I put this install write-up on two bike specific forums, but I thought a lot of it could be used on other ST bikes using a slightly modified bike specific mounting method. Hopefully this may be of interest to some here that desire rear visibility enhancement. Since this install Admore has come out with a 10 inch light bar that is brighter than original and could easily work in this manner and produce a dual bar that is both brighter and 4 inches wider total width. That is the way I would do it now if I were to start over as the cost would only be approx. $20 more at current prices.
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I ordered two Admore 8 inch mini light bars from Twisted Throttle which arrived with cracks in the plastic lenses. The Admore packaging was top notch so I doubt they were abused in storage or during shipment. It looked like three of the combined four screws were over torqued and either the cracks were not noticed or didn’t actually appear until after the product was packaged and out of view. Anyway, Admore
was quick to respond to my email and I had two new un-cracked plastic lenses in the mail from Canada in less than a week. Admore says “Housed in a sturdy, weatherproof, black polycarbonate case.”, but I wasn’t totally convinced about the “sturdy” part. I mounted them in an aluminum channel assembled from two Home Depot 1½ inch angle extrusions. This should provide some protection, both from the elements, and from me banging into them when walking around the bike. I had considered hanging them under the Givi mounting brackets about even with the plate light, but then I decided that they would be even more protected right under the topcase just above the stock taillight. The higher location might also be more “in the eyes” of the driver behind me. I bent some aluminum bar stock and mounted it on the back of the assembled channel. I then clamped the bar in position and drilled small pilot holes through both the bar stock and the Givi mounting brackets and then enlarged them separately to ¼ inch. Exclusive of the painted brackets, most of the mounting hardware that came with the light bars was Stainless. I replaced the four ¼-20 bolts that were not stainless, with stainless equivalents and purchased two stainless bolts and acorn nuts to attach the assembly to the Givi brackets.
Since the LEDs don’t go all the way to the ends of the bars I knew there would be a light- gap in the middle even if the light bars were touching, so I decided to purposely have a gap between them and just fill it with a red reflector. The gap also made it much easier to get at the inboard end screws of the light bars. The whole assembly measures 18 inches wide. I cut a piece of aluminum to fill the middle gap, and attached a reflector there, and a reflector on each end. The inboard turn signals are only used when I first turn on the bike or when the hazard flashers are on. I accomplished this by putting
two 12v relays in
series, each activated by opposite turn signal circuits which functions as in an electro-mechanical AND gate to activate the inboard turn signals. These light bars were not designed to work in pairs yet the initial 3 flashes are fairly well in sync. Overall I’m happy with the results, I think it is as visually present as if it was a full 18 inch light bar. Admore seems to have excellent customer service, now to see if the mini light bars will hold up and for how long. I think the way that I have mounted them will give them a maximum chance at survival. In the second to last photo (flash) you'll notice that I disassembled the Givi case and put some silver reflective tape behind the Givi's red plastic in the center rear and on either side. With all that red plastic it really should be much more reflective than it is. I don't understand why Givi doesn't make it that way in the first place.
Side note: Just in case you're interested, the wimpy led brake lights in the Givi case are NOT Admore, they are the ones that Givi installs in their Deluxe case. I do not recommend them either for brightness nor for the (seemed like a good idea at the time) Givi spring loaded electrical connection which is iffy after about 6 months of usage.(click on any picture for larger size)
A not so good video:
Several months after this install I added a couple of vertical LED strips to the brake light circuit.
