To indicate or not to indicate?

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Winkie
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Re: To indicate or not to indicate?

Post by Winkie »

As well as my Classics I ride a modern-ish Suzuki V Strom. Permanent dual powerful headlights on, as well as dual taillights and bright indicators. It has a metallic blue fairing, matching top box and panniers, and cars still ignore me on roundabouts. They happily pull out in front of me, and happily drive into me when they overtake tractors on narrow roads. So it does not matter what safety measures you take. I simply assume the worst at all times and am seldom disappointed!!
Mollbhan
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Re: To indicate or not to indicate?

Post by Mollbhan »

I also dread a right hand turn without indicators, a few years back I had a Francis Barnett and an old MV Agusta 150cc both 6v with good batteries but rather feeble charging systems, I fitted 6v indicators with led bulbs to both bikes, although both systems flashed ok the light output was so poor they may as well not have been there.I aint no sparky so may have done something wrong but I would not fit indicators to a 6v system again.
56G80S
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Re: To indicate or not to indicate?

Post by 56G80S »

Even more dangerous is fitting flashers and then forgetting to cancel them. I fitted a buzzer in the headlamp which activates after a short time and then gradually increases in volume.

Yes, fitted idiot light already and will fit buzzer as well.

There is a good source of brighter LED from Eastern Europe which fit better into the Paul Goff units than the LED from Pau Goff. Only found them after Alan Jennings pointed out a deficiency in the rear set of indicators and glad he did.

Johnny B

PS https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lampe-Birne- ... 3619089477 - oldtimerled (1869 Feedback score: 1869) - I have no other relationship with seller except satisfied customer!
pkr87
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Re: To indicate or not to indicate?

Post by pkr87 »

I recently bought a 250 ccs Honda 'shopping bike' and admit that with proper indicators, headlamp and disc brakes I do feel safer among car drivers , most of whom seem to think that carving up motorcycles is fun. Still prefer to ride my A.J.S. trials bike that has no lights at all.
MalcW
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Re: To indicate or not to indicate?

Post by MalcW »

I fitted indicators. I was in two minds until turning right at a roundabout - a normal roundabout, not a mini one. I signalled right as far as possible up to the roundabout, then hand back on the bars for the manoeuvre itself. A 4x4 coming the other way started to pull out on me, but happily was awake and realised where I was going.

I have the Paul Goff 'Universal Indicators', the chrome version. They have a Period look about them, and in my opinion they sit the bike. They are not LED, but every other bulb on the bike is. A previous owner converted to 12v positive earth, and when I needed to get my dynamo refurbished I took the chance to get it wound for 12v. I can now ride around with headlight on and still maintain a charge at lower speeds, with plenty of charge in the battery to handle the non-LED indicators when required.

Malc
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PGGuse
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Re: To indicate or not to indicate?

Post by PGGuse »

[quote="56G80S"]Even more dangerous is fitting flashers and then forgetting to cancel them. I fitted a buzzer in the headlamp which activates after a short time and then gradually increases in volume.

Johnny B


I found another solution against forgetting flasher switch-off: https://motogadget.com/shop/de/m-stop-b ... erung.html
It's a tiny flashing relay, called "m-stop" with auto switch-off after 20 seconds operation - very reliable since many years of operation...
Paul in Frankfurt
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Pharisee
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Re: To indicate or not to indicate?

Post by Pharisee »

Thank you all for your comments and information. I've decided to have a bit of a play with electrics on this bike. For the final decade or so of my engineering career I designed, built and commisioned specialised assembly equipment, a lot of which was controlled by PLCs (programmable logic controllers). Now I just happen to have a little PLC looking for a good home. I can use that to control the lights and indicators, doing away with the need for a 'flasher unit'. It will also be programmed to switch off the indicators after a predetermined time if I fail to cancel them manually. It's a huge 'overkill' but the PLC was just sitting in a drawer so I might as well give it a job to do.
One drawback.... I will have to change the bike from 6v +ve ground to 12v -ve ground. Not a big deal in the great scheme of things.
John
I'm from the Fens.... Gimme six.
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MartinAmes
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Re: To indicate or not to indicate?

Post by MartinAmes »

When turning right, get in the right gear for the turn, then just pull in the clutch and let the bike coast, whilst using you right hand to indicate. You can slow by using the rear brake if needed.
Martin.
Dave T_LAPSED
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Re: To indicate or not to indicate?

Post by Dave T_LAPSED »

GEDC1399.JPG
GEDC1397.JPG
There's my indicators. Fronts off a Lambretta rear, I like them below the headlight, I think they are nicely discrete. The rears are for mounting on a fairing so flush under the Craven topbox they are not too noticeable until you illuminate them. My bike is a 59 alternator model G80 converted to 12v so plenty of power to run them but the ammeter does somersaults when they are on!!
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Pharisee
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Re: To indicate or not to indicate?

Post by Pharisee »

Dave T wrote: There's my indicators. Fronts off a Lambretta rear, I like them below the headlight, I think they are nicely discrete. The rears are for mounting on a fairing so flush under the Craven topbox they are not too noticeable until you illuminate them. My bike is a 59 alternator model G80 converted to 12v so plenty of power to run them but the ammeter does somersaults when they are on!!
That's a nice looking installation... I'm curios about the front pair. Any chance you could post a photo showing exactly what you've used and how it's fitted, please?
Thanks, John
I'm from the Fens.... Gimme six.
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