Rear blinkers 1982 550 LTD

Hi guys,
I have a 1982 550 LTD with the stock rear blinkers. I have purchased new stems already (not rubber gromets), but I cannot seem to get them to stop "drooping". I once tried to remove the rubber washer from the back of the post and just just some regular washers, but then my blinkers wouldn't work at all. For some reason the blinker housing and stem cannot make contact with the frame. I was thinking of buying some new gromets, but is there a way I can just fix the to the fram without relying on piece of rubber to keep them straight?

Thanks,

Andy

It's odd that removal of the rubber washer causes the blinker to stop working. On your bike, there should be a BLACK with YELLOW stripe wire going to each blinker assembly(this is part of the ground circuit) and another color wire(this will be the power wire) making the blinker work.

apbling wrote:

Hi guys,
I have a 1982 550 LTD with the stock rear blinkers. I have purchased new stems already (not rubber gromets), but I cannot seem to get them to stop "drooping". I once tried to remove the rubber washer from the back of the post and just just some regular washers, but then my blinkers wouldn't work at all. For some reason the blinker housing and stem cannot make contact with the frame. I was thinking of buying some new gromets, but is there a way I can just fix the to the fram without relying on piece of rubber to keep them straight?

Thanks,

Andy

As noted by MFolks, grounding the stem should make no difference. Because the stem is supposed to be irrelevant to the electrical circuit. See image below.

This may be demonstrated by using a separate test wire to connect the stem to the engine or frame while the signal is blinking. This connection should have no effect on either blinker.

But if the signal does stop blinking while the test wire is connected to the engine or frame working, perhaps the solid color batt+ wire is shorted inside against the stem.

As to the drooping, new rubber parts might afford a tighter grip. But I believe it's the shoulder part of the metal stem that prevents tightening beyond a certain point.

Perhaps an additional rubber washer could be added around the shoulder to effectively shorten length of the shoulder.

Good Fortune!

[Click on image to enlarge view.]

Thanks guys. Actually, there is two wires running to the blinkers. One runs through the stem to the bulb socket. The other is actually connected to a washer that is pinched between the nut to tighten the whole assembly and a metal on one side and rubber on the other "washer". So I think the whole stem is part of the circuit... but I would think this would be ground so why would it not work when touching the frame?

apbling wrote:

Thanks guys. Actually, there is two wires running to the blinkers. One runs through the stem to the bulb socket. The other is actually connected to a washer that is pinched between the nut to tighten the whole assembly and a metal on one side and rubber on the other "washer". So I think the whole stem is part of the circuit... but I would think this would be ground so why would it not work when touching the frame?

One runs through the stem to the bulb socket --- that's the wire feeding batt+ to the bulb.

The other is actually connected to a washer that is pinched between the nut to tighten the whole assembly --- that's the wire that grounds to the frame. It may get to the frame via the stem, provided the stem itself is grounded to the frame, whereby the stem becomes effectively part of the frame.

The blinker should function even if just dangling without any stem so long as the batt+ wire is connected and the other wire is grounded to the frame.

Good Fortune!

From what I remember, the stem grounds to the frame, bu they still use the ground wire coming from the washer to provide the actual ground. The stems were meant to use frame ground, but Kawasaki put on ground wires anyway so it wouldn't malfunction like on the Hondas and other makes.

I like how, in so many instances, you can see where Kawasaki went an extra step. Maybe that's why they cost a little more.

You guys all make valid, good points that make sense. I wonder why when I did take the rubber pieces out and just bolted it straight to the frame it would not work.

I have an idea...bear with me, I hate electrical issues:
Could the + just alway be a hot wire feeding the blinker and the flasher/control actually be inline with the ground wire? So eventually the ground wire does get back to ground, but not after it runs through the flasher or relay or whatever it runs through? So when I attached it to the frame it grounded it out and made it not work?

The reason why I thought of this is because of the WG mod. If I remember correctly the power to the coils when through the key and kill switch, but it was contant power and the negative terminal actually was the one carrying the timing "signal".

If possible, use a multimeter and check for voltage going to the "Bullet Connector" the turn signal assembly plugs into. Also a little known fact is that inside the stems a miniature "Bullet Connector" was sometimes used.

If the ground circuit checks out good, I'd suspect the "Hot Circuit" to the bulb socket may have damaged insulation/broken conductor inside the wire.

If no fuses are blown,my suspicions are wiring problems.

u have to use those rubber grommets to insulate the turn signal shaft from the frame.The ground wire does the grounding to the frame.without the rubber insulators,ur grounding ur power wire to the frame and shorting out the light.The rubber insulators should be diamond shaped to fit the mount and the washers should have a corresponding diamond shape to fit into the insulators.Without the proper insulators and washers--droop.Lol.kz1000s are the same way.I got rid of the stock "lollypops" and went aftermarket for the same reason--droop.bj

If you dont mind a black blinker then you may look into a set from an '81 GPz550. They should have similar wiring and will mount to the same holes. Due to their design they droop less. May do an ebay search for some and see if you can get some decent pics of one.

thanks for the replies fellas. I did some searching and new rubber dampers are only $2/piece, so I figured I'd try that first. I'm not opposed to aftermarket blinkers, but I have a hard time picking them out of a magazine. Does anyone have any cool ones they can recommend?

www.kandstech.com/ is sold by most bike part suppliers.