Where to buy turn signals?

[CoreyP]

My problem is I found turn signals that look like a standard Honda but they won't work as running lights.

I don't really want to pay for the actually Honda part but I really can't find turn signals that will work as running lights.

[gordonv]

Sorry, you're trying to replace your turn signals?

Buy used on ebay, they don't usually cost much. You might have to wait a month or 2 to find them

I think I waited 3 months for an IS set, and it was less than $30.

[shadowmagic]

I have 2 turn signals I took off the back of my valk. Not sure what you are looking for but these go where saddlebags would go on the bolt furthest back. If you are interested I"ll take and a picture of them tomorrow. You are welcome to them if you can use them. In fact I think there is a picture of them under "pictures of shadowmagics valk"

[CoreyP]

I have 2 turn signals I took off the back of my valk. Not sure what you are looking for but these go where saddlebags would go on the bolt furthest back. If you are interested I"ll take and a picture of them tomorrow. You are welcome to them if you can use them. In fact I think there is a picture of them under "pictures of shadowmagics valk"

I need the front ones which I think are different but not sure? I have a problem with the front right turn signal, it's broken on the inside, no idea how that happened but not long ago I was out in the rain and the turn signal fuse blew so I would imagine that's my problem. The turn signal didn't work so while I was check things out I open the light up and the bulb was cocked in there with a piece of broken plastic floating around. At the time I just rigged it to work but I need a permanent fix.

Mine bike is a 2001 standard. If what you have will work I would be interested? Yours work as running lights and turn signals? I would be interested.   

[shadowmagic]

I"ll look at them tomorrow and take pictures. They wont go right in but they may be able to be modified easily.

[Jess from VA]

Front motorcycle turns are run and turn and take two filament 1157 bubs.

Rear turns are just turns and take one filament 1156 bubs.  

It's possible other Honda (or other) fronts or aftermarkets will fit (bolt up), but I dunno.

I'd call Pinwall Cycle: https://pinwallcycle.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=honda  

[Gregory Scott 16248]

Front motorcycle turns are run and turn and take two filament 1157 bubs.
Rear turns are just turns and take one filament 1156 bubs.  
It's possible other Honda (or other) fronts or aftermarkets will fit (bolt up), but I dunno.

I'd call Pinwall Cycle: https://pinwallcycle.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=honda  

The front turn signals have 3 wires for 1157 bulbs.
The rear turn signals have 2 wires for 1156 bulbs.

Pinwall Cycle is a great place to get used parts.

Greg

[Timbo1]

My problem is I found turn signals that look like a standard Honda but they won't work as running lights.

I don't really want to pay for the actually Honda part but I really can't find turn signals that will work as running lights.

You might try posting a Wanted add in the classifieds.  Surely there's been some that have removed stock turn signals in favor of aftermarket and have some laying around.

There's also some used OEM on Ebay

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1999-2000-2001-Honda-GL1500-CF-Valkyrie-FRONT-TURN-SIGNAL-LIGHT/313175914201?hash=item48eabd36d9:g:uGkAAOSwSx1fLbyG

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2000-Honda-Valkyrie-Interstate-GL1500-Front-Right-Turn-Signal-Indicator-Light/254682836790?hash=item3b4c47af36:g:~UUAAOSwra1fMLEO:sc:USPSPriority!74127!US!-1

https://www.ebay.com/itm/97-03-HONDA-VALKYRIE-1500-RIGHT-FRONT-TURN-SIGNAL-LIGHT-INDICATOR/124124568947?hash=item1ce6669d73:g:N0wAAOSwqIJedRFI

[Chrisj CMA]

I was about to post that my fronts are blinkers only. The right side one blinked but no running light. The bulb was half burned out. Lol. All ok now. Thanks for making me look.

[shadowmagic]

So here is the picture. They have 2 wires and came from the back.

[gordonv]

I believe the differance (besides the 2 -3 wires) is how the lens mount. You can see shadowmagic pic and see the 2 screws in the front, and mine which is held in from the housing by 1 screw.

[vanagon40]

I believe the differance (besides the 2 -3 wires) is how the lens mount. You can see shadowmagic pic and see the 2 screws in the front, and mine which is held in from the housing by 1 screw. . . .

The two screw/one screw difference is between different models and/or years. I have a 2001 Standard and the OEM lens are the same front and back (one screw).

When I changed my rear signals, I removed the bulb holder and wiring from the donor front lights and installed those in my rear light housing (and then I added red lenses).

[idaida98]

Can you run rears as blinkers even though they are red?

[Jess from VA]

Forward lights need to be white light or amber.  Forward visible (and most) (and especially blinking) reds and blues are reserved for LE and emergency vehicles.  DOT regulations.  They give tickets for this.

Rear turns can be amber or red.  My rear turns are run, turn and brake, so they must be red (for brakes and running lights; again DOT regs).  

I don't know what tears you are talking about.

It doesn't really matter if the front turns you find have one or two screw lenses, so long as they bolt up and work.  

[CoreyP]

I believe the differance (besides the 2 -3 wires) is how the lens mount. You can see shadowmagic pic and see the 2 screws in the front, and mine which is held in from the housing by 1 screw.

I don't think those will work for what I want them to do.

Mine are working for now.

[RonW]

On my turn signal, the plastic post (graphic, below) for the screw that holds the metal plate to the chrome shell was broken and this didn't allow the screws to hold the metal plate tight to the chrome shell and in turn the bulb to sit straight in the socket. Another problem is the internal threads in the plastic posts can get stripped easily.




Metal plate that's screwed to the plastic posts in the above pic.




Earlier turn signals had a parabolic reflector with a socket for the bulb. with integral screw holes which were much stronger. The metal plate replaced the parabolic reflector in newer turn signals.

[Bob D]

In order to turn my rear signals into running/stop lights as well, I bought a conversion kit from signal boss. Not hard to install and works great. Lots of red showing now in back and when you activate your turn signals they flash yellow, not red.

[CoreyP]

On my turn signal, the plastic post (graphic, below) for the screw that holds the metal plate to the chrome shell was broken and this didn't allow the screws to hold the metal plate tight to the chrome shell and in turn the bulb to sit straight in the socket. Another problem is the internal threads in the plastic posts can get stripped easily.




Metal plate that's screwed to the plastic posts in the above pic.




Earlier turn signals had a parabolic reflector with a socket for the bulb. with integral screw holes which were much stronger. The metal plate replaced the parabolic reflector in newer turn signals.

I have the screw underneath it, it's the same set up as your first picture. One of the plastic posts that you screw the metal plate on to the plastic case broke.

[RonW]

whoops, I edited the graphic with *single screw* on bottom of later years turn signals (2000 +).

[idaida98]

So Jess you state that your rear lights are red and used for run blinker and stop. What did you do to your lights other than a signal dynamics conversion to your rear lights to get them to work that way?. I may not be understanding you correctly. Please clue me in.

[Jess from VA]

So Jess you state that your rear lights are red and used for run blinker and stop. What did you do to your lights other than a signal dynamics conversion to your rear lights to get them to work that way?. I may not be understanding you correctly. Please clue me in.

Well, first of all, I bought the bike with this setup already done (and I suck at auto electric).  

A small black box under the right side cover converted them to run-turn-brake (might be Back-Off).  And it did so with the original rear signals with only single filament 1156 bulbs.  And to make it legal with brake and running lights, he swapped out the amber lens covers for red ones of the same exact OE shape (which are hard to find) (and which are visible from the side of the bike).  

This was done circa 2005, so the converter box does no automatic flashing on braking (unless I tap-tap-tap my front brake lever, which I do often on hard stops)

(I think) some guys found a set of front two filament 1157 bulb signals and swapped them out with the OE rear signals to get run and turn (but not brake) without a converter box, and those should also have red lenses to be DOT compliant.

Red lenses can be found, but it takes some looking.  Others have taken the OE amber lenses and used candy apple red Testors paint (I think on the inside), to turn them red.  

This bike also came with a wired license plate frame with a row of bright red LEDs across the bottom, which is also run and brake (not turn).  
 

[MarkT]

If you setup run-brake-turn in back, with luggage don't use tungsten bulbs.  Not enough cooling on the pods with running light on constantly, they overheat, the plastic melts and the guts fall out.  Use LED array bulbs.  I set up the rears on both my daily riders with RBT and used red LED arrays and clear back lenses.  I wired it myself with this circuit.  Advantage, uses standard 5-pin relays available at every auto parts store if you ever need to service it, and it's cheap to set up and reliable.  You can use this circuit with either 1156 or 1157 bulbs.  Disadvantage, you need a little electrical skill, like soldering and running wires to install it, and you need to use the running light circuits in the front to trigger the relays which select which circuit powers the bright filiment, between brake and turn.

[Jess from VA]

If you setup run-brake-turn in back, with luggage don't use tungsten bulbs.  Not enough cooling on the pods with running light on constantly, they overheat,...

Mark, I don't understand the reference to "with luggage."  I never cover my lights with luggage.

I've run plain old 1156 bulbs back there for many years, and can't remember ever burning one out, or any socket/wire trouble.  Are those tungsten bulbs?

I should change them on general principle though.  (fronts too)

I wouldn't be adverse to LEDs.  What ones did you use?  (but I'd still use my red lenses)

[MarkT]

  I never cover my lights with luggage.

If you have saddlebags on a std or Tourer, yeah you are re: cooliing air.  You are blocking the airflow to the marker pods on a non-IS Valk.


You aren't running RBT lights back there, right? Don't have running lights in the back pods. The luggage - "saddlebags" - block the airflow to the light pods, to keep them cool.  Unlike running lights in front which get plenty of airflow.  I had the guts fall out of both back lights on Deerslayer after going to 1157 bulbs in order to have RBT in back.  LED's generate no heat (almost) so after replacing the innards the LED arrays didn't repeat the problem.  You need the old school LED arrays not the surface mount ones which are really sensitive to equal impedence grounds or they light unevenly.  I think I got them at Autozone but you may also find them at www.superbrightleds.com  IIRC they were 24 LEDs on the board - red of course.  They are available as 1156 and 1157.  Need to measure and check they will fit in your pods - I had to do a minor mod to fit them.  Recall 1156 bulbs are single filiment, don't provide RBT w/o extra effort - which my circuit above, does.  The OEM sockets on our bikes, in back are 1156, while the fronts are 1157 (dual filiment).  So OEM, the markers in back are turn signals only and so are not lit all the time - so you wouldn't see them overheat even with tungsten bulbs.  If you use my circuit - or someone else's which provides RBT - do not run tungsten bulbs or you will overheat the pods unless you use LEDs.

If you change the fronts to LEDs you will get another problem - inadvertent 4-ways - unless you do the indicator light ground mod.  That has been posted here repeatedly by me and others.  In my case I replaced the indicator light with 2 red LEDs inside the bezel, ea grounds one side of the turnsignal circuit.  As Honda designed it, they use the opposite turn signal bulb to pass the ground for the signal indicator bulb (yellow one in your headlight between the high beam and neutral indicators) to ground.  Doesn't matter on a tungsten setup but LEDs light with very little power so doing that results in all 4 flashing when you want to indicate a turn.  My red LED indicators are MUCH brighter than the OEM yellow tungsten bulb so it doesn't get ignored.

[Jess from VA]

You aren't running RBT lights back there, right?

Yes I am, my little black box makes my stock rear interstate single filament 1156 bulbs turn signals into run-turn-brake lights.

That interstate is a permanent supervalk with no trunk but I still have the bags.

I understand that full time run lights in the turn signal pods will make more heat than only signals, and that they get less airflow than the front turns, but mine have been fine as full time running lights with no lost bulbs (ever) or socket/wiring problems in about 13 years and 80K miles.

The black box only makes them brighter for braking and turning (limited times).     

[MarkT]

Something is different regarding heat from your tungsten filiment bulbs.  eg., perhaps they fixed the structure of the pods - I note in a post above they put in a metal plate instead of the plastic reflector.  Or your use, it isn't as hot ambient temp than it was in my case.  Or there's less heat generated with an 1156 bulb with your control device.  Or a combination of the above.  My bike in question is a 98 std with (at that time) Leatherlyke bags.  They both failed on one of the VOA ride-ins to Montrose CO - it was hot, upper 90's and the sun is intense at that altitude.  So you are lucky or more likely, something like the above is in play.  Point is, it happened to me so when I modded Jade (97 Tourer) I installed LED arrays.  They are brighter, long lasting (will outlast the bike), in the current style, flash instantaneous, and draw less current.  In fact, all the lights on Jade except 2 headlight bucket indicators and the license light, are now LED.  Just cuz I didn't get a round tuit yet.

[vanagon40]

As stated above, when I changed my rear signals, I removed the bulb holder and wiring from the donor front lights and installed those in my rear light housing (and then I added red lenses).

I also used the front light circuit to power the rear lights (when the turn signal is activated, the front running light turns OFF on that side so the turn signal is highlighted).

I used four relays and two diodes (the diodes keep the brake light from bleeding into the front turn signals). I do not recall the exact wiring diagram I developed, but it turned into an ugly homemade circuit board.





No problems in over 10 years of service.