3-Wire OEM to 2 LED: How To Keep Your Running Light/Blinker Combo

[JP50515]

Originally Posted by mattyo

shaabam! Super Bright LEDs - Electronic LED Flashers Specifications

I'd go for this guy LED Flasher Unit LF1-S-PIN Specifications

They show the diodes in the circuit as AcedIt has done. I'm still skeptical because the diode symbol is often used in schematics to represent LEDs because they are fundamentally a diode. I'm curious if whoever AcedIt got his instructions from misread that schematic and inserted diodes and LEDs when the schematic really meant for the diode symbol to represent just the LEDs? I should buy a solid state flasher and just play around with this circuit. I'm still confused why those diodes need to be in the circuit AcedIt used.

I think they bring the stock 3 wire harness for the turn signals down to a 2 wire for the leds

[Aced It]

Originally Posted by JP50515

Will this work on an 83 vt500? I believe that my flasher relay is mechanical (not quite sure what that means)

Every system is going to be different dependent upon how you want your lights to work.

Simply put for mine: I wanted my fronts to still operate as running light/blinker combo like stock, but using a 2-wire LED strip. I chose to have the rears just as blinkers, no running lights. I also wanted the stock indicator on my dash to still work AND all blinking as close to OEM as possible.

Originally Posted by mattyo

shaabam! Super Bright LEDs - Electronic LED Flashers Specifications

I'd go for this guy LED Flasher Unit LF1-S-PIN Specifications

They show the diodes in the circuit as AcedIt has done. I'm still skeptical because the diode symbol is often used in schematics to represent LEDs because they are fundamentally a diode. I'm curious if whoever AcedIt got his instructions from misread that schematic and inserted diodes and LEDs when the schematic really meant for the diode symbol to represent just the LEDs? I should buy a solid state flasher and just play around with this circuit. I'm still confused why those diodes need to be in the circuit AcedIt used.

Originally Posted by JP50515

I think they bring the stock 3 wire harness for the turn signals down to a 2 wire for the leds

Restating how I put it earlier in this thread:

"The reason for the diodes though is to allow the stock 3-wire assembly in the front to convert to a 2-wire LED ... AND ... allow them to function as both running lights AND blinkers."

"A diode restricts current flow mostly to one direction. Please remember, this is a 3-wire to 2-wire LED conversion on the front only. The diodes are there to allow the current from the bike to stop and go at decided intervals as the running light 'switches' to blinking on the same wire."

"The diodes I installed that are leading to the turn indicator on the triple-tree are allowing the current to flow from the left and right blinkers independently in consideration with current leakage. In this case, it's a 2-wire to 3wire conversion because the indicator must still be grounded while using the load line for double duty. The lamp will not work at all otherwise."

I hope this helps ...

[JP50515]

Originally Posted by Aced It

Every system is going to be different dependent upon how you want your lights to work.

Simply put for mine: I wanted my fronts to still operate as running light/blinker combo like stock, but using a 2-wire LED strip. I chose to have the rears just as blinkers, no running lights. I also wanted the stock indicator on my dash to still work AND all blinking as close to OEM as possible.




Restating how I put it earlier in this thread:

"The reason for the diodes though is to allow the stock 3-wire assembly in the front to convert to a 2-wire LED ... AND ... allow them to function as both running lights AND blinkers."

"A diode restricts current flow mostly to one direction. Please remember, this is a 3-wire to 2-wire LED conversion on the front only. The diodes are there to allow the current from the bike to stop and go at decided intervals as the running light 'switches' to blinking on the same wire."

"The diodes I installed that are leading to the turn indicator on the triple-tree are allowing the current to flow from the left and right blinkers independently in consideration with current leakage. In this case, it's a 2-wire to 3wire conversion because the indicator must still be grounded while using the load line for double duty. The lamp will not work at all otherwise."

I hope this helps ...

Would you do the same thing if you wanted the back working as both turn and running lights?

[Aced It]

Originally Posted by JP50515

Would you do the same thing if you wanted the back working as both turn and running lights?

Can't see why not. I chose not to have the rears as running lights because it's much easier for the person behind you to see an ON/OFF combination than a DIM/BRIGHT combination, in my opinion. Neither way is wrong, it's just what I chose.

[JP50515]

Originally Posted by Aced It

Can't see why not. I chose not to have the rears as running lights because it's much easier for the person behind you to see an ON/OFF combination than a DIM/BRIGHT combination, in my opinion. Neither way is wrong, it's just what I chose.

That's a good point. So with you're set up are you running the rears as LED's too?

[Aced It]

Originally Posted by JP50515

That's a good point. So with you're set up are you running the rears as LED's too?

Yeppers.

[JP50515]

Final question here. Correct me if i'm wrong. Electronic flasher with no diodes for the rear. 3-2 with diodes in the front?

[mattyo]

Originally Posted by Aced It

"The reason for the diodes though is to allow the stock 3-wire assembly in the front to convert to a 2-wire LED ... AND ... allow them to function as both running lights AND blinkers."

Oh yeah, forgot the front blinkers are running lights as well.

Originally Posted by Aced It

"A diode restricts current flow mostly to one direction. Please remember, this is a 3-wire to 2-wire LED conversion on the front only. The diodes are there to allow the current from the bike to stop and go at decided intervals as the running light 'switches' to blinking on the same wire."

This is the part I don't understand. The lights would still blink as determined by the flasher whether or not the diodes were there. The diodes acting as an OR gate makes some sense to me but I'm still not convinced. I'm going to do some in-depth research and get to the bottom of this. I'll post my findings.

Originally Posted by Aced It

"The diodes I installed that are leading to the turn indicator on the triple-tree are allowing the current to flow from the left and right blinkers independently in consideration with current leakage. In this case, it's a 2-wire to 3wire conversion because the indicator must still be grounded while using the load line for double duty. The lamp will not work at all otherwise."

Do you have only 1 indicator bulb or do you have left/right indicator bulbs?

[Aced It]

Originally Posted by mattyo

... This is the part I don't understand. The lights would still blink as determined by the flasher whether or not the diodes were there. The diodes acting as an OR gate makes some sense to me but I'm still not convinced. I'm going to do some in-depth research and get to the bottom of this. I'll post my findings.

Not really much to research on that as like I said, on a 3-wire to 2-wire setup with ONE turn indicator on the dash, "The diodes are there to allow the current from the bike to stop and go at decided intervals as the running light 'switches' to blinking on the same wire."

Originally Posted by mattyo

Do you have only 1 indicator bulb or do you have left/right indicator bulbs?

One.

[roscoenr]

acedit is correct it you have only one indicator light and want to have have the running/turning lights with only a 2wire blinker, with led or any other bulb, you must use a diode. If you do not have the diode you will not have blinkers you will have hazards. It is simple electronics. If you have a power going into a wire it will go to ground. so if you have your blinkers on you will have power going through the running light wire finding its way to a ground powering on anything on that circuit. if you have your running lights on and you send power though the blinker wire to ground powering on anything on that circuit. So with out diodes you have to much power bleeding back where it does not need to be. Now think of diode as a one way check valve they let power in one way but not out, so no more bleed back. the diode are not a necessary if you are not going to use a running light or a signal light with 3 wires for running lights. but anytime you want running/ turning lights from a 2 wire system you must use a diode to prevent bleed back.