79 kz650 L.E.D. flasher and tail lamp

Bike 79 kz650b3

I've poured through the forums and can't really find a clear concise answer to replacing the factory signals with LEDs. I've heard of some people wiring a resistor in line with each signal assembly on the power side. I've also seen some people talk about using electronic flashers. I have also seen on other parts of the web people using LOAD EQUALIZERS.

I opted for the easiest solution first. I picked up an electronic flasher from O'reilly's. Here's the link to the one i got. www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/LIT0/F...r&pt=N1549&ppt=C0241

To clear a couple things up, I have a history in automotive repair and know my away around wiring schematics and electrical testing.

The problem i'm having is that when i installed the 4 signal units, the lights would all come on at once when i would try to signal. I then replaced my mechanical flasher with an electronic one in the link above. The signals now flash at the correct rate. The right turn signals flash nice and bright, but the left are noticeably dimmer. I know for a fact all 4 signals power up brightly when on their own with the factory mechanical flasher, they just don't flash then. Should i get a different electronic flasher? Also, i CAN hear a click and feel it from the new electronic flasher when i signal right, but when i signal left there is no click, but it flashers, just dimly. Its not a wiring problem, all the connections are solid and in good working order along with receiving battery voltage to each signal.

Also, would load resistors in series fix the problem?
Also, if resistors were to be used, which resistance would be selected?
Also would a load equalizer wired in parallel to each signal fix the problem?

Also, i have an LED tail lamp assembly. Should i wire a resistor inline for the brake wire to get rid of the burnt bulb indicator, sense the new led brake lamp is a low load?

Thanks for any input.

Ok lets see if I got you right. You Bought 4 of the electronic flashers from the store, and have 1 wired to each corner/ LED on the bike? Or what have you done? I see four flashers in part of your post that's why I'm wondering. It should be 1 flasher for the turn signals, each side is still controlled by the switch. So when keyed say Right, the front and rear of the right side should flash. Then when keyed Left the left side should flash, all through One flasher.
Again the 4 way, should be on its own flasher, but the connections to both sides of the bike are handled by the 4 way switch.
Please clear up the confusion.
Then yes your tail/ brake LED will need a resistor to be added to the brake light circuit if you want that light to function properly. Or just take the bulb out at the Gauge.

i understand there's 1 flasher for the signals and 1 for the four-way switch. I put 4 LED turn signals on my bike to replace the factory ones. I decided to try to use the electronic flasher in place of the factory flasher for the turn signals. The result i have = both right side lights flash properly and do as they should, but both left side lights are flashing, but dimly. They flash at the correct speed/ intervals. I also notice the electronic flasher clicking when the right side is flipped on and no noise when the left is on. not sure what that really means, i thought these electronic flashers were solid state and worked a set time instead of a bimetal arm.

I know my lights are not the problem. When i had the factory mechanical flasher in the bike, all of them would come on bright as the right side is, but just not blink. So i was asking if i should try a different flasher, or wire in some resistors, or give some load equalizers a try? And what ohm resistor should i use for the signals as well as the tail lamp if i go that route?

Sorry I miss read, it sounded like 4 flashers for some reason.
Anyway, if the left is dimmer than the right, and the flasher is the same for both sides. I would suspect either a lower voltage on the power wire, which would come from the switch. Or a bad ground. You can swap the wires from the switch from the left to the right, or use a separate jumper wire to the same effect. This will rule out the power side pretty quick.
Resistors shouldn't be needed for the signals with the electronic flasher.
For the Brake, well the stock 1157 bulb will have the wattage on the bulb. And then your LED will hopefully have a wattage rating also. Subtract and see what resistor you need. Radio Shack will have a pack of them pretty cheap. A Couple of $.
Something about like this rating: www.superbrightleds.com/cat/led-vehicle-...LOADRESISTOR,21,3966 :

ok thanks. I don't suspect wiring because when i had the factory flasher in and when i flipped the switch either direction, all 4 would come on and stay until i flipped the switch off and they were all equally bright. But i will throw my meter on it to be sure.

Well A couple of tests should pin it down. Your point of ground would have changed from the oem set up, right? Swapping the power out of the flasher side to side, if it has dual power out terminals, would show a bad internal circuit.

The electronic flasher i used is a plug n play, just the 2 pins. I'm going to put a meter on the wiring and across the switch tomorrow. I just don't get why this new flasher clicks when i signal right, but makes no noise when i signal left, but it flashes correct for either direction. just dimmer on left. i thought these electronic flashers we all solid state? Think i could possibly have a bad flasher? excess resistance across a capacitor or winding inside it?

my grounds are still the factory grounds

Relay has just the standard two pins, thats just a basic timer circuit, to make and break the connection along the wire path.
Maybe the factory lights were actually slightly dimmer on the one side before, from a dirty switch contact. I bet the switch contact is dirty, or the wire where it is soldered to the switch contact is getting bad. Old Bike, with old electrics. Every owner of these bikes gets to play this tune.

Most LED tail light/turn signals come with the series resistor built in so you don't add a resistor in series. The "load resistor" to make the standard flasher work is a resistor in parallel across the LED wiring to add current. It's a waste of power, don't use that.

As to why one side flashes brighter than the other?

If the same flasher is working both sides (as is the case with stock wiring) it has to be some kind of excess load on the dim side or some resistance in series to make the LED look dim.

4 flasher components.... :blink:

Here's the wiring for the KZ900 using LED current sensitive relays (1 only)....

i figured out the issue guys, thank you for your input though. Had two issues actually. I understand the correct way for implementing a resistor in parallel, but i ended up getting my electronic flasher to work correctly.

The left side was flashing dimly. I was only getting 6 volts to the left side signals at the signals themselves. The cause ended up being excess resistance in the factory wiring harness as well as the factory signal indicator in the instrument panel. There are several solder points in the main harness near the coils. They had corrosion on them, so i re-soldered all of them. After that i ended up getting about 7.75 volts at the signals, i then cleaned the socket and replaced the bulb for the left signal indicator, it now works and i have 12 volts at each of the signals. That is kind of weird sense the signal indicator in the instrument panel is wired in parallel. But I'm not going to argue with success, haha.

The only other question i still have is, what size load resistor should i used to keep my brake liht indicator from flashing with the LED tail lamp? The light assembly works, but the indicator is annoying and i would still like to have it work properly without removing the bulb.

Something close to the one I linked in Ohms and watts from the Shack should do it. It just needs to think the circuit has a bulb. The LED doesn't draw enough for that.