Fitted a tail tidy today and of course the standard indicators don't fit. Looks like I'll be buying some cheap oxford or motrax led turn signals to get me by until I end up with an integrated tail light. anyway I wondered what people had fitted and whether they used resistors to sort the flash rate or doesn't the multi 1200 need one?
hopefully AirConTechnical will pick this up as I know he has thoroughly investigated/customized rear light on his Multi
No resistors required. I fitted LED bulbs into the standard indicators expecting to have to fit resistors but they work just fine without them. Interestingly if there is no LED, or bulb, connected at the rear the front ones flash at double speed. So it seems that the dash has been built to deal with LED indicator all round.
So thats a no then? Quite interesting as I was just reading some posts on ducati.ms and some guys over there (US of A) had issues running Rizoma turn signals without the resistor. I guess theres only one way to find out
It depends on which ones you buy... If you just fit straight LEDs, they have a much lower current draw than standard (filament) bulbs so they mess up the flash rate, or don't pull enough current to flash at all! Most, if not all, direct replacement bulbs will have resistors already fitted so you can just swap a filament bulb for an LED bulb and it all works. The problem with LED indicators is that there's two wires sticking out the end, so you don't know what you're going to get! Some may have them built in, some won't. Some kits may come with resistors (they call them "ballast" but they're just high-wattage resistors) so you can add them if they don't work. My Hypermotard has a special (hidden) menu that allows you to set the indicators to "LED Mode" so that it automatically adjusts the flash rate to compensate for LED indicators. Buggered if I could get it to work though so I just added the supplied resistors and it all worked fine! If you buy indicators that don't have them, get some off ebay as you can pick them up for a couple of quid.
...but you have to get the correct resistor for the LED. Hence Ohms law! (The wrong) resistance is futile!
I fitted LED bulbs similar to these 2x 7.5W Bau15s 150° 581 PY21W High Power Car Turn Signal Bulb Yellow/Amber | eBay They are not canbus error free and have no resistors that I'm aware of. They do have small a circuit built into the base to drive the cree LEDs though. Before buying them I tried the indicators with an LED array that I'd built myself and had previously used in the front indicators of my ST4s where they definitely required resistors. They worked perfectly in the MTS with none. Remember that the indicators on the MTS are driven electronically from the dash and the load required for them to flash is probably quite different from that needed with a conventional flasher unit. The obvious thing to do is try them and see, it's not hard to fit resistors later if they are needed.
Not really... as long as you are in the right range (or VIRtually there...) you should be fine. Even manufacturers of ballast resistors will have a wide range of tolerance and this will change with temperature. I knew that degree in electronic engineering would come in useful at some point.
Yeah, that's the thing; some manufacturers will do you a complete unit with everything built in so it is plug'n'play but cheaper stuff is cheaper because it hasn't got all the extras!
I bought some for a 1199 Panigale which are led and shorter - they fit a treat and work fine with no resistors
Just got around to doing this mod, bought some canbus LED bulbs, only just fit into indicators, but work fine
