turn signal question (2009)

So I see where to plug in the bullets to make the front turn signals work, but I can't figure out how to hook them up to the flasher unit. My flasher unit has a white wire with pink stripe that is not connected to anything. Any help would be appreciated. Can post pics if that would help.

pelican said:

So I see where to plug in the bullets to make the front turn signals work, but I can't figure out how to hook them up to the flasher unit. My flasher unit has a white wire with pink stripe that is not connected to anything. Any help would be appreciated. Can post pics if that would help.

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Knowing which year model it is could be helpful, but there would normally be a White power supply wire (from Ign. Sw. terminal 2) going to one of the two flasher relay spades, and a Light Green/Brown from the other flasher relay spade to the turn signal handlebar switch.

Green/White from the handlebar switch goes to the right side turn signal lamps, and Green/Red to the left side signals.

1971 model wiring diagram: http://rocbo.lautre.net/technique/norto ... p/150.html

1972-74 model wiring diagram: http://rocbo.lautre.net/technique/norto ... p/151.html

Please ask if you require information about a 1975-on (850 MkIII) model.

Hi, sorry, I do have a 75 850 mkiii

pelican said:

Hi, sorry, I do have a 75 850 mkiii

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OK, no problem, the wiring layout is basically the same, the handlebar switches are a different type to the earlier ones, and the flasher relay is normally inside the headlamp assembly on a MkIII.

The White/Pink wire that you mentioned previously, is an extra wire in the MkIII harness that was intended for an electronic revcounter but it was never used, so it wouldn't normally connect to either terminal of the flasher relay.

great, thanks a lot!!

The replacement turn signals I bought have a power wire and a ground wire. Since the original signals have no ground wire...what's the easiest way to ground the new ones?... solder to the headlight shell/frame, buy some 3 into one female connectors, or run all new wires?

If the original tun signal mounting positions are going to be used, then personally, I would connect the ground wires to any Red wire inside the headlamp at the front, and connect to the Red ground wire from tail/brake light at the rear.
Alternatively you could find a way to mount the ground wires under the signal mounting nuts, for instance,by soldering each wire to a washer, or use ring terminals?

Similar issue
I have a 72 hi rider, not sure it ever had turn signals, but installing them. I found the rt/left (grn-wt and grn-rd) wired in the headlamp and connected those, at the rear I had two similar wires with bullet ends hanging free. I connected to the rear signals, nothing. Any help much appreciated
C

Think logically. Every circuit has a few things. It has a hot wire going to a switch. It has a control wire going to the fixture and it has a grounded fixture or ground wire going to ground.



OK, See the master switch near the middle of the schematic. The white wires coming off the #2 terminal are feeding power to both handlebar switches. The directional light power comes off the #2 master switch terminal, goes to the flasher unit then becomes the "LG/N" colored wire that is the power wire to the directional switch. Once there's power to the switch, then you need control wires to the fixtures. The right hand one looks like G/W and it has a junction block to send a second leg of the control wire back to the rear right hand fixture. It can also have a flasher warning light control wire coming out of that junction to have a light flashing to show you your directional is on. (I don't have that wired in my bike. I know when the flasher is flashing by my ammeter pulsing)

Anyway, the left side directional is exactly the same as the right except it's labeled G/R, and it's the same logical progression. It's a mirror image of the right side... Makes sense right??

Anyway, One of the big problems with norton directionals is the fixtures are chromed over plastic, so they don't ground awesomely. I always run a wire back from each directional fixture to a hard point on the bike frame and solder ring connectors on the ground wire and bolt them to the frame. My directionals always work because they are well grounded. If they start blinking slow or acting weird, usually a bulb is corroded in its fixture...

I have a '70 commando btw, and it didn't have any directionals originally. It's not hard to install them if you are patient and more important, think logically.

Master switch > flasher unit > directional switch power > control wire to fixtures (with junction block so both front and back blink together) > ground wire to frame

To surgeon said:

I have a 72 hi rider, not sure it ever had turn signals, but installing them. I found the rt/left (grn-wt and grn-rd) wired in the headlamp and connected those, at the rear I had two similar wires with bullet ends hanging free. I connected to the rear signals, nothing. Any help much appreciated

Click to expand...

What about the flasher relay? Edit: Original Lucas style turn signals or aftermarket items? If so, which?
Models fitted with signals normally have a red 'return' wire connection between headlamp shell and the harness red 'ground' wiring. It's not a headlamp 'ground' as often thought.

o0norton0o said:

> ground wire to frame

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The series of red wires running throughout the standard harness is the actual 'ground', not the 'frame'.

Thanks for the responses!
They are norton Lucas units from Andover. One single wire from each. Would my bike have the flasher unit and junction block or is that something I have to add?
Thanks again, I have 20 yrs experience with air cooled Porsches and this norton is hauntingly familiar.
C

To surgeon said:

They are norton Lucas units from Andover. One single wire from each.

Click to expand...

OK.

To surgeon said:

Would my bike have the flasher unit and junction block or is that something I have to add?

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If it never had signals then it probably wouldn't have had the flasher relay although the wires are probably there, so you need to add a suitable '2-pin' flasher relay.
https://andover-norton.co.uk/en/shop-drawing/186/batteries-battery-tray-direction-indicators#

The flasher relay if fitted would normally be attached to the rear of the frame plate by a clip, below, so look for a (double) white and a light green/brown wire in that area.

You could test the circuits by temporarily connecting the white and light green/brown relay wires together.

If the appropriate pair (plus warning lamp) light up when the signal switch is operated 'left'-'right' then the circuits are good but of course they won't flash without the relay.

To surgeon said:

They are norton Lucas units from Andover. One single wire from each.
C

Click to expand...

the one wire is the hot wire to the fixture. the fixture does not have a ground wire. It relies on being bolted to the frame to complete the circuit I suppose, but that is not a good circuit,... so you add a ring connector and ground wire and bolt the fixture back into the housing with the ring connector on one of the fixture holding screws so it conducts the ground circuit. Then the attached ground wire weaves back down the stalk of the fixture with the power feed wire. I connected that ground wire to the frame bolt where the rectifier and it's ground is mounted.

Here's the fixture opened up where you will add the ground wire under one arm of the socket fixture before you screw it back into the housing. If you don't create a ground wire, then you would be relying on the chromed plastic/metal stalk/bike frame contact to complete your circuit... Pretty shakey, I can't see why they don't give you a two wire fixture right from the factory.



this is what the single wire fixture looks like at the base of the stalk. It makes no sense that their's not a second wire to ground the fixture, but that's how mine were when I got them too... BTW, I eventually changed mine to a much nicer looking fixture. I hate the look of these "lollypop" directionals.

Thanks guys, other than the flasher unit and the hardware, is there anything else I need?
Yes I have those wires as mentioned .
I also have another similar pair of wires behind the battery, no idea what that’s for either unless it also has to do with the signals.
Thanks again!
C

To surgeon said:

I also have another similar pair of wires behind the battery, no idea what that’s for either unless it also has to do with the signals.

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Similar in what way?
What colour are the wires?
Please be more specific.

Same white and black wires spliced together, just like for the flasher behind the seat, perhaps for a second flasher for the front signals?

To surgeon said:

Same white and black wires spliced together, just like for the flasher behind the seat, perhaps for a second flasher for the front signals?

Click to expand...

No, there's no second flasher relay/unit.
Look at the flasher unit and wiring on the diagram posted by o0Norton0o.

As previously mentioned, the flasher relay wires are white and light-green/brown.

To surgeon said:

Same white and black wires spliced together, just like for the flasher behind the seat, perhaps for a second flasher for the front signals?

Click to expand...

Ok, you're not thinking about it... Look at the schematic I posted. To turn on any kind of circuit, you have to complete that circuit... Right? Light, horn, directional, whatever, you have to complete the circuit to turn the fixture ON...

In the case of the schematic I posted the flasher unit is on the power feed line for the handlebar switch.

With that in mind, if you use the left signal switch you complete that circuit and the flasher is in that circuit because it's on the power feed before the switch.

So,... When you use the right signal switch, that same flasher is in that circuit too, because it's on the power feed before the switch. In essence the way you see it wired in the schematic, it's always in either directional's circuit.

OK, so here's where you have to think a little bit. IF you wanted to remove the single flasher on the power feed to the switch, you could put 2 flashers in the circuitry to take it's place, but you would have to put them in AFTER the switch, and one on each power feed to each pair of directionals (left side, right side) If you did this, you would still have a flasher in each circuit when you used the directional switch on the handlebar to complete the right turn or the left turn switch position.

It's not rocket geometry,... It's simple circuitry.

Thanks I got it now I believe. So, other than the fixtures and the flasher relay is there anything else I need to add to have functional signals?
Sorry about the newbie questions...
Chris