Triumphrat

karlelvis · 05-22-2010, 02:25 PM

I'm preparing to launch on a list of several mods to my '09 Thurxton.

The first one is adding a fairing (which is pretty simple); the Emgo from Bella Corse.

But the thing that's got me puzzled is the turn signals. For unknown reasons, Triumph decided that the right place to put the Thrux signals is exactly where fairings all hits (which is both an ugly spot for them, and REALLY in the way).

So no problem, there are a bazillion turn signal options.

Here's where I get lost. I haven't fooled with motorcycle wiring EVER, and I haven't done anything with automotive wiring since installing my own stereos in the '80s in old Toyota trucks. So I'm hesitant to stat cutting or unplugging anything until I have some vague concept of what goes where.

If anyone's got a good site or guide to Bonnie/Thrux wiring, that would rule.

Short of that, a few questions:

-how do I disconnect the front turn signals ? It kind if looks like the wires dive into the head light. I want to simply remove the front signals for now, so I can fit the fairing, and then identify which signals I need to wire and add them shortly. This is really my main question.

Also:
- if I'm wiring in LEDs, do I have to convert front and rear at the same time?

- I'm seeing conflicting reports on LED conversion: some say add I need to add a resistor, some say I need to add a relay, one sight says I need to add a "Signal Stabilizer". My main question is, where the hell does this thing go, for the front signals? DO I wire in under the seat someplace to support both front and rear LEDs or so I have to put it in line up near the fronts (like, for instance, inside the fairing).

Thanks folks.

(next on the list after this, I'm doing the ignition relocation, and then FEK and suspension upgrades, but I'm trying to start with the cheaper/easier items for quick gratification)

--Karl

karlelvis · 05-22-2010, 04:06 PM

So after articulating the question, I figured out part 1; yes, the turn signal connectors are inside the headlight. It's as easy as removing the front of the headlight, identifying four little connectors, un-clipping them, and then then wiggling them out of the back of the light.

Sometimes asking the question clearly leads oneself to the answer. B^)

From there all I had to do was un-bolt the turn signals and wiggle the connectors out through the brackets and nuts.

The fairing looks great (teh gold trim happens to perfectly match the black/gold of my Thurxton).

Turn signals will be solved next once I figure out the LED issues.

mondokat · 05-22-2010, 04:14 PM

If I were you, I'd go for one of the "bolt-on" replacement things from newbonneville.com. You could go with the whole she-bang:

http://newbonneville.com/html/comple...light_kit.html

or just get the wiring kit, to add whatever turn signals you had in mind:

http://newbonneville.com/html/wiring_harness.html

That way, all you do is plug and unplug. Very easy stuff. if I am ever in need of turn signals or rear lighting, i'm definitely going this route...

karlelvis · 06-13-2010, 04:12 AM

After a lot of research and fiddling around, I got this together.

Once I figured out a key point (all the wiring is in the headlight), the rest of it got pretty simple.

I do wish there was a really good page on this someplace; I guess I have to make it.

What I wound up doing was to buy a pair of really cheap, crummy turn signals at my local Cycle Gear shop, just to get it going. I cut the OEM connectors off my stock turns and wired 'em onto the cheapo signals I got (the quick and sloppy way, twisted the ends and taped 'em up).

That worked for the short term just fine.

I wound up mounting them on the sides of my fairing (The 'cafe racer' bikini fairing from Bella Corse, IE, the Emgo Viper), using the existing screw holes so I wouldn't have to make any new holes for the time being.

Meanwhile, I ordered some LED lights from Joker Machine when I bought by ignition relocator.

The thing that got me was that every site I checked said something different about the wiring. Joker said I just needed to wire in a 'diode kit' from Küryakyn, where the other sites I checked (custom dynamics and others) said I needed a load equalizer. It took me quite a lot of reading to figure out there are two problems with LED turns.

- first, there's the idiot light issue. Since the Bonnie had one idiot light, with both sides wired though it, LED lights will typically cause both sides to flash together, because of the lack of electrical resistance. That's what the diode kit is for, but the diode kit requires some cutting-and-splicing of wires that are frankly kind of hard to get at.

- Second, there's the 'fast flash' problem (your turn signals will rapid-flash), because, again, the stock relay won't see the low-resistance LEDs as a load on the wires. This looks the same way it'll look if you have a turn signal bulb out.

I was somewhat stumped about this, because the solutions seemed both expensive (the load equalizers get up near a hundred bucks, at least for the ones recommended by Custom Dynamics), and required some wire surgery I didn't really want to do.

It wasn't until I grasped the parts of the problem that the, pardon the pun, lightbulb went on over my head.

What I realized was that both solutions were easy, and readily available.

The idiot light is neatly solved by the 'idiot light kit' from New Bonneville; not only does it get me nice bright idiot lights, but it also serves the same purpose as the diode kit, removing the 'all lights flash' issue, a feature of a mod I already was going to do.

The relay is easily solved by replacing the stock relay (under the left panel; to find it, just follow the click!), with fairly standard relay, the K&S 24-00005. Said relay can be ordered from Amazon, or from Biker Highway, and is the exact same one Mike offers at Bella Corse: http://www.bellacorse.com/bcc169.htm .

Wiring for the rears could not have been easier, because as part of this I put in a FEK from British Customs, which has the advantage of having a complete plug-and-play wiring harness; I just crimped bullet connectors to my new rear turn signals, and plugged 'em into the appropriate connectors on the FEK harness (Using the aft relocator brackets from NewBoneville.

I'm really happy with the result, and the whole thing couldn't have been much easier, once I figured out what the hell it was I needed to do.

vanderstorm · 10-16-2010, 10:43 PM

This was very helpful. Big thanks!

arodnyc · 09-22-2011, 12:25 PM

So just so i'm clear you were able to install Joker LED with stock wiring just by installing the LED Idot light conversion kit and Mechanical Flasher conversion???

No Diode or wire cutting needed???

karlelvis · 09-22-2011, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arodnyc

So just so i'm clear you were able to install Joker LED with stock wiring just by installing the LED Idot light conversion kit and Mechanical Flasher conversion???

No Diode or wire cutting needed???

Yep. It was just that simple. No load EQ, no wire tomfoolery, just the idiot light and a new relay.

I love my joker lights. Joker stuff is so awesome.