Indicator probs & MOT fail

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Foxy400
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Bike owned: NC35 NC29 Bonneville CBR600F4i
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Re: Indicator probs & MOT fail

Post by Foxy400 » Thu Mar 08, 2018 1:16 pm

Checked out your most recent suggestions Magg. The 18/5W bulbs in the front indicators cannot be fitted the wrong way round. The 'fast flash' problem existed even before I unplugged the third wire (front indicators) for the permanently-on running lights, however I double checked the connections last night and I can't find a problem.
So what I've done is put everything back together and book an MOT test at a different centre for tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

magg
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Re: Indicator probs & MOT fail

Post by magg » Thu Mar 08, 2018 10:17 pm

At which point did the issue start. What did you change prior to the change in flash rate. 60-120 flashes per min is the rate, how fast are yours?

Foxy400
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Re: Indicator probs & MOT fail

Post by Foxy400 » Fri Mar 09, 2018 5:03 pm

I've had the bike nearly 6 years. When I got it the indicators were fine. I cannot remember when the problem began or what, if anything, might have started it. In typical fashion I ignored it and it got through the next MOT, so I never bothered about it until that recent chat with the 'new' MOT man. He made a very crude attempt at timing the flash rate by counting and using his watch. He reckoned it was 130/min. and therefore outside the legal range :wanker:

Anyway the good news is the second MOT centre passed it today without any problem :grin: The bloke who did the testing said "I absolutely love that bike!" :up:

So there you go. The moral of the story is 'Seek (a different MOT man) and ye shall find (a good one eventually)'.

Thanks magg & others for your advice. If I ever come across 21W bulbs that fit I'll give them a go but otherwise I'm going to carry on flashing 130 times a minute (which actually catches your attention a lot more than 60/min, so it might be safer).

Foxy400
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Re: Indicator probs & MOT fail

Post by Foxy400 » Tue Mar 20, 2018 5:38 pm

Well would you believe it? An eBay company that had the correct sized 21W bulbs, but had mistakenly advertised them for £50-something (I emailed them 3 times to point out their error) finally got their act together and sorted the price, down to £2.50. They arrived yesterday. Slightly bigger than the original 15W bulbs but they fit and the lens goes on easily. And yes, the flash rate is now as it should be. A happy ending :grin:

Foxy400
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Re: Indicator probs & MOT fail

Post by Foxy400 » Tue Apr 17, 2018 7:28 pm

As an interesting addendum to this thread I had sent an email to Practical Sportsbike magazine describing the problem and hoping for a solution. My email is currently on the Problems page of the May issue, along with their reply, which basically suggests I use resistors. And would you believe it, I won the Prize Problem award of a pile of bike cleaning products :grin: ! Well that makes all the hassle almost worth it...almost.


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