/2 LED tail light

[jademe]

Checking to get impressions/thoughts about LED lighting for /2 tail lights. I am considering this system http://www.culayer.com/Coffee_Can.htm but I do not know anything about them other than reading one review. I would appreciate some thoughts. Would this allow wiring my enduro saddlebags and reduce electrical load ? thanks jim

[RainyRider]

Looks good to me...If, it's a LOT brighter than the stock bulb. The purists might holler at you, but I like extra brake/tail lights (when practical), on my bikes, since they don't have rear bumpers....

[miller6997]

Jim Franzen at Culayer makes good stuff, but his LED tail light (the second, brighter version) has one serious fault. When the tail light is on, half the LEDs in the circle (every other one) are illuminated, and they really show up. When you hit the brake, the rest light up, so that, technically, you are getting twice the light. But the bulbs are all of the same intensity, and from a hundred feet behind the bike, the brake light hardly shows up at all. I followed a friend who was riding my '67 through some really twisty, up-and-down roads, and when we stopped I asked him why he never hit the brakes.

Bench Mark sells a different version, made by Bruce Branstad (bulbsthatlast4ever). With Bruce's version, all of the LEDs come on at medium (actually very bright) intensity when the tail light is switched on. When you hit the brakes, all of them double in intensity -- very noticeable.

I think Vech sells the Branstad version for $73 (check to be sure). In my opinion, this light is by far the better one.

[jademe]

Thank you for the replies and information. I'll check into the alternative LED's..........good to hear your review about them. jim

[schrader7032]

Did you get those pictures backwards? I'm hard pressed to see much difference...maybe it's just the lighting and/or angle of the pictures.

[Rodney YJ]

I have a Culayer and love it. I have been told on some rides that it is very easy to see. Also one of my LEDs stopped working and I shipped it to Jim and he replaced it along with some other leds that he thought were not good and shipped it back for free. He was quick and very apologetic. He also said if I had another problem with it to let him know and he would just send me a new one. Mine was about 2 years old when I sent it back. Very nice product and very nice guy.

Still original 6v

Stock tail light

Stock brake light

Culayer Tail light

Culayer Brake light

[Rodney YJ]

Yes I just changed them. Yeah it is not the best angle and the light being outside the garage doesn't help but the reason I like the culayer is that to me it makes it easier to be seen when you are braking.

[Zeno Lee]

I have to vouch for bulbsthatlast4ever. I just installed them and the difference is immense.

It's an easy drop-in replacement. You can hold onto your old taillight for authenticity when you need it.

[miller6997]

I bought the first version of the Culayer and really liked it. When version 2 was available, I bought it, thinking more LEDs is better. It was with this second version that I had the problem. When you are standing in the garage and hit the pedal, the additional lights coming on are very apparent. You are getting double the number of light points. But it's at a distance that, in my experience, they seem to wash out. You just don't see much difference when the pedal is applied. When following my bike probably 100-200 yards back, I never knew when the brakes were being applied.

Here is a link to a collage of quick snapshots of the bulbsthatlast4ever version:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/pL ... directlink

The pictures are not good, but I think they will make the point. The basic tail light in the upper right is probably twice as bright as the stock incandescent version, and the brake light shown in the lower left is probably twice as bright again.

[herbg]

I had great results with the full LED replacement kit from Bob Porecha. Once I sorted out the installation, everything operates as advertised. Outstanding improvement! Highly recommended.

Bob is listed in our directory, as below:

Bob Porecha
303 Sydenham Rd., London SE26 5EW, England
0208-659-8860 or fax 0208-659-9198 or email bob@porecha.fslife.co.uk

Parts for all BMWs including some for pre-war models.

Cheers,
Herb...
1969 R69S