I do lots of dangerous things including owning and and riding a motorbike, faster a lot of the time than is probably wise.
However there is one stupid and dangerous thing I do that has a much higher chance of hurting me than riding too fast and would not even leave me with a good story to tell.
Leaving my indicators on.
It is easy to forget them in traffic with so much demanding your attention and the FJ tell tales are very difficult to see.
I've only been riding for 42 years and perhaps when I get a bit of experience under my belt I might remember to turn them off, if I live that long.
I fitted an audio unit last year but don't hear it a lot of the time. To have one loud enough to hear under all circumstances is too loud most of the time, everybody at the lights looking around for the reversing truck, and it becomes annoying. This appears to be the main reason most people won't fit one or disable them if fitted.
I have solved the problem with one of these.
(http://i.ebayimg.com/07/!BfKPlCQBmk~$(KGrHqEH-EUEreFmQZNRBL!IRFlht!~~_12.JPG)
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/320475022407?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/320475022407?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649)
It is a green narrow beam LED and the stalk has a stiff wire in it so it can be bent to any angle and hold it. I have zip tied it to the clutch line below the m/c so when sitting on the bike my line of sight has it just in the bottom of the speedo.
I have tried it in full sun and it is excellent.
Having dismantled my first one because it didn't work ( he had soldered too close to the diode and split it.) It is well made and waterproof and very good value at $17.50 incl. Postage to Aus.
A tip for installation of either type is to earth the unit to the yellow wire on the brake light. This wire becomes live when the brake light is on and the buzzer, light, whatever won't work until the brakes are released and the wire becomes earthed.
You don't have to sit at the lights honking, buzzing or flashing. I have an adjustable delay on mine set for about 10 secs but I don't really need it because it won't activate until I let go of the brake anyway.
Noel
Thanks to FJSpringy (Dave) for putting me onto this, although he seems to have misplaced his wallet and has not invested in one himself.
Your FJ doesn't have self-cancelling turn signals? :scratch_one-s_head:
Quote from: not a lib on April 17, 2013, 07:36:55 AM
Your FJ doesn't have self-cancelling turn signals? :scratch_one-s_head:
My turn signals wont self-cancel, but I can see that on my instrument panel and turn them off with my thumb, I've tried to lubricate, but nut'n
In Idaho the turn signal is a rarely used item.... Usually used to tell you what they have just done, like you couldn't figure out the dumb ass just jinked in front of you... :smile:
George
My 89 signals self cancel, they even know when I'm not moving and only turn off after the turn from a stoplight. Would love this for the 92! Not knowing much about the electrical side of the FJ I wonder what part it is and can it be made to fit other years.
Andrew
Quote from: ribbert on April 17, 2013, 07:12:39 AM
Thanks to FJSpringy (Dave) for putting me onto this, although he seems to have misplaced his wallet and has not invested in one himself.
Dave's wallet is in the local ICU and is flatlining :lol:
If you need bright lights to pay attention to what you're doing, you probably shouldn't be on the bike in the first place.
If you need other drivers to see you to keep you safe, you probably won't be riding that much longer.
Seems silly to me. :dash2:
I can see the advantage of this product. I ride two FJ's my '84 has self canceling and my '92 does not.
Sometimes I forget which bike I'm on.....In the bright sun it is hard to see the dash lights blinking.
I guess I have no business riding.
apart from the curtsey angle and the ability to do more than two thing whilst riding, in Oz it is illegal not to indicate before making a change in lane or turning a corner, failure to do so incurs a fine and loss of points from your license. So without self cancelling indicators there are ample opportunities to forget and leave your indicator on. Goodness knows I do it all the time :lol:
You got laws that you actually in force, geez whats the world coming to. Laws around here are kinda opinions :rofl2: :rofl2: :rofl2:
George
Quote from: movenon on April 17, 2013, 06:11:27 PM
You got laws that you actually in force, geez whats the world coming to. Laws around here are kinda opinions :rofl2: :rofl2: :rofl2:
George
yes mate, it's not like the pirates code :rofl2:
in NSW they just introduced a new indicator rule for approaching a left turn at a roundabout saying that you should start indicating much sooner, all at the policeman's discretion of course, so if he thinks you didn't indicate soon enough he can book you, gota love it.
We still have a get out of jail free card once in the roundabout in that if "you" think your are in a dangerous position you don't have to indicate.
life's a bitch :dance: :dance: :dance:
Quote from: ribbert on April 17, 2013, 07:08:56 AM
I do lots of dangerous things including owning and and riding a motorbike, faster a lot of the time than is probably wise.
However there is one stupid and dangerous thing I do that has a much higher chance of hurting me than riding too fast and would not even leave me with a good story to tell.
Leaving my indicators on.
It is easy to forget them in traffic with so much demanding your attention and the FJ tell tales are very difficult to see.
I've only been riding for 42 years and perhaps when I get a bit of experience under my belt I might remember to turn them off, if I live that long.
I fitted an audio unit last year but don't hear it a lot of the time. To have one loud enough to hear under all circumstances is too loud most of the time, everybody at the lights looking around for the reversing truck, and it becomes annoying. This appears to be the main reason most people won't fit one or disable them if fitted.
I have solved the problem with one of these.
(http://i.ebayimg.com/07/!BfKPlCQBmk~$(KGrHqEH-EUEreFmQZNRBL!IRFlht!~~_12.JPG)
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/320475022407?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/320475022407?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649)
It is a green narrow beam LED and the stalk has a stiff wire in it so it can be bent to any angle and hold it. I have zip tied it to the clutch line below the m/c so when sitting on the bike my line of sight has it just in the bottom of the speedo.
I have tried it in full sun and it is excellent.
Having dismantled my first one because it didn't work ( he had soldered too close to the diode and split it.) It is well made and waterproof and very good value at $17.50 incl. Postage to Aus.
A tip for installation of either type is to earth the unit to the yellow wire on the brake light. This wire becomes live when the brake light is on and the buzzer, light, whatever won't work until the brakes are released and the wire becomes earthed.
You don't have to sit at the lights honking, buzzing or flashing. I have an adjustable delay on mine set for about 10 secs but I don't really need it because it won't activate until I let go of the brake anyway.
Noel
Throw away the crappy wire splices and do it right, those things are garbage, a good way to ruin a perfectly good wiring harness....
Quote from: andyb on April 17, 2013, 03:32:03 PM
If you need bright lights to pay attention to what you're doing, you probably shouldn't be on the bike in the first place.
If you need other drivers to see you to keep you safe, you probably won't be riding that much longer.
Seems silly to me. :dash2:
It is the very act of paying attention to what you are doing, that is keeping yourself safe in a busy traffic environment, that distracts you from turning off the indicators.
Yes, we should all ride as though we are invisible, but to consciously make yourself MORE invisible by not using lights and indicators seems silly to me.
I see no down side to signalling your intentions to other road users.
Besides, here it is a rigidly enforced law although my primary reason for using them is safety. I don't bother if there is no traffic around me though.
If I'm going to get fined and lose points from my licence I want it to be from having fun not some minor infringement.
People making turns (in cars) without indicating really pisses me off, especially when I'm on the bike.
Noel
Quote from: RichBaker on April 17, 2013, 08:05:53 PM
Throw away the crappy wire splices and do it right, those things are garbage, a good way to ruin a perfectly good wiring harness....
Yes, you're absolutely right about not using them. They are also unreliable for making and keeping a connection. I should have mentioned that.
Quote from: FJSpringy on April 17, 2013, 06:18:26 PM
Quote from: movenon on April 17, 2013, 06:11:27 PM
You got laws that you actually in force, geez whats the world coming to. Laws around here are kinda opinions :rofl2: :rofl2: :rofl2:
George
yes mate, it's not like the pirates code :rofl2:
in NSW they just introduced a new indicator rule for approaching a left turn at a roundabout saying that you should start indicating much sooner, all at the policeman's discretion of course, so if he thinks you didn't indicate soon enough he can book you, gota love it.
We still have a get out of jail free card once in the roundabout in that if "you" think your are in a dangerous position you don't have to indicate.
life's a bitch :dance: :dance: :dance:
Lucky you, Police discretion in traffic matters no longer applies down here.
Roadside chats, warnings and lectures are a thing of the past as the government moves towards zero tolerance and letter of the law enforcement.
I use turn signals and hand signals (then they get the horns) .....i think some of the idiots around here think turnsignals are targets so i try to interact with the cagers around me.... hopefully including some eye contact so i can define my space and exsistance.
Cancelling the turn signal really hasnt ever been an issue for me.... as soon as i straighten up from the turn my left thumb automagically hits the button.... its used to covering the horn button anyway.
if its just a lane change on the flow of traffic i normally just use hand signals as that really seems to get peoples attention better and IMO is faster and can be more exaggerated/directed than a turn signal alone..... especially when combined with a little attention getter from the supertones for the daydreamers.
That being said i have ridden with many people who leave their signals flashing from one turn to the next so i can see where a chronic forgetter would want to get some help!
leave it to a cager to actually see your turn signal the one time you are NOT actually turning.
KOokaloo!
KOokaloo!
I like to think I'm not a complete idiot on a bike and 99.9% of the time I turn them off. It is the odd occasion when something unexpected takes your attention right at that moment that you leave them on.
That to me is enough to take measures to stop it happening.
Once is enough to kill you if you're unlucky.
Noel
Yes on a lot of older bikes it is easy to forget to cancel the signal. I think I have been there ! The FJ is the first bike I have ever owned with self cancelling signals, still amazes me....
ribbert:
I think here you are supposed to give your signals 5 sec before you change lanes. NEVER happens, well rarely. . I can't remember anyone getting a ticket for not using there signals (mostly they are one fingered) . They are hot on aggressive driving/riding , speeding, and failing to stop, stuff like that. Motorcycles sometimes get special attention it seems. The LEO's monitor the local bike forums here and are usually on any road there is a planned ride. Of course the "fun to ride" roads get extra patrols on week ends and holidays.
Some places are working on what I call "anti stunting" laws on top of the existing laws. Special attension to wheeling down the freeway, standing on the seat at freeway speeds etc.. But when they make blanket statements like you have to be on your seat at all times while in motion, feet must be on the foot pegs at all times while in motion, you can see how that effects everyone. I think one state was lobbying to manufactures to put a reduced power switch in motorcycle seats so if you raised up it would start to cut out on you..
I have noticed that in Calif when you give a turn signal no matter how congested it is they will open up and let you in. Here its a crap shoot. Often as not they close up trying to prevent you from entering "there" space. Its strange how some people process information.
George
I have heard that the reason Yamaha discontinued self canceling indicators was due to product liability.
It seems that a few modules failed to self cancel and fatalities occurred.
I think the moral of the story is to always manually turn off your indicators.....that way it doesn't matter what FJ I'm riding, my '84 or my'92.....Easy to say.
I've grown lazy riding my '84 for 29 years relying on something that can fail. I need to change my habits.
I still like the idea of a more visible indicator light. I think I'll buy one...or two. It's only chump change.
Thanks for the tip Noel :good2:
I used to be a big fan of self cancelling signals. I had 3 bikes in a row with it - '81 Seca 750, '84 V45 Sabre and '86 FJ1200. Then I got my '92 FJ and thought "what the...?". For the past few years I've been doing M2Exit exams (graduated licencing in Ontario) where we train and test riders on the street for their full M licence. It became apparent really fast that self cancelling signals are not as great as I firs thought. They can either cancel too soon or stay on too long and in both cases that can make for a potentially unsafe scenario. I have just gotten into the habit of keeping my thumb on the signal switch so I'm ready to cancel it. That being said, I have left it on from time to time. A visual reminder would be a good thing.
Question: What's the deal with Harleys and BMWs having separate left and right switches on each handlebar? Seems goofy and inefficient to me. I can understand Harley, but BMW? I would have thought the German engineers would have gotten it right!
Comment: It sure would be nice if all motorcycles had hazard lights / 4-way flashers.
Zwartie
I fitted xjr switches and now have 4 way flashers, easy as chaging the left switch block
Quote from: fj11.5 on April 18, 2013, 03:03:43 AM
I fitted xjr switches and now have 4 way flashers, easy as chaging the left switch block
I guess they introduced them at some point, my '93 has them standard.
Probably the exact same switches ,just transfered to the xjr,s, , do the 93,s have the throttle cable splitter box under the tank, or like xjr and just use two full lenghth cables, as I fitted xjr right hand side too
Quote from: fj11.5 on April 18, 2013, 04:16:21 AM
Probably the exact same switches ,just transfered to the xjr,s, , do the 93,s have the throttle cable splitter box under the tank, or like xjr and just use two full lenghth cables, as I fitted xjr right hand side too
No splitter, two full length cables.
That's good to know, ill check the prices on both xjr ones may be cheaper if you need one, ,thanks mate :good2:
ok, Guess I need to change my post, as my turn signals self cancelled yesterday for the first time on there own, but it only happed once, I going to try and take apart the casing again and see if some more lubricant will help, I like the idea of working self cancelling turn signals, because I have forgotten to turn them off from time to time
Quote from: ribbert on April 18, 2013, 03:56:29 AM
Quote from: fj11.5 on April 18, 2013, 03:03:43 AM
I fitted xjr switches and now have 4 way flashers, easy as chaging the left switch block
I guess they introduced them at some point, my '93 has them standard.
My '78 XS750 had them, IIRC.
Shawn,
The self-cancelling signals work with by having a reed switch in the speedo housing that acts as a counter and a timer circuit in the control unit. The reed switch can be knocked out of position by a hard knock. If you go into the speedo section you can see if its not mounted properly.
Otherwise, be aware that this self-cancel feature requires BOTH a time and a distance to elapse before the signal turns off.
Arnie
Quote from: crzyjarmans on April 18, 2013, 08:30:43 AM
ok, Guess I need to change my post, as my turn signals self cancelled yesterday for the first time on there own, but it only happed once, I going to try and take apart the casing again and see if some more lubricant will help, I like the idea of working self cancelling turn signals, because I have forgotten to turn them off from time to time
Quote from: racerman_27410 on April 17, 2013, 08:40:18 PM
Cancelling the turn signal really hasnt ever been an issue for me.... as soon as i straighten up from the turn my left thumb automagically hits the button.... its used to covering the horn button anyway.
{...}
leave it to a cager to actually see your turn signal the one time you are NOT actually turning.
Exactly!!
I didn't say that I don't signal, though I don't bother if there's no one around to see it. It's definitely not an automatic reflex for me, it's a deliberate thing to turn them on and display my intentions. But that's for courtesy and legal liability, not for safety. Icould paint my bike flat black, remove the taillight, and ride at night. Wouldn't change how I deal with situations on the bike, as far as trying to maintain safety. Counting on someone else's actions to ensure your own safety seems a fool's gamble to me.
Strangely, it
is reflex to cancel my signals. Even if I didn't use them, as part of my corner exit routine (bike upright, scan for escape routes, unusual traffic, usual traffic, non-motor transport, pets, click up a gear or two, cancel signals, check both mirrors, etc... mostly done in a couple seconds). And I often find myself cancelling them more than once. Do the 90 models even have self-cancelling signals? I wouldn't know if I did, nor if it worked, as I've never seen any point, other than more things to go wrong. Come to think of it, it makes me wonder if any of my bikes do.
It's kinda the same to me with the idea of having to have a ridiculously loud horn. Not something that I really need to stay safe, but something to help when it's too dark for other drivers to see your helpful hand gesticulations... and then I ask myself if it's really worth the money to give people the finger through sound. Nah. If they're dense enough to do something that pisses me off to that degree, they're dense enough that they'll assume someone else is being honked at.
My loud ass horns are for people trying to take me out from the side and at intersections where they want to pull out in front of me.
In really congested intersections its not uncommon for me to ride the horn button until i am safely and completely thru. I dont care what people think...and i'm not trying to fix stoopid........ i just want them to pay attention until i'm out of their danger zone.
Much like a train riding its horns thru all the crossings....... a very loud announcement of my presence :good2:
KOokaloo!
Quote from: ribbert on April 18, 2013, 04:34:56 AM
Quote from: fj11.5 on April 18, 2013, 04:16:21 AM
Probably the exact same switches ,just transfered to the xjr,s, , do the 93,s have the throttle cable splitter box under the tank, or like xjr and just use two full lenghth cables, as I fitted xjr right hand side too
No splitter, two full length cables.
Depends on the year, my '90 came with the splitter box (4 1/2 length cables). Makes it a LOT easier to pul the carbs!