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Interior Saddlebag Lighting

Mellow

Member
I wanted some LED lights inside the saddlebags and I did not want to drill a hole for power.

I figured since a 9v battery will activate most LED lights it might be a good option as it has enough surface area to attach inside the saddlebags w/3m Dual Lock tape and easy enough to change out. I didn't even know there were rechargeable 9v batteries with a micro-usb port making recharging very easy.

To activate the lights I decided on a magnetic NO (Normally Open) switch meaning when the two pieces are together the circuit is open and the light will not activate.

20240229_041738.jpg

The magnetic switch can be about as close as pictured above but obviously you would like to get them as close as possible.

You need to find a place where, once close, they are almost touching and avoid them touching but keeping the saddlebag lid from creating a watertight seal. I used a battery ring doorbell camera and a flashlight in the saddlebag to line them up the way I wanted but you could also use a camera and time lapse shot. I just used some tape to move the switch around then once I found the correct location I marked the outer edges with some blue painters tape and then mixed up the epoxy, applied and put the switches in place and used some gorilla tape to hold them in place firmly. It's a 15 mins set but I left overnight.

The ribbon LED has some tape on the back, small square, and I used gorilla tape to cover the wires to the inside of the saddlebag and placed the 9v battery someplace where it was easy to get to and used 3m dual lock tape to keep that in place.

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End result - open the saddlebag and the light goes on, close it and it goes off. A 9v battery will power that single LED for a very long time, it may be years til I have to recharge it.

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Adding Green option for comparison, green provides some more detail but not as good for night vision however, also a good choice.

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Items:

1 - two 9v rechargeable batteries
Amazon.com: HW 9V Li-ion Rechargeable Battery, 9 Volt/1000mAh(9000mWh) Long Lasting Rechargeable Batteries with Micro-USB, 1000 Cycles Charge, 1.5 Hrs Fast Charging, LED Indicator, 2 Packs : Health & Household

2 - 9v connectors
Amazon.com: VWEICYY 9V Battery Connector,10 PCS T-Type 9 Volt Buckle Connector Hard Plastic Shell Used in Student Experiment,or Other Equipment with Battery(T-Type, 10PCS) : Electronics

3 - Magnetic switches
Amazon.com: Gebildet 3 Sets NO/NC Black Magnetic Switch Wiring Recessed Door Sensor Hidden Window Contact Reed Switch for Access Control Replace Alarm System : Industrial & Scientific

4 - Ribbon LED
Amazon.com: Prewired Surface Mount LEDs (5050, Red LED) - 3 Pack : Musical Instruments

5 - 2 part epoxy
https://www.amazon.com/J-B-Weld-50133-Tan-1-Pack/dp/B009EU5ZNO/ref=sr_1_8?crid=1NSA8E62355VO&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.I5MrtKqYa_m8uSDckyqBBkQ4oWX1VOjvk_u7qcEmQr9qH8JlcfucSlumRj-YdYLvU82XBGOisKUDMJsv3jWQHZr-uR1lo3m5mog3YHhwWtTVE7ZM7OPPyxmCm2xF8OhJmVw4LnQLV8VwyWc0yo-2HjvnBHsyDDAijFSgkiQNFyQ8wBJcgr96MEV8CNwdUyWtGGj-6ybdWSrYS491BQP4KsBfv81c3PKfOl-Hj3GnmyM.AihqAejJbCi-utfjzcZ8MWNnLa5z_p6scJK9oQz8Mq8&dib_tag=se&keywords=jb+weld+plastic+epoxy&qid=1709204809&sprefix=jb+weld+plastic+expxy,aps,103&sr=8-8

6 - 3m dual lock tape
3M Dual Lock SJ3560 1"×4ft Clear 1 Pack Reclosable Fastener Mounting Tape Interlocking Mushroom Shaped Strong Adhesive Hook Lock Sticky Tape for Indoor and Outdoor(DC2512): Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific
 

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Last edited:
I like the idea! Might have to look into a similar setup but using lower voltage LEDs and a button/wafer-style 1.5v battery with holder.
 
I just did a similar thing with the GSA bags.

Uses a 5050 surface mount led, rechargeable 9v battery and a magnetic switch.


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Dollar Tree has these for $5. https://www.dollartree.com/bright-basics-closet-drawer-automatic-led-light-2-ct/375114

Has a little magnetic switch arrangement already built in, too. There’s a DG near me so I think I’m gonna see how they work. Worst case, I put them in our pantry or the cupboard under the sink where I can’t see anything. :ha

I really like the idea of illuminated bags.
Size will probably be an issus... The solution I have does give more flexibility to where you can point the led light and you can get a diff color led... white is way too bright at night and will attract bugs.. green is pretty good and bright but can also attract bugs but not as bad as white... red is great because it won't attract bugs and good for your night vision.

But.. that being said, this is just what I've used in the past and has worked great, doesn't mean there aren't other options and being a BMW rider... I'm good with being cheap since I blew my wallet on the bike... lol
 
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