Getting the Idea
So, I got this bug in my head a while back. You know, Knight Rider? That talking car with the cool red light? Yeah, that one. And I looked at my Harley, sitting there all chrome and black, and thought, wouldn’t that be something? Put that scanner light right on the front. Seemed like a fun little project to tinker with in the garage.
First Steps: Gathering the Junk
Alright, first thing, needed the parts. This wasn’t like just ordering one thing, you know. Had to figure out what kind of light strip would work. Needed something bright enough, tough enough for the road, and you know, weatherproof. Spent a good afternoon just looking at different LED strips online. Found one that looked decent, flexible, waterproof. Clicked order.
Then the brains of the operation. Needed a little controller thingy to make the lights do the back-and-forth swoosh. Didn’t want anything too fancy or complicated. Found a simple LED controller kit, supposed to be easy to program or had pre-set modes. Grabbed that too. And wires, connectors, heat shrink tubing – the usual suspects for electrical fiddling.
- Flexible waterproof LED strip (red, obviously)
- Basic LED sequence controller
- Various gauges of wire
- Connectors (spade, butt, etc.)
- Heat shrink tubing
- Zip ties (lots of zip ties)
The Wiring Mess Begins
Okay, parts arrived. Spread everything out on the workbench. Looked simple enough laid out there. Famous last words, right? Getting power was the first head-scratcher. Didn’t want to drain the main battery constantly. Decided to tap into an ignition-switched source. Found a suitable wire using my trusty multimeter – took longer than I care to admit, poking around behind the headlight.
Then came connecting the controller to the LED strip. The instructions were, let’s say, minimal. Tiny little diagrams. Had to squint quite a bit. Stripped wires, crimped connectors. Tested the controller with a bench power supply first, thankfully. Got the swoosh going. Felt pretty good about that.
Mounting: Making it Stick
Now, where to put this thing? Under the headlight seemed like the classic spot. Cleaned the area real good. The LED strip had adhesive backing, but I don’t trust that stuff alone on a vibrating Harley. No way. So, reinforced it with some clear silicone adhesive, and then, the secret weapon: small, black zip ties strategically placed. Tried to make it look neat, tucking wires away. This took some fiddling, getting it centered, making sure it wouldn’t interfere with the forks turning.
Ran the wires back along the frame, trying to follow existing cable runs to keep it tidy. More zip ties. Lots more. Secured the little controller box somewhere out of the way, protected from the worst of the weather, under the seat area.
Power Up and Pray
Everything wired up, mounted, secured. Double-checked connections. Took a breath. Turned the ignition key. Success! The red light started scanning back and forth, right there on the front of my Harley. Looked pretty cool, actually. Not too bright to be obnoxious, but definitely noticeable.
Spent the next hour just turning it on and off, watching the light, making sure connections stayed solid. Took it for a short ride around the block. Held up fine. The real test will be a longer ride, see how it handles bumps and maybe some rain, but so far, so good.
Was it Worth It?
Yeah, I think so. Took more time than I expected, mostly figuring out the wiring and mounting securely. Wasn’t super complex, but required patience. It’s just a cosmetic thing, doesn’t make the bike faster or anything, but it’s unique. Adds a bit of fun, that old-school vibe. And hey, I did it myself. That always feels good. Now every time I fire it up, I get that little red swoosh. Pretty neat.
