Whelen LIN3 + Programable flasher = Wow!!!

[Happy Rider]

I agree with dsmack. The lights are very bright and one gets the point across. More than one at night might piss people off and cause them to become :asshat2: Here is my setup. Its worked well for a year and a half and I ride alot at night. I have them strobe faster now, but not in the video. Sorry about the music and the sideways video. You get the idea though. unk:

 

[SkooterG]

I agree with dsmack. The lights are very bright and one gets the point across. More than one at night might piss people off and cause them to become :asshat2: Here is my setup. Its worked well for a year and a half and I ride alot at night. I have them strobe faster now, but not in the video. Sorry about the music and the sideways video. You get the idea though. unk:

Nice set-up on your FJR and video. I may have to consider one of these. Though in person I have seen GalaxyBlue's set up and it was impressive too.

BTW, you're a bit inseam challenged for the FJR aren't you? :lol:

 

[Fred W]

I think the Whelens (which I have) and the one Galaxy bought (but was looking at before I bought mine) are almost the same thing from different manufacturers. I'd get whichever one you can get cheaper / easier.

I wish I were that size. Imagine how easy it would be to huck that FJR around.

 

[wabill]

I didn't even consider mounting one below the plate and there didn't appear to be enough room to locate it above as has been done on older models. Fred, do you think the flasher unit can handle the load of a third LIN3 or should I add the 2nd flasher that I bought and perhaps give the third LIN3 a different flash rate? :assassin:

 

[puppychow]

Holy vision scarring! Three LIN3's?? Don't you think the point of putting the LIN3 back there is so that they can see us but NOT go blind?

 

[wabill]

Holy vision scarring! Three LIN3's?? Don't you think the point of putting the LIN3 back there is so that they can see us but NOT go blind?

Gee, don't we need to something compete with the "Towers of Light" that some Volvos and Hondas, etc have? And the on coming "Blue Lights" of some headlights are absolutely dazzling. I think we all just want to be seen. :yahoo:

 

[Dr. Jekyll]

I didn't even consider mounting one below the plate and there didn't appear to be enough room to locate it above as has been done on older models. Fred, do you think the flasher unit can handle the load of a third LIN3 or should I add the 2nd flasher that I bought and perhaps give the third LIN3 a different flash rate? :assassin:

I'm positive that if you're going to add a third light it be below the plate and mabe even shimmed so it doesn't point directly behind but rather angled slightly down. I'm sure that the directional light of the LED will be noticable but not blinding.

 

[Floridave]

I've jumped on this bandwagon also. The LIN3 is super bright and attention getting, exactly what I want when commuting in rain/shine/fog/night in Florida. ( I already had HyperLights installed)

I have it set for 3 (or 4?) fast flashes, then solid with a 20 second delay before the flashing will start again on a new press of the brake.

I didn't install an on/off switch, but can unplug it from inside the top box if I want it turned off for a group ride, etc. Please excuse the nasty appearance of the box, I was in the middle of painting/wet sanding the box when I decided to test install the light.

 

[86fj1200]

Just finished the install. I think I received a bad flasher as well. When it changes modes it always reverts to 3 flashes, pause, 3 flashes, as long as the brake is depressed it continues in that mode. I don't mind the way it works, its just I'd like the option to change it up. I emailed the company. Hopefully they will send me a new one.

I'll post video later. By the way...a previous poster mentioned there wasn't enough room to install the light above the license plate 2006-on up , but I managed to do it with a little mod to the whelen cover. I'll elaborate later as well. Gotta go to work.

 

[Fred W]

When you get back from the dreaded work, lay out what you did to try and program the flasher unit and maybe I can help you figger it out?

(I'm assuming that you are using the 3rd Brake light flasher that I documented , and not the Whelen's internal flashing modes)

 

[TomInPA]

I'm kinda partial to hyperlites:

Having Hyperlites as running lights is an interesting idea. Does anyone know of a way to build-in redundancy for the taillight fuse? The one thing that concerns me is losing that fuse at night and ending up unlit. I would think you could tap any circuit that is hot when the bike runs and create a safety redundancy in the event you lost tail lights.

 

[wabill]

I preset my flasher on the bench using the suggested 9v battery and monitoring the internal led thus ensuring that the module was working. It was only after the installation that I decided on a different flash rate that I hardwired in a momentary switch that let me oppitmize the LIN3 flash rate.

Also, for those who besides me, worried that 2 LIN3s might be eye damaging to those coming up behind me, I adjusted the brackets holding LIN3s giving them a mere 1 degree downward from horizontal angle. This was more than sufficient to preclude any blinding of those behind me by these very very directional lights.

 

[86fj1200]

I preset my flasher on the bench using the suggested 9v battery and monitoring the internal led thus ensuring that the module was working. It was only after the installation that I decided on a different flash rate that I hardwired in a momentary switch that let me oppitmize the LIN3 flash rate.

I preset the flasher also before hooking up the yellow wire and when touching 2 white wires together to set the mode sometimes the mode changes and other times the internal LED just rapidly flickers. Another interesting thing is that the Flasher never goes to an always on state while connected to 12v.

 

[Fred W]

The LIN3 has internal flash modes that need to be set also. It comes in one of the flash modes. You'll need to set the LIN3 to "solid on, no flashing" mode and that way the 3rd brake flasher module does all the strobing.

It is programmed in a similar way to the 3rd brake light flasher module. I forget how, exactly, but it is detailed in the instructions that came with the LIN3. Let me know if you can't find them and I'll dig mine out.

 

[86fj1200]

The LIN3 has internal flash modes that need to be set also. It comes in one of the flash modes. You'll need to set the LIN3 to "solid on, no flashing" mode and that way the 3rd brake flasher module does all the strobing.

It is programmed in a similar way to the 3rd brake light flasher module. I forget how, exactly, but it is detailed in the instructions that came with the LIN3. Let me know if you can't find them and I'll dig mine out.

You nailed it Fred. Thanks. I "assumed" the Whelen was set to steady on from factory. I'll post a video link.

 

[86fj1200]

As to installing on 06-up. There is enough room just above the license plate but you cant use the rubber gasket that came with the lin3. The section of the fender isn't exactly flat either. It tapers away from the center just slightly in each direction maybe 1/16".

I removed the license plate light to gain more room to work then lined the top of the black lin3 cover with the edge just below the license plate light and centered it. Then you will notice on the bottom side, the radiused corners of the lin3 cover interferes with shape extending from the fender(interference point). I trimmed the corners of the lin3 cover just enough to allow the cover to sit flatter on the fender, keep in mind the fender still has that taper to it.

After fitting the cover I lined it up and marked the holes. Then laid out the center hole for the wires and using a 5/8" Flat Blade Wood Bit I drilled through the fender. There is a stiffener behind the fender that will be in the way. I drilled deep enough to get through the fender but not cut into the stiffener. I used an xacto knife to trim the stiffener enough for the wires to pass through and dress up the hole a bit.

Run the wires through the hole and mount the lin3 with the supplied screws(did not pre-drill fender). Tighten each screw to leave equal gaps on each side of lin3 cover and fender(remember tapered area). Silicon in place of supplied gasket.

Before installing license plate light remove bushing and grommet on right side hole as sitting on bike. You will notice if you look into the hole there will be a area where you can drill into which you can run the wires into the inside of the fender. The license plate light wiring is ran in the same place but in the left side.

I wish I would have taken pics of each step, but I have pics of the finished install.

https://picasaweb.google.com/104352190003298491184/WhelwnLin3Install#

video link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHECD_tWcRU

 

[Fred W]

Nice work!!

And thanks for documenting the required Gen 2 surgery. :thumbsup:

 

[Dr. Jekyll]

Nice work!!

And thanks for documenting the required Gen 2 surgery. :thumbsup:

Yup very nice work exactly, thanks for the pics and video.

 

[ThrottleJunkie]

Have any of you tried these Whelen LIN3s in the steady white ON mode as forward-looking running lights? As auxiliary lights?

I know they wouldn't light up the road any, but they would be bright and attention-getting and they wouldn't draw too much juice.

 

[wabill]

Good job and nice photos, they really help. There's still enough winter here to add that mod. If any one knows of an one-shot adjustable timer, like the 6201 IC of old, I just may add one in that location. This would allow the use of the LIN3 internal flash system and that way, when the Pelican and mount come off I'll still have a LIN3.