Led turns ??

[Roidfingers]

Got my new lights installed and in process of replacing the R10w Bulbs that cam in the lights to LEDs from Bright LEDS website. So first I did the rear turns and checked operation. Worked fine, just a little faster. Then I removed the front bulbs and installed the LEDs . I tried operation and go no back or front turns. Seems if I keep the R10W bulbs in the front then all works good, but if I install the LEDS in front then neither front or back work. I have the LED flasher relay to slow them down. Have not installed yet. DO you think if I put that in in will fix the problem ?

Also, I have the right side cover off and I'm trying to identify which one is the OEM flasher relay. Please help . TIA

[Roidfingers]

Ok, I've located the flasher relay and have installed the Led flasher. Other then slowing down the blinking, there is no change to above issue. Works fine with front incandescent bulbs but not with LED's. When I put the LED's in, and activate the turn switch, I get all four turns blinking. ??????

[RonW]

Easiest fix to resolve the 4-way flashing is to disconnect the light bulb from the turnsignal indicator in headlight bucket. Later you'd have to install a *metric motorcycle diode kit* on the bulb's socket.

The turnsignal indicator connects the right turnsignals to the left turnsignals. For example, when you activate the right side signals, electricity travels to the turnsignal indicator & from that junction, electricity travels to the non-activated side's signals, the left side signals in this example. With incandescent bulbs, the resistance in the non-activated side signals drops the current to below the threshold required to light up the non-activated side's signals, essentially emulating a direct Ground. Meanwhile, Leds don't provide enough resistance to drop the current in the non-activated side's signal and so the non-activated side's signals light up, & you get 4-way flashing with both activated and non-activated signals lighting up (flashing). This with Leds on all turnsignals. If only Leds on the front or on the rears signals, the single incandescent bulb on either side of the bike's circuit drops the current enough to prevent 4-way flashing.

[Roidfingers]

So what am I disconnecting in headlight bucket. And what do you mean by later? So is easy fix is to just connect inside bucket and done?

[John Schmidt]

You're getting crossfeed through the indicator light on the headlight. For a temporary fix you can remove it, not sure if the turns will still work though. The diode kit, about $7 from Kuryakyn, simply removes the crossfeed so each side operates individually. Takes just a few minutes with a wire cutter and a soldering gun. Fits nicely in the headlight bucket. My suggestion....leave the regular bulbs in the front until you get the diode kit installed, then go full LED. LEDs aren't grounded in the same manner as incandescent bulbs.

[RonW]

So what am I disconnecting in headlight bucket. And what do you mean by later? So is easy fix is to just connect inside bucket and done?

You're pulling the indicator bulb out of its indicator's socket, then shove the bulb-less rubber socket back into it's recess for safe keeping. Un-plug n' play, if you may. If by chance you're inquiring how to gain access to the indicator bulb, itself, you'd have to access the plug from within. Again, when you pull the bulb out of it's socket, this disables or eliminates the circuit that's causing the 4-way flashing. The idiot light is a tributary off the turn signal circuit, a simple monitor. As such, disconnecting the idiot bulb won't stop electricity flow in the turn signals' circuits, but it'll stop cross-over current not suitable for Led bulbs.

Btw, if you look at the graphic below, cross-over current will always be present at the turnsignal's idiot light with the way the oem wiring is configured, when signals are activated. If you had a separate idiot light for the right signals & a separate idiot light for the left signals, each idiot light would have a Ground wire to complete the circuit. With a single idiot light, serving both sides' signals, the wires for the non-activated signals function as the Ground return. True, this means electricity is flowing through the non-activated side's signals, but the bulbs won't light up if the bulbs are incandescent, as explained previously.

By *later* .... I meant should you want to restore back the turnsignal indicator function, have it working again while retaining 4 Led signals. Diodes are necessary for this. Soldering diodes can be tedious becuz the legs of the diode are stiff wires & tight working conditions. The proper way was to coil the stiff wires around the stranded oem wires and not visa versa, in order to solder the two ends together.

[Roidfingers]

When I wired these front turns. 2 wire. I used the green wire in the bucket to ground. Was that correct? Then the power to the orange and the blue. Is that right?

[RonW]

Affirmative. However, you should have running lights on the front signals to stay legal. Constant ON.

[Roidfingers]

Yes, in Alabama its a headlight. And they sale bikes with no running lights all the time. So my ambers should be on then blink when needed?

[Roidfingers]

Ron, Now I think I got it. Read over it at least 10 times. Each time very slowly. I never look at the light any way. It's just normal reflex for me to turn it off. So just remove the bulb and all is good?

[RonW]

Unplugging the indicator bulb does work, at least on this side of the monitor screen, in other words, disclaimer embedded. I switch the turn signals off a thousand times even when I haven't activated the turns for the pass hour. Reflex, like you said. Btw, where I'm now at, turnsignals aren't required at all. However, in order to pass the annual safety inspection, municipal code stipulates that the *turnsignals* must be working.

[MarkT]

I replaced the indicator bulb with 2 red LED's, each wired to ground. These are really bright LED's (the same ones I use in my Highlighter), and flash RED through the amber indicator crystal. Hard to ignore and really visible even in bright sunlight.