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Message started by JBALLSATX on 11/29/05 at 19:18:25

Title: Signal light question
Post by JBALLSATX on 11/29/05 at 19:18:25

I'm still getting familiar with my 2001 Savage and am wondering about the rear signal lights. I notice that the front ones have a constant on when the key is turned as do the license plate light and the tail light but my rear turn signal lights only signal and do not have the constant on like the front ones do. Is this normal ? I looked at the wiring diagram in the Cyber manual and it looks like they should be on like the front ones. Can anyone confirm that they should work like the front ones ? ???

J.B. in San Antonio

Title: Re: Signal light question
Post by Savage Librarian on 11/29/05 at 19:34:15

Yeah, only the front ones stay on, the backs ones don't. I'm not entirely sure why that is, but that's the case. If it makes you feel any better, a lot of bikes are like that. So your bike is normal and fine. Good question though...why DO they make them that way?

Title: Re: Signal light question
Post by Patty on 11/29/05 at 19:54:35

Since the rear turn signals are amber then in the US they can not be lit all the time...federal regs. You can switch out the amber lens for red and then put light sockets that will accept an 1157 bulb and wire them up to stay lit all the time. All rear facing lights must be red and your done...P.S. I'm not a mechanical genius...hubby told me all that....lol

Title: Re: Signal light question
Post by Jim_R on 11/29/05 at 20:43:53

yeah the rear lights are 1156 with one filament and 1157 two filaments in the front. It makes sense in the US tho. Only brake lights stay on. I think changing the lens to red would be ugly. I didnt like the amber color either so I bought some clear lens with orange bulbs and they look awesome.

Title: Re: Signal light question
Post by Paladin on 11/29/05 at 23:08:36

The rear end has a pair of turn signal lights and a single stop/tail light.

A $50 conversion kit from Cruiser Customizing (http://www.cruisercustomizing.com/detail.cfm?model_ID=0&Category_ID=5&manufacturer_ID=223&product_ID=6421) adds a electronic module, which hooks to existing wire plus you pull a new wire up the turn signal stem to a ring of LEDs in each turn signal housing. End result is red running and brake lights through the amber lenses.

It's on my Christmas Wish List.

Title: Re: Signal light question
Post by Paladin on 11/29/05 at 23:12:11

Jim_R wrote:

... I didnt like the amber color either so I bought some clear lens with orange bulbs and they look awesome.

The amber bulbs show thru the clear lenses. I've seen amber bulbs with a sivery outside intended to sit behing the clear lenses without showing amber until lit.

Title: Re: Signal light question
Post by Jim_R on 11/30/05 at 04:36:27

wow kewl paladin. I want those bulbs.. now if i only knew where they were.. hmmm. I also got the clear lens for the brake light on the way too. :) yay

Title: Re: Signal light question
Post by Paladin on 11/30/05 at 05:37:54

The people who sell the clear lenses should have them. (Why didn't I think of that yesterday?)

Title: Re: Signal light question
Post by Savage_Rob on 11/30/05 at 07:42:25

Patty wrote:

I don't think that's federal but state regs. I think they do it that way just to be safe. I think some states allow you to have steady amber lights in back as running lights. In any case, you have several options. There are conversion kits to make them show red normally and flash amber for signaling and you can alsway just install an extra pair of red running lights.

Title: Re: Signal light question
Post by red2k1 on 12/02/05 at 04:36:45

Here is a link listing the federal regulations for motorcycles, http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/rules_search_results.asp

and you thought government was not in our daily lives! Just type in "motorcycles" in the search box.

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Title: Re: Signal light question
Post by Paladin on 12/02/05 at 05:30:50

The fedeal government sets standards as to quality, labeling, minimum equipment and such for manufacturing and importing. Once the bike is imported they have no say. It is the state regualtions that matter. If the feds say you need turn signals then the bike needs turn signals to be imported. If your state does not require turn signals you are free to remove them, federal government be dammed.

Title: Re: Signal light question
Post by Savage_Rob on 12/02/05 at 06:32:34

Yup. Even so, the listing for motorcycle turn signals said 2 amber in front and 2 red or 2 amber in back. As Paladin stated (or a derivative thereof), some states don't require signal lamps and you're free to remove them. Some only require them on models made after a certain year, etc. I did find it slightly humorous that they found it necessary to specify that a motorcycle headlamp be located at the front of the vehicle.

Title: Re: Signal light question
Post by vroom1776 on 12/02/05 at 08:06:33

Clear lenses, huh? Amber bulbs? You can see the amber thru the lenses?

Try this:

http://clearalternatives.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/CB-2.jpg

from http://clearalternatives.com/

Yeah, I put these bulbs on my V*. They look great. The other thing you can do, is get some regular amber bulbs and spray paint them silver. I've tried this... much cheaper, but though it looks good, the bulbs tends to flash a little weak... use just enough spray paint to get the job done.

Here's another place that has them: http://www.customdynamics.com/

Title: Re: Signal light question
Post by Paladin on 12/02/05 at 08:06:57

Around my house, if it can be taken wrong it will be taken wrong. The same thing occurs in the law. If they did not specifiy that the headlight must be mounted at the front someone would mount it elsewhere simply to tweak.

In the definitions for the California Vehicle Code:

400. (a) A "motorcycle" is any motor vehicle having a seat or saddle for the use of the rider, designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground, and weighing less than 1,500 pounds.

I am tempted to build a two-wheel vehicle weighing about 1600 pounds simply so I may ride without a helmet -- and that simply to tweak the cops who will be constantly pulling me over. Maybe get a Harley and add enough lead to get the weight over the minimum.

The code clairifies the above:

(d) A farm tractor is not a motorcycle.

Title: Re: Signal light question
Post by vroom1776 on 12/02/05 at 09:02:10

paladin, it might be easier to put some training wheels on it! ;)

Title: Re: Signal light question
Post by Savage_Rob on 12/02/05 at 11:33:32

I wonder if you added the Voyager kit, it would disqualify it as a motorcycle since it would then have four wheels.

Title: Re: Signal light question
Post by Paladin on 12/02/05 at 15:24:52

Hmmmm...... The Voyager kit is not a sidecar, so that clause is not applicable. Looks like a Savage-Voyager would no longer be a motorcycle. The Savage part is registered as a motorcycle, but the combo is not a motorcycle. Would that make the vehicle registration invalid? It wouldn't be an unregistered vehicle, just a mis-registered one. Talk about a can of worms.

The Voyager site says that any State motorcycle helmet laws still apply. But the actual wording of the Cal.Veh.Code seem to indicate otherwise. Pity I don't have the $4K+ for the kit and a lawyer on retention.