Does anyone know how to access the service menu to tell the bike to expect LED turn signal bulbs? —I had a bulb out and thought I’d change all four for LEDs. I keep finding articles for other bikes but nothing for the monster. Adding LED bulbs that don’t have canbus causes some unpredictability, from fast flashing to no flashing at all. Or is the simple answer to buy canbus LEDs? .. the only 581 bulbs with the offset pins I can find that are short enough to fit are the non-canbus type. Cheers
I don’t think you need to go anywhere near the service menu. Buy some LED’s with built in load resistors and you should be fine. Plenty of people on this forum have upgraded different models to LED’s and I’ve never heard of fiddling with the service menu. I could be wrong but I don’t think I am. I’m sure someone will be along shortly to clarify.
Thanks @Sam1199 that explains why my searches found nothing! I really did struggle to find an LED short enough (40mm max). Any with canbus were all for cars and 50mm+, then I found the ones without canbus at 30mm and gave it a punt, no cigar :-(
As Sam said above get LEDs with inbuilt load resistors. You'll pay more for them but they'll work. An LED requires about 1/6th of the electricity to power it, for want of a better description the resistor 'soaks up' the excess electricity coursing through the cables. A quick Google will give you the full technical explanation.
The resistor controls/sets the current flow through the LED so it doesn't run at the abs-max current that can flow through it (because of its low forward resistance), which is life shortening. Not so much soaking up the excess, more like tying a knot in the wire to restrict the flow. The resistor also protects your loom a bit as it limits the current if there's a LED short-circuit.
