Universal Smart Triple Play: Run, Brake, and Turn From Your OEM Tail Light

If you want your two rear turn signals to also glow as running lights and flash brighter when you brake, the Universal Smart Triple Play is the module that does it. It is a small control unit that wires into your existing lights and gives each rear lamp three jobs: running light, brake light, and turn signal. You keep your OEM tail light and turn signals or upgrade.

It works with LED or incandescent bulbs, and it works whether your bike has a center tail light or just the two rear turn signals.

What does the Universal Smart Triple Play actually do?

It takes your two rear turn signals and lets them serve three jobs at once. They glow steadily as running lights, get brighter when you pull the brake, and still flash as turn signals. On a bike that has a center tail light, the module supports that light too, so your whole rear cluster works together. On a bike with only two rear lamps and no center light, you still get full run, brake, and turn behavior out of those two lamps.

Two settings let you dial it in for your bike. You can adjust the running-light brightness so the outer turn signals match the center tail light, and the turn signal flashes at full contrast (off to full bright) so each blink reads clearly from behind. On bikes that already have an ignition-off hazard function, the module preserves it.

How is this different from a Blaster-X tail light?

A Blaster-X is a model-specific integrated tail light. It is a complete replacement housing built for one bike, with its own bright LEDs and clear lens. The Universal Smart Triple Play is the opposite approach. It is a universal controller-only module. It does not replace anything. It keeps your existing OEM tail light and turn signals and adds the run, brake, and turn behavior on top of them.

The way Custom LED positions the two products makes the choice straightforward. The brake modulation in the Smart Triple Play comes from the Brake Alert feature in the Blaster-X line. If your bike has a Blaster-X option and you want a full upgraded tail light, get the Blaster-X. If your bike does not have a Blaster-X option, or you want to keep your stock lighting and add run, brake, and turn behavior with a brighter brake flash, the Universal Smart Triple Play is the right fit.

Universal Smart Triple Play is the controller-only module. It works with LED or incandescent lights, supports bikes with or without a center tail light, and has the 10-pattern brake modulator built in. The housing is slim and water-resistant at 4.2 x 1.4 x 0.6 in. Designed by Custom LED, built by Custom Dynamics.

Blaster-X Integrated LED Tail Light (shown: 2008-2016 Yamaha YZF-R6) is a plug-and-play replacement housing for a specific model, with Brake Alert, Turn Alert, Strobe Mode, and Sure-Blink built into the light itself. Pick this when your bike has a Blaster-X option and you want a full tail light upgrade.

The 10 brake patterns built into the module

The Universal Smart Triple Play has a built-in brake modulator with 10 patterns. When you brake, it can flash the center tail light, the turn signals, or both, depending on how you set it up. Some patterns work with both incandescent and LED lights, and some are LED only. These are the patterns as listed on the product page:

• Pattern 0: Four Flashes then Solid (Incandescent or LED)
• Pattern 1: Four Flashes, Solid for 3 Seconds, Repeat (Incandescent or LED)
• Pattern 2: Seven Flashes then Solid (Incandescent or LED)
• Pattern 3: Seven Flashes, Solid for 3 Seconds, Repeat (Incandescent or LED)
• Pattern 4: Quad Strobe, then Solid for 1 Second, then Quad Strobe (LED Only)
• Pattern 5: Quad Strobe, Solid for 1 Second, then Quad Strobe, Solid for 3 Seconds, Repeat (LED Only)
• Pattern 6: Custom LED Blaster-X Cycle for 3 Seconds, then Solid (LED Only)
• Pattern 7: Custom LED Blaster-X Cycle, Repeat (LED Only)
• Pattern 8: Max Strobe 4 Seconds, Solid (LED Only)
• Pattern 9: Constant Max Strobe (LED Only)

What about wiring and CAN-bus?

The module is marked *CANbus and Cruise Control Compatible. The asterisk matters. Some motorcycles need additional accessories for full compatibility, so it is not a blanket guarantee on every bike. On bikes where modifying the OEM tail light affects the CAN-bus system or cruise control, the CANbus Load Equalizer adds CAN-bus compatibility and restores cruise control function.

There is one wiring behavior worth understanding before you install. When you connect your rear turn signals to this module, the input draws very little current. That reduced load on the blinker circuit causes a fast blink on many bikes. This is the same low-current effect that causes fast-blink when riders switch to LED turn signals, and we explain that mechanism in detail in our FAQ.

The fix is simple. Replacing the stock flasher with an Electronic LED Flasher Relay is generally the best way to keep the stock blink rate. The relay maintains the normal DOT blink rate of 60 to 120 flashes per minute. Some motorcycles have a flasher that is not compatible with a replacement relay, and on those bikes the 25 Watt Load Equalizer is used instead. You only need one flasher relay per motorcycle. For the full relay-versus-equalizer decision, read our FAQ rather than guessing.

Do I also need a Magic Strobes brake flasher?

No, not on the same tail light. The brake modulator is already built into the Universal Smart Triple Play, so adding a separate brake flasher to the same circuit would be redundant. The two products are for different riders.

Choose the Magic Strobes Brake Light Flasher when all you want is brake modulation and you are not converting your turn signals to run, brake, and turn. It is the standalone brake modulator and works with LED or incandescent lights. Choose the Universal Smart Triple Play when you want the full run, brake, and turn conversion. The brake modulator is already built in.

Magic Strobes Brake Light Flasher is the standalone, universal brake modulator for riders who want brake modulation only, with no run or turn conversion. It works with LED or incandescent lights and is marked *CANbus and Cruise Control Compatible.

How to install it

The module uses simple connectors and runs off multiple power inputs, with built-in protection against short circuits, reverse wiring, and overload. You connect your rear turn signals to the module, connect the center tail light if your bike has one, and power the unit. Then you set the running-light brightness so the outer lights match the rest of your cluster, and pick the brake pattern you want from the list above.

Keep in mind the flasher behavior covered earlier. Connecting the turn signals to the module lowers the load on the blinker circuit, so most riders pair the install with an Electronic LED Flasher Relay to maintain a normal blink rate. On bikes where the relay is not compatible, a 25 Watt Load Equalizer is used instead. Install difficulty varies by bike, since this is a universal module and some bikes need a bit of splicing while others are simpler.

What if there is a plug-and-play version for my bike?

For some bikes, Custom LED builds a model-specific kit that pairs the Smart Triple Play module with a wiring harness made for that exact motorcycle. The clearest example is the Ducati XDiavel Smart Turn Signal Integrator Kit for the 2016-2023 XDiavel and XDiavel S. It converts the factory rear run and brake lights so they also work as turn signals, it is plug-and-play with full CAN-bus compatibility, and the install is fully reversible with no cutting or splicing. There is also a model-specific kit for the Ducati Diavel 1260 and 1260 S, along with kits for other bikes such as the Triumph Bonneville Bobber. These model-specific kits are plug-and-play solutions built around the same Smart Triple Play module, which is designed by Custom LED and built by Custom Dynamics.

Still not sure whether the universal module, a model-specific kit, or a standalone brake flasher is right for your setup? Contact Custom LED and tell us your bike, your lighting, and what you want it to do.