Motorcycle turn Signal Issue

Splat

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Time to ask the the collective think tank.

On my Intruder the previous owner had removed the turn signals, and instead installed 2 LED brake lights. To keep it legal added a hoppy brake converter to combine the brake, and turn fumnctions. I have done this on previous bikes, and it's pretty common practice in the motorcycle world.

At idle, with my passing lights on my standing voltage is somewhere around 13.2 volts. The turn signals won't work right. Sometimes the led's flicker, or when I turn one on they both blink, or if I engage the brake they both stay solid.

If I turn off the passing lights, the voltage in the system jumps to 14+ volts and everything works fine.

I had thought it was a bad converter, so I switched it out with a Hoppy #48895 which is rated for LED's. STill the same issue.

I had thought of maybe trying to add a resistor after the converter, but not sure what that would accomplish. The thought this morning also accoured to me to throw a scope on it later, to see if maybe because it's stator fed, I may have a bad rectifier and it's leaking AC causing havoc. Is that a possibility?

Here's a quick video showing what I'm experiencing:
Suzuki intruder Turn sig problem - YouTube

Thanks for the help and ideas,
Bill
 

Splat

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Re: Motorcycle turn Signal Issue

Also, I have checked, and the leakage is happening after/inside the converter. The input only has power on the correct leads. so it's not bad wiring, as far as I can tell. Is it possible the converter is bad?
 

MTboatguy

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Re: Motorcycle turn Signal Issue

Sounds like the converter, I was wiring a couple of vehicles a couple of years ago and ran into a bad batch of converters, it took quite a few of them before I actually got one that was working. It is not unusual for them to be bad right out of the package.
 

Splat

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Re: Motorcycle turn Signal Issue

Hmmm.. That would suck. I wrote to Hoppy this morning to see if they could offer any help. I'm hoping to hear back later today. They may give me the old 'your not using the product as it was intended' line tho

Bill
 

aspeck

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Re: Motorcycle turn Signal Issue

I am thinking converter also ... good luck!
 

NewfieDan

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Re: Motorcycle turn Signal Issue

Have you checked the ground connection. If its a bad ground you may have similar symptoms.
 

Splat

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Re: Motorcycle turn Signal Issue

Ground was the first thing I went for. In fact when I pulled the seat off the previous owner had grounded it by wrapping the wire around a bolt. I was like "ah ha! I bet that's the problem." The issue still exists after tho.

Bill
 
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Re: Motorcycle turn Signal Issue

possible large gaps in the dc square wave from the bike so its 12v with spikes of ??? (rms volt meter will read it as 13.5). when speed is increase the spikes get closer reducing the affect. You have a scope so it would be intresting to see whats realy going on.
 
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