1700 Vulcan Run/Brake Light Installation

[basimmer]

Today I installed additional run/brake lights to the rear of my 1700 Vulcan Nomad. I had seen very little information out there about the best places to connect wiring and I didn't want it to be a big hassle. I was able to do this with just two tools, the bike on the ground and no additional parts removal, wire fishing, etc.

Kit I bought was the HyperLites run/brake kit. You could use the turn version as well but I was less concerned about that part. If using the turn feature you would have to tap off the Gray/Right and Green/Left wires under the license plate bulb cover as it runs out to the turn signal lamps.

#1) Removed the "chrome" cover that protects the license plate bulb. This is held by two Allen bolts easy to see on either side of the light. This exposed a place to get the yellow/black ground and red running wire as well as a nice place to put the bundles of wiring and the small HyperLites control module. There is also an existing hole in the fender for the existing wiring.

#2) Inside the rear fender removed the protective plastic cover held in by two silver hex bolts just above the wiring hole in the fender. I was able to get these with a screwdriver handle with hex bolt attachment or an extension for your ratchet wrench might do. Under this cover are all the connectors from the main wiring feed to the various rear lights. In the group of wires you can isolate the blue/red brake wire running up to the tail light. This is the toughest part. I had enough room between the fender support and the rear tire to get my hand up in there.

#3) Used the supplied posi-tap to tap off the blue/red brake wire and ran the HyperLites red brake wire to it through the existing hole in the fender that is there. Protected red wire with a bit of electrical tape at the hole and put the plastic cover back on.

#4) Used the posi-taps to tap off the license plate bulb wires. Yellow/black ground to the HyperLite black and Red running to the HyperLite gray.

#5) Stuck the HyperLite controller to one of the flat metal supports, tidied up the wiring, and stuffed it behind the various support brackets.

#6) Used the HyperLite license plate bracket to mount the lights and ran the wires behind and up through the license plate bulb supports. Wired the HyperLites three browns and three blues together with the posi-posts and stuffed them away.

#7) Reattached the "chrome" cover.

All the wiring was neatly tucked away behind the various mounting brackets and under the cover so you cannot see them. In fact the only "exposed" wiring is behind the license plate as it runs out to the lights.

This could be adapted for other installations that use LED lighting. In fact in the future I now have the tap location in case I want to do like side lighting on the saddlebags. To do that I will have to make sure to add some disconnect plugs for when the bags need to be removed.

[bullman]

As the saying goes... Pictures or it didn't happen!!!

[Netnorske]

Kuryakyn made a "plug and play" version for the 1600....the Triple Whammy....is there no such animal for the 1700's...?? And yes....pics are very important to a project of this caliber...!!

[landman]

Originally Posted by Netnorske

Kuryakyn made a "plug and play" version for the 1600....the Triple Whammy....is there no such animal for the 1700's...?? And yes....pics are very important to a project of this caliber...!!

haven't seen it for the 1700 yet.

[basimmer]

Good point on the pics. I didn't even think about it at the time I was doing it that I would post it. Good intentions on sharing but poor execution.