Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => Accessories and modifications - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: maxtog on July 09, 2011, 06:41:53 PM
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Post 1: Overview
I am never happy with the stock lighting on any bike. Simply not visible/safe enough. After much research, I decided I wanted to purchase and install an Admore brand light bar. http://www.admorelighting.com/index.php?page=products/index.php&subpage=5 (http://www.admorelighting.com/index.php?page=products/index.php&subpage=5) There are two versions, the 8" 54 light and the larger 11" 72 light bar. I chose the larger, model number LED7226N-T-TS.
It is a bit pricey ($139), but when it arrived, it was clearly quality stuff. It included all the hardware and positap wiring connectors. The bar supports tail light, modulated brake light, AND "progressive" yellow turn signals. One of the things I love about this model is that it will blink the brake light three times rapidly (in 1 sec) and then go solid for the duration of holding the brake. This makes it very visible, but without annoying traffic at lights. It even has a time delay to prevent flashing until the brake has been released for about 10 to 15 seconds.
I decided the best place to mount it was below the license plate. That way, it is far enough away from the stock brake light and turn signals to greatly increase the visible "size" of the bike. I was concerned that the plate would not be strong enough or lead to excessive vibration. That doesn't appear to be a problem. I am very happy with the installation and results, and do highly recommend this product. UPDATE: A better WAY to mount it is listed in post 30 http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=2505.msg197619#msg197619 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=2505.msg197619#msg197619)
Attached are three photos of the finished installation. I am pleased to follow this posting with detailed instructions for anyone interested (love giving back to the forum that helps me so much).
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Post 2: Instructions (PDF)
Attached is a PDF file of instructions I wrote, along with the photographs.
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Post 3: Instructions (text + attached photos)
These instructions are for mounting the light bar on the bottom of the license plate. Remove license plate. Drill a small hole, the size of the Admore cable, directly under the license plate light (see photos). When drilling, be careful not to damage the license plate light cable behind the fender. Take off the seat and remove the tool box. Remove the relay attached to the tool box. Pull the ECU up and move it forward out of the way. Remove the two nuts on the base pan that hold the rear fender in place. Thread the Admore cable through the hole you just drilled in the fender. Look under the bike above the tire, you will see the cable for the license plate light going through a square hole. Now that the fender is loose, you can thread the Admore cable through the same hole, do so.
Mount the Admore bracket to the bottom of the license plate (many state plates have two holes on the bottom of the plate already). The bracket should be offset so the Admore can be mounted to the bracket (using the two small screws and nuts on the sides), lower than the holes that hold it to the plate. This will prevent the Admore from blocking the plate. For a more finished look, mounted the bracket behind the plate instead of in front. This install used white nylon plate mounting bolts to attach the Admore to the plate and reflector bolts to attach the plate to the bike (see photos). UPDATE: A better WAY to mount it is listed in post 30 http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=2505.msg197619#msg197619 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=2505.msg197619#msg197619)
Wrap the Admore cable around the license plate bracket once, then mount the whole assembly to the bike. This will give you a service loop for later. Take up the slack in the rest of the cable going into the bike and tie wrap it to the license plate light cable under the bike.
Locate the black "boot" near the rear of the bike, under the seat, which contains all the connectors. There is one connector with three wires- red, blue, black. That is the brake light. You will also see two dual connectors with green and black wires. Those are the turn signals. Use the supplied positap connectors as follows and then reassemble everything and you are done:
Bike Function Admore
Red Tail light Red and Blue
Blue Brake Purple
Black Ground Black
Green Right turn Green
Green Left turn Yellow
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Really nice write up. Nicely done. Thanks for sharing. :)
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Really nice write up. Nicely done. Thanks for sharing. :)
Thanks. I might have gone a bit overboard, but it should also be useful for any type of other light bar or license plate-based brake light frame.
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I turn on the bike today and to my dismay, the brand new light bar is missing 1/3 of the right LED's. Yet they still work yellow with the turn signal. Guess I now get to find out how good their customer service is. And this, after saying how much I like the quality.... I suppose I jinxed it.
Anyway, I think a suitable remedy would be to cross ship me another, and they pay to return the almost DOA one back. We shall see. I will, of course, let you all know.
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I turn on the bike today and to my dismay, the brand new light bar is missing 1/3 of the right LED's. Yet they still work yellow with the turn signal. Guess I now get to find out how good their customer service is. And this, after saying how much I like the quality.... I suppose I jinxed it.
Anyway, I think a suitable remedy would be to cross ship me another, and they pay to return the almost DOA one back. We shall see. I will, of course, let you all know.
:(
That sucks Max...
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Nice write up and the light looks good. I can't say that I'm crazy about the way the bracket looks though.
Good luck with the replacement.
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Nice write up and the light looks good. I can't say that I'm crazy about the way the bracket looks though.
Good luck with the replacement.
They have a smaller version that will blend with the plate a little better, but I didn't care, I wanted the increased area. There really isn't any other place to mount a light bar except under the turn signals, which would be very complicated- plus it reduces the light "footprint" of the bike. Perhaps under the luggage rack, but that pretty much ads nothing to the "footprint". I think, ideally, one could use long light strips on the side luggage/bags- but I didn't want to mess up the luggage and have to fight cables taking them on/off.
The company responded immediately and said they were shipping me another one, in advance.
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The company responded immediately and said they were shipping me another one, in advance.
And they did. They got my Email on Monday and I had the replacement light bar in my hands on Wednesday. Very fast. On Thursday I installed it (it was MUCH easier than I expected, since I already knew exactly what to do this time.... and wasn't spending time documenting the process). Works fine
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I found this while doing a search, GREAT write up.
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I found this while doing a search, GREAT write up.
Thanks. This group has given me a lot of useful information. I hope to give back something useful to others.
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This is FAQ worthy!
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Found this during a search as well. Very very helpful. Thanks for taking the time to document and post.
SB
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Found this during a search as well. Very very helpful. Thanks for taking the time to document and post.
You are welcome. And my Admore light bar is still going strong.
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Great write up and quality light set up. The bracket could be made for model specific installation but I'm sure the overall cost of the light would go up.
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Just a quick post to say the light is still working perfectly. The bracket has a tiny bit of rust in a few corners, which surprised me.
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Thanks for your thread, and the update. I do have one question: I noticed on the Admore site that they offer a "plug and play" harness for their light bar to connect to the C14...priced at $30 bucks or so. Did you consider buying this harness, and if so, why did you opt out? I don't usually hesitate to make splices or positap taps, but a plug-in harness would seem to be worth the price, just for the long-term peace of mind of avoiding splices or taps.
Thanks,
CW
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Thanks for your thread, and the update. I do have one question: I noticed on the Admore site that they offer a "plug and play" harness for their light bar to connect to the C14...priced at $30 bucks or so. Did you consider buying this harness, and if so, why did you opt out? I don't usually hesitate to make splices or positap taps, but a plug-in harness would seem to be worth the price, just for the long-term peace of mind of avoiding splices or taps.
I can't recall. One of the following likely applied:
* It was not available at the time
* I was not aware it was available at the time
* It was more expensive (if it were $30, I would have done it)
In any case, I was very impressed with the positaps. I was VERY skeptical, because my only experience had been with "scotch locks" and those things are horrible- they damage the wiring, are finicky, make poor connections, and are not reliable over time. The positaps, on the other hand, were super easy to install, don't cause any damage, and seem to be very reliable.
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I decided the best place to mount it was below the license plate. That way, it is far enough away from the stock brake light and turn signals to greatly increase the visible "size" of the bike. I was concerned that the plate would not be strong enough or lead to excessive vibration. That doesn't appear to be a problem
Wrong!! (Well, right location, wrong mounting technique)
Seems that the tin the plate is made of cannot handle the weight with the excessive bounciness of the Admore on it and after two years, the whole corner of the plate snapped off from stress fracturing. And the other side was about half way through too. Happened suddenly and I was lucky enough to see it right before I lost the whole thing.
I have it remounted temporarily with some strapping. After I get a new plate, I will either use strapping behind the plate or make a plate to go behind the plate. Will probably also put a rubber bumper behind the Admore to try and reduce the motion.
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I ended up using the fender eliminator I had on my 03 VFR from competition werkes. I mounted the fender elim brkt to the concours using the plate light. The brkt already has the cut out & bolt holes in it, so it sandwiched together nicely. I then mounted the admore light to the top of the fender elim brkt which places the light bar right under the turn signals. Actually worked out pretty nice. Its been on the bike now for three years & over 10k mi with no problems so far... & I used the positaps too. I ended up selling the VFR so i just put the OEM fender back on.
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Couple pics of how i installed the admore light bar...
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Couple pics of how i installed the admore light bar...
I like it. Clean, strong. But I really do like having my light below the plate, because it creates an even bigger rear "footprint" for safety. Might not seem like a lot of difference, but it is double the separation distance from the stock light.
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Couple pics of how i installed the admore light bar...
Well done sir!
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I like it. Clean, strong. But I really do like having my light below the plate, because it creates an even bigger rear "footprint" for safety. Might not seem like a lot of difference, but it is double the separation distance from the stock light.
I just happen to have that available at the time, so I went with it. I think it knocks out a decent amount of light combined with the OEM light & the turn signals are kinda in sync with the OEM signals being right underneath. I understand wanting as much light as possible tho, Ive def had my fair share of cagers right on my ass. It's amazing how close some ppl feel they need to be ???
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Cadman, what is the rack you are using? In the last pic, the upward light light reflection shows what appears to be a 'C14' cutout.
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It looks like this one, G.
http://www.pca-one.com/productDetail.asp?productID=7991&RetURL=search&search=bike&bikeType=&bikeMake=Kawasaki&bikeModel=Concours (http://www.pca-one.com/productDetail.asp?productID=7991&RetURL=search&search=bike&bikeType=&bikeMake=Kawasaki&bikeModel=Concours)
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Thanks C. I'd not seen one before.
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It looks like this one, G.
http://www.pca-one.com/productDetail.asp?productID=7991&RetURL=search&search=bike&bikeType=&bikeMake=Kawasaki&bikeModel=Concours (http://www.pca-one.com/productDetail.asp?productID=7991&RetURL=search&search=bike&bikeType=&bikeMake=Kawasaki&bikeModel=Concours)
Thats the one!
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I put one of those light bars on my KLR 650 and an Admore light kit in my Givi E55 Maxia on the C14. I may add the small on to the Connie sometime
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I have it remounted temporarily with some strapping. After I get a new plate, I will either use strapping behind the plate or make a plate to go behind the plate. Will probably also put a rubber bumper behind the Admore to try and reduce the motion.
You can tell I wasn't in a hurry to fix it :)
Anyway, I did it "right" this time (which is what I should have done in the first place). I went and got some 3/4" x 1/8" flat aluminum stock and cut two pieces the height of the plate. Drilled holes in the top/bottom of each, and use that behind the plate and Admore. Everything is held together with four nylon bolts/nuts. Wow it is very strong now!
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On my wife's bike the licence plate is exposed to the wind and because of that the flex was splitting the mounting holes at the top. I ended up making a small bracket mounted to the fender to hold the bottom of the plate to eliminate flex. Because of the weight of the Admore light you might consider doing this too.
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On my wife's bike the licence plate is exposed to the wind and because of that the flex was splitting the mounting holes at the top. I ended up making a small bracket mounted to the fender to hold the bottom of the plate to eliminate flex. Because of the weight of the Admore light you might consider doing this too.
My friend suggested the same thing. Although now it is so rigid, it seems OK. I thought about putting a bumper on the back of the plate to prevent movement too.
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I just installed my new Admore light (the smaller one, w/smoked lens). The previous owner had a surprisingly heavy and rigid license plate frame that bolts to all four of the license plate corners, so that that added enough strength and rigidity to the plate itself that it didn't seem necessary to add another plate of metal behind the license plate. I'll keep an eye on it and see how it holds up.
I do have to say that I'm somewhat disappointed that the Admore light isn't brighter, but perhaps that is because of the smoked lens.
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My friend suggested the same thing. Although now it is so rigid, it seems OK. I thought about putting a bumper on the back of the plate to prevent movement too.
Well, it has been 1.3 years on the new setup (try 2) and no problems.
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I do have to say that I'm somewhat disappointed that the Admore light isn't brighter, but perhaps that is because of the smoked lens.
Could be. My normal one is quite bright- brighter than the Concours' stock LED one.
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I just installed my new Admore light (the smaller one, w/smoked lens).
I do have to say that I'm somewhat disappointed that the Admore light isn't brighter, but perhaps that is because of the smoked lens.
My original light bars lens covers arrived with cracks around the screws and Admore sent me replacement lenses, so if you want to you can probably lose the smoke cover to get more light (assuming you request/order a clear replacement lens from Admore). The originals were sealed with clear silicone around the perimeter of the lens, use very sparingly if you replace it.
Next month will be 4 years since I installed my dual lightbars (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=1071.msg30644#msg30644). So far the only problem has been one LED on the left bar has quit working.
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I have the Admore Light bar under my plate too...the smaller one. Here it is for those that care.
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I have the Admore Light bar under my plate too...the smaller one. Here it is for those that care.
:finger_fing11: It is a great safety mod and greatly increases the visibility "footprint" being so far away from the stock light.
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I've had one of these for nearly a year now and cant fault it. Yes I too had to modify the mounting after cracking the number plate, but two bits of inch by one eighth stainless bar and some nylon washers have fixed the problem while still leaving a little bit of flex for vibration.
I will sing loudly the praises of Admore's customer service. They are THE best online vendor I've ever used and their product support is beyond reproach.
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Another full year of working perfectly... knock on wood!
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Another full year of working perfectly... knock on wood!
And two more years of my mounting working perfectly (3 total on new mounting design)... knock on some additional wood. So it seems like the modified mounting design is certainly a keeper. So I still highly recommend.
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Seven years for mine last month, and still only that one LED is out on the left light bar.
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Seven years for mine last month, and still only that one LED is out on the left light bar.
Seven years on mine too, in a month.
I will admit that mine does get some condensation/moisture in it, especially after washing the bike. But it isn't tons and it doesn't seem to affect it at all. Their bracket also has a little rust on it.
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...especially after washing the bike.
Huh? ??? I'm not familiar with that...is that something new?
Their bracket also has a little rust on it.
Is that related to this "washing" you speak of?
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Huh? ??? I'm not familiar with that...is that something new?
Nah. It is that thing, like I did today, that gets rid of all the grime and bugs and crap and replaces it with shine and pride! I even "waxed" it (of course it is not wax, how primitive; but saying "polished" sounds strange) which helps protect it and makes it easier to keep clean. It also gives me a chance to check everything out and make sure nothing is loose, missing, damaged, whatever. And clean mirrors and dash makes it more convenient and safe to use, too.
Interestingly, I was missing a bolt that holds the top cover on. Somehow I must have forgotten to put it back in when I did that "bleeding" of the clutch fluid. It is just gone. I scrounged around and found two that were from the rack before I added the helmet locks (which came with longer ones). It was the right thread and head, but too long, so I just used a tall washer. Oops.... I said "wash" again.......... :o
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It also gives me a chance to check everything out and make sure nothing is loose, missing, damaged, whatever.
But don't the encrusted bugs and grime sort of cement everthing to the bike so you don't have to worry about things getting loose and flying off? As for damage I always thought the crusty exterior sort of provided a level of impact absorption. I know when new bugs hit the old encrusted bugs that instead of sticking they just bounce away. Different strokes I guess. Your way sounds like a lot of work. ;D
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