400EX Brake Light Kit & 450R LED swap?

[04TRX400EX]

Hey I was just wondering if anyone has had any experience with front and rear brake light kit for 400EX's found on Ebay (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Honda-400EX-Add-a-Brake-Light-EASY-with-THIS-KIT_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ43974QQitemZ4593757 295QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW) ? It looks pretty cool and sounds simple enough. Any thoughts?

Also, is an '05/'06 400 or 450R LED taillight and direct swap or does it use a different wiring harness?

[04TRX400EX]

Apparently the ebay item has been removed or something but some of you may know what I'm talking about.

[JOEX]

I made my own set up using banjo bolt switches and a 450r light on my 01 400ex. Wasn't too difficult to put together:) There is another way to do it using mechanical switches though.

I'd bet the new 400's and the 450r use the same brake light, I doubt Honda would make them different.

[Chino886]

Originally posted by JOEX
I made my own set up using banjo bolt switches and a 450r light on my 01 400ex. Wasn't too difficult to put together:) There is another way to do it using mechanical switches though.

I'd bet the new 400's and the 450r use the same brake light, I doubt Honda would make them different.

can you post some detailed instructions w/ pictures of how you did it JOEX...Thanks.

[JOEX]

Originally posted by Chino886
can you post some detailed instructions w/ pictures of how you did it JOEX...Thanks.
I'll try to tomorrow;)

[Chino886]

Originally posted by JOEX
I'll try to tomorrow;)

Thanks JOEX, that is one of my biggest fears riding in the trails down at the dunes, some idiot is going to run into me cause the brakelight does not work.

[JOEX]

Originally posted by Chino886
Thanks JOEX, that is one of my biggest fears riding in the trails down at the dunes, some idiot is going to run into me cause the brakelight does not work.
What really sucks is being the one in the back:eek: :p The brake light dosen't help in some of the dune trails out here:ermm:

if that brakelight kit on ebay was form oklahoma power sports...i have it on my 2000 400ex and it works great...

[JOEX]

It may be a little while til I get a full write up with pics done :ermm:

If there's anything specific you'd like to know now i'll try to help:)

[Chino886]

Originally posted by JOEX
It may be a little while til I get a full write up with pics done :ermm:

If there's anything specific you'd like to know now i'll try to help:)

I want to know what parts to get and how to make it work, I have looked at the 450r setup, but the parts start to add up......so basically almost a full writeup....where did you get the parts....I am electronics impaired:eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2:

[rockbronco]

can anyone explain a little what needs be done. I have just aquired a 450 tail light but cant seem to get it to light up when putitng power to it. Ive figured out what pins do what but I am ASSuming it has somehting do to with the LEDS?? any insite would be helpful.

oh and my bike is already wired with a brake switch so Im good to go there

[JOEX]

Originally posted by rockbronco
can anyone explain a little what needs be done. I have just aquired a 450 tail light but cant seem to get it to light up when putitng power to it. Ive figured out what pins do what but I am ASSuming it has somehting do to with the LEDS?? any insite would be helpful.

oh and my bike is already wired with a brake switch so Im good to go there
Is there a switch at both levers? What kind of switches?

[rockbronco]

I just have a switch on the rear brake foot pedal. basically its just a switch with a spring attached to the pedal. works real well. I added lights into the stock 400 light, they just not bright enough during the day. All the wiring is there I just need to wire up the 450 light.

Im just a little puzzled on why I cant turn on the light when I send 12volts to it? I know the center terminal which is the green wire is the ground from the light switch. the left terminal which is the green and yellow wire is the power from the brake switch. Then the right terminal Brown wire is the power from the taillight

bad picture but you should get the idea. I can snap another one tomorrow if needed.
http://www.supermotors.org/getfile/231342/fullsize/P2070021.JPG

[04TRX400EX]

So then the wiring harness for the '04 and earlier normal rear taillight is different from the '05-06 LED light I take it? I wonder why it can't just be a direct swap out.

[rockbronco]

Originally posted by 04TRX400EX
So then the wiring harness for the '04 and earlier normal rear taillight is different from the '05-06 LED light I take it? I wonder why it can't just be a direct swap out.

the 400 has only a 2 wire light and the 450s have a 3 wire since it has a brake light function. so yeah its not a dirrect swap, you will need to install a brake switch and wire it up to be able to use it as a brake light

[JOEX]

I'm not sure how that type of switch is wired. Are there two wires on the switch? If so, one goes to a powersource and the other goes to the g/y wire off the LED light.

[Chino886]

Originally posted by JOEX
I'm not sure how that type of switch is wired. Are there two wires on the switch? If so, one goes to a powersource and the other goes to the g/y wire off the LED light.

Hey JOEX,

Did you ever get pics of your setup?

Chino

[JOEX]

Originally posted by Chino886
Hey JOEX,

Did you ever get pics of your setup?

Chino
I have a couple but i'm going to wait until I have room to work on the quad to get some decent ones. I new I should have taken pics as I put it together:ermm:

[Chino886]

Originally posted by JOEX
I have a couple but i'm going to wait until I have room to work on the quad to get some decent ones. I new I should have taken pics as I put it together:ermm:

you should make a kit and sell it...to me

[rockbronco]

Originally posted by JOEX
I'm not sure how that type of switch is wired. Are there two wires on the switch? If so, one goes to a powersource and the other goes to the g/y wire off the LED light.

yeah its 2 wires, one is a power and the other runs to the brake lights. so when its pressed it sends voltage to the light. I will mess with it tonight and see if I can get it to work.

Im just stuck on why I can hook power and ground to the LED light and make it light up with it off the bike?

[JOEX]

Originally posted by rockbronco
yeah its 2 wires, one is a power and the other runs to the brake lights. so when its pressed it sends voltage to the light. I will mess with it tonight and see if I can get it to work.

Im just stuck on why I can hook power and ground to the LED light and make it light up with it off the bike?
Can you get both the tail light and brake light to work when it's 'off the bike'?

Bad switch or maybe the spring isn't pulling the switch far enough to activate it?

[JOEX]

Originally posted by Chino886
you should make a kit and sell it...to me
LOL:p

[rockbronco]

Originally posted by JOEX
Can you get both the tail light and brake light to work when it's 'off the bike'?

Bad switch or maybe the spring isn't pulling the switch far enough to activate it?

I get nothing when the LED light is off the bike. when i put power and ground to it I cant make it light up, which in theory it should. I know all the brake switches and wiring are working on my bike now so there will not be an issue there.

I have yet to install or wire up the LED light on the bike. I will do that tonight and see what happens.

[rockbronco]

I wired it up on the bike and nothing.:confused:

was there anything special you had to do with your light?

[JOEX]

Originally posted by rockbronco
I wired it up on the bike and nothing.:confused:

was there anything special you had to do with your light?
I didn't have to do anything special.

[rockbronco]

what year was your light from? I wonder if that has somethign to do with it? mines from an 06 I believe

Im going to have to swap my buddys and see if its a bad light or what the deal is.

[rockbronco]

I got it handled thanks!!!! my wire location information was wrong. (I got them from a buddy at honda:confused: ) oh well, I searched through some old posts and found a reference to what does what. I had my ground in the wrong place. I knew it had to be somethng simple and I wasent going to sleep tonight until I figured it out.

cant wait to clean up the wiring and ride it with a real brake light now! awsome mod! I will post up finished pictures and wiring for those who want to to this mod to their 400 as well

[JOEX]

Originally posted by rockbronco
I got it handled thanks!!!! my wire location information was wrong. (I got them from a buddy at honda:confused: ) oh well, I searched through some old posts and found a reference to what does what. I had my ground in the wrong place. I knew it had to be somethng simple and I wasent going to sleep tonight until I figured it out.

cant wait to clean up the wiring and ride it with a real brake light now! awsome mod! I will post up finished pictures and wiring for those who want to to this mod to their 400 as well
Good to hear you got it working:) I should have double checked your wiring description, the colors were right but the positions were wrong.

I made some room in the garage today so I can help out with the write up and pics :)

[rockbronco]

you have any ideas for a conector? currently I robbed some female pins off of a spare connector of a vehicle I had laying around. I just pressed them onto the male pins of the light. The idea was to silcone the wires into the light so its waterproof then tape it up to make it visualy appealing. Its kinda hack but without a hardshell there isnt much else I can do??

Im interested in your banjo bolt stlye switches, I have yet to see those. I may want to add my front lever later

[JOEX]

Originally posted by rockbronco
you have any ideas for a conector? currently I robbed some female pins off of a spare connector of a vehicle I had laying around. I just pressed them onto the male pins of the light. The idea was to silcone the wires into the light so its waterproof then tape it up to make it visualy appealing. Its kinda hack but without a hardshell there isnt much else I can do??
That's basically what I did.

I picked up some crimp on female connectors that fit the male connectors on the light and filled the cavity with black silicone. I'd skip the black tape, I think it'll just start to unravel and look chitty.

I also used shrink tubing on most of the exposed wires.

[JOEX]

Banjo bolt switch.....

[rockbronco]

yeah I will shrink tube the wires with some weatherproof shrink tube as well. I have some harness tape that will hold anything in any type of heat or elemet. Its a tape thats used on all the underhood wire harnesses.so it should last. I will see how the silicone comes out first

very cool, where did you get those banjo style switches at?

[JOEX]

There is a way to use the stock neutral safety switch from the clutch lever for the front brake. I don't like the way the wires stick out on the banjo bolt, it seems they could be damaged or worn fairly easily. If they came off the switch at 90* instead of straight out it I think it would be better.

[JOEX]

Originally posted by rockbronco
yeah I will shrink tube the wires with some weatherproof shrink tube as well. I have some harness tape that will hold anything in any type of heat or elemet. Its a tape thats used on all the underhood wire harnesses.so it should last. I will see how the silicone comes out first

very cool, where did you get those banjo style switches at?
That tape would probably work well, is it readily available?

I got the switches from C&D Racing a long time ago, maybe two years? I think they were around $12-15 each.

[rockbronco]

Originally posted by JOEX
That tape would probably work well, is it readily available?


I havent seen it anywhere. I have several extra rolls I got from work. It comes in a recall package for the superdutys.