Installing an AdMore Lighting kit in a Shad-37 Top Case

Admore Lighting makes LED products that can be added to many types of topcases and hard saddlebags. They also make standalone light bars for motorcycles. The units are powered off the mains and are microprocessor controlled. They come with dual brightness LEDs that act as run and brake lights. They are also capable of acting as turn signals when tapped into the turn signal circuits on the motorcycle. I don't think you need load resistors when using as turn signals but haven't played with that feature because I didn't want to tap my turn signal lines. I would probably contact Eastern Beaver to see if they could make cable extenders that I could tap into. That would let me restore the bike to original condition without any tap holes in the signal lines.

Steps 

1.       Open the case and remove the 3 reflector retaining screws in the case lid and remove the reflector. There are two small washers in the end wells in the lid.  Make sure they either stay in the holes or that you put them back and the end of the installation. The are used to prevent water from running into the case. Remove the white vinyl reflector backing

2.       Lay the left and right lighting modules on the case.  Verify that you understand where the ends will fit and where the wiring will go.  Notice that the Shad the (empty) tail light compartment limits wiring paths coming off the end of the lighting module. The tail light box’s outline is on the back of the case and dividers are on the inside of the reflector .   

3.       Note: You can increase the visibility of the shad box by putting reflective tape on the center section that will not be covered by lighting modules.

4.        Position the ends of the lighting modules where they will fit under the reflector and where the wires may be routed without intrusion into the tail light compartment.  The reflectors in this picture go around the corner with a little slack to make it easier to make the bend.

5.       Plan where the wiring will go paying attention to the latch location inside the case.  Drill small holes just large enough for the lighting module connectors.  You can optionally seal the holes after running the wires to stop water from going in them.

6.       Connect the Y-cable to the two lighting modules inside the case.  You can use the empty space above the center latch for any extra cable.  The red wires on the lighting leads connect to the red wires on the Y cable. Black on the lighting leads will connect with the colored wires in the Y cable.  The colors for left and right on the Y cable match the colors for left and right on the AdMore Lighting data sheet. Attach the other end of the Y cable to the external connector cable.  This is may be a good time to do an off-bike test.  You can use a 9V battery to power up the panels. The connectors in this picture have been covered in heat shrink tubing to reduce risk of disconnection. 

7.       Figure out where you want the external connector to come out of the case.  Putting it in the lid makes it stick out more on the outside but reduces problems with items in the case bumping the cable.  Putting it in the bottom of the case usually makes the outside installation cleaner but brings the cable in contact with more load items. This picture shows the cable running from the lighting units across the top of the case to the back of the case where it goes into the bottom section.

8.       Drill the hole in the case to install the external cable connection.  The angle of the external cable is fixed in relationship to the angle of the connector that goes through the case wall to the outside.  Take into account the installation location of the external cable, the angle of the connector inside the case and the amount of cable available inside the case when positioning the through-case connector.

Example: The configuration in the picture below requires that the internal connector be horizontal with the internal connector cable running to the right to the corner of the case.

9.       Put the reflector back on the case using all three of the screws removed earlier in the process.

10.   Attach the wiring harness to the bike’s wiring system per the instructions.  Run the case connector end of the cable to the location where the case will be mounted.  Remember to attach the power lead to a switched circuit like the tail light circuit.  Do not directly connect to the batter because it will run all the time draining the battery.  Take into account the space required for the controller and fuse when picking the attachment location.  The picture below shows a wiring harness installed under the seat on a small cruiser.

Put the motorcycle back together and mount the case.

Installed on an S40

Here is a daylight picture with the case LEDs in running lights mode:

Here is a daylight picture of the case LEDs with the brakes applied: