01. The major components for our all-bike LED upgrade included: headlamp in the center fl
We’ve praised the benefits of LED lights for years and presented numerous articles for upgrading individual lights on our test bikes. But we’ve never upgraded all the lights at one time because headlamp replacements weren’t readily available. However, when we saw Küryakyn’s new “The Ultimate in LED Lighting” ad, which feature a new LED headlamp, we were sure it was time to go all-in, so we got our hands on a full kit to replace all the lights on our ’07 Road King Custom. We also picked up some of the company’s cool accessory lights.
Here’s the complete list of everything we used with Küryakyn part numbers and MSRP: 7-inch LED Headlamp (PN 2261, $299.99), Two 4½ inch LED Passing Lights (PN 2262, $109.99 each), LED Front Turn Signal Inserts, Bullet Style (Smoke) (PN 5443, $129.99), LED Rear Turn Signal Inserts, Bullet Style (Smoke) (PN 5447, $129.99), LED Taillight (Smoke) (PN 5434, $139.99), LED Halo Headlight Trim Ring (PN 7785, $89.99), Skinni Mini LED Strip Lights – Amber (PN 5044, $59.99), Skinni Mini LED Strip Lights – Red (PN 5042, $59.99), Load Equalizer Adapter (PN 4837, $14.99), and TSSM Alarm Compatible Load Equalizer (PN 4857, $29.99).
02. Each turn signal light plugs directly into the 1157 socket of the stock bulb. The kit
LEDs offer significant advantages over incandescent bulbs. They are more efficient in delivering light per watt, light up and cycle quicker, generate less heat, dim over time rather than suffer an abrupt failure, have a longer lifetime, and are shock and vibration resistant. Plus Küryakyn’s lights are DOT compliant and are direct plug-n-play replacements. And their headlamp and passing lights produce a powerful bright-white light.
But they’re not perfect. LEDs are more expensive than incandescent bulbs; they are heat sensitive and with their electronics, require adequate heat sinks; they require correct electrical polarity; and they cast a narrow light in one direction, so lenses or reflectors are needed.
Installation was easy using only simple handtools. By using the Load Equalizer Adapter, we kept all the connections, with the exception of the taps for the mini-lights, to direct plugs into the stock receptacle. For late-model H-Ds equipped with the factory security system (T.S.S.M.), the load equalizer included with the LED turn signal kit will cause the security light to remain lit at all times. The security system remains fully functional but we didn’t care for that and replaced one of the kit equalizers with Küryakyn’s TSSM Alarm Compatible Load Equalizer.
03. The TSSM Alarm Compatible Load Equalizer was used in place of one of the turn signal
We had a minor glitch on one of the passing lamps. When the dealer tech originally installed the passing lamps in 2007, he inadvertently cross-wired the connection, which went unnoticed because incandescent bulbs don’t care about polarity. However, LEDs do, so the new lamp didn’t work. A quick inspection and switching of wires corrected the error. But this reminded us of two tips: pay careful attention to the wiring and test the lamp before final assembly.
Was converting all the lights on our Road King to LEDs worth it? You bet! These tiny magazine photos don’t convey the true brightness of these LEDs. We used a photo meter to gauge relative brightness between the stock incandescent bulbs and the new Küryakyn LEDs. At low beam, the LEDs are about 8 percent brighter, and at high beam, they are up about 10 percent.
We had a chance for an early Sunday morning ride in darkness and the headlamp/passing lamp LEDs really lit up everything out front with powerful, crisp, and clear light. Brilliant. As we met up with riding buddies, they said they could see our bike coming from a long way off while riders in front of us were still invisible. Now, not only can we see better, we’re better seen. B
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04. The deluxe taillight comes with Evo and Twin Cam plug in adapters and a new gasket.
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05. The headlight trim ring fits over the stock trim ring and creates a flush appearance
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06. The mini lights are thin, flexible LED strips that will adhere to almost any surface,
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07. Installing the LED passing lamps began by removing the stock retaining ring, bulb, a
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08. Here’s where we discovered that when the original lights were installed, the wires we
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09. Installing the new LED headlamp started with removing the stock trim ring, the headla