Converting Blinkers to Running Lights

[Wagoneer]

Has anyone wired up their blinkers to stay on all the time as running lights and still flash when you put the blinker on? Is there an easy way to do this? I'm being lazy and hoping somebody has done this before I dive into the wiring diagrams.

The reason for this is just strictly more visibility at night. I live in a bad city with a lot of horrible drivers and the more light the better.

[Paulcet]

Nope, don't think anyone here has done it...
You can install dual filament indicators and run another wire, or change wiring and add a relay.

[fetor56]

Car drivers are easily confused, & something out of the ordinary just adds to their confusion. 

[Wagoneer]

Almost every single newer cruiser (and even plenty of sport and sport tourers) and every other motor vehicle here is sold with amber running lights, how is this out of the ordinary? Any extra light is good in my mind, just make sure it falls under the correct colour codes for passenger vehicles.

There are plenty of write ups out there to convert other models so I'll see if I can find a wiring diagram of our bikes and get to work. If I'm successful I'll write up a how-to if there's any interest.

[fetor56]

"out of the ordinary" refers to a combined indicator/running light.Here in Australia it is illegal & it probably is also in your country.

[ThatOtherGuy]

http://www.safetysolutions.com.au/motorcycle-safety-gear/signalminder-turn-signal-auto-cancellation

Built-in options such as Running Light Conversion, allows you to convert all the turn signals to running lights

[Leadberry]

"out of the ordinary" refers to a combined indicator/running light.Here in Australia it is illegal & it probably is also in your country.

There is nothing "out of the ordinary" nor illegal about this in the United States.  Like a previous poster already stated, many newer bikes come equipped with running lights from the factory.

[Janx101]

"out of the ordinary" refers to a combined indicator/running light.Here in Australia it is illegal & it probably is also in your country.

hrrrm.... i dunno... not calling  !! .. not at all.. but have you been told specifically that its not possible fetor? and who did the telling? .... if its all legit and enforcable then none of the following applies...

i dont claim to be a legal authority on this .. but.. i remember reading that blinkers must flash between x and y times per min, have a minimum brightness, no cracked lenses, be of the certified permissible colours ... have viewable angles of between x and y ..etc
...
but i dont actually recall seeing anything about whether it must remain unlit when not in use as an indicator? ... sure its gotta flash correctly .. but when not being used as an indicator... can it be solidly lit? ..

(after searching for the aust rules on vehicle indicators.... AND finding that a lot of them are also international rules .. which seems to mean so long as they have approved markings on the lenses from an international source that is also acknowledged by australia)...  ..... i read/skimmed through it.... thought about it a little... and then re-read certain parts which zero'd in on particular aspects...

I still cannot find anything that says you CANNOT have an indicator solidly lit while not being used as such..... i can find several mentions of the indicator must not be brighter lit at night than it is by day .. (ie .. you cant have a 21w for day and a jury rigged 50w halogen or something at night... or in other words.. your light emissions must be consistent) .... and another bit mentioning where more than two filaments are present then the 'marker lamp' filament must NOT be brighter than the indicator filament ... which i see as... you could have maybe a 10w bulb for a marker lamp (which also must conform to marker lamp colours/angles/luminosity) .. but then have a 21w bulb as your indicator .... i think? ... there are several mentions of german marked lamps/lenses and other countries too (under the international acceptable standards bit) ..

i would have to wonder if this type of bulb ... normally used as a brake and tail lamp bulb .. could be used in a correct type of bulb holder and wired so the 5w part only lit up with the rest of your normal running lights?..... so long as the indicator light was of higher intensity ..

as an aside.. fair few mates have run foul of the law when replacing their rear indicators (doing a tail tidy) .. with integrated tail/turn units .. main reason being is that the minimum distance between the indicators is not compliant (for purposes of determining direction of indication)... one of the mates did his integrated unit and ALSO put mini led indicators (on his R1) in the normal positions... he has been pulled up about the integrated unit but seeing as the mini led units DO provide the distance required ... they have not booked him for it.. .... yet...

i think possibly .. that if 'we' were to obtain a combination marker/indicator lamp/lens from overseas that DID have the correct wiring within it... and DID have the necessary design numbers (even international ones which in other cases are 'accepted' by the ADR people) for road use ... then installed it in the correct position on the bike.... it might be ok... ??

i just cant see anything in the ruling i looked at .. http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2006C00784 ... which specifically prohibits a combo unit.. when mounted in the correct position.... ??

maybe someone else can spot that bit?... i started to get an eye ache after 10 mins or so 

just a series of 'thinks' eh... if I'm not correct then thats cool... i'll accept 'higher knowledge' .. as long as its from an approved source 

[BockinBboy]

I just thought about this when I was riding in the evening the other day and took note of vehicle running lights.  Only thing I could think of being a problem is if running lights had to be a certain color in the front or rear, but I dunno. Seems there are certain rules to the colors of lights shown in the front of a vehicle vs the back that tell an onlooker exactly which way a car is facing, such as red for the rear only. I just don't know for sure what or if it such rules pertain to running lights without further looking.

- Bboy

[jacob92icu]

I saw a CBR that had glowing red running lights for his blinkers and when they were actually blinking they would blink white, it looked awesome and I think its a great idea.

[Janx101]

yeah the different colours allowed in different countries make it a challenge...

from watching old yankee movies .. you see solid red tail/brake light lenses.. and one part (or sometimes all of it) will just flash red when you indicate...

in aussie they do have to be amber/orange ..

but running lights... only real thing i have actually seen and compare it to currently is trucks....

along the sides.... you can have orange only... or orange for forward half and red for rear half... versions of this or for leds

UK based products show this or variants of...

USA shows a mix of a lot of different ones...

but thats trucks/semi trailer type stuff... and in a few cases i have seen a orange side marker lamp that had 2 bulbs... a 5-10w for marker and a 18-21w for indicator... half way along trailer ... just a repeater basically...

harley trikes get to use side marker lamps... but because they are wider/different wheel configuration?? ...

usually though the LEOS just revert back to "not standard so not allowed" when they booking you... it should be "i dont know exactly so im gonna book you and let the court sort it out if you wanna go there".. 

[Wagoneer]

Well, considering there are motorcycles sold with solid amber rear and front running lights in Canada, that it is completely legal. There only rules are you need at least one rear facing solid red light and one forward facing white light to legally drive at night with any vehicle (aside from brake lights, blinkers blah blah). You also cannot have more than four white forward facing lights (which is why all off-road vehicles must put opaque caps over their aux lights while on the street). I know you cannot have any coloured lights other than white, amber and red because that would be impersonating an emergency vehicle or any sort of alternating red, white or amber blinking light for the same reason. You also cannot have white rear facing lights when in a forward gear nor red forward facing lights.

So... I can't really see anything illegal about what I'm going to attempt. Just lets me be seen better at night. This is coming from the HTA of Ontario, can't speak for other provinces or states (or countries).

[Janx101]

mmm yeah.. sounds legit... if there are other motorcycles that use that system then why not!... only minor glitch is... do they run a combo light?... ie , solid on amber that also flashes to off OR solid on amber that brightens to indicate? .... OR do they run an additional mount and lens that is on a separate set of wires completely? ..

if its an all-in-one .. then schweet! .. go grab a set from whatever brand they belong to and see if you can do a minor mod to fit them up!!..

..... personally i'd like to do this mod ..

but then someone would probably think the red rocket noses were forward facing red lights.. and i'd get pulled over for non standard lighting!! .. how embarrassment!! 

[ThatOtherGuy]

Older cars in Aus used to have combination front parking lights/indicators.  I remember my old HT holden having white front parking lights that flashed as indicators.  I added some amber colouring to them to make them orange.  From memory the HQ holdens had amber front running lights that flashed as indicators.

As for distances, for front the centres must at least 350mm and the rears, 180mm.  I did a nice conversion on the Bandit running LED strips either side of the number plate at the rear and the same LEDs under the front fairing scoop thus being able to remove the stalks which were replaced with CBR flush mounts.

[fetor56]

Janx101.......I contacted the South Australian Department Of Transport(Vehicle Inspection Section) & they said running lights need to be white in color & indicators amber in color,& they can't both be located in the same housing.

[noworries]

...and don't get them started on blue dots on stop lights....................................................

[Janx101]

Janx101.......I contacted the South Australian Department Of Transport(Vehicle Inspection Section) & they said running lights need to be white in color & indicators amber in color,& they can't both be located in the same housing.

hmm Sth Aust, a suspicious bunch of coves if i ever saw such! 

.. ahh ok.. that seems to be the newer way of things, did they say for all vehicles? .. or heavy vehicles? or bikes?.. have seen white 'top clearance' lights on trucks facing forward at top of pantech/trailer etc ... but even the new trailers have amber along the sides...

so.. if they do mean just bikes... i wonder how they reconcile that with the white forward/red rearward ruling?... not arguing the point with you.. just thinking how it fits in ..

and that may or may not be a Sth Aust state only ruling? .. and also a enforcement loophole... in their favour... running/clearance lights to be white ... and no rearwards facing white light (unless its a number plate but they point down and are shielded from rearwards projection) ... so in effect .. "sure fellas you can have running lights that are white, but whoops!! that white light can be seen from back here which means you are in trouble!" ...  ....

not both in the same housing is straightforward enough ... although i mainly blame the general "muppet brained public" perception capabilities for that one... which the law makers have to pander to ... "ooooeerooeeer!, davo that orange light is on!... but not blinking, duz that mean that bloke is just thinking about maybe turning?" ..  ... and not being able to figure out even simple crap like roundabouts, merge lanes, normal lane positioning, keep left unless overtaking, safe gap distances, situational awareness, dont block intersections... come to think of it... 3/4 of the friggin rulebook! 

...and don't get them started on blue dots on stop lights....................................................

ye gods no!!.. imagine their frothing underpants situ if they saw a blue dot on a stop light that was contained in a little skull?!  ... well then Sir! .. you may as well be a ... Viking axe wielding maniac hopped up on meth thats hellbent on raping asian dwarf children with downs syndrome!! 

or these? holy crap!! .. tire valve caps! ..

... but why does this guy get away with it?

[noworries]

Janx, whatever it is, it's probably best you stop smoking it for a while before it does you irreperable and irreversable damage.

[Janx101]

hmmm ... cheeky bugger! .. 

ok .. you an Aussie... but a young aussie of the Y gen? .. (the 'give me all of everything with no consequences' mob )

or an import Aussie?

cos Brother Cods and Brother Mister and Brother Slips and Brother Yama (our honorary Aussie  ) .. plus i reckon Brother Jester and Brother EJ .... plus a few others... who have been trained in the Aussie-dom ..

... would have got that last post of mine.... granted they may not agree ... and may give me stick about it.... but would have got it!!..

however ... you just think i smoking paint chips or something?... hmmmm



you think my online stuff is bad or confused and rambling... it isnt an act just for online... thats me IRL too ... best you take a panadol beforehand if we ever meet up and chat!! 

[ThatOtherGuy]

....

... but why does this guy get away with it?

Because he has no combustion engine.  I have researched it and bicycles are not covered under vehicle modification legislation.  It specifically exempts vehicles powered by human propulsion.  Well in Qld anyway.