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Turn Signal Ignorance

cooljerk

cooljerk

Training Wheels
I'm a new Connie rider. One thing I have noticed is that I am not cancelling my turn signals when I should. Very Bad! :-\
The turn indicators on the dash aren't very visible (for me) because they are so far below the line of sight and because of bright ambient light. Another issue is that I am new to this bike and my autopilot has not had enough training to turn the damn things off each and every time.
I'll bet some of you have come up with fixes for this, like an audible alarm or adding additional lights on the dash or windscreen to get them in line of sight...?
 
Your turn is not complete until you cancel the signal. It's just a part of the turn, any turn. Now hit the gas....!
 
Usually I'm pretty good at turning them off, but there have been a few times where I've ridden a dozen blocks with the blinker going because there are too many other things to look at. When I finally do turn it off, I just tell myself that I did myself a favor by looking incompetent to all the cars around me, which made them more wary of where I'd go next.  :)
 
Murph used to sell brighter bulbs.
I have them,  but even with them, I too have left the blinkers on. (Everyone has)

I've considered adding a beeper. (Something obnoxious) so (after I embarrass myself because I didn't hear it, and everyone else DID) ,,, I'll never forget again!

Ride safe, Ted
 
I added the GTR1400 / Concours 14 '08-'13 LED Mirror Kit  from Projekt D which flashes the turn signal in my side mirror. I am happy with the product but still go far too long before canceling the turn signal!
 
Anyone know of someone using this signal minder on a C100 with success?


The idea of not having self-cancelling turn signals was annoying, but not annoying enough to keep me from buying the bike after I rode it!


:great:
 
Well, I went shopping on e-bay. There are some cheap Yamaha FZ6/Fazer flush mount turn signals that might work. I ordered them. I'll let you all know how they work. http://www.ebay.com/itm/300916525282?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
I plan to mount them on top of the dash near the screen vent holes. That way I won't fail to notice them as they light up the fairing. They are also another set of lights for iron beasts to notice before pulling out in front of me. They are small, smoke colored when not lit, so they should be nearly invisible when not in use.
 
I have a beeper installed on my C10, which I added when I owned a Voyager XII simultaneously.

The Voyager had self cancelling TS's and I switched back and forth between the bikes all the time. 

The Voyager was just right, turning off the signals during freeway lane changes and for turns.  Coming back to the C10 - I would forget.  Everyone said, 'just remember to turn it off', but it didn't work. 

Now a beeper has its drawbacks.  You need one loud enough to hear even at freeway speed, so imagine sitting in a left turn lane for 45 seconds with a loud beeper going off every other second.  Not good.

I wired mine to a relay so that it would only beep if the brake light was NOT lit.

The Voyager has been gone for a few years now and I have been cured from Turn Signal Forgetitus, and disconnected the beeper.

Contact RWulf for his solution.  He uses a vibrator embedded in the seat foam instead of an audible beeper.
 
I'd like to hear more about the vibrator in the seat foam! Now there's a FARKLE! or is that FARTKLE? :))
 
How any bike/road vehicle could come without self cancelling blinkers is beyond me. How's this sound?  Push the blinker switch once for 15 seconds twice for 30 and three times for no delay if you're so inclined. Make it a standard feature like keeping the headlights on and not able to start with kickstand down while in gear....

Who's gonna build it  :)) ?
 
Behavior modification. Whether you learn to turn them off or let the machine do it for you, you have been trained. Me, I have added as part of my cornering sequence. When bike becomes vertical after turn, push button to reset/center switch.

But, let them take away every decision you have to make to ride the bike...you might as well drive a cage cuz they even park for you now(no intent to segway). JMO
 
Its already built and for sale , Signal Dynamics Self-Canceling Turn Signal Module 01501. If putting this device on my bike and it is never used because of my attention  to blinker turning off-ing  :) hooray me! But if it saves my azz just once when my concentration slips after a long hot day in the saddle...hooray modern technology ! :beerchug:
 
SugarRay said:
Its already built and for sale , Signal Dynamics Self-Canceling Turn Signal Module 01501. If putting this device on my bike and it is never used because of my attention  to blinker turning off-ing  :) hooray me! But if it saves my azz just once when my concentration slips after a long hot day in the saddle...hooray modern technology ! :beerchug:
Click to expand...

Anybody using the Signal Dynamics device on here?  Wondering what the difference is between it and the Kisan Tech SM-3?
 
handyman said:
Behavior modification. Whether you learn to turn them off or let the machine do it for you, you have been trained. Me, I have added as part of my cornering sequence. When bike becomes vertical after turn, push button to reset/center switch.

But, let them take away every decision you have to make to ride the bike...you might as well drive a cage cuz they even park for you now(no intent to segway). JMO
Click to expand...

This. For me it's just up-shifting, and I find I am often canceling the turn signal more than once, as I run up through the gears, and occasionally will catch myself pushing the button after up-shifting when I had never even turn them on. Does that guarantee I will never forget... well no, but I don't really care at that point, if I rarely forget.
 
If you don't use them then u cant forget to cancel them! Plus I hear the bulbs last much longer that way too!
Matt
 
Keep up the good work you two... :rotflmao:

Forget to forget this "turn signal" stuff Matt...
Just start kickin' and flashin' those SIZE 13 Alpinestars out on either side when you're turning and call it "foot-flashing"!
 
I'm diggin' the shoes bro! Cant wait to plant one o' them size 13's in the quarter panel of some dipsh2t that cuts me off!
Matt
 
Ha Ha I am the guy with the vibrator in the seat. The bike seat that is.
It works great! Also get girls interested. Great way to meet them. I also
leave the turn signal on when traveling on long trips.
 
If you are over 50 years old, (like me) you can just leave one blinking all the time, that's acceptable. 

If you're over 60, I think it's actually required. ;D
 
Used to have a riding buddy that would never cancel his turn signal. Many times cars would pull out in front of us because of this. Riding requires hyper awareness to survive. If you are not cancelling your turn signal, what else are you missing. I don't listen to the radio or anything else when I ride. Concentrate! Like anything, if you keep practicing, it will become automatic.
 
Safety features are designed for the lowest common denominator. Or-- the dumbest person who uses the product. 

While I cancel my signal 98 times out of 100, it only takes one time of Murphy striking to cause a bad day. On a machine that doesnt think I'm smart enough to control how much front and back brake I apply, I cant understand why it trusts me to turn off the signal. With traction control and linked/ abs brakes (expensive safety safety features),  it still baffles me as to why such a fine machine doesn't include self canceling signals.

It kind of hurts my feelings to know that I'm the dumbest among Kawasaki Concours riders because I NEED self canceling signals. As soon as I hit the post box, I'm headed over to custom dynamics to see what their system looks like. I'm hoping someone who has them installed posts here.
 
astros50 said:
It kind of hurts my feelings to know that I'm the dumbest among Kawasaki Concours riders because I NEED self canceling signals. As soon as I hit the post box, I'm headed over to custom dynamics to see what their system looks like. I'm hoping someone who has them installed posts here.
Click to expand...

I had the Kisan modual on my FZ1 it did exactly what it said as promised and canceled after 30 seconds and turned my flasher unit( oem unit was removed) into a bit of a novelty like parade mode where you can look like a dork with all flashers going off slightly out of sync
 
I was just thinking about this on my way to work this morning, because I realized why my blinkers get left on on occasion.

I was making a right hand turn, blinker on, and as I'm bringing the bike upright, there is a car in front of me in my lane who had just come out of a driveway. I am now needing to change into the left lane, but I'm already reaching for the cancel signal button, and I don't press it hard enough to actually turn it off. I wonder if I pressed it hard enough, so I glance down very quickly at the dash signal and it is off, so I proceed on my merry way. At the light 2 blocks later, I realize that my glance must have been during the off phase, because the blinker is still on.

I think my turn signal doesn't get cancelled when I'm too busy dealing with more important things.
 
I think the Kisan unit is right up my alley. I am not ashamed to admit the Scala gets a reminder from my buddy every once in a while "Heyyyyyy Blinker BOy" to tell me I did not get it turned off . I try really hard but I drive many different vehicles each week...most manuals... and I am thankful for the self cancelling sigs on my Mean Streak, Civic Si, GMC 5 speed truck as they take care of an extra function while I am one hand on the wheel and one on the shifter in the 4 wheels and while I am sorting out the line and watching/accounting for  oncoming traffic on the bike and accelerating.

I know that makes me an inferior rider. I put about 20k on a year and try to get better EVERY ride but I fear I may never conquer the turn signal.....so Kisan is gonna save my butt in those situations where I do not get it cancelled.
 
I felt compelled to add my .02 to the idea of canceling turn signals.

I had an issue not realizing I had my turn signal on and I decided to find a time during the turn when I could make canceling the turn signal part of the turn.

Considering we are just talking about making a turn through an intersection I have made it a habit to cancel my signal right after I drop it into second gear. It's usually just before the halfway point through the turn. And since I typically stick to second until I exit out of cornering, this method has proved pretty consistent for me. These days it's just second nature.


Maybe for the fellas that want more of an additional light or something, why not install a tiny led bulb towards the top of the dash that runs off of the same circuit as the idiot lights on the dash?  It would be small, not intrusive of the styling of the bike and it will be noticeable enough day or night to remind you.
 
I saw somewhere where a motorcyclist had installed two miniature lights on his dash that were wired to his turn signals. this way he would see the lights flashing and cancel them.
 
mellow yellow said:
I saw somewhere where a motorcyclist had installed two miniature lights on his dash that were wired to his turn signals. this way he would see the lights flashing and cancel them.
Click to expand...


UUhhhhh...... didn't your Connie already come with those? 
 
I tend to forget more often when lane changing or exiting from a multi lane. I also have a "clutch in, signal off" routine for cornering, but the highway maneuvers still catch me riding with the signal on occasionally. Had self cancelling signals on my '82 Sabre, they worked great and I still miss them.  ???
 
Nosmo said:
mellow yellow said:
I saw somewhere where a motorcyclist had installed two miniature lights on his dash that were wired to his turn signals. this way he would see the lights flashing and cancel them.
Click to expand...


UUhhhhh...... didn't your Connie already come with those?
Click to expand...
they were mounted on the top of the dash and I believe they were led's so that they were more noticeble.
 
Packmule said:
There's this from the C-10 tech pages...
http://www.cog-online.org/clubportal/clubstatic.cfm?clubID=1328&pubmenuoptID=29655
It's an older post, so I don't know if the Radio Shack P/N's are still good. Might go find out myself.
Click to expand...

I used that same buzzer/tone chime for my ignition on warning (also from the COG Tech pages, under C14 KIPASS warning buzzer) and it's tone doesn't penetrate ear plugs very well. I imagine that when moving with a helmet on that it wouldn't work well for many, but maybe I'm just half deaf.
I put side firing LED strips in my mirrors and that has cut way down on my leaving the  turn signal on too long incidents, although that wasn't the original reason for the install.
The vibrating seat is interesting. I felt it (or one like it) at the Idaho National during the best bike contest, eh..with my hand  :great:. I think if I ever went that route that I'd make it so it doesn't vibrate when the bike is in neutral even if the signal is on (sorry ladies, and gents so inclined) as once my mind is set up to ignore something, it tends to keep doing it too long and then what's the point?  :D

i-VtqvM2z-M.jpg

 
The indicator lights on the Connie are huge compared to the ones that were on my Guzzi.  I seldom miss the flash any more.
 
You can either stick a notice on the inside of your screen saying "Turn Signals?" or else get 2 yellow 12V LEDs and wire them in parallel with the turn signals.
I have friends who have done both and they both seemed to work for them.
Remember this is a 1986 bike design and back then the self canceling systems on bikes were rubbish, the few that had them.
Mind you the C14 doesn't have them either but I never missed them.
I rode a friends 1990 Kawasaki GT750 and that had them but I hated them. Always cancelled before I was ready.
 
Boomer said:
Remember this is a 1986 bike design and back then the self canceling systems on bikes were rubbish, the few that had them.
Click to expand...

The self cancelling signals on my '82 Honda V45 Sabre always seemed to work just fine. I always wondered why other bikes didn't have them.
 
The self cancelling turn signals on my 82 Vision also work great, could not believe it when I got my 2000 Connie this summer it didn't have em.  I know the Connie has the dash lights but after a turn you are usually in a traffic situation where your eyes are UP and SCANNING the road-not looking down and picking out the dash lights.  I like the idea of something blinking up higher, may look into that. 
 
There were self cancelling turns on the 80 (or 81?) LTD440 I used to have for the kids.  Seemed to work ok on the rare occasion we used it - the bike was mostly used in the yard for practice/stability.  it was built into the switch housing, a big box hanging below the switch.
 
My old CB750 Honda sohc had a great signal beeper. Wonder if one could be wire in to a C-14? A great item that never failed.
 
wahrsuul said:
There were self cancelling turns on the 80 (or 81?) LTD440 I used to have for the kids.  Seemed to work ok on the rare occasion we used it - the bike was mostly used in the yard for practice/stability.  it was built into the switch housing, a big box hanging below the switch.
Click to expand...

Had the same bike back in the 80's. Once I took apart the controls and cleaned out the gummed up lube and re-lubed everything, it all worked fine.

As I recall, it used a small steel ball bearing in a lateral channel that rolled to either side when you leaned the bike a bit. It would hit contacts to turn off the signal, kinda like a mercury switch.
 
Hello everyone

I made this registration only to tell you that kissantech system is very bad and doesnt solve your troubless

I purchased one system you can find it on https://goo.gl/10bduU (Smart Turn System). It works awesome. Really!

Hope that helps you :)
 
kovy said:
Hello everyone

I made this registration only to tell you that kissantech system is very bad and doesnt solve your troubless

I purchased one system you can find it on https://goo.gl/10bduU (Smart Turn System). It works awesome. Really!

Hope that helps you :)
Click to expand...

Thanks Kovy, this your first post and the link is good, nothing malicious.

Thank you for joining the forum and if you are an industry person please review the posting rules for commercial vendors.

Craig
 
82 GS1100GK has them and they work just fine.  RD400's had them back in the 70's that worked great as well.  Suzuki was always big on gear indicators back then too.  Back then, I thought every bike would have this stuff by the mid 80's.  Wrong again Bonzo!  :-[ :-[
 
So it's not just me.... 

On the flip side to that is that sometimes I end up turning on the left turn signal on the HD when I up-shift out of force of habit from the C-10...  I guess the good news is that they are self canceling, so I only look like and idiot for about 20-30 seconds at time.



WillyP said:
This. For me it's just up-shifting, and I find I am often canceling the turn signal more than once, as I run up through the gears, and occasionally will catch myself pushing the button after up-shifting when I had never even turn them on. Does that guarantee I will never forget... well no, but I don't really care at that point, if I rarely forget.
Click to expand...
 
WillyP said:
handyman said:
Behavior modification. Whether you learn to turn them off or let the machine do it for you, you have been trained. Me, I have added as part of my cornering sequence. When bike becomes vertical after turn, push button to reset/center switch.

But, let them take away every decision you have to make to ride the bike...you might as well drive a cage cuz they even park for you now(no intent to segway). JMO
Click to expand...

This. For me it's just up-shifting, and I find I am often canceling the turn signal more than once, as I run up through the gears, and occasionally will catch myself pushing the button after up-shifting when I had never even turn them on. Does that guarantee I will never forget... well no, but I don't really care at that point, if I rarely forget.
Click to expand...

Me too. I cancel every time I release the clutch from a stop. Just habit. Also I have the projektD in the mirror turn signals. In low light, you will never forget.
 
S Smith said:
...or just remembering to cancel as soon as the turn is made  ;D
Click to expand...
Crazy that my 2004 Yamaha VMAX had self cancelling signals...and my 2012 Connie does not...
 
Jerdurr said:
S Smith said:
...or just remembering to cancel as soon as the turn is made  ;D
Click to expand...
Crazy that my 2004 Yamaha VMAX had self cancelling signals...and my 2012 Connie does not...
Click to expand...

My 1978 RD400 had self canceling turn signals.  Bought new in 1980 for a whopping $1200.
 
cra-z1000 said:
Someone here had a vibrating device in his seat to remind him .
Click to expand...

And when 'he' showed them this off at COG Nationals in Sparta, WI, he told us that he ran down his battery demonstrating to all visitors!

Nice guy, forgot his name though...
 
ManWorkingHere said:
cra-z1000 said:
Someone here had a vibrating device in his seat to remind him .
Click to expand...

And when 'he' showed them this off at COG Nationals in Sparta, WI, he told us that he ran down his battery demonstrating to all visitors!

Nice guy, forgot his name though...
Click to expand...


That would be RWulf on Speedipus Rex.  I copied his idea, but added a second one so they're cheek specific.
 
fartymarty said:
Packmule said:
There's this from the C-10 tech pages...
http://www.cog-online.org/clubportal/clubstatic.cfm?clubID=1328&pubmenuoptID=29655
It's an older post, so I don't know if the Radio Shack P/N's are still good. Might go find out myself.
Click to expand...

I used that same buzzer/tone chime for my ignition on warning (also from the COG Tech pages, under C14 KIPASS warning buzzer) and it's tone doesn't penetrate ear plugs very well. I imagine that when moving with a helmet on that it wouldn't work well for many, but maybe I'm just half deaf.
I put side firing LED strips in my mirrors and that has cut way down on my leaving the  turn signal on too long incidents, although that wasn't the original reason for the install.
The vibrating seat is interesting. I felt it (or one like it) at the Idaho National during the best bike contest, eh..with my hand  :great:. I think if I ever went that route that I'd make it so it doesn't vibrate when the bike is in neutral even if the signal is on (sorry ladies, and gents so inclined) as once my mind is set up to ignore something, it tends to keep doing it too long and then what's the point?  :D

i-VtqvM2z-M.jpg
Click to expand...

I really like this idea, I am going to look into putting these on my bike.  Thanks for the pic
 
I had the kisan signal minder on my 08 . Worked well for those complex times when there are 20 thinks to look at in traffic or when I moved back and forth between the bikes that automatically shut off and the Connie.

 
Its funny, because right now it is another conversation about this problem in another thread. But i can post it here also :)

Check www.safer-turn.com. If you have this, you will not have this problems any more ;) Thank me later :)
 
I believe I ruined the Kisan minder I had on my 08 when I switched to led bulbs. It might have lasted 35 flashes until "that" smell happened....

I just dont have the mental capacity to remember to cancel my turn signals.  I blame so many years of offroad riding where turn signals were never in play.

My 1979 yamaha xs11 had an awesoem signal cancel system.  It was not 100% accurate, but still 95% better than my brain being called into action.
 
higworld said:
I have NO idea if this will work, but I used to have one on my BMW GS. Worked like a champ. I notice their web site lists four different Kawasaki options. One might fit.

https://www.kisantech.com/index.php?cat_id=4&catname=signalMinder
Click to expand...
I have had that on 2 of my 3 C14s. My Meanstreak is self cancelling .

I remember we were on a trip about 10 years back and I forgot to cancel a couple of times. 4 people on the old Cardo G9X heard my best friend admonish me....."Hey Blinker Boy....ya wanna turn that off". I ordered the Signal Minder when I got home.
 
brotheriam6109752 said:
How would on go about adding turn signals that need no relay? They have their own relay. Can I bypass the relay in some way?
Click to expand...
brotheriam6109752 said:
The new turn signals need no relay. They flash by themselves with just 12 volts. But they won't work with with the relay in place.
Click to expand...
Don't blame me if it burns up...but I think you go to the signal relay and connect the orange wire to the Orange with Green stripe wire.
 

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