LED Indicator Lights With OEM Flasher? (UPDATE)

chaztuna · Mar 18, 2022

Marcelx said:
Are you sure?

The circuit with the higher resistance will allow less charge to flow, meaning the circuit with higher resistance has less current flowing through it. This brings us back to Georg Ohm.

The resistors are added to the circuit to increase, not decrease the total load. A resistor acts as another load, like the filament in a conventional light bulb. The OEM bimetallic flasher has a current threshold. When to little current flows thru, the flasher does not flash, the turn signal simply stays on.

Tornado · Mar 18, 2022

Marlex is correct on wiring a resistor in parallel to the LED. Having the resistor + LED still reduces overall power consumption compared with just incandescent, according to this video demonstration:

Marcelx · Mar 19, 2022

chaztuna said:
The resistors are added to the circuit to increase, not decrease the total load. A resistor acts as another load,

Not at all, because the load is Voltage x Current, with a higher resistance the current will drop und the voltage from the
batterie is constant, simple Ohm law.

concours · Mar 19, 2022

Tornado said:
Marlex is correct on wiring a resistor in parallel to the LED. Having the resistor + LED still reduces overall power consumption compared with just incandescent, according to this video demonstration:

Nope.

robs ss · Mar 19, 2022

concours said:
Nope.

You could have expanded to explain the job of the resistor is simply to increase the applied load to something that the old flasher unit recognises.
Better to get a modern (read reliable) flasher.
Cheers

concours · Mar 19, 2022

robs ss said:
You could have expanded to explain the job of the resistor is simply to increase the applied load to something that the old flasher unit recognises.
Better to get a modern (read reliable) flasher.
Cheers

That is true, I could have.
My one syllable answers, while not always appropriate, and many times inappropriate, have a purpose.
To stimulate thought.
In an interwebs sea of over pontificated information, a lot of which is inaccurate, and much of it the view point of people who've been given a podium (the youtube videos) despite being unqualified to speak on the topic, it's easy to blend in with the back ground.
A person seeking the truth will be curious.
Regarding LED lights, for every install I see that is an upgrade, I see 20 that are a DOWNGRADE.
JMWO

Dan1950 · Mar 22, 2022

Or, one could just get the LED compatible flasher and diode pigtail from Geoff's.

worntorn · Mar 22, 2022

This is an LED type flasher from the local parts store, $14 CDN.
The parts man said " it's got a ground, if you need it"
I tried it without the ground connected, no joy.
With the ground connected it flashes just right.

MikeG · Mar 22, 2022

This thread has reminded me why I choose to convert my directional lights to 194 incandescent bulbs and not worry about current draw on a lamp that sees little use. I have this type of lamp on the bike:

Speedmetal Short Stalk Turn Signals - RevZilla

Shop RevZilla for your Speedmetal Short Stalk Turn Signals today! Free Shipping on Orders Over $49.99, Lowest Price Guaranteed & Top of the Line Expert Service.

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They came with a halogen bulb which quickly shook themselves apart, but the 194s took care of that. The only LED I run is the tail lamp which is on with the key, and my flasher is a standard 552 about $2.50 at any parts store.

worntorn · Mar 22, 2022

Nothing wrong with incandescent, however the newer LEDs are quite a bit brighter than the 12 v incandescent bulbs. That means greater visibility day and night.

Staying alive on a motorcycle is much easier if the auto drivers know we are there and know our intentions. Anything that helps with that is worth a bit of trouble and some small expense , in my view.

Glen

Larry S · Mar 22, 2022

Turn signal mirrors

gortnipper · Mar 23, 2022

worntorn said:
Nothing wrong with incandescent, however the newer LEDs are quite a bit brighter than the 12 v incandescent bulbs. That means greater visibility day and night.

Staying alive on a motorcycle is much easier if the auto drivers know we are there and know our intentions. Anything that helps with that is worth a bit of trouble and some small expense , in my view.

Glen

And that is why I like LED.

Tornado · Mar 23, 2022

If safety/visibilty is your top priority, consider that many LED lamp solutions while bright, do not fully illuminate the lens they sit inside. This is due to the fact LED light is more directional and typically smaller spread pattern than what incandescents produce. So nice and bright, yet a much smaller, pin point appearance from across the street etc.

I like using LED array boards in my brake/tail light setups (Norton and modern Bonne) for this reason. Also have a similar setup in the turns on the Bonne.

worntorn · Mar 23, 2022

In my experience, The LEDs boards have all been manufactured in China, while the light body was made or at least assembled in the Uk ( Oberon) and USA (Arlen Ness) and Signal Dynamics)
That doesn't mean that your expensive M-unit isn't much better than a $4 eBay item, it probably is.
Same with Shorai batteries, I think they are made in HK.

Hard to avoid the Chinese stuff even when you try!

Glen

Dan1950 · Mar 23, 2022

Tornado said:
If safety/visibilty is your top priority, consider that many LED lamp solutions while bright, do not fully illuminate the lens they sit inside. This is due to the fact LED light is more directional and typically smaller spread pattern than what incandescents produce. So nice and bright, yet a much smaller, pin point appearance from across the street etc.

I like using LED array boards in my brake/tail light setups (Norton and modern Bonne) for this reason. Also have a similar setup in the turns on the Bonne.

These worked for my indicators.

Amazon product ASIN B07D579C9K

LED Headlight and Indicators 74 Norton Commando

youtube.com

I used the light board from Geoff's for my brake/tail light

LED Indicator Lights With OEM Flasher? (UPDATE)

Tornado · Mar 23, 2022

Dan1950 said:
These worked for my indicators.

Amazon product ASIN B07D579C9K

LED Headlight and Indicators 74 Norton Commando

youtube.com

I used the light board from Geoff's for my brake/tail light

As long as you get good visibility out in the sunlight, from at least across a street, then the indicators should be ok. It's a bit misleading to judge from an indoor test and from using a camera, as the exposure and ambient makes a big difference in how they appear. What I really dislike is the tiny/hidden type LED's folks fit, esp on modern sport bikes etc....you only get a very small pin point hot spot. It's more about lit area than max brightness. Just think of all the lights you see on a busy street at night, all coming at you from different directions, all competing to grab your attention....the smaller a light source the easier to ignore.

concours · Mar 23, 2022

Tornado said:
As long as you get good visibility out in the sunlight, from at least across a street, then the indicators should be ok. It's a bit misleading to judge from an indoor test and from using a camera, as the exposure and ambient makes a big difference in how they appear. What I really dislike is the tiny/hidden type LED's folks fit, esp on modern sport bikes etc....you only get a very small pin point hot spot. It's more about lit area than max brightness. Just think of all the lights you see on a bust street at night, all coming at you from different directions, all competing to grab your attention....the smaller a light source the easier to ignore.

Amen.

Dan1950 · Mar 23, 2022

Tornado said:
As long as you get good visibility out in the sunlight, from at least across a street, then the indicators should be ok. It's a bit misleading to judge from an indoor test and from using a camera, as the exposure and ambient makes a big difference in how they appear. What I really dislike is the tiny/hidden type LED's folks fit, esp on modern sport bikes etc....you only get a very small pin point hot spot. It's more about lit area than max brightness. Just think of all the lights you see on a busy street at night, all coming at you from different directions, all competing to grab your attention....the smaller a light source the easier to ignore.

They are plenty noticeable even in sunlight.

concours · Mar 23, 2022

Then, consider (relatively) slow rising rate of illumination as the conventional lamp blinks on & off. Compared to (seemingly) instant full light of an LED. Nothing says "vintage" like all the subtleties.

worntorn · Mar 23, 2022

Tornado said:
As long as you get good visibility out in the sunlight, from at least across a street, then the indicators should be ok. It's a bit misleading to judge from an indoor test and from using a camera, as the exposure and ambient makes a big difference in how they appear. What I really dislike is the tiny/hidden type LED's folks fit, esp on modern sport bikes etc....you only get a very small pin point hot spot. It's more about lit area than max brightness. Just think of all the lights you see on a busy street at night, all coming at you from different directions, all competing to grab your attention....the smaller a light source the easier to ignore.

My Daytona suffers from this. The stock winkers have all been replaced by tiny LEDs, done as an "upgrade" by the P.O.
I did not realize how useless they are until I swapped bikes with a friend.

Worse yet is an old Vincent incandescent stoplight on the original 6 Volts. I followed one of these awhile ago. I knew it was working but still could barely distinguish the on and off of the brake light, even from just a few feet back at a stop.

LED Indicator Lights With OEM Flasher? (UPDATE)

chaztuna

Tornado

Marcelx

concours

robs ss

concours

Dan1950

1974 MK II Roadster

worntorn

MikeG

Mikeg

Speedmetal Short Stalk Turn Signals - RevZilla

worntorn

Larry S

gortnipper

Tornado

worntorn

Dan1950

1974 MK II Roadster

LED Headlight and Indicators 74 Norton Commando

Tornado

LED Headlight and Indicators 74 Norton Commando

concours

Dan1950

1974 MK II Roadster

concours

worntorn

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