Mounting your Motorcycle LED Lights: Some Quick Tips

Prior to starting any installation, it is highly recommended that you have a solid plan as to where you are going to place your LED lights. Clean your planned mounting areas with an alcohol prep pad and/or use an additional cleaner to get rid of any dirt and residue. You definitely want the cleaned area to be 100% dry before you move forward with the process. It is not required, but depending on your specific motorcycle it could be beneficial that you remove the gas tank to give yourself better access for maneuvering in small mounting areas. This will give you much more space to work with and allow for easier fitting of your lights into tight mounting areas of the bike. Ultimately, it’s your choice where you want to mount your LED lights. It will depend on the specifications and design of your bike as well as personal preferences. 

Common Examples of Mounting Locations

• One of the most common placements of LED lights is towards the bottom area of the gas tank. Again, the exact locations will vary with preference and where the strips will be most visible at night.
• Lights can be mounted to the lower faring or underbody area of your bike. This can be a very aesthetically pleasing place to position an LED strip because the light will not only can reflect off your bike, but also will light up the street underneath you. If you have a bike with a lot of chrome on it, this will only make the effect even better. Think “Fast and Furious!”
• In terms of nighttime visibility and safety, the most important spot to place your LED light strips is at the rear tail section of the bike. This can help amplify the visibility of your tail lights or brake lights. Ordinarily, we recommend to place two strips in this area, one on each side. Although not popular with all motorcycle riders, some people put a different color on each side of the rear tail section. A popular example of this would be what can be referred to as the “Patriot Special” where you have one side red and one side blue. This is a great design for the Fourth of July, as well as other seasonal holidays, to show that good old American pride! Words of caution: putting 2 different colors on the rear tail of your bike can be a big distraction to other drivers. Always use good judgment and be aware of your surroundings whenever you are riding a motorcycle, especially at night!
• A smaller strip can be attached in the front faring area near the radiator. Then attach another strip to the lower faring opening. When doing this part of the installation, be careful to not block any ventilation openings. Also, make sure that the area that you mount the strip will not be too hot. Although a little heat will not effect the LED strips, intense prolonged exposure can lead to damage over time. Some riders feel that these mounting areas can be a little overkill. Again, it’s all based on the style that you appreciate.
• Lastly, one of our final recommendations is to add a strip to the front forks location above the wheel. Due to the differences in various bikes, this location may or may not be possible for everyone. However, if you do choose to mount your lights near the wheels (or near other moving parts such as the chain), ensure your wiring will not come in contact with any moving parts. 

Finalizing It!

However you decide to mount your LED lights, consider repeating the mounting process on the other side of the bike using the same exact strip sizes and locations to keep the overall illumination balanced. If a strip is too long for a desired mounting location, you can shorten the strip by cutting it down only every third LED. Once you have mounted all of your LED strips, route the lead power wires back to your battery location. Make sure all wires are secured and bound with wire ties so as not to interfere with any heat sources or engine components. When your LED light set is fully powered, test your lights and see how you like the finished product!

It’s Up to You!

Remember, it is not a perfect science and your bike should be how you want it. Everyone has different and unique tastes when it comes to the light setup for their motorcycle. The important thing is that your setup is safe and meets all State road and highway regulations and laws. Before you go off riding with your new light kit on, double check and then triple check that all of the LED light strips are properly secured and not going to effect the functionality of your bike or your ability to maneuver the way you need to when you are riding.

We always advise all of our customers to come up with a blueprint for where they want to place all of their Illumimoto LED light strips, before they begin the installation process. Although it is possible to remove the strips, it is better to not move them after they have been placed to avoid any depreciation of the adhesive. Think of it as if you were getting a tattoo on your arm. You would want to know exactly what type, color, and the location of it prior to getting it done. Same thing goes with motorcycle lights. Have a good plan and then execute properly! Happy mounting!