Looking for Givi topcase lighting ideas?

[twowheels]

I have a Givi Monolock E34 topcase. Would like to add brake lights to it. Any suggestions on what LED's and connectors I should use? Any other helpful info would be greatly appreciated too.

My reason for doing this is safety not looks so I want some bright ass lights and maybe a flasher. Also a connector so I can remove the top case from time to time.

[Time]

Check with Twisted Throttle. Givi makes lighting kits for most of their top boxes that would be a easy install. They have a quick disconnect system as well.

[davidg]

You don't even connect/disconnect wiring with the Givi kit. It give you contacts in your adapter plate and contacts in the bottom of the case. The contacts mate when you install the case. They also provide a cover for the contact set in the plate for when you aren't using the case.

admore lighting makes LED kits for Givi cases. Less power, might be brighter, and should light up quicker--which should make the brake light safer. Cost more also. Couldn't tell you about how the connection to the bike is done.

[Boricua]

There are a couple of threads about it. I installed a set of led strips and connect them to the break light using a two pin sae connector. Put some reflective tape behind the lens to give it a reflective surface. You can use pieces of dot material used in trailers. Once you put it together it works like a car third break light. Everything is available in your local auto parts store. Total cost is under $30.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Motorcycle.com Free App

[sharrison56]

I have the AdMoreLighting kits is my top and side cases. Good stuff. http://www.admorelighting.com/

[Bones]

As an option, consider adding lighting to the bracket. That way if you ride without the case (I often do) you still have extra lighting on the bike. I have a bright LED strip on the bracket that is wired as both a running light and a brake light.

[BaileyMan]

I have the Givi lighting kit for a top case for my other bike. It's pretty easy to install if you have a few tools around, and super easy to take the case on and off. Like the other guy said, the electrical contacts are on the mounting plate so you just take the case on and off as if there were no lights. It's cool. The wires that come with it are pretty lame though. I had to replace them with a heavier gauge wire so they wouldn't keep breaking. I recommend the kit.

[sharrison56]

I originally had the Givi kit but it quit working after a few months. It was hard to keep the contacts moving freely so that they would make contact all of the time (cheap metal), plus they didn't have turn signals.

[Daedalus62]

Originally Posted by Bones

As an option, consider adding lighting to the bracket. That way if you ride without the case (I often do) you still have extra lighting on the bike. I have a bright LED strip on the bracket that is wired as both a running light and a brake light.

X2 on that... Also no messing with unreliable contacts/connectors...

Here's mine, from SHAD. You can see it just under the mounting plate... Brake lights only.

Wonder why GIVI doesn't make these...



Cheers

[Bones]

Originally Posted by Daedalus62

X2 on that... Wonder why GIVI doesn't make these...

Here's mine, from SHAD. You can see it just under the mounting plate... Brake lights only.


Cheers

Cool, that looks really substantial. If it provides brake lights only, I wonder if you can wire in one of these, which I did with the LED light on my Givi bracket. Turns the LED strip from a high intensity brake light only into a low intensity running light/high intensity brake light.

[MaverickAus]

I bought one of these to flash the brake lights, haven't received it yet so I cant tell you what it is like.

[Daedalus62]

Originally Posted by Bones

Cool, that looks really substantial. If it provides brake lights only, I wonder if you can wire in one of these, which I did with the LED light on my Givi bracket. Turns the LED strip from a high intensity brake light only into a low intensity running light/high intensity brake light.

That's an idea, thanks for sharing

Actually, it's connected to a DIY flasher circuit... See here working, minus the topcase...

I like this extra brake light but, although the light intensity is good, I think the LEDs could be more spaced... Notice they're all placed at the center of the piece...

Cheers

[DaveC]

I had the Admore kit installed in my Kappa K46, and it made a huge difference in visibility at night. It doesn't add much in daylight, though.

In my case, they didn't make a kit specifically for the K46. I e-mailed them about it anyways, and they figured out a decent kit for it, which they installed (I shipped them the case over the winter).

Running lights


Brake lights - they flash 5 times before going solid.



Left turn signal


Right turn signal


Even if you haven't decided yet on active lighting, you can do something else. Upgrade the reflectors. The ones shipped by Givi are not overly reflective, and are definitely improved by adding silver or white DOT reflective tape under the lens (there is probably a white piece of paper there). It's cheap, and doesn't take long to do.

Two of my three cases here were modified to add reflective tape underneath the lens. Can you tell which one still needs an upgrade?



Dave C

[Boricua]

Originally Posted by DaveC

I had the Admore kit installed in my Kappa K46, and it made a huge difference in visibility at night. It doesn't add much in daylight, though.

In my case, they didn't make a kit specifically for the K46. I e-mailed them about it anyways, and they figured out a decent kit for it, which they installed (I shipped them the case over the winter).

Running lights


Brake lights - they flash 5 times before going solid.



Left turn signal


Right turn signal


Even if you haven't decided yet on active lighting, you can do something else. Upgrade the reflectors. The ones shipped by Givi are not overly reflective, and are definitely improved by adding silver or white DOT reflective tape under the lens (there is probably a white piece of paper there). It's cheap, and doesn't take long to do.

Two of my three cases here were modified to add reflective tape underneath the lens. Can you tell which one still needs an upgrade?



Dave C

+1

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Motorcycle.com Free App

[Time]

Did you put the tape on the box and then the lens back on? Or did you stick the tape to the inside of the lens?

[DaveC]

I just put the tape on the white cardboard I found inside. That way, the lights could be added later.
Here's what is under the lens



I haven't disassembled the lens since I got them back, but I do see the hex pattern from the tape under the lights. I think Admore attached the lights to the taped cardboard, or cut a hole in it to fit the lights. Either way, it now is both reflective and has active lighting.

Dave C

[Time]

Originally Posted by DaveC

I just put the tape on the white cardboard I found inside. That way, the lights could be added later.
Here's what is under the lens



I haven't disassembled the lens since I got them back, but I do see the hex pattern from the tape under the lights. I think Admore attached the lights to the taped cardboard, or cut a hole in it to fit the lights. Either way, it now is both reflective and has active lighting.

Dave C

Thanks, I hit up Wally World and bought the tape I needed, pulled the lens off and did as you said covering the plastic/paper backing. Looks great and I feel a bit better that they reflect light now until I can get the kit to add active lighting to them. A great idea you had, works, cheap & easy. So simple I wonder "Why didn't I think of that?".

[Boricua]

This is how my DIY kit looks like. I have stop light in the top box and stop and signla lights in the side cases.



I used a few FLEX LED strips I got from my local autoparts. I connected the top box light using a SAE connector and standard blade type trailer connectors for the panniers. I could have install running lights in the panniers but I was lazy and did no wanted to do one more trip to the store to get more lights.

[Capn Kirk]

http://www.kawasakiversys.com/forums...ad.php?t=18819

[DaveC]

Originally Posted by Time

Thanks, I hit up Wally World and bought the tape I needed, pulled the lens off and did as you said covering the plastic/paper backing. Looks great and I feel a bit better that they reflect light now until I can get the kit to add active lighting to them. A great idea you had, works, cheap & easy. So simple I wonder "Why didn't I think of that?".

Glad to help. I only thought of it after following someone else with similar cases at night and noticing that the reflectors didn't do anything. Might as well have been black plastic. The tape went in a day or two later.

To be honest, my first thought was "Why didn't Givi think of that?" This is an upgrade that shouldn't be necessary...if you are going to go to the expense of adding red reflectors, they should actually reflect when shipped from the factory.

Dave C