[dieselguy65]

It sounds like you'd connect the positive wire on your turn signal to the always on 12 V wire, and connect the turn signal's ground wire to the hot wire for the turn signal on the bike. Either this or vise-versa, no difference if you have an incandescent bulb.

That idea makes sense. When the turn signal is off, if the turn signal hot wire works as a ground it would allow the current to flow from the always on 12 V wire to the now grounded signal power wire. When the turn signal normally lights up, you get 12V on both connections to the signal, leaving the voltage difference at 0V for no current flow.

I didn't test it, but, if the hot turn signal wire does ground when off, this would work. It's too bad I just bidded on a magic blinker. Oh well.

yep, thats a better explanation than i could think to make it simple. basically the buld sees a ground thru the other bulbs in the system, it is really a simple thing. you have to look at 12v as more than positive and ground. there is 12v and 0v. thats what makes the lights work like this. I been doing it for yrs. one good example is the idiot sticks all the big time truck drivers run on ends of bumpers. those are single element bulbs, without a common ground in the housing. two wires on one element. about every truck you see on road uses them for marker lights. I wire them so they work as markers, and an extra turn signal. drivers love it, and it is so easy to wire, almost easier than the normal way. we dont have 4 way hazards on ou bikes, but the same ground trick works for your car, moving two wires makes them do the wig wag thing when the 4 ways are on, instead of just all blink.

[jcwren]

Umm, my '06 does have a 4-way hazard flasher. And the reason I question whether this will work on a Kat or not is because the flasher is solid state. If you listen to and feel the module while it's blinking, you won't hear/feel any contact closures.

This indicates that it's mostly likely using an SCR (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon...lled_rectifier) to enable/disable the blinker. Running an SCR "in reverse" will either blow it, or just do nothing, depending on it's ratings.

And unlike older bikes, which did use an actual relay, the Kat will blink faster when a bulb is out. It does this by using the resistance of the bulb as part of the timing circuit.

Perhaps this will work on a Kat, I'm going on theory here. If you do this on a 99+ and it works, I'd love to know. I just don't feel like cutting up my wiring harness to find out.

[TheSteve]

If you do this on a pre wont your dashboard turn indicators always be lit? I'm looking at the wiring diagrams and it seems they would be. The rest of the idea I'm still not sure about either because I can't tell from the diagram if the sky blue wire that powers the signals from the relay goes negative or just neutral when the relay isnt energized. If it does go negative then it should work just fine minus the dash lights being on all the time. If it just holds the wire neutral (not showing power but not grounded either) it'll still be an open circuit.

I could be wrong here. Only way to test is with a voltmeter and I'm just looking at the diagram.

Edit: Seems some katanas are using 3 wire flasher relays but most are 2 wire. I don't think this stands any chance of working with the 2 wire units because there is no ground at all near the relay. The 3 wire units have a ground at the relay but I can't tell if the ground is connected to the blue wire or if its there for the relay coil or something.

[dieselguy65]

cant tell you anything about a 99+ Kat. it works on mine 93. and it only takes a 2 wire flasher, doesnt matter old electromechanical one or solid state. you are not putting any current thru anything in reverse. and you are not cutting up any wiring harness. at least i didnt. just unplug the bullet connectors and move the connections.
it really is that simple, no need to study diagrams, and overthink it.

[fattymcackerman]

It does work fine with the '95, and should with others. Thanks for the tip, dieselguy. Before my bike was "borrowed" and stripped I soldered together some parts from the electronic store to do this. I almost bought something to do this for me this time. I like free bike mods.

[squiggy]

Well, I tried dieselguy's wiring setup today as my left side Magic Blinker stopped working. It did not work for me. I have a 2001 Kat and in looking at the wiring diagram between the pre's and the post's, it looks like the post's are more electronic in the flasher relay. In the pre wiring diagram it looks like a simple 2-wire or 2-pin relay. Looking at the post wiring diagram I can see a diode of some sort in the flasher relay.

I tried physically wiring it the way dieselguy described and it did not work the way that he stated. Depending on which wires I hooked up, the turn signal would light up 100% but did not flash, would light up maybe 20% and flash very weakly or light up 20% and not flash at all. One of the latter two also caused the turn signal light on the dash to light up around 20% as well.

[hiboy53]

Front Turn Signal Running Light Conversion

I'm in the process of trying to make the front signal lights "running" lights on my 2006 Kat as well...

I plan on changing the single filament sockets on the front lights over to duel filament sockets from the rear brake/tail lights and using dual filament amber or white bulbs.

I'll hook the "low" 5W side to the "run-light" circuit on the lite above the head lights. I'll try using a relay in the left and right turn circuits to switch the low side "off" and activate the "high" side 20W signal.

Has anyone tried this before..??? Does this sound like it will work...???

[squiggy]

That's sounds like it would work. I do know that the dual filament rear brake light socket will fit right onto the front turn signal. I toyed with that idea as well.

For the relay, you'll probably need something like a SPDT relay.



This way the NC (normally closed) 87 circuit will power the running lights and then when you trigger the turn signal (87a), the relay will shut off the running light and power the brighter turn signal lamp. However, what will show is a dim-bright-dim-bright, etc. oscillation, instead of off-on-off-on. You might very well get the same results with powering the running light constantly and then have the brighter turn signals function normally without the relay.

The main reason I went with the running light gizmo is that the running light functions at 100% brightness and the turn signals still operate as off-on-off-on, etc.

[hiboy53]

Front Turn Signal Running Light Conversion

Thanks for the relay schematic.... That's pretty much how I thought it should work.

I got my OEM parts today (Cheap Cycle Parts)...

I think I'll try running the fronts without the relay first to see if the difference between the "high" side signal "pulse" will be bright enough over the "low" side of the running light.

If it works I will only have added the extra 10 W current draw from the low side and it shouldn't interfere with the signal relay.

Thanks again for the reply/help... I've been reading this forum for a year now and have found it to be very useful.

[greentreena]

I just did this mod, I bought 2 univeral 1157 sockets and slightly modified the turn signal housing so the new sockets fit, ran the marker light wire and spliced into the wire feeding the light about the headlight. Very easy and looks great.... not sure why Suzuki didn't do this in the first place.