Combat – indicators or not? (2016)

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Erol EKH

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Does anyone know what year did indicators come as standard fitment, I have a 1972 Combat and in the process of restoring it but have hit a stumbling block, it did not come with indicators but a friend has a combat with indicators?????? HELP
 
Erol EKH said:
Does anyone know what year did indicators come as standard fitment, I have a 1972 Combat and in the process of restoring it but have hit a stumbling block, it did not come with indicators but a friend has a combat with indicators?????? HELP
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My 1972 Combat Roadster that I bought new off of the showroom floor came without turn signals. The 72 Interstate that I was also considering had them installed by the factory. I can't remember any 72 Combat Roadsters with turn signals.
I recently had a '73 Combat Roadster that also didn't have the signals installed and the wires that would have gone to them appeared unused.
 
Erol EKH said:
Does anyone know what year did indicators come as standard fitment, I have a 1972 Combat and in the process of restoring it but have hit a stumbling block, it did not come with indicators but a friend has a combat with indicators?????? HELP
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Since these were optional in '72, this is stated in the sales brochure of that year, put them on if you like. The wiring harness is made for them. The two combat roadsters I have owned were both built late '71 and did not have them from the factory. 201xxx both of them.
 
Erol EKH said:
Thanks, may just put them on for safety! Cheers all
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Hi, welcome. If you fill out your profile, we know where on the planet you are. It matters. In the USA, Federal MV law required turns signal on model year 1973 forward. (UNENFORCED for a while, so some may cite " When I bought my.....")
 
Cannot see how in these days on our roads that you have a choice. Not unless the bike is going to be a static display in the lounge and never ridden. Ever poodled up the M1-M6 at night in the rain on your way to catch the boat to the Isle of Man? How the hell is the driver in that car about to overtake you and the lorry you are following going tro notice the bit of reflective tape on your glove as you hold out y6ur arm to indicate you are going to overtake the lorry? Yee gods I fitted my ES2 with 12 volt electrics and indicators around 45years ago simply on safety grounds along with a Wipac Quadoptric headlamp with its 50/60 watt main bulb and bodged twin bulbs into the rear light to allow for bulb vibration failure at night ...tis difficult to see them with a big suitcase on the rear.... these days all bulbs would be those much brighter LEDS especially the winkers which would now be those rubber stemed jobs rather than those Lucus lumps that often end up pointing downwards due to the vibes half way through a long trip....
But at the end of the day its your life........
 
J. M. Leadbeater said:
Cannot see how in these days on our roads that you have a choice. Not unless the bike is going to be a static display in the lounge and never ridden. Ever poodled up the M1-M6 at night in the rain on your way to catch the boat to the Isle of Man? How the hell is the driver in that car about to overtake you and the lorry you are following going tro notice the bit of reflective tape on your glove as you hold out y6ur arm to indicate you are going to overtake the lorry? Yee gods I fitted my ES2 with 12 volt electrics and indicators around 45years ago simply on safety grounds along with a Wipac Quadoptric headlamp with its 50/60 watt main bulb and bodged twin bulbs into the rear light to allow for bulb vibration failure at night ...tis difficult to see them with a big suitcase on the rear.... these days all bulbs would be those much brighter LEDS especially the winkers which would now be those rubber stemed jobs rather than those Lucus lumps that often end up pointing downwards due to the vibes half way through a long trip....
But at the end of the day its your life........
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AMEN Brother!
 
I am trying to figure out where to install a indicator flasher on my 72 Combat Commando. I can trace the wires but not sure where the unit itself was mounted. Thanks JP
 
Flasher relay would be mounted behind the rear web plate with the rectifier. Wires probably tied up in the battery compartment - white and lt green/brown.
 
illf8ed said:
Since these were optional in '72, this is stated in the sales brochure of that year, put them on if you like. The wiring harness is made for them. The two combat roadsters I have owned were both built late '71 and did not have them from the factory. 201xxx both of them.
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My Combat Roadster was built June/July '72, and delivered to me at Andover on the "Export Scheme" as a US Spec the last week of July, 1972. (Serial 209***). It came with trafficators standard.
 
i put 'blinkers' on my T120 Triumph and the Commando the reason being a lot of folks these days don't know what a hand signal is (unless it's the one with the middle finger) maybe it's a false sense of security to have them but every little bit to have drivers see you helps IMHO
 
In the US turn signals were not standard or required until 1973. I added them to my ‘72 roadster during the rebuild in 1998. I agree it feels unsafe without them.
 
Fullauto said:
Indicators were a legal requirement in Australia from 1969.
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But, they weren't fitted to British bikes until 1971?

Edit: Direction indicators not required in the UK before August 1986.
Apparently DIs are still not required if the bike has no (or masked over) lighting equipment.
 
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My early 1972 Combat had them when new. Bought in UK at Comerfords for export to USA. They were considered optional but I don't remember being given a choice when buying. I soon found out the hard way that if the bike falls over the turn signal will also take out the headlight ears and shell. So they went into a box a long time ago. I still use hand signals but doubt most people even know what they mean anymore.
 
batrider said:
My early 1972 Combat had them when new. Bought in UK at Comerfords for export to USA. They were considered optional but I don't remember being given a choice when buying. I soon found out the hard way that if the bike falls over the turn signal will also take out the headlight ears and shell. So they went into a box a long time ago. I still use hand signals but doubt most people even know what they mean anymore.
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Yes as I recall of new Commandos on the dealer’s floor, they did not really offer any options. You bought the machine in front of you. If it happened to be supplied with turn signals, combat engine, disc brake then you had them.
 
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