Flasher Wiring

Okay, I'm a little confuzzled.

Right flashers, front and rear, use the dark green wire, which has 12V when the right flasher is ON (signalling). Left flashers, front and rear, use the brown wire, which has 12V when the left flasher is ON (signalling).

However, it gets confusing from there.

In both front and back, I have a two-wire connector on a black wire. The wiring diagram shows this as the ground, which makes perfect sense, EXCEPT...

The two flashers I have for this bike ground through the chassis. Applying 12V to one wire lights the "running" light and applying 12V to the other wire lights the "signalling" light (two-way bulbs and fixtures).

So are these not stock flashers? Do your flashers come on as "running" lights all the time (even when not signalling)? If not, did you chuck the stock lights and re-wire your bike to use two-way lights like I have?

It wouldn't surprise me in the least if I have non-stock, weirdo lights. It's just a little odd because I ALSO found a two-wire connector on the brown wire that comes out of the "turn" pilot light in the dash that has nothing attached to it. :/ ALSO found yellow and light blue leads with nothing attached to them (covered in - you guessed it! - electrical tape) that are the same colors as the yellow and blue wires for the high beam pilot light (which works).

What in the world is going on here?

--J

 

Which bike is this? Neither of mine have running lights... They don't ground through the chassis either.

Stick a multimeter on the taped-off ends.. see if one or two of them gets 12V when the ignition is on.

 

Virago had those "Always-On" Amber front signal-running lights in the Mid-80's.

There's no reason you CAN'T wire them Hot for your Bike.
You have to run the running light to a +12V Line inn the headlight bucket and the signal light to their regular hook-up.

The running light stays on and the signal light makes it brighter when the signal is flashing.

It's cool looking to have those Ambers ON ... especially at night.

 

Okay, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't crazy, and I agree that they look much cooler with the running lights on, and the headlight bucket even has the extra connectors for it.

What was confusing me was that there was no such hookup in the back. But now that I compare to the CBR, on that bike the front flashers act as running lights, but the back ones are off unless they're in use. I guess that's how they are all supposed to be?

I think I also confused myself by looking at the back lights on the Seca. The left rear has a brown wire and a black wire. But I think that was misleading as well, since I think that particular flasher uses a wired ground, rather than through the frame, so the dual wires just mislead me.

So all is well and things make sense. Back to replacing the rear brake light switch, flasher relay, oil light switch... At least all my diodes work!

Thanks, Rick.

Stereo, it's the '82 XJ650J Maxim. There is a light brown two-wire connector in the headlight bucket that gets 12V when the bike has power. I haven't tested if it loses 12V when the flashers are on, but I suspect that it doesn't, based on the CBR (opposite "running light" stays on when the other is flashing).

--J