[How To] Lunasee Active Side Lighting

Do you ride alot at nighttime?? I do, so this addition is great for me. www.lunasee.com is the website. Thanks to CommuterNT for finding this farkel, as it increases safety visibility and adds to the WOW factor. The lights emit an off - white light during day, a greenish - white light at night. There is a blueish glow under fender and swingarm where light pods are. Many pics below and a :58 video at end of post showing my NT700 traveling about 15-20 mph to take some video's. After the headlight passes the camera, you can easily see the light on wheels.
So to Lunasee or not?? Here is an example.... not my pic, but one off internet.




The system uses LER tape on the rims(light emitting rim), its photo luminescent, with a LED light pod on each side of rim. Tape is 4mm wide. I sent an email to Lunasee explaining that our rim was wide enough to accommodate a double width of tape(8mm), and should this be done or needed. Answer was just 1 application was needed as at night it appears wider than the 4mm. The instuctions are good and printed on heavy paper, just read them slow. I did a speed read on them, didn't see at first that the black wire with the white streak was to be connected to the + side of controller. Usually that is the negative side of electrical wiring. That was about a 20 minute setback and re-read the instructions to find that black wire with white streak goes to the plus side on controller, no harm done, it just doesn't light up. I started with the front first, it was the easiest. They include a thick heavy paper template to cut out the brackets and try bending them first to check fit, then bend the actual bracket.



Here is a pic of the fender raised where the brackets will attach to a lug on the fork.



here is the front brackets



I used the 1/4 spacers also behind the brackets, made a good fit while bending a 3" bracket. Spacing is 1/2" away from rim with LED light focused in center of tape. Each time a tire change is needed, they will have to be taken off. The light pod is inside of the tire sidewall, but 1/2" away from rim. The fender flange bolts were not long enough to secure a nut on other side, so I replaced them with button head socket head cap screw 6mm x 30mm long with washer, of course stainless steel, looks just like the flange head bolt.



I ran wires around the brake lines and tied together, ran inside just above radiator, right side of bike to to controller under seat near my fuze block. It will clear the seat pan. Fuze block is where the tool kit will go, Lunasee controller in front.



The rear was a little harder. They provide a rubber part that can attach with a hose clamp to swing arm final drive housing. I decided not to do it that way. The non used shock mount lug seemed to be a better fit for me. It was not tapped, so I drilled it 17/64 and tapped it 8mm x 1.25 pitch thread. It was already preformed with a 1/4 hole in it. The longest bracket was 5", so I needed a longer bracket. Went to Lowes Home Improvement to get a 1/16 x 1 1/8 wide x 3' long piece of aluminum. I needed about a 6" long bracket. Here is both rear brackets.




here is the left bracket attached to lug with pod light on.



The right rear bracket was attached using the angle bracket supplied with a 5" bracket. I used a manufacturing locating hole on under side to tap a 6mm x 1 pitch thread. It was already the correct tap drill size. Since thickness of swingarm is only about 1/8", I drilled and tapped another hole on angle bracket, used the fender flange bolt to bolt both brackets together, using 6mm SHCS to bolt angle bracket to swingarm.

here is the right side looking thru the area above footpeg with light pod on.



They have a weather resistant switch that I put on left side plastic. Easier to attach there, its black to blend in with side cowl. Then didn't have to run 2 wires up to dash area, that breaks the ground wire for on/off.




here is a pic on center stand, just spinning wheel by hand, almost dark at end of install



here is the video.....................



my son who is taking video can't resist making to ohhhh sound as I pass.

Great write up! Thank you for sharing this. Course now I'm tempted to add these to the Explorer...argh

Ok these are cool!! Very good write up! I showed my wife and she was impressed. She thinks it will cause other drivers to become distracted and wreck into other vehicles. But they won't wreck into you so it's all good!

This would require me to purchase a tap and die set... Ah yes another excuse to buy tools! In the name of safety! I love it!

Both my wife and I went Ooohhh at the same time as your son!

I told my wife that trying for safety, maybe the deer would think they are jumping thru hoops!!

Rcase13,, I'd be happy to ride with you on a trial run to check out lights, so you can spend $200 also :rolleyes1:

Thanks for your post. For those interested in this, Brian Harley at motorcycleusa.com did a good review which also has a video on installation at motorcycleusa.com Ride Safe!

Ohhhh, that's pretty cool. My bike will be sitting in the garage for a month or until the lovely winter weather passes, so I'll look into this
THANKS!

I recieved my first WOW attack from the Lunasee Lights! Riding to work last night, on very inside lane of 4 lanes of interstate, as I was slowly creeping up on the rear of a car in next lane, started seeing teenagers on passenger side and in rear seat waving their hands, moving all around to get a look. They even rolled down cage window stuck their arms out and gave the "thumbs up sign". I was about even with them, as they got their camera phones out and took some vids as they passed me, then I passed them again. I'm ok after this attack, managed to ride rest the way into work, knowing my lights are working! Well,,, I could have just wandered around all night long and not rode into work parking lot, it was a nice warm night for January, 62 degrees here in NC with wet roads.

I sure wish the luminescence stuff came in different colors. Would be nice if you could get a version that was red. Most states have rules about front facing/rear facing and side facing lighting and it's typically yellow to the front and yellow/red to sides and red towards the rear unless it's a signal light. I like the idea, just wish there were a red color option.

"" said:

FWIW, I asked Lunasee about a group buy discount a week ago when they were posting. Haven't heard anything in reply, but maybe I will in the near future.QUOTE]

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Bob, from my point of view, I think they are a small outfit, have not sold that many units to justify a group discount. I did get free holiday shipping, but not a discount off of regular price. So that made me buy them right then, 11-30-12. The tape on the rims is a thick kind with tough glue on back. Instructions said full adhesion in 72 hrs. Its special photoluminesent tape, not the just reflective tape you can buy over the counter.

Mellow

Re: Lunasee Active Side Lighting
I sure wish the luminescence stuff came in different colors. Would be nice if you could get a version that was red. Most states have rules about front facing/rear facing and side facing lighting and it's typically yellow to the front and yellow/red to sides and red towards the rear unless it's a signal light. I like the idea, just wish there were a red color option.​

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Mellow, me too! Reading on their website in (I think) FAQ, they mentioned that they were developing new colors. When I sent them an email, they said no other colors have been finished so far. I too would have liked a blue or violet color. When something doesn't even resemble a flashing light whether blue or red or yellow for emergency, why don't the states or federal gov allow something like lights on a motorcycle rim to be these colors?

Wow, this looks really interesting. I know in Maryland here you can only have lights facing the engine or drive train (any colors but red or blue which indicate emergency vehicles)... however, since this isn't technically a light - merely a glow-strip, it might not matter as a technicality since the light from the wheels that is seen isn't powered at all. It might be worth flirting with, though it would suck to go through the trouble of getting it on there - only to be fined with an equipment repair order to take it off. And I would really like side visibility since with the millions of drivers around the crowded DC/MD/VA region it can get pretty hairy at night.

*dilemma*

Gabe, I think you would be ok. I do alot of night riding going to 3rd shift nightly. I like the added side visibility, and you would sure need it around DC metro. If looking at my video or lunasee video's isn't enough to help you determine how exactly it looks, maybe a Blue Ridge Parkway meet up would be in order??

Thanks for the offer... but I went ahead and ordered the kit. In reviewing your article and the video you supplied along with other sample videos I found on Youtube and some review articles on installation convinced me that this is doable. My only question is one of legality in the state of Maryland, though I did find at least one review where the owner of the company wrote to an author that they had sold many of these in states (including Maryland) with no reported problems by owners, then again - it could be a sales pitch. The law is written in Maryland such that any accessory projected/powered light must be facing down and towards the internals of a motorcycle. However, this doesn't technically violate that being glow pin-stripping on wheels. That being said, the police and judges take upon their own interpretation so I will hope for the best. I may supplement this with some Green LED pod lighting (aiming down/in) in some of the visible cavities and strip lights under the pannier bags.

I'll report back on what I get accomplished and the results. Based on your (Excellent) article and photos above, I expect some finagling and it will probably take me a weekend as I'm not much of a custom mechanic and usually take my sweet time to be thorough, but should be doable I'm expecting.

- Gabe

Had 3 WOW attacks on my ride to Florida. 1st, riding south on I-95,was dark, I was in 4th lane with a HOV lane to my left, a crotch rocket came up even with me in 2nd lane, slid back, moved over to 3 rd lane right beside me, pointed to wheels and gave me thumbs up. Gave him back a thumbs up. 2nd, just a while later, a car going faster in left lane, slows back down, behind me, slowly comes back even, is staying there, I look over can see a phone either taking a pic or vid. 3rd was on I-75 near north of Naples, was very cloudy but not dark about 4:15,car comes beside me and beeps the horn. Was thinking why did they do that, but realized being darker they saw the lights and had to beep. Man driving, woman in passenger seat. The wheels area HIT, just no deer have tried jumping thru hoops yet!