Modern Vespa

Just installed a pair of flexible 30-LED strips on my Piaggio topcase, wired to the signal lights. As you can see from the montage below, they're visible from all angles.



(The topcase wasn't latched shut for the photos, so it might make the strips seem out of alignment. In the last image in the series, from directly in front, the view of the lights is highly distorted by the windshield.)

The strips are adhesive-backed, but I added a bead of hot glue all around to keep water and dirt from degrading the seal. The wiring is attached with a "flat four" trailer connection, so the topcase can be easily removed from the bike.

The LEDs draw so little that the bike doesn't seem to know they're there; I can't discern any difference in the timing, and the stock bulbs light up just as they did before.

The strips are part #WFLS-Y30 (W for waterproof, Y for yellow), from superbrightleds.com:
http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=BARS

While I had everything apart, I tapped into the brake light wire so it will be easy to add a third brake light. That will be a red, 6-LED unit, also waterproof, part #MCM-R6:


Also ordered a pair of these 4-LED pods, in amber (part #ALM-OB-A4), to mount on the inside top edges of the windshield to help remind me to turn off my blinker. Of course they will be visible to other drivers as well.

Excellent. Thanks for the pics. This is exactly the kind of thing I need to learn. Well Done.

Today I got wire, connectors and a lighted blue rocker switch (to mount to the dash). I'm going to under light my scoot with blue lights for night and early morning riding...I'll have the switch to keep them off when I like. I going to replace the side reflectors with orange and red lights, respectively.
It'll take me 2 or 3 weeks to get'er done. I still have to get red and orange LED lights. I'm going to do it all at once. Of course, I'll have think it through for a couple of weeks, too and then, BAM...one day I'll get up go out do it. Prepare for the insuing questioning.
Between PEPBOYS and you guys...My beasty baby is getting tricked out.
Cheers....jacq........YOUR MOD LOOKS GREAT..yellow on yellow...very tasteful...

I used a similar flex strip of leds for my underglow lights on my previous scoot.

Jacq, I used a similar lighted rocker switch to operate my lights. It worked nicely. I just wired from the battery to the switch. But doing it again, I would add a fuse box to make adding other future accessories easy.

An inline fuse is easy and cheap in the auto supply store.

Question about the top case wiring. How did you do that connection that allows the case removal? Where and how does it connect and disconnect?

Four-conductor trailer harness connector:

Nice amber color which goes along with your scoot. I'll bet those are highly visible when you make turns.

JacQ, when you say you are going to mount the rocker switch "under the dash" do you mean drill a hold in the dash? Or some sort of adhesive on the rocker switch?

This is exactly the kind of connection I wanted to put into my light system...could you give more instructions on how you installed the four pin connector to the scoot's existing lights... like where you accessed the wiring and PLEASE please tell me how you knew which wires were left, right, and brake?? I have no electrical skills other than knowing hot to cut wires (when told which ones to cut), solder, tape them together... I couldn't use an ohm meter or whatnot to save my life.

Of course, I'm on a 250 not 400 but many things on them are similair if not identical vs the 500 being way diff.

I tapped the ground, brake, and left turn-signal wires behind the left taillight cluster.

The cluster is easy to remove. Open the back hatch lid. The cover that includes the license plate light is secured by four screws, two above (obscured by the lid when closed) and two below. Remove the screws and tilt the cover back from the top, then pull up and out. Two tabs at the bottom of the cover hook into the underlying Tupperware.

Inside the pet carrier, at the bottom rear, are two large machine screws, one for each light cluster. Remove a screw, and the cluster will slide back and out. Note the position of the alignment tabs for a proper fit on reassembly.

On my bike at least, the black wires are negative (ground), and the "other" wire on each light is positive. The turn signal has two sockets; tap into either one. The brake light has a larger socket than the rest. Best to use continuity and voltage test lights to be certain!

I ran the wires under the rear hatch weatherstripping, anchoring them every inch or so with hot glue.

All connections are made with Posi-Taps-highly recommended! The black Posi-Tap, the easiest to find, is too large. I used a blue Posi-Tap (EX-150) for the ground connection (on the other side of the OEM connector the black ground wire is a little thicker gauge than the ground wires to the individual lights) and red/gray ones (EX-130RR) for the rest. The red Posi-Tap (EX-140R) might work on all the wires, but I didn't have any of those in stock.

The fourth wire, for the right turn signal, runs along the other side of the lid.

FWIW, I used the following color codes:
ground-green
white-brake
yellow-left turn signal
brown-right turn signal

For better weatherproofing, I put electrical tape over the Posi-Taps before tucking everything back in.

More on Posi-Taps: http://www.posi-lock.com/posiplug.html

The auxiliary LED brake light is in. Because of the curvature of the topcase, it would have tilted down a degree or two. I shimmed it so that it now tilts up about a degree, with trucks in mind.

The light is visible over a wide field and very bright from straight on.

And finally, the turn signal reminders. The wires and glue are ugly, but I don't care!

Turbojav: JacQ, when you say you are going to mount the rocker switch "under the dash" do you mean drill a hold in the dash? Or some sort of adhesive on the rocker switch?

I don't know yet...I've all the parts and have planned it out. I'm waiting until other projects and "have to do's" are over. I'll probably tackle this on a those cold wet days when I can't scoot, but can't stay away from it, either. Lately, I've been out enjoying these 60 degree days..Root'n Toot'n Scoot'n..don't ya know.. I'll take pics when I get'er done....It won't be for awhile though....Since there's more darkness these days, I'll enjoy lighting that baby up, it'll look like I'm on a blue cloud...

Do you know anything about the CooCase? The youtube video on Twisted Throttle shows that it has small beady eyes; i.e. led lights.

I wonder if they are visible enough to drivers in a distance?

Hey DAN, you gave great instructions on how you tapped into the wires for the rear...could you also give me instructions on via which panels and what access you tapped into for the reminders lights, PLEASE?? It's another project I want to do on my scoot.

Thanks!!

Gently pry off the front Piaggio logo, revealing a sheet metal screw. Remove that and pop out the central vee cover from the top. Remove windshield. Remove several sheet metal screws holding the main cowl (a few are underneath) and pull it off. Now you should be able to see what you're doing. Eh, I might be forgetting a screw here or there, but it's pretty straightforward. Taking photos at each stage (Sorry, I didn't!) will make it easier to get things back together. The black wires are ground.

I attached the wires (with Posi-Taps, natch) close to the lights and ran the wires up along the tubing, secured with zip ties every couple of inches or wherever they changed direction. Had to drill two small holes in the upper corners of the dash for the wire to come through and put quick-connects on the dash. I tried Molex connectors at that junction, but they didn't work well with the very thin wires, so I changed to small bullet connectors. If I were to do it again I'd use Posi-Locks or, better yet, Posi-Tites.

BTW I love the reminder lights!

What panels did you remove to access the front light pods?

I ordered a nice little selection of Posi-Taps and Posi-Locks per your prior recommendation.

it's on page 63-64 in the manual:

https://modernvespa.com/files/owner/MP3-400-Owner-Manual.pdf

yea you know me, I love leds and ground effects, I always have been told by tech types that they won't draw any power that could be misssed and I saw guys leave them on for hours at the bike show, then start right up and leave.Thanks for sharing.