How well will the addition of 6 volt turn signals work on a stock 57 pan? How about while the headlight, tail light and brake light are all on at the same time? Any recent experience with 6 volt LED's. The post I saw in the knowledge base are a little old regarding LED's. Also, as to LED's, I tried to experiment with an 1157 style LED in a 1990's type stock HD turn signal unit. The base of the LED bulb interfered with the reflector before the stem of the bulb could fully seat in the socket. A stock 1157 bulb has a taper that flares out from the base and the reflector is designed to accept the bulb, the LED is too broad at the base. Are there LED's that will fit or are there lamp housings that would work? I once found a west coast outfit that made custom LED "boards" as opposed to bulbs. I have lost their name. They offered a service that would make light boards for any housing if you sent a sample. I found them by googling " LED, vintage motorcycle" I have since not been able to find them, maybe they folded.
Thanks,
6 volt turn signals
Forum rules
Please start new topics here: New Panhead and Flathead topics
Please start new topics here: New Panhead and Flathead topics
-
FlatHeadSix
- Senior Member
- Posts: 2682
- Joined: Sat May 29, 2004 8:21 am
- Bikes: '31 VL, '34 VD, '45 WLA, '47 WL, '49 FL, '51 WL, '58 ST (Hummer), '71 GE (Servi)
- Location: Lonoke, Arkansas
- Has thanked: 5 times
- Been thanked: 49 times
Re: 6 volt turn signals
scrap,
I have been running 6 volt turn signals on my '49 FL for years with no problems at all. The lamp housings are all standard Guide DH-49 bullets with single filament bulbs and they seem to be bright enough. I experimented with LED bulbs but had the same luck you did trying to get them to fit inside a bullet. The other problem with the LED bulbs is that they do not have enough resistance to trigger a standard flasher so you have to put a resistor in the circuit that will provide the same load as a pair of incandescent bulbs or it won't flash.
If you get the correct bulbs they work just fine, most of the vendors are selling "running" or "marker" bulbs that are not as bright as an actual turn signal bulb. I'll try to look tomorrow to see what # bulbs I have in them and where I got them.
mike
I have been running 6 volt turn signals on my '49 FL for years with no problems at all. The lamp housings are all standard Guide DH-49 bullets with single filament bulbs and they seem to be bright enough. I experimented with LED bulbs but had the same luck you did trying to get them to fit inside a bullet. The other problem with the LED bulbs is that they do not have enough resistance to trigger a standard flasher so you have to put a resistor in the circuit that will provide the same load as a pair of incandescent bulbs or it won't flash.
If you get the correct bulbs they work just fine, most of the vendors are selling "running" or "marker" bulbs that are not as bright as an actual turn signal bulb. I'll try to look tomorrow to see what # bulbs I have in them and where I got them.
mike
-
UPSROD
- Member
- Posts: 448
- Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2009 6:18 pm
- Bikes: 58 FLH 65 FLH 81 FXB 04 FLHRSI
- Location: PACIFIC NORTHWEST
- Has thanked: 1 time
- Been thanked: 37 times
Re: 6 volt turn signals
Scrap, I have the 6 volt signals on my 58. After a lot of searching I had to order a box of 10 from an auto parts store. They work great. They are the correct # 1129. I still use my ARM most of the time.....Rod
-
panz4ever
- Senior Member
- Posts: 697
- Joined: Sat Jun 05, 2004 5:55 pm
- Bikes: EL, FXE & FLH
- Has thanked: 24 times
- Been thanked: 69 times
Re: 6 volt turn signals
Couple of sources for you (first is LED only)
http://www.superbrightleds.com (think what what you want are BA9 or BA7)
http://www.classicandvintagebulbs.com
www.donsbulbs.com
http://www.superbrightleds.com (think what what you want are BA9 or BA7)
http://www.classicandvintagebulbs.com
www.donsbulbs.com