turn signal flasher questions

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LAB,
Another bit of trivia about the T160. I have the original spark plug wires with "Lucas" impinted on the coil end where nobody can see it and "Champion" on the plug end. Strange but true, the bike still runs with the original wires (with the corrosion cleaned off).
turn signal flasher questions

With my Commando I have the choice of riding with headlight and no flashing turn signals or headlight off and flashing turn signals. I choose to ride with headlight and use hand signals wearing hi-vis gloves. I should replace the flasher, put the original in the box labeled "original parts".
 
christulin said:
LAB,
Another bit of trivia about the T160. I have the original spark plug wires with "Lucas" impinted on the coil end where nobody can see it and "Champion" on the plug end. Strange but true, the bike still runs with the original wires (with the corrosion cleaned off).
turn signal flasher questions

With my Commando I have the choice of riding with headlight and no flashing turn signals or headlight off and flashing turn signals. I choose to ride with headlight and use hand signals wearing hi-vis gloves. I should replace the flasher, put the original in the box labeled "original parts".
Click to expand...


What battery are you running? FLA? AGM?
 
motoracer8 said:
Get a electronic flasher unit from any auto parts store, they will flash down to about 7 or 8 volts.

The reason the lights come on but don't flash is low voltage, the electronic flashers are not as sensitive to low voltage.
Click to expand...

In addition to the electronic flasher I fitted mine with LED bulbs which use a tiny amount of juice compared to a normal bulb and shouldn't give you any problems for quite a while. A wee change round with the wires on the bulb holder is required though as the LED's are Neg earth.Have a look on e-bay for 382 1156 BA15s PY21 Amber/Yellow/orange 24 LED indicator bulbs
 
Yeah, I've thought about the LED conversion, but I have higher priorities.
One other variant on Lucas turn signals, though. The first ones (at least on my '72 Triumph) had no flats on the stems. The stems screwed into the plastic housing with a nut to hold the housing in place. These either spun around in all directions or the housing broke from tighten the nut (?s).
 
willy mac said:
motoracer8 said:
Get a electronic flasher unit from any auto parts store, they will flash down to about 7 or 8 volts.

The reason the lights come on but don't flash is low voltage, the electronic flashers are not as sensitive to low voltage.
Click to expand...

In addition to the electronic flasher I fitted mine with LED bulbs which use a tiny amount of juice compared to a normal bulb and shouldn't give you any problems for quite a while. A wee change round with the wires on the bulb holder is required though as the LED's are Neg earth.Have a look on e-bay for 382 1156 BA15s PY21 Amber/Yellow/orange 24 LED indicator bulbs
Click to expand...

Hello Willy mac, Are you using the o/e Lucas Indicators? I'd like to convert my Indicators to LED but because of the incredibly daft way they earth (through the chrome rather than a proper separate return wire), I haven't worked out how to do this. I s'pose if you had two wires you could just swap the wires as you say- so I am assuming you have different/better indicators fitted?
 
Run a second wire inside the stalk and connect one end with an eyelet to the bulb holder (a little silicone lube helps slide it through). It is easy enough to remove the screws holding the bulb holder and pull it out of the way. I think I have done this on all my turn signals. This gives a better ground if you use a bulb and I would assume you can reverse the wires for the LED.
 
Forgive my ignorance, but are those gigantic plates really necessary in the UK? Could you mount them sideways?
Here in the US, even with little plates, we get away with mounting them sideways, off to the side, curled over on the fender, even on hinged fold-away mounts. But we gotta have registration month and year stickers.
 
christulin said:
New Interstate. Probably not the best.
Click to expand...

Cycle-Tron? Cycle-Tron II? Cycle-Tron Plus? It matters... the AGM batteries (the latter two) have higher voltage, helps with the flasher operation at low RPM, no alternator output.
 
crusadersports said:
willy mac said:
motoracer8 said:
Get a electronic flasher unit from any auto parts store, they will flash down to about 7 or 8 volts.

The reason the lights come on but don't flash is low voltage, the electronic flashers are not as sensitive to low voltage.
Click to expand...

In addition to the electronic flasher I fitted mine with LED bulbs which use a tiny amount of juice compared to a normal bulb and shouldn't give you any problems for quite a while. A wee change round with the wires on the bulb holder is required though as the LED's are Neg earth.Have a look on e-bay for 382 1156 BA15s PY21 Amber/Yellow/orange 24 LED indicator bulbs
Click to expand...

Hello Willy mac, Are you using the o/e Lucas Indicators? I'd like to convert my Indicators to LED but because of the incredibly daft way they earth (through the chrome rather than a proper separate return wire), I haven't worked out how to do this. I s'pose if you had two wires you could just swap the wires as you say- so I am assuming you have different/better indicators fitted?
Click to expand...

Hi there

I've got a JPN replica so the flashers are mounted on the fibreglass fairing and seat and I needed to run a separate wire for the earth anyway, but you can just de solder the connection on the bulb holder and reverse it, job done but you'll need to get a flasher specific for for LED's. My indicators are copies of the lucas ones bought off of e-bay, I'm not a purist !
 
christulin said:
Forgive my ignorance, but are those gigantic plates really necessary in the UK? Could you mount them sideways?
Here in the US, even with little plates, we get away with mounting them sideways, off to the side, curled over on the fender, even on hinged fold-away mounts. But we gotta have registration month and year stickers.
Click to expand...

The UK has strict legislation regarding the size of the numbers, so to be 'legal' there are no options.
However, 90% of the pocket rocket brigade run illegal number plates with undersize letters. Only available for 'show bike use', to quote the suppliers :wink:
My old Brits all have legal number plates, but the Ducati has a slightly undersize one to fit the CEV mounting bracket.
 
B+Bogus said:
christulin said:
Forgive my ignorance, but are those gigantic plates really necessary in the UK? Could you mount them sideways?
Here in the US, even with little plates, we get away with mounting them sideways, off to the side, curled over on the fender, even on hinged fold-away mounts. But we gotta have registration month and year stickers.
Click to expand...

The UK has strict legislation regarding the size of the numbers, so to be 'legal' there are no options.
However, 90% of the pocket rocket brigade run illegal number plates with undersize letters. Only available for 'show bike use', to quote the suppliers :wink:
My old Brits all have legal number plates, but the Ducati has a slightly undersize one to fit the CEV mounting bracket.
Click to expand...

As BB said, there are strict regulations, often ignored, but in doing so you invite attention from the constabulary. In some parts of the UK, policing of motorcyclists can be quite "keen", and having a small plate just gives them one more excuse to pull you over. Excessive examples of road policing in North Wales had checkpoints being set up and riders gear(mostly dark visors) and machines being examined for example undersize plates, loud exhausts etc.

I've no personal experience of that, usually the Police have more pressing issues to pursue.

The legal plates imo look fine on the old brit bikes, but stupid on a Panigale!
 
I would still be tempted to trim the edges of the plates down to just where the lettering is. Our plates are issued by the state; do you purchase plates privately (is that the vendor's name on the plate)?
Yeah, here in the US, we went through a period of time where the police assumed that everybody on a motorcycle was a criminal and they would routinely pull us over for "safety inspections". Cops must have been watching too many bad biker movies. It still happens occaisionally at rallys. I try to stay pretty much legal; I just don't need the hassle.
 
christulin said:
I would still be tempted to trim the edges of the plates down to just where the lettering is.
Click to expand...

There must be at least 11mm margin between the characters and the edge of the plate.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg ... 067666.pdf

For vehicles with new or replacement number plates fitted from 1 September 2001, “3-line” number plates are no longer permitted (except where the vehicle was first registered before 1 January 1973). In addition, the characters on number plates purchased from 1 September 2001, will need to meet the following specifications.

Character height 79mm
Character width (except the figure 1 or letter I) 50mm
Character stroke 14mm
Space between characters 11mm
Space between groups 33mm
Top, bottom and side margins (minimum) 11mm
Vertical space between groups 19mm

Motorcycles and tricycles
There are separate provisions for motorcycles and tricycles. This means, motorcycles registered from
1 September 2001 must only display a number plate
at the rear of the vehicle.
Motorcycles registered before 1 September 2001 can display a number plate at the front, but do not have to. The number plate must be a “2-line” number plate and must be displayed on all motorcycles registered on or after 1 January 1973. Tricycles derived from four-wheeled bodies, such as saloon cars and quad bikes must meet the normal requirements above.
9
Tricycles derived from motorcycles must meet the requirements for motorcycles shown below.
Character height 64mm
Character width (except the figure 1 or letter I) 44mm
Character stroke 10 mm
Space between characters 10mm
Space between groups 30mm
Top, bottom and side margins (minimum) 11mm
Vertical space between groups 13mm
Number plates fitted before 1 September 2001
Number plates fitted before 1 September 2001 must display characters that meet the dimensions shown
in one of the two groups below.

Group 1 Group 2
(number plates (traditional
fitted before number plates
1 September 2001) for vehicles made
before 1 January 1973)
Character height 89mm 79mm
Character width (except
the figure 1 or letter I) 64mm 57mm
Character stroke 16mm 14mm
Space between characters 13mm 11mm
Space between groups 38mm 33mm
Side margins (minimum) 13mm 11mm
Top and bottom
margins (minimum) 13mm 11mm
Vertical space between
groups 19mm 19mm
Traditional number plates for vehicles
made before 1 January 1973

Vehicles made before 1 January 1973 may display traditional style “black and white” number plates, for example, white, silver or grey characters on a black plate.
Click to expand...
 
Got it. Somebody got paid to think up these regs, which will probably never get changed. It would be my luck to get pulled over by a policeman with a tape measure if I were in the UK.
Cheers
 
Of course. It is starting to catch on in the US, with automobile plates even smaller than the UK motorbike plates. It works even though I covered my automobile plate with a somewhat darkened cover. Got a warning once with photos of me inside the car, front, side and rear views. They sent me a copy of the photos, which was nice of them. Next will be GPS monitoring of automobile's travels.
 
OEM Lucas lens on left versus Emgo on right.
turn signal flasher questions

It may be difficult to tell, but the Emgo lens is lighter and with a bulb is definitely brighter. I really should switch to Emgo, but if I really wanted better functionality then I would go with modern replacement turn signals. I am a semi-purist. I'll upgrade components without hesitation as long as the bike remains overall original.
 
In my experience the first thing that came loose on a run was always the lucas indicators, long stems were the worse to keep pointing forwards or back(rather than down or hanging by a wire) simple solution was just to remove them, less electrics to go wrong also a benefit. It's enough to keep adjusting your brake light switch regularly without tightening and replacing indicators and bulbs from all the vibration. But why put plastic on a commando anyway? somehow seems wrong to me. Just make sure you turn them off or you're sporting disaster, at least with hand signals you never have that issue. Hand signals turning right are always a bit interesting though
 
I generally agree with removing the turn signals, for a "cleaner" look. When they work, it is probable safer to ride with them at night. Not only do they tend to rotate, I tend to bump into them in my crowded garage and break them. If the bike tips over, they are the first things to break. The rotation issue is easily remedied by the use of a silicone adhesive. Since I run a ground wire inside the stalk, I don't need the stalks as a ground ground circuit.
I never considered adding turn signals to my 1971 and earlier bikes; they would look out of place.
 
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