Motorcycle LED Strip Lights: Placement, Wiring, and the XKmax Kit

A flex strip turns a frame rail or the dark space under a tank into one long line of moving color. Run the effect from the tail to the front wheel and the bike looks like it is moving while parked. Scatter the lights at random and the pattern stutters across the frame.

That is why placement and wiring decide how LED strip lights on motorcycle builds turn out. Everything below comes from one kit in XKGLOW's motorcycle LED lights lineup and the instruction sheet that ships with it. The kit is the XKmax LED Motorcycle Underglow Light Kit (MX-MOTO).

Strips vs Pods on a Motorcycle

The MX-MOTO kit mixes two shapes of light. The flex strips come in 10in and 16in lengths, with a low-profile design made for long mounting surfaces on a bike. The Moto Pods use integrated connectors, which suits them to tight, confined spaces.

The bigger difference shows up once the colors start moving. Counted in addressable units, a 10in strip holds four, a 16in strip holds seven, and a pod holds one. A 16in strip gives a chasing pattern seven segments to travel through. A pod lights as a single block.

Put strips on the long, flat runs and let pods fill the corners a strip can't follow. Every tier ships with both.

The XKmax Kit, Tier by Tier

The four MX-MOTO tiers build up from Engine to Engine + Under Glow + Wheel. Two 10in flex strips, one 2-channel controller, and one RF key fob stay constant across the four tiers; what changes is the count of 16in strips and pods.

List prices at the time of writing.

Each step up adds two 16in strips and two pods, so the top tier carries eight strips in total. If your bike has long open runs along the frame, the strip count is the number to compare.

The LEDs are addressable RGBW, pairing 16 million RGB shades with a separate pure white LED. XKGLOW rates them up to 60% brighter than its previous generation, and the kit is IP67 waterproof.

Control comes from the XKmax app or the 4-button key fob, which you can program for quick access. The app holds 28+ pre-built chasing themes with adjustable colors, patterns, speed, and brightness, plus a DIY builder. It can also sync the lights to music or to acceleration. One controller pairs with up to four key fobs, and extra fobs are sold as add-ons on the product page.

The kit is listed as compatible with all types of bikes and sold as a universal fit, so you plan the layout around your own frame.

Where the Strips Go

XKGLOW's instruction sheet calls planning the most important part of getting the best light effect. The same placement rules apply to all four tiers:

1. Left on A, right on B. Channel A runs the left side of the motorcycle and Channel B runs the right.
2. Start from the recommended layouts. Suggested mounting locations are drawn for a cruiser and for a sport bike. The controller comes pre-configured for those diagrams, so stay close to them, strip orientation included.
3. Chain from the rear forward. The lights connect daisy-chain style, each one plugged into the light before it. Start at the rear of the bike and extend forward, so the colors flow from back to front.
4. Split runs with a Y-splitter. A Y-splitter sends the chain down two or more strands, and each strand mirrors the same effect. It keeps the pattern moving smoothly when lights sit under the gas tank and under the frame rails. Y-splitters are not included in the Engine kit.
5. Dry-fit everything first. Remove any bodywork that will sit over a light. Tape each strip and pod loosely in place with Scotch or painter's tape (not included), plug them in, and run the chasing patterns. Adjust until the transitions look smooth.

Once the layout is right, wipe each mounting surface with isopropyl alcohol. Peel back the 3M tape and press the strips and pods firmly into place. Connectors should snap together without force; if one won't, check that its pins line up.

The diagrams are a recommendation, and the lights can go wherever you like. If some strips or pods stay dark after a custom layout, redraw the light map in the XKmax app, adding each light to its channel.

How the Wiring Works

Power comes straight from the battery through the kit's own harness. The red terminal goes to the positive pole of the 12V DC battery and the black terminal to the negative. An ON/OFF switch sits on that harness, and it belongs somewhere dry and easy to reach.

Bench-test before anything gets taped down. Connect each strip and pod to the controller and switch harness, hook up the battery, turn the switch on, then tap the touch button. Every light should come on.

Three programmable sensor wires come off the controller: brake, left turn, and right turn. Tapping them is your call, and the T-tap connectors come in the box. The brake and turn actions come pre-set in the controller, so once tapped, the strips sync with your brake light and turn signals for night rides. In the app's Config menu, you can reassign a sensor wire to another trigger, such as a courtesy light.

The sensor wires read the signals your bike already has. Upgrading the signals themselves is a separate part. For a Harley, that is the job of XKGLOW's MotoTurnz Pro inserts.

To finish, tidy every loose wire with the provided screws or zip ties. Keep runs clear of anything hot or moving, and cover any open connector with the provided end caps. Extra XKmax wires in 6in, 12in, 18in, and 3ft lengths are available as add-ons.

The product page lists the install at 2 to 3 hours. Read the instruction sheet's warranty section before you start: it wants a licensed professional on the job, and an improper install can cost you the coverage. Its disclaimer terms also tell you to check local and state laws for the proper use of the lights. For a shop install, use the Get Install Help link on the product page; it leads to XKGLOW's dealer locator.

Adding Strips Later

Under "Make it even brighter," the product page sells extra Moto Pods and extra 10in or 16in flex strips, each in packs of 2 or 4.

For a single strip, XKGLOW offers the XKmax Slim Flexible RGBW LED Light Strip, an XKmax add-on sold as one strip. Like the motorcycle kit, it pairs 16 million RGB colors with a dedicated pure white LED. It has a dual-tone silicone rubber housing and IP67-rated waterproof connectors, and XKGLOW lists it for interior or exterior use. The page says it works only with XKmax Series products, so check your original kit before you buy, and pick the length in the page's Length selector.

If you would rather run one solid color such as red, our guide to red LED strip lights for motorcycles compares single-color kits with RGB and RGBW ones.

Match the tier to your strip runs, then plan the chain from the rear. Build yours today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best LED strip lights for motorcycles?

For chasing color you control from your phone, go with the XKmax LED Motorcycle Underglow Light Kit. It pairs addressable RGBW flex strips with compact pods and runs from the XKmax app or an included key fob. Sensor wires sync it with your brake and turn signals. Tiers carry two to eight strips.

Will LED lights drain my motorcycle battery?

They can if you leave them on with the engine off, since any light wired to the battery uses its charge while lit. The MX-MOTO kit wires straight to the battery's positive and negative poles through an ON/OFF switch on its harness. Switch it off when you park and the lights stop drawing power.

Can I connect a LED strip directly to a 12V battery?

With the XKmax kit, no: the strips plug into the controller, and only the controller's harness connects to the battery. Its red terminal goes to the positive pole of the 12V DC battery and the black terminal to the negative, with the ON/OFF switch in line. Test every light before mounting.