I'm a victim of this.

Bottom line: Be careful. Spend a few extra bucks on the quality items and you won't regret it. Your ride deserves it. I treat my ride good cause I want my ride to treat me good. Call me superstitious.

SaintJPN · January 5th, 2011, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by randomwalk101

is jap 250r is FI?

EX250 according to the Japanese Title and VIN but graphics/sticker wise it's the 250r. My insurance paperwork says Ninja 250R also.

oroboros · January 6th, 2011, 05:37 AM

I think the question is... Are the New Gen Ninjas fuel injected in Japan? Oni-ga-she-moss!
Posted via Mobile Device

SaintJPN · January 6th, 2011, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oroboros

I think the question is... Are the New Gen Ninjas fuel injected in Japan? Oni-ga-she-moss!
Posted via Mobile Device

I'll check and with what year started.

SaintJPN · January 24th, 2011, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oroboros

I think the question is... Are the New Gen Ninjas fuel injected in Japan? Oni-ga-she-moss!
Posted via Mobile Device

Sorry for the late reply. Mine is fuel injected and it's a 2009. I haven't had the time to ask my dealership anything due to all the x-rays and physical therapy I'm going through because of my accident and still going to work and college + spending time with my wife and kids...I tend to stay a little busy these days. Hopefully I'll get around to it.

BTW everyone....sorry for not uploading any pics to this thread. I will try to upload my photos during this week or at the latest next week.

SaintJPN · February 21st, 2011, 10:31 PM

Here they are. I finally had time with my busy schedule to post pictures. Sorry for being late. The last pic is just a shot of my RAM Mount with a Garmin. Plastic arms are the way to go, don't be fooled into thinking metal is better. The plastic is super strong and also takes out even more of the vibration in combo with the rubber joints.

I'll post some daytime photos soon with the tool I used to make the hole for my switch and a pic of the switch location and why I think it's the sweet spot.

oroboros · February 23rd, 2011, 06:25 AM

Saint, it looks really sweet. I have a feeling it is not legal in TN but I am not sure. I think that any light facing towards the rear has to be red. I bet you could get away with an LED to light up the engine compartment...? It seems natural to view it as a safety measure.

Are you powering the Garmin from the bike or just using the battery? My nuvi battery does not last terribly long.

SaintJPN · February 23rd, 2011, 07:36 PM

In Japan it's legal as long as it doesn't look like a police car or ambulance while it's flashing. I just use the normal battery in the nuvi. If I need to charge it I can always pull over and charge it somewhere while I'm eating or resting but I see no need to hardwire it to my bike's battery. It lasts the 2.5 - 3 hrs I drive into work easily and I charge it when I'm at work so I'm good for the ride home too.

-Any GPS system draws only little battery juice if you're following the path correctly...if it's constantly searching for sattelites or new routes then it's basically doing a keg stand with the battery juice.

SaintJPN · February 23rd, 2011, 08:55 PM

Two more pics. One kind of shows some of my reflective stickers I made myself. Note: the Semper Fi sticker I ordered from eBay.

SaintJPN · February 23rd, 2011, 09:09 PM

This one took me a little while on deciding the best location for my on/off switch for my LED kit. It had to be accessible while I was riding and wearing gloves and still be able to keep my eyes on the road somewhat. If you look just below the right side (throttle side) grip on the fairing you can see the black rubber booted on/off switch.

The instructions tell you to use 3M tape to install your switch. SCREW THAT. Most switches, including this one was designed to be installed through a hole and then screwed together to be stable. What's the use in having a waterproof switch if it's not going to be installed properly and not really be a waterproof switch?

SaintJPN · February 27th, 2011, 05:42 PM

Forgot to mention.

I left my LED light kit on for about 48 hours with my bike parked accidentally. No problems when I went to crank over the engine with the lights still on at the same time.

SaintJPN · July 10th, 2011, 07:34 PM

Ok, I haven't posted here in awhile because I didn't have too much to report with my LED's. They've been great and I've been using them every day with no problems until last week. The 3M tape eventually comes off in some places. Keep some extra strength double back tape made for car emblems on hand when the time comes.

I've noticed a trend with people's LED switches being on the sides where they can "bump it with their leg" to turn them off... The switches they are using do not look like they are waterproof so I hope they never ride in the rain. It's not going to crap out on you with just a sprinkle of water hitting it but overtime it will do something if not to your battery.

When doing any wiring installing on a bike or a car, I highly recommend using the adhesive J hooks that hold wires in place because this keeps the weight off of your connection points and your LED's or whatever it is you are powering. Helps keep whatever you're doing stay wherever you put it. The end result is much cleaner looking too.

December 27th, 2010, 11:22 PM	#1
SaintJPN ninjette.org member Name: Saint Location: Japan Join Date: Dec 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2009 KAW Ninja250r Posts: 72	LED Kits from A to Z I've been searching and I figured it was time to encompass everything under one roof. Everything about LED kits from cheap low grade autozone type LED's to professional kits. Are they legal/illegal in your country/state/city? Hello my name is Saint I live in Japan I currently have a green Stingerz LED sports package on my 2009 Kaw Ninja 250r Lime green Legal/Illegal= Legal I personally believe the main reason LED's are banned in a lot of areas is because ppl go overboard and have them flashing and doing crazy distractive things. If ppl grouped together and put together a very smart idea in a smart package and sold that package to the insurance companies/DMV's/Police departments... you could push for legalization of LED's to a certain extent. Do your research. Do the leg work. Get the numbers together. Provide a kickass presentation backed up by hard evidence and support. The worst that can happen is that they remember everyone involved was trying to save lives. If that happens then let them go to sleep every night with a guilty conscience all the while you mail them everytime someone on a motorcycle is in an accident that could have been avoided if the driver of the car more easily noticed the motorcycle if it had LED lights. Just a thought. Anyone wanna know about how to hook up a Stingerz kit or great placements for thumbswitches....just ask. Picks to follow soon.

December 29th, 2010, 03:51 PM	#3
SaintJPN ninjette.org member Name: Saint Location: Japan Join Date: Dec 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2009 KAW Ninja250r Posts: 72	Cut and paste from my post in "Seat Cowl Redux" "For the carbon fiber rear hugger and a lot of other carbon fiber options like mirrors, signal lights, and gauges (these are all covers that replace stock covers). You can order them through Kawasaki Japan. In fact, when you buy a bike from here in Japan...they give you a catalog that has all sorts of parts for most of their bikes they make. I can almost guarantee you can talk to someone that speaks english pretty decently if you say, "Do you speak English?" and "I need to speak to someone that speaks English" or See-ma-say, go-minnow-sai....knee-hung-O.. DA-may... Go-min-ay. English Oni-ga-she-moss. Translates to: Excuse me, I'm sorry but Japanese language is bad. Sorry. I need English please. " As for discounted aftermarket parts that are not in the Kawasaki catalog (Japanese). Most of the local stores here (Driver's Stand, Rough & Road , and one more I can't think of right now) sell American and UK goods. Japanese goods are usually tires/bags/chains/line of racing jackets and goods called Yellow Corn (super small sizes) and everything is a little more pricey due to overseas shipping. A RAM Mount Aqua box will run you $300+ here. I will keep my eye out for the cool items that pop up from time to time.

January 2nd, 2011, 04:23 PM	#8
SaintJPN ninjette.org member Name: Saint Location: Japan Join Date: Dec 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2009 KAW Ninja250r Posts: 72	Back on Topic I've noticed in a lot of forums that ppl tend to buy their LED kits from ebay. Don't get me wrong, ebay is sometimes a great source for finding something cheaper but when it comes to buying cheap over quality it doesn't make sense. Would you put cheap quality tires on your bike? In my experience, to save money you gotta buy good quality and what you're going to like the first time around. It's like buying furnishings for your house. Most ppl buy cheap at first and say, "Oh, we'll replace it later with better stuff". The problem with that is; 1. you're not satisified with what you currently got and 2. You're going to have to buy it a second time. So, to inject a little math: Cheap stuff $$$ + What you really wanted to buy $$$ = A hell of a lot more $$$ than just buying what you really wanted in the first place. If you suffer from the "I gotta have it now cause it's cool" like I did when I was younger then you're going to be using a lot of duct tape, zip ties, and drilling. Basically butchering your ride. There's a time and place for DIY but sometimes that item that's made specifically for your ride or for motorcycles in general is going to be a 1,000 times better than trying to cook up something at home. Some of these cheap items you can find are sold from China. They'll have the same stamping and markings as the real articles that you want to buy and they will be the same in looks. They usually came off the same assembly line but they didn't get shipped to the stores because they didn't pass quality assurance. So now someone is trying to sell subpar products to you with absolutely no warranty. I know because I'm a victim of this. Bottom line: Be careful. Spend a few extra bucks on the quality items and you won't regret it. Your ride deserves it. I treat my ride good cause I want my ride to treat me good. Call me superstitious.

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December 28th, 2010, 08:41 PM	#2
oroboros GDTRFB Name: Drew Location: SE PA Join Date: Nov 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250 - sold 2005 EX500R project Posts: 496	Hey Saint, of course I want to hear more... I would also be interested in getting aftermarket parts discounted from Japan! Anything we should know about? Posted via Mobile Device

December 29th, 2010, 08:52 PM	#4
SaintJPN ninjette.org member Name: Saint Location: Japan Join Date: Dec 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2009 KAW Ninja250r Posts: 72	I took some pretty good pictures of my Stingerz green LED kit (already mounted on my bike and in the dark). I'll post picks after the New Year and I'll do a short step by step on how to wire it with my personal recommendations on wiring/splicing/where to run the wires for stealth/and how and where to place thumb switches. Meanwhile.... everyone feel free to post what state or country you're from and if it's Legal or Illegal and if legal then what colors.

December 30th, 2010, 09:44 AM	#5
randomwalk101 self wrencher Name: john Location: houston Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): 08 250r and 07 600r Posts: A lot.	is jap 250r is FI?

January 2nd, 2011, 03:49 PM	#7
SaintJPN ninjette.org member Name: Saint Location: Japan Join Date: Dec 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2009 KAW Ninja250r Posts: 72	When ordering from Japan, everyone is so worried about shipping charges. The actual cost for the Japanese post office isn't that expensive. Once you take on the other services like "express" and such...it can get a little expensive just the same as America. I've had absolutely no luck when it comes to tracking down any parts directly from Thailand. It seems that everything is made there in a factory but not sold there. Your best bet is finding an online shop in the Phillipines or Indonesia. They're kind of shy when dealing with the English language but if you can find a friend or co-worker that knows the language. Here's a big help.... if your friend is from that country but doesn't speak the language, try asking if their mom or aunt can help out. Women from these countries are generally really great hagglers when it comes to talking about prices and they could possibly swing you the same price as what a local would pay for.

January 6th, 2011, 05:37 AM	#10
oroboros GDTRFB Name: Drew Location: SE PA Join Date: Nov 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250 - sold 2005 EX500R project Posts: 496	I think the question is... Are the New Gen Ninjas fuel injected in Japan? Oni-ga-she-moss! Posted via Mobile Device

February 23rd, 2011, 06:25 AM	#14
oroboros GDTRFB Name: Drew Location: SE PA Join Date: Nov 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250 - sold 2005 EX500R project Posts: 496	Saint, it looks really sweet. I have a feeling it is not legal in TN but I am not sure. I think that any light facing towards the rear has to be red. I bet you could get away with an LED to light up the engine compartment...? It seems natural to view it as a safety measure. Are you powering the Garmin from the bike or just using the battery? My nuvi battery does not last terribly long.

February 23rd, 2011, 07:36 PM	#15
SaintJPN ninjette.org member Name: Saint Location: Japan Join Date: Dec 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2009 KAW Ninja250r Posts: 72	In Japan it's legal as long as it doesn't look like a police car or ambulance while it's flashing. I just use the normal battery in the nuvi. If I need to charge it I can always pull over and charge it somewhere while I'm eating or resting but I see no need to hardwire it to my bike's battery. It lasts the 2.5 - 3 hrs I drive into work easily and I charge it when I'm at work so I'm good for the ride home too. -Any GPS system draws only little battery juice if you're following the path correctly...if it's constantly searching for sattelites or new routes then it's basically doing a keg stand with the battery juice.

February 27th, 2011, 05:42 PM	#18
SaintJPN ninjette.org member Name: Saint Location: Japan Join Date: Dec 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2009 KAW Ninja250r Posts: 72	Forgot to mention. I left my LED light kit on for about 48 hours with my bike parked accidentally. No problems when I went to crank over the engine with the lights still on at the same time.

July 10th, 2011, 07:34 PM	#19
SaintJPN ninjette.org member Name: Saint Location: Japan Join Date: Dec 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2009 KAW Ninja250r Posts: 72	Ok, I haven't posted here in awhile because I didn't have too much to report with my LED's. They've been great and I've been using them every day with no problems until last week. The 3M tape eventually comes off in some places. Keep some extra strength double back tape made for car emblems on hand when the time comes. I've noticed a trend with people's LED switches being on the sides where they can "bump it with their leg" to turn them off... The switches they are using do not look like they are waterproof so I hope they never ride in the rain. It's not going to crap out on you with just a sprinkle of water hitting it but overtime it will do something if not to your battery. When doing any wiring installing on a bike or a car, I highly recommend using the adhesive J hooks that hold wires in place because this keeps the weight off of your connection points and your LED's or whatever it is you are powering. Helps keep whatever you're doing stay wherever you put it. The end result is much cleaner looking too.