Saturday, February 21, 2009

Lighting project complete!

I wrote on January 14th that I had purchased some LED pods to mod my scooter with, in an effort to improve visibility. It was warm enough today (upper 30's) and I had nothing else pressing, so I decided to work on my project.

I purchased The total cost of my project was about $20, including the cost of wires, batteries, the LED pods and a clicker switch. I placed one LED pod above the front fender, on the fairing, just below the steering column and laced the wire into the glove compartment. I then used a coat hanger (thanks to the innovative suggestion of my neighbor) to pull a wire down through the front portion of the chassis, and under the floorboard. I then threaded the rear LED pod through the rear parts of the frame, being careful to stay clear of the engine, past the scooter's battery and up above the rear tire's splash guard.After using my dremmel to bore a small hole in the glove box door, I popped the switch through, fastened it in place with the nut it came with, and attached the wires to it. I used a 9 volt battery to power the circuit rather than the vehicle's battery since I didn't want to mess up my warranty or mess with the wiring that was already in place. I will probably connect the lights into the headlight circuit eventually, but for now, it was easier just to rig a completely independant circuit.

The whole project took me about an hour to complete, including the time it took to test the circuit inside before installing it on the scooter.

All in all, it was a fun project. I can't wait for nightfall so I can see how it looks in the dark.

DISCLAIMER: The above is not a step by step walkthrough. The author assumes no responsibility for any damage/loss/voidance of warranty, etc. that may occur to anyone else's vehicle should should they decide to try the same or similar project. The above is simply a recounting of the author's own experience.

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