Description
NEW! Redesigned and Enhanced LED modules
The new LED modules offer a clean modern look, rugged housing, wider beam angle, and new LED technology.
All P3 systems now include the new LEDs.
P3 Lights, mounted on the license plate bracket, increase your rearward visibility.
P3 Lights Features & Benefits
Skene Design has released a redesigned control module for all versions of their products. Rather than controlling the negative lead of the attached lights, the new version controls the positive lead. The controllers have the same functions as before, but the new design simplifies the installation procedure and expands the market for their products and the vehicles they can be used on.
The new P3 Lights system and the IQ-260 (previously IQ-160) controller can now directly control the stock tail and brake light on a motorcycle, converting it into a tail light with their patented conspicuity flicker and flashing brake light. This opens up the market for these products, the IQ-260 in particular, for the application where a customer only wants to add a flashing brake light function to his/her existing tail light.
In addition, the power handling capability of the new controller has been increased. While the previous controller for P3 Lights, and the Photon Blaster could provide 2.5 amps per side, the new controller can provide 6 amps per side. For the IQ-275 intelligent lamp dimmer the current rating has increased even more, from 6 amps to 12 amps per channel. When wired in parallel the new IQ-275 can source a full 24 amps, considerably higher than any current lamp dimmer available.
- IQ-260 control module (IQ-260-TS for the P3 Lights-TS version)
- 2 red LED modules (Photon Boosters) with mounting brackets and screws
- all necessary connectors
- installation and operating manual
- 2 programming cards
A photo of what's included in the kit is shown below. The P3-TS module with turn signal option has two additional wires as well as more PositapTM and PositwistTM connectors.
*** NEW ***
NEW! The new P3 Lights system now features:
Brighter LEDs - 75% more light!
Turn signal option - helps ensure following traffic knows your intentions
Expandable - now you can add extra LED modules
Universal lamp drive capability - convert your existing turn signals into bright marker lights
The P3 Lights rear visibility lighting system adds two rows of very bright, computer-controlled LEDs on each side of your motorcycle's rear license plate, supplementing the existing tail & brake light. The system includes an IQ-160 intelligent control module, two red Photon Booster LED modules, and all necessary mounting brackets and electrical connectors. On the new TS model, the LED modules also mimic the vehicle's turn signals, including 4-way flashers. P3 Lights can be installed on any motorcycle, or ATV, car, truck, etc.... for that matter!
You may know someone that has been rear-ended or you have yourself! The P3 lights may just save your life! Get noticed! Usually the stock brake light is NOT enough to alert that car driver behind you that you are stopping, especially when they are busy texting, putting on their make-up, eating their lunch as they drive. GIVE YOURSELF A FIGHTING CHANCE!
Conspicuity Flicker
A unique and extremely effective feature of the P3 Lights is their exclusive conspicuity flicker. The LEDs have been designed to flicker at a specific flicker rate that maximizes your motorcycle's visibility, without being distracting. Utilizing a high-speed microprocessor and fast-acting, high-intensity LEDs, the P3 Lights system takes advantage of the difference in persistence of vision between the human eye's central field of view and its peripheral view. When viewed directly, P3 Lights' LEDs appear not to flicker, yet when seen out of the corner of the eye, they have a just-noticeable flicker, significantly enhancing your motorcycle's conspicuity, especially to the inattentive driver.
Shortens Stopping Distance and Reaction Time
In addition to adding much brighter lights, the use of rapid acting LEDs in the brake light circuit reduces the time it takes for the lights to reach maximum brightness compared to a normal incandescent bulb. This allows the driver to see that you are braking sooner that he otherwise would, resulting in up to a 17 foot shorter stopping distance at 60 mph.
Another feature of P3 Lights is that when the brakes are applied P3 Lights rapidly flash. This rapid flashing signal has been shown by independent research to reduce the response time of drivers by an average of up to 0.2 seconds. This corresponds to another 17 foot reduction in stopping distance at 60 mph compared to conventional brake lights.
P3 Lights design retains the existing tail light rather than replacing it as other designs do. This provides three valuable benefits:
It increases the overall lit area visible to traffic behind you
It eliminates bulb-out errors caused by a change in operating current
It provides an important redundancy feature should either of the lighting systems fail
Emergency Flasher
P3 Lights include a highly visible emergency flasher which is much more noticeable than the standard 4-way flasher found on some motorcycles. This flasher is easy to enable, simply by using the brake lever, and provides a very effective warning to traffic around you.
Now with Turn Signal Option
The new P3-TS model adds a second channel, so the left and right LED modules can be controlled independently. Simply connect the extra two input wires on the controller to your existing turn signal wires using the included T-taps, and the P3's super bright LED modules mimic your turn signals and 4-way flashers.
Expandable
In addition to powering the included red Photon Boosters, the P3 Lights system can be expanded by adding up to 6 additional red Photon Booster LED modules. The TS model can be expanded to support eight LED modules per side.An emergency flasher mode is also included in the system, and an optional voltmeter is available to check you vehicle's battery condition.
Tail Light
A unique feature of P3 Lights tail light mode is the conspicuity flicker. With conspicuity flicker enabled, which is the default mode of operation, the intensity of the dual, 12-LED modules rapidly alternates between a low and a high brightness level.
The rate of this modulation has been carefully chosen to maximize your motorcycle's visibility, without being distracting. Utilizing a high-speed microprocessor and fast-acting, high-intensity LEDs, P3 Lights' conspicuity flicker exploits the difference in persistence of vision between the eye's central field of view and its peripheral view.
When seen out of the corner of your eye, the lights have a noticeable flicker, significantly enhancing your motorcycle's conspicuity, yet when viewed directly, P3 Lights appear not to flicker, and so are not distracting. This feature maximizes your motorcycle's visibility to inattentive drivers and others on the road who are not looking directly at your motorcycle.
Another useful safety feature unique to P3 Lights is the ability to program the tail light brightness. This can be set to normal or high, depending on weather conditions. In heavy rain or fog, the high brightness tail light mode makes your motorcycle more likely to be seen at a distance.
Brake Light
While P3 Lights are bright in tail light mode, the brake lights are intensely bright, while still keeping within federal brightness regulations. These are completely legal in Canada and the USA.
P3 Lights can easily be programmed to operate in any of three different modes when the brake is applied:
Turn on normally, with a steady, high-brightness light
Alternate 4 times between high and low brightness, then revert to a steady, high-brightness mode
Alternate rapidly 4 times between high and low brightness, then more slowly 4 times, then revert to a steady, high-brightness mode
This last is the default setting. Alternating the brake light rapidly between high and low brightness makes your motorcycle more noticeable from behind. Many motorcycle safety handbooks recommend that you pump the brake when you are slowing down in order make your motorcycle more visible. P3 Lights do this in a much safer manner, allowing you to keep a constant, controlled pressure on the brake lever while still providing you with the extra safety of a modulated brake light.
A modulated brake light has been found to reduce the reaction time of following drivers by as much as 0.2 seconds. Add to this another 0.2 seconds due to the instant-on of LED lights, plus the increased following distance reported by many P3 Lights customers, and you can see why P3 Lights have become so popular among safety conscious motorcyclists.
Emergency Flasher
Why an emergency flasher?
Because motorcycles are notoriously hard to see....
Should you need to pull over in a high traffic area or you're in a situation where traffic behind you needs to be warned of an emergency ahead, you can quickly switch your P3 Lights to an extremely bright, high-visibility, emergency mode. In this mode they can display one of 3 different emergency lighting sequences:
Continuous flash: flash twice per second, similar to 4-way flashers
Rapid continuous flash: flash 5 times per second
Quad flash: flash rapidly 4 times, pause, then repeat
Emergency mode is saved when the ignition is turned off. This allows you to switch your motorcycle to parking light mode and remove the key, without disabling the emergency flasher.
Emergency mode is canceled as soon as the brake is activated. P3 Lights then revert to normal operation until the emergency mode is programmed once again.
Installation
Installation of P3 Lights is straightforward, and typically takes 30 - 45 minutes. They can be installed on any make of motorcycle.
Tools required include a 7 mm or adjustable wrench, a Phillips screwdriver and any tools needed to gain access to the tail and brake light wires. These wires are usually accessed by removing the seat or the tail light housing.
The two LED modules included with the system are usually mounted on either side of the motorcycle's license plate, although they can be mounted anywhere at the rear of the motorcycle. Aluminum brackets, stainless steel screws and stainless steel self-locking nuts are provided for this purpose.
Up to 8 Photon Booster modules may be connected to the P3 Lights system, and up to 16 (8 per side) may be connected to the P3 Lights-TS model.
The wires from the LED modules are then run up and under the seat of the motorcycle. As shown in Figure 1 below, the P3 Lights control module is attached to these wires using the included Posi-Twist connectors. A connection is then made to the tail and brake light wires, as well as the ground wire, using the T-tap connectors supplied.
P3 with IQ-260:
For the P3 Lights-TS model with turn signal capability, you connect the green and yellow wires from the controller to the wires going to your vehicle's left and right turn signals, respectively, as shown in Figure 1a. The LED modules then flash in concert with your turn signals, including your 4-way flashers.
Note: On motorcycles that have an LED tail light with only two wires going to it, connect the black P3 control module wire to the ground wire on the tail light, the white P3 control module wire to the non-ground wire going to the tail light, and the red P3 control module wire to the license plate light wire or to another switched source of 12 volts.
Wiring color tables for a few selected motorcycles
On the BMW R1200ST, the P3 controller may be pushed in from the rear beside the tail light reflector.
On the BMW R1150GS, the P3 controller fits neatly into the rear-most space under the seat.
Note: Extension wire is NO LONGER PROVIDED for BMW R1200RT, K1200GT, K1300GT.
On the BMW R1200RT, R1200GS and K1200/1300/GT the red wire on the P3 Lights controller may be connected to the green/blue switched power wire in the diagnostic connector.
Please reference the wiring diagrams
Please Note: When installing Skene lights/controllers, take note of other accessories that could affect the Skene lights if tapped into the switched circuit together, possibly causing electrical noise back into the power lead. We have had customers that tapped units like Gi Pro gear indicators (for example) into the power switched lines that have caused erratic light response. Clean, dedicated installations ( we suggest the FZ1 Fuseblock ) for error free operation.
P3 Lights Specifications
Current draw: tail light 100 mA, brake light 390 mA instantaneous, 150 mA continuous
Operating voltage: 9 - 16 VDC
Intensity regulation: LED intensity is controlled by an internal current regulator to maintain brightness even under low voltage conditions.
Angle of half intensity: 4°
Wavelength: 612 nm
Voltmeter accuracy (P3+): ±0.1 V
Control module dimensions: Length: 2.36" Width: 1.58" Height: 0.59"
Control module weight: 1 oz.
LED module dimensions: 3" x 0.625" x 0.35"
LED module weight: 3/8 oz.
Fully compatible with BMW CAN-bus
Fully compatible with BMW 2-phase brake light firmware that illuminates a single-filament brake light as a tail light, as used on the R1200RT and other models.
For optimum visibility, pair your Skene P3 rear light kit with a front Photon Blasters kit
P3 Lights Installation - BMW K1600GT/GTL
The P3 Lights system is a much-needed safety enhancement on the K1600GT/GTL, providing significantly more light than the stock tail and brake lights do.
The LED modules can be mounted in the normal position on either side of the license plate bracket as shown in the photo below. They can also be installed in the topcase in place of the optional BMW brake light, described later on this page.
If you already have the BMW topcase light, the P3 Lights controller can be connected to this as well as to the LED modules included in the kit, converting the topcase light from a simple brake light to a combined tail light/flashing brake light with emergency flasher.
The P3 Lights system on the K1600GT or GTL connect to the wires going to the topcase connector. These are easily accessed where they enter the left side of the black, cylindrical connector under the passenger seat (see photo below). The red wire on the P3 Lights control module needs to be connected to a switched 12 volts source, and on this bike the easiest one to access is the red wire in this connector. Connect the black ground wire from the P3 Lights controller to the brown wire in this connector, and connect the white wire from the P3 Lights controller to the grey with black tracer and repeating yellow dots wire.
If you are installing a P3 Lights-TS system, you can tap into the left and right turn signal wires in the tail light wiring harness. This can be accessed by removing the side case on the right side of the bike, then removing a small bike-colored access panel just below the passenger grab handle on the right side. The wiring harness in this right-side access port is held in a metal clip behind the access panel. The wires are contained in a loose piece of rubber tubing, which must be removed to gain access to the wiring.
Note that if you use the red wire in the cylindrical topcase connector to power the P3 Lights system, the P3 Lights will stay on for ~ 30 seconds after you turn off the ignition. The lights draw very little current, so this will not cause any significant battery drain. To have the lights turn off with the ignition, connect the red wire on the P3 control module to a switched 12 volts source such as the yellow low beam wire or switched a supplementary fuse block. Connecting the P3 controller's red wire to the K1600's tail light wire may draw too much current for the CANBUS controller, and cause a lamp failure warning. This is especially true if multiple LED modules are installed.
Convert the Topcase Brake Light into a Combined Tail Light/Flashing Brake Light
If your K1600GT/GTL has the built in topcase brake light, it is possible to re-wire this light so that it can be driven from the P3 Lights controller and functions the same as the P3 Lights LED modules. In this configuration the light will come on as a tail light with the P3's unique visibility flicker and when the bakes are applied it will flash brightly, just as the P3 Lights' LEDs do. It will also flash when the P3 system's emergency flasher mode is activated.
Note that the P3 Lights controller powering the topcase must be the non-turn signal version. If you already have the P3-TS model on your bike, you can add an IQ0160 control module to perform this function.
The connections should be made on the left side of the connector, so that you can remove the topcase without disturbing the wiring.
With reference to the photos below, do the following:
If you have a P3 Lights system installed on your bike as described above:
With reference to the photo of the topcase connector below;
1. Cut the gray wire with black tracer and repeating yellow dots
2. Strip 3/8" of insulation from the connector side of this wire and connect it to the thin silver wire in the wire pair coming from the P3 Lights control module using a Positwist connector
3. Insulate the other side of the gray wire with black tracer and repeating yellow dots with electrical tape.
4. Cut the brown wire
5. Strip 3/8" of insulation from the connector side of this wire and connect it to the thin copper wire in the wire pair connecting the P3 Lights control module to the red P3 Lights LED modules, using a Positwist connector
6. Insulate the motorcycle side of the brown wire with electrical tape.
If you do not have a P3 Lights system installed, or have a P3 Lights-TS with turn signal option, connect an IQ-160 (not the IQ-160-TS) intelligent lighting controller as follows:
With reference to the photos of the topcase cylindrical connector below, on the left side of the connector;
1. Cut the gray wire with black tracer and repeating yellow dots
2. Strip 3/8" of insulation from the connector side of this wire and connect it to the thin silver wire in the wire pair coming from the P3 Lights control module using a Positwist connector
3. Strip 3/8" of insulation from the other side of this wire and connect it to the white wire on the P3 Lights controller using a Positap connector
4. Cut the brown wire as shown
5. Strip 3/8" of insulation from the connector side of this wire and connect it to the thin copper wire in the wire pair coming from the P3 Lights control module using a Positwist connector
6. Strip 3/8" of insulation from the other side of this wire and connect it to the black wire on the P3 Lights controller using a Positap connector
7. Connect the red wire from the IQ-160 controller to the red wire going to the cylindrical connector, using a Positap connector
Install P3 Lights LED in Top Case
If your K1600GT/GTL topcase does not have the brake light option, you're in luck. You can install our P3 Lights system directly into your topcase, in the same space where the BMW light would normally go. Then instead of having just a medium brightness brake light, you get two very bright tail lights with our patented conspicuity flicker, extremely bright, flashing brake lights, and turn signals (if you use the P3-TS model). Not only is this setup much more visible than the BMW light, it is also much less expensive.
The P3 LED modules mount directly on the filler panel that comes with the topcase as shown in the photo below. The wires can be run through the existing wiring loom, coming out under the seat.
A description and photos of this system may be found on the K1600 forum here .
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