Finding KZ400 Rear Directionals that fit?
- painthappy
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Front directional lights took some tweaking to get them to fit and attach.
The rear directional lights? Forget it. The hole the threads need to go through before a nut can be attached is very long. Much longer than most of the aftermarket lights I've found online and the ones I currently possess.
So a two part question:
1. Where in the world can I find directional lights (cafe style) that are going to install in the existing holes. I need them there as the build for the rear fender and tail light has been built around this happening.
2. The old lights have one wire, while the new ones have two. On the front there was at least a ground for each light, on the back there only looks to be one ground wire for the two... Now what?
Thanks in advance!
Obligatory progress photo:
Current Project: 1975 KZ400 Cafe Build
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- painthappy
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Current Project: 1975 KZ400 Cafe Build
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- 650ed
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1977 KZ650-C1 Original Owner - Stock (with additional invisible FIAMM horn)
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- MFolks
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1982 GPZ1100 B2
General Dynamics/Convair 1983-1993
GLCM BGM-109 Tomahawk, AGM-129A Advanced Cruise Missile (ACM)
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- Patton
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Good Fortune!
1973 Z1
KZ900 LTD
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- painthappy
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There are new lights, not new old stock stuff... and there are two wires coming out of the light. I don't want hot going in and then electrifying a piece of metal. Again, might sound silly, but I'm new to this.
650ed wrote: The original rear turn signals were grounded to the frame. Ed
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Current Project: 1975 KZ400 Cafe Build
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- painthappy
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MFolks wrote: I'd check with the state DMV(Dept. of Motor Vehicles) about rear running lights, as I believe they can be used, but the lenses must be RED, not AMBER, as this is, I believe a nation wide requirement.
Thanks, but we're talking about directional lights, not running lights. Directional lights are Amber. The ones that come on the bike are Amber. DMV only requires that you must conform to factory equipment... Which means whatever color was there from the factory is what is acceptable.
Current Project: 1975 KZ400 Cafe Build
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- 650ed
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painthappy wrote: I figured as much, but my semi-moronic question would be: Should I take the ground wire and just "ground it" to the frame? It just doesn't seem right, but I suppose...
There are new lights, not new old stock stuff... and there are two wires coming out of the light. I don't want hot going in and then electrifying a piece of metal. Again, might sound silly, but I'm new to this.
If your new lights have a ground wire you can either attach it to the frame or attach it to the black&yellow wire near the tail light. The black&yellow wire on stock bikes is ground, but before you connect to it check it to be sure no one pulled a switcheroo on the wiring. Ed
1977 KZ650-C1 Original Owner - Stock (with additional invisible FIAMM horn)
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- painthappy
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As for fitting the lights, I'm just going to have a universal rear turn signal relocator kit put on and simplify my life so I can keep the lights I want, not be forced to buy something that fits.
Current Project: 1975 KZ400 Cafe Build
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- Patton
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If a single filament bulb, one of the two wires would be ground.
If a dual filament bulb, one of the two wires would be the flasher wire, and the other would be the running light wire.
As I recall, rear blinkers usually have single filament bulbs that serve only as turn signals, and don't have dual filament bulbs that would also serve as rear running lights.
Am thinking that combo blinker and running lights with dual filament bulbs are sometimes used on the front end of a bike. [And possibly that "rear running lights" are prohibited on motorcycles.]
Is it possible that the new rear turn signal lights now on hand are actually intended as combo blinker and running lights with dual filament bulbs intended for mounting on the front end of a bike?
Good Fortune!
1973 Z1
KZ900 LTD
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