Frequently Asked Questions

A Kody Bike Rack Light is an investment in your safety and peace of mind. The lights are super bright so you'll be seen in all weather conditions from sunny days to blustery rainy nights. Once you install and use your lights we gaurantee your safety will be dramatically improved and your risk of an accident significantly reduced. Kody lights will keep you seen by the authorities so you meet all law enforcement laws and statues. This protects you from being pulled over and ticketed on your journey. Kody lights are custom designed to cleanly mount to your bike rack. Kody Lights are designed in California. Kody lights are designed and build heavy duty to match your racks purpose and the daily abuse it takes. Kody lights are designed and assembled in Davis, California. Kody lights use high quality electrical parts for a sleek look and water proof and durable performance. Kody lights are assembled using high quality stainless steel fasteners for extensive corrosion resistance. Kody Lights are powder coated for a great clean look and to protect from the harsh environment. Each light is fully tested after assembly to gaurantee they arrive ready for use. Kody lights are plug and play. Quickly install the lights in a few simple steps for a lifetime of protection. Reach out if you have any questions or check out our Kody Bike Rack Lights for more details.

Kody Lights are available in three sizes: Small, Medium and Large.  Each light is very bright, and the larger the light set the greater the total light output.  All light sets provide tail, turn and brake light signals and are available with plate holders, varying cable lengths and 4-pin or 7-blade trailer connections.  The small light uses a single 16-inch-wide fixture and employs a sequencing effect to indicate left and right turn signals.  It is also very compact and great for a clean and simple look.  Two things to consider with the small light: reverse lights are not available, and the brake light overrides the turn signals—so while braking, your turn signal won't be visible on the light. We recommend signaling early, before braking. If either is a concern, choose a medium or large set.The medium light uses two fixtures and measures around 27 inches wide.  There are two light options to choose from: 12" red lenses and 13-inch red lenses with built-in white reverse lights. Both medium options flash the entire lens at once; they do not sequence like the small light.  The large light uses two fixtures and measures around 33 inches wide.  There are three light options: 16" red lenses, 16" red lenses with sequencing (like the small light) and 16" clear lenses with built in reverse lights (the tail, turn and brake lights illuminate red and the reverse lights illuminate white).  Still not sure? The medium set is our most popular choice—it fits most vehicles, avoids sequencing compatibility issues, and offers a reverse-light option. Or call us and we'll help you choose.  There's also a longer write-up with the trade-offs laid out side by side: what size bike rack light do you need.

Custom Kody Rack Lights are designed specifically to mount and cleanly integrate onto specific brands of bike racks. We currently have a portfolio of custom lights for the Thule Pro, Thule Classic, Thule EasyFold, Kuat NV and Sherpa, and 1Up, 1Up Equip-D, RockyMounts MonoRail and GuideRail & AfterParty, QuikR Mach2, Hollywood (Sport Rider, Trail Rider, Destination and RV Rider) and Yakima HoldUp EVO and StageTwo. If you own one of these racks, purchasing a custom Kody Light is your best option. We also have universal lights, both rigid and flexible. The Rigid Universal Rack Light is designed to mount to any rack, bike or other device on the back of your vehicle. It uses either Voile straps for a temporary flex fit for easy install and removal or 2" U-bolts for a sturdy and rigid fit. The Flex Universal Rack Light is smaller and lighter and designed for installation using the Voile Straps. If you need a custom light for your rack please send us a message and let us know. We're working on the next set of custom lights and would love to hear your input.

Kody Technologies offers a variety of light size choices. Our original light is a Single Rigid Animated 16" wide Sequencing Light. It operates by itself and provides tail, brake and both left and right hand turn signals. Next, our medium size light, we have a Double 12" Light which separates the left and right turn signal into two different fixtures. It also provides tail, stop and both left and right hand turn signals. Our biggest light is a Double 16" Light which has three options for left and right hand fixtures; Basic Flashing 16" Light (coming soon), Basic Flashing 16" Light with Built-In Reverse and our original Sequencing 16" Light. Light Sizes Explained with John on YouTube Below is an image showing a few of these options as well as one of our reverse lights.

The light connects to a standard 4-pin trailer connection and can be connected with adapters to 7-pin and other connection types. It works just like a trailer light to display tail lights, brake light, hazards and sequential turn signals. Watch the YouTube video below to see and understand it's operation. The sequential turn signal lights up the LED sequentially from left to right for a right hand turn and right to left for a left hand turn. Since the turn signals use the same bulbs as the brake lights the brake lights override the turn signal. If you turn on your turn signal it will signal a turn but once you hit the brakes then all lights show the brake indication. This is not a normal issue when changing lanes but when making turns we recommend signally well in advance and then braking normally. The LED lights are super bright! For more info on LED trailer light systems see "How To - LED Trailer Lights"One caveat: Ford (2016 onward) and Tesla electronics can stop the sequencing from resetting between flashes. Here's what happens and the two ways around it.

The light is not 100% visible when the rack is in it's stored position. But as you can see from the image below the light is definitely bright enough to be seen and still communicate your vehicles brake, tail and turn signals. This photo also displays the Thule Pro installation which is the only rack where the light does not stick out the end of the rack. The center beam on this rack blocks the middle of the light.

We offer both Rigid or Pivoting light options. Some lights are only available as a rigid, some lights are only available as pivoting and some are available in both rigid and pivoting. A rigid light is primarily used with the bike rack in the down position for when bikes are loaded. The light is bright and has some effectiveness in the stored position. If you remove your bike rack when not using it to carry bike then a rigid light might be the best choice for you. The pivot design allows you to adjust the position of the light so it can be used in both the up or stored position as well as the down or bike loaded position. We have two different pivot designs. One uses a friction hinge and does not require any locking mechanism to hold it in place. The hinge has built in friction and holds the light in position. To adjust the light, just push or pull the light into the desired position. We recommend and ship this friction hinge on applications without license plate holders. The biggest concern with this pivot type is if your rack application positions your light above the height of your vehicle. If the light is experiencing direct high speed wind then the license plate can act as a sail and force the hinge to adjust it's own position. The second design uses a mechanical hinge and thumb screw locks. We recommend and ship this design for all applications with license plate holders. To position the light just loosen the clamps, pivot the light into the desired position and tighten the clamps. The thumb screws lock to lights position and hold it in place. It's a little more work but can handle larger loads. If you have questions regarding these pivots please reach out. Also, if you prefer one design over the other please let us know and we can ship your preference.

Yes, we do offer discounts to Active Duty and Retired Military, Veterans and Bike Industry professionals. Please reach out and we will help you get your discount.

Yes. Every light is sealed against rain, road spray and winter salt, and every light is DOT FMVSS-108 compliant.Our single 16" sequential light carries a full IP67 rating — dust-tight and rated for temporary submersion. The double lights use sealed housings built for heavy road spray. All of them are built for the back of a vehicle in bad weather.

The Universal Rack Light comes with two 15" long Voile Nylon Buckle Straps. These are, in our opinion, the best straps on the market. They are strong, well tested in the market, and can hold through some of the worst conditions. We will be selling extra straps including longer and shorter versions if you're in need. Check out our stock and order them with your Rack Light so they ship for free!

Yes, the Universal Rack Light is designed for installation in a variety of creative ways. The light provides left and right-hand turn signal so the orientation to provide these signals correctly. We recommend installing the light centered on the rack or behind your vehicle or load.

Yes, the Universal Rack Light comes with 15" Voile straps but any other hook and loop strap or similar attachment method will work. The light also comes with and is designed to mount using 2" u-bolts in a few different orientations. For the Flex Universal Light it comes with 15" Voile straps but also has holes size to fit 1/4" hardware and can be rigidly mount to any surface (1/4" hardware not included).

Yes, you can find and purchase Kody lights at Ken's Bike Ski Board in Davis, CA. We are also fulfilling online orders while working on partnerships with other retail establishments. Please feel free to tell your favorite retail store about Kody Technologies Rack Lights.

The Voile Straps are constructed of a polyurethane that is exceptionally durable. They're semi-elastic, so you can tighten your load by twisting them. These straps are weather-proof thanks to a UV-resistant component. Voile Straps flourish in harsh conditions, whether hot or cold, wet or dry. These straps offer a natural anti-slip attachment method to keep the light from shifting during transit.

Yes, we can ship internationally. We will need to coordinate the shipping with you, so please email us directly for international orders.

Yes! Check our Universal Rack Lights. Our Flex Universal and Rigid Universal lights can mount to almost any rack using Voile straps or U-bolts — no rack-specific bracket required. We've confirmed fitment on many racks that aren't listed on our main product pages, including the Kuat Piston Pro, Kuat Transfer v2, and others. Not sure if your rack will work? Contact us before you order — we can advise based on your specific rack model.

This is completely normal. Here's how the light modes work: Tail lights on = outer LEDs at partial brightness Brake applied = all LEDs at full brightness Turn signal = sequential sweep left or right Car off / no signal = no illumination The fully lit bar you see in our product photos is captured during a brake press, where all LEDs activate at full brightness. This is the intended behavior and not a defect. If your light is behaving unexpectedly or not responding to brake/turn signals at all, contact us and we'll help troubleshoot.

Kody lights are built to order. Here's the typical timeline: PROCESSING: 2–4 business days after your order is placed. SHIPPING (after processing): UPS/USPS Ground: 3–7 business days UPS 3-Day Select: 3 business days Priority Mail: 2–3 business days A tracking number is sent to your email as soon as your order ships. If you have a specific deadline, contact us before ordering and we'll confirm whether we can meet it.

Quick assembly overview: Attach the arm to the light bracket using the provided hardware Set your preferred pivot angle (down for bike-loaded position, up for stored position) Tighten the friction hinge or thumb screw to hold the position The plate holder rotates so your plate is always visible — in the down position when your rack is loaded with bikes, and in the up/stored position when the rack is empty. PLATE HOLDER FLIPPING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS If your plate holder flips down at speed: (1) Tighten the pivot adjustment screw firmly, (2) Angle the plate holder slightly upward to reduce aerodynamic lift, (3) Ensure the thumb screw lock is fully engaged. Contact us if the issue persists — we're happy to help.