My installation thoughts on the new TSTindustries M1000R tail tidy.
Let me open with that i have no affiliation to or employment from these guys. I'm writing this as a mechanic who just installed it on my own bike. It may help others decide if they want to install it based off of my expierence.
So here we go, and let's start off with ease of installation. As a lifetime mechanic, I'm going to start off by letting it be known that I do this sort of stuff every day. So installation time for me may differ from the time it takes others to install. Overall, the entire installation of the new integrated brake lights and low-mount license plate bracket took about an hour. That time includes removing the formerly installed tail kit from NRC.
There were no real hang-ups on installation, and it's a pretty straightforward design once the tail covers are removed. Me being the average guy, I decided to go at this without looking at any instructions, although I did in fact need to consult their website for one small detail. More on that in a minute.
My biggest concern was the interface between these new taillights and my existing aftermarket eBay (China) carbon fiber tail pieces. Carbon parts typically don't follow the exact lines as OEM parts do, and that will come to haunt you on certain things. These didn't give me any trouble at all. They snapped on with ease and are seamless, just as if they were in the plastic OEM panels.
What I'm really impressed with is how they engineered the mount to hold them in place. Kudos to that designer or team of designers, whoever you are!
Now, my complaints about installation. The mounting bolts that hold them in the bike are super tight-fitting. I was about to go get a drill and open up the mounting holes in the subframe. It takes a little effort to snap them into position, but once they're in, they're super tight and lock in almost permanently. I say this because as I test-fitted one, I had to remove it to continue the job. Taking it out was kind of difficult and needed some persuading from a small screwdriver. So please don't snap them in until you're at that part.
One other complaint is the wiring colors for the adapters. While I totally understand why they use the colors that they do, your average person won't. This is the only point where I needed to consult their online installation video.
Now, after everything is all buttoned up, it's time to test functions. First light... wow! If you're behind me in a car and you can't see me, then you aren't looking out of your front windshield. These taillights and brake lights are significantly brighter than the NRC kit that I was previously using.
The low-mount plate bracket was extremely simple; it sandwiches in between the subframe and passenger footpeg brackets. They even include hardware to install it without the passenger pegs attached if you choose to go that route.