Installation of Integrated Tail Light

[Hail]

I ordered an integrated tail light off of ebay from OptionsRacing. Here is a link to the item:
2006 2007 YAMAHA FZ1 FZ 1 FAZER SMOKE LED TAIL LIGHT 06 - eBay (item 160347745744 end time Dec-31-10 16:32:19 PST)

Here are a few shots of it in the office immediately after opening the box. I apologize for the poor quality cell phone pics.

For the price the build quality is much better than I could have ever expected. I am very happy with it. I cannot tell any difference in the quality of the plastics over the OE lens.

 

[Hail]

I wanted to show you all a quick video about how easily this connects first. ....well.... at least the wiring of the brake light. The turn signals will require some cutting and soldering. For now you can see what a great job they did on the plug and play brake light.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTckCWx5YrE"]YouTube - Mock up of Integrated Tail Light on FZ1[/ame]

Installation:


The rear lens is housed in the tail section. The following shows the bolts (circled in red) from the top view that need to be removed in order to remove the tail section of the bike.

This shows the under side of the tail. You need to remove each grommet (6 total) by pressing in the center. You do not need to remove the two grommets under the battery area. Just the 6 that connect it to the tail section. Once pressed in you can easily remove the entire grommet. There is no need to remove the under tail panel, just the grommets that connect it to the upper tail section.

Don't forget to disconnect the rear brake light. It is the only thing holding everything together at this point. Just twist counter clockwise and pull out.

Here is a shot with the entire tail section removed. It is dirty and I am taking the oportunity to clean up a bit. :thumb:

And the tail section on the ground. This is where the OE lens is that we need to remove to install the new integrated kit.

The bolts circled in the two photos below need to be removed in order to get the rear brake lens out. The second photo is just a slightly different angle showing the bolts that hold the rear lens cover in place. The three at the rear are the only ones holding in the lens. The two on the side keep the trim piece in place that goes over the lens.

The molding that covers the lens can now be removed. It simply rocks back and off.

Install the new lens and replace the bolts that you removed in the previous step. We now have the new lens installed in the tails section.

 

[Hail]

Here is a short vid of placing the rear section back on. By watching this you can get an idea of how easy it was to remove as well. Instinct will have you trying install this directly from the rear sliding from the back towards the front. In reality it is much easier to start from the front as you will see in the vid. :thumb:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnRQPLrtueE"]YouTube - Re-install Rear Tail Section on 2009 FZ1[/ame]

I clipped the wires for my turn signals and pulled them back through the hole in the under tail to the rear seat area. This will give me easy access to solder to the new signals in a minute.

Here is a shot of the soldering work. Yellow tail light to signal signal harness green. Blue tail light to signal harness brown.

...and shrink wrapped. I looped the negative leads that went to the OE turn signals and shrink wrapped those also.

Before & After Photos

Here is a horrible video of the integrated signals in action. The do blink a tad fast but I don't think I am worried about it.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsMuh0eWJkc"]YouTube - New Integrated Tail Lights in Action on FZ1[/ame]

...at night approaching from a distance with the left hand signal on.
Video 3

 

[FZ1riderNY]

Maybe you can do an installation thread on it Brad. I don't think one has been done yet.

 

[FZ1inTX]

I wish these were legal in NH.....

I see you've got place holders. Thanks Brad!!

 

[Hail]

Maybe you can do an installation thread on it Brad. I don't think one has been done yet.

That is exactly what my 2 placeholders above will be for.

 

[Hail]

I wish these were legal in NH.....

I see you've got place holders. Thanks Brad!!

I usually do not like them. Especially for night because I think it screws with cagers ability to judge how far we are from them. I hardly ever drive at night so I decided to go for it. The gigantic rear signals are driving me nuts and look out of place on my beautiful bike.

 

[FZ1riderNY]

I usually do not like them. Especially for night because I think it screws with cagers ability to judge how far we are from them. I hardly ever drive at night so I decided to go for it. The gigantic rear signals are driving me nuts and look out of place on my beautiful bike.

One of my concerns would be how hard it may be to distinguish left from right while traveling at night. I'm just thinking that from, lets say 50' back from the bike, how hard it would be to see a left signal from a right being that they are so close together.

 

[Hail]

I will get that on video for ya.

 

[Oldschool]

looking forward

Thanks for the link. I am interested to see the install pictures and description as I am considering this for myself. I almost always ride with my GIVI bags on that have signal/brake/tailights in them so there would be no legal issue there. Up here they measure the distance between signals and the integrated would not pass on it's own. With the bags I have no issue, and I to would like to lose the rear signals.


I was going to have a custom Watsen set made last year, but gave up on them since he seemed too busy to ever get started (I called and faxed back and forth and was told they were being made but it never got done).

 

[Hail]

Just added a pre-install video of the plug and play for brake light.

 

[Hail]

lol, is that a PCB picture frame???

Yeppers! I love that frame.

 

[CrazyBiker]

Any particular reason you went for the pricier one? Similar/same ones are available for $40. I installed the same one last year but it was $62 then:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FMHuvDDWds"]YouTube - FZ1 Turn Signal Brake Light[/ame]

 

[Hail]

Any particular reason you went for the pricier one? Similar/same ones are available for $40. I installed the same one last year but it was $62 then:

YouTube - FZ1 Turn Signal Brake Light

Pricier at $53.99? I looked at all of the ones available on eBay for the FZ1. Prices vary from $19.99 to $129. Price is never my only factor. I would not buy any of the ones that did not have lighting demos posted. Of the ones that did have demos I thought (at least by looking online) that this one by far had the clearest lighting for the turn signals. I do not know how else to describe it other than the turn signals looked much more visible to me that the others I saw. I did shoot a few e-mails back and forth with this vendor and he was very responsive which I appreciated. He got my business.

 

[FZ1inTX]

Yup! Often the cheapest is cheap for a darn good reason. The old addage is true that you get what you pay for.

I like it Brad. Thanks for the start of a cool thread!

 

[CrazyBiker]

Pricier at $53.99? I looked at all of the ones available on eBay for the FZ1. Prices vary from $19.99 to $129. Price is never my only factor. I would not buy any of the ones that did not have lighting demos posted. Of the ones that did have demos I thought (at least by looking online) that this one by far had the clearest lighting for the turn signals. I do not know how else to describe it other than the turn signals looked much more visible to me that the others I saw. I did shoot a few e-mails back and forth with this vendor and he was very responsive which I appreciated. He got my business.

I am talking shipped prices. Lets see some video to see how those work. Mine looks exactly the same as yours. Cheapest I could find is $30 shipped :O - man prices have gone low like those levers. This one has video but it functions differently than what you and me have:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/06-0...torcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ht_5668wt_918

 

[FZ1inTX]

I *think* this is the same exact tail light and these guys are shipping for free. If you hover over the picture with the mouse, the tail light zooms and shows it in action.

2006-2008 YAMAHA FZ1 FAZER LED TAIL LIGHT+SIGNALS

 

[CrazyBiker]

Yes, I have the 2wheelcustom one. FDB has also now come up with one alongwith the foldable extendable adjustable levers. There are two types of light - one with alternate turn signals and one with dedicated signals on the sides.

 

[Hail]

Ok got my install photos and video uploaded. I will get a video from a distance at night tomorrow morning.

@ CrazyBiker and FZ1inNH, I missed the ones with free shipping for sure!

 

[Hail]

Just a side note... Those grommets we removed that connect the under tail to the rear section need to be setup like the photo below before re-installing them. Once in place push the button with your thumb to lock in to place.