Mounting Small Front Blinkers
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- Roady
- Member Relations &_Graphics
- Posts: 11957
- Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2007 2:35 pm
- Location: Port St. John, FL
Mounting Small Front Blinkers
I've trashed the Winjammer (literally, it got hauled Monday). I had responded to a thread by Bill "HeartAttackBill" Bye asking for a Vetter headlight. About that same day I had made a thread looking for a stock headlight. We worked a trade ... he got all the stuff from the fairing (headlight, signals, wiring harness) and I got his stock-ish headlight and some tiny turn signals. That worked out great, an even swap, each of us paying shipping only, and a few days later I had my stuff and Bill had his.
Now, how to attach these signals to my stock headlight ears which the P.O. had left on the bike?
[attachment=9]1prelim.jpg[/attachment]
I searched the web and bike shops with no luck. So, being a resourceful kinda guy (I save all manner of stuff: parts, brackets, wires, you know...) it was off to Home Depot for some recon. Looking for a "farmer fix" can sometimes take a bit of time and ponderin'.
After about an hour I was back in the electrical aisle and found an "old work" box that had two corners without any knockouts. I now had a plan! I picked up two of them (you know, 1st the prototype, then the finished product) and headed back to the shop (well, the basement anyway).
[attachment=8]2bluebox.jpg[/attachment]
I marked up one of the boxes. 1-3/4" x 1" x 1". Then I went at it with my trusty hacksaw.
[attachment=7]3cutting.jpg[/attachment]
Soon I had the necessary pieces for my little blue boxes. The top, front and outside end are from the corner of the original box. The rear facing side was cut from the scrap.
[attachment=6]4pieces.jpg[/attachment]
I tacked the pieces together with dots of super-glue. To make them a bit stronger at the set-screw connection, I found a metal bracket in my vast junk collection and cut it to fit on the boxes' inside-top.
A liberal dose of epoxy and 24-hours later my 4-1/2 sided boxes were ready for finishing work. The boxes were shaped with 150 grit sandpaper and then finished with 600, 1500 and crocus cloth.
[attachment=5]5weldsand.jpg[/attachment]
A 1/8" hole was drilled for the set-screw that attaches them to the tabs on the headlight ears. And a 1/4" hole was made on the ends for mounting the lights.
[attachment=4]7drilled.jpg[/attachment]
A couple of closeup views.
[attachment=3]8closeup2.jpg[/attachment]
[attachment=2]9closeup.jpg[/attachment]
And here's the (almost) finished product. A prototype good enough for done and I got $1.12 back on the box I didn't use. I kinda like the blue but will probably go gloss black.
[attachment=1]10finish.jpg[/attachment]
Looks like I need to polish the headlight ears. Hopefully they can stay chrome but those may get painted black also. That wouldn't look too bad since the new headlight is black (not chrome like stock).
Here's the final painted and mounted set of front blinkers.
[attachment=0]blinkersdone.jpg[/attachment]
.
Now, how to attach these signals to my stock headlight ears which the P.O. had left on the bike?
[attachment=9]1prelim.jpg[/attachment]
I searched the web and bike shops with no luck. So, being a resourceful kinda guy (I save all manner of stuff: parts, brackets, wires, you know...) it was off to Home Depot for some recon. Looking for a "farmer fix" can sometimes take a bit of time and ponderin'.
After about an hour I was back in the electrical aisle and found an "old work" box that had two corners without any knockouts. I now had a plan! I picked up two of them (you know, 1st the prototype, then the finished product) and headed back to the shop (well, the basement anyway).
[attachment=8]2bluebox.jpg[/attachment]
I marked up one of the boxes. 1-3/4" x 1" x 1". Then I went at it with my trusty hacksaw.
[attachment=7]3cutting.jpg[/attachment]
Soon I had the necessary pieces for my little blue boxes. The top, front and outside end are from the corner of the original box. The rear facing side was cut from the scrap.
[attachment=6]4pieces.jpg[/attachment]
I tacked the pieces together with dots of super-glue. To make them a bit stronger at the set-screw connection, I found a metal bracket in my vast junk collection and cut it to fit on the boxes' inside-top.
A liberal dose of epoxy and 24-hours later my 4-1/2 sided boxes were ready for finishing work. The boxes were shaped with 150 grit sandpaper and then finished with 600, 1500 and crocus cloth.
[attachment=5]5weldsand.jpg[/attachment]
A 1/8" hole was drilled for the set-screw that attaches them to the tabs on the headlight ears. And a 1/4" hole was made on the ends for mounting the lights.
[attachment=4]7drilled.jpg[/attachment]
A couple of closeup views.
[attachment=3]8closeup2.jpg[/attachment]
[attachment=2]9closeup.jpg[/attachment]
And here's the (almost) finished product. A prototype good enough for done and I got $1.12 back on the box I didn't use. I kinda like the blue but will probably go gloss black.
[attachment=1]10finish.jpg[/attachment]
Looks like I need to polish the headlight ears. Hopefully they can stay chrome but those may get painted black also. That wouldn't look too bad since the new headlight is black (not chrome like stock).
Here's the final painted and mounted set of front blinkers.
[attachment=0]blinkersdone.jpg[/attachment]
.
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Last edited by Roady on Sun Nov 23, 2008 3:10 pm, edited 2 times in total.
- roadster5580
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- peteybug
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- Location: northern new york
Nice job look like the lights on my 76 bobber. The threads on mine screwed right into the side of head light where the reflectors go.
love new ideas for old wing's. AS I have three and am always working on them
[img]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh55/peteybug8/motorcycle040-1.jpg[/img][img]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh55/peteybug8/motorcycle037-1-1.jpg[/img][img]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh55/peteybug8/3%20wings/Townworkandbikes036-1.jpg[/img]
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-
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very impressive work Roady! good, incisive engineering. (pun intended)
sorta bulldogged custom 1978 GL1000 - "geekster"
full Vetter dress 1979 GL1000 - "Barge" (currently down)
1986 1200 Aspencade - "Heart of Gold" - daily rider
1990 1500 Aspencade - It's ALIVE! but very, very naked. not in a good way.
1978 for $100 - project in worx
1978 from a previous member here - taking up space
my original '79 bought in '91 - replacing engine (eventually, maybe someday)
added an '05 1800 to the stable, all the rest gotta go
H2G2=42
A competent and self-confident person is incapable of jealousy in anything. Jealousy is invariably a symptom of neurotic insecurity. ~ Robert A. Heinlein
The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it. ~ Neil deGrasse Tyson
full Vetter dress 1979 GL1000 - "Barge" (currently down)
1986 1200 Aspencade - "Heart of Gold" - daily rider
1990 1500 Aspencade - It's ALIVE! but very, very naked. not in a good way.
1978 for $100 - project in worx
1978 from a previous member here - taking up space
my original '79 bought in '91 - replacing engine (eventually, maybe someday)
added an '05 1800 to the stable, all the rest gotta go
H2G2=42
A competent and self-confident person is incapable of jealousy in anything. Jealousy is invariably a symptom of neurotic insecurity. ~ Robert A. Heinlein
The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it. ~ Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Roady
- Member Relations &_Graphics
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- Location: Port St. John, FL
- Texson
- Billet Alum. Member
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- Location: Nacogdoches, TX
- Roady
- Member Relations &_Graphics
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- Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2007 2:35 pm
- Location: Port St. John, FL
I got the blinkers mounted on the bike and finally got out for a real ride. This was the first ride since the carb rebuild.
Also, got the front and rear brakes sorted out (thanks for the Tech Tips, Randakk!) so she stops and they don't bind up. That teeny-weenie hole down there got cleared out with one strand from some speaker wire.
So, I bought her on 7/7/07 and just came in under the one year wire.
And wOooOOOOooOOOOoooooOHHhhooooooooooooo! was it worth it.
.
Also, got the front and rear brakes sorted out (thanks for the Tech Tips, Randakk!) so she stops and they don't bind up. That teeny-weenie hole down there got cleared out with one strand from some speaker wire.
So, I bought her on 7/7/07 and just came in under the one year wire.
And wOooOOOOooOOOOoooooOHHhhooooooooooooo! was it worth it.
.
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- Zinc Member
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2011 11:35 pm
- Location: NJ
Re:
Texson wrote:I made some from trailer side marker lights. After removing my vetter, I had none, so I improvised. Cheap but effective.
Sorry to resurrect an old post, but...I like what this guy did with his front marker lights. Looks easy.

1979 Honda GL1000
- Whiskerfish
- President
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- Location: Norfolk Va
Re: Mounting Small Front Blinkers
Looks like they might be clamps of some kind?? I would worry about them bottoming out???
"Agreement is not a requirement for Respect" CDR Michael Smith USN (Ret) 2017
"The book is wrong, this whole Conclusion is Fallacious" River Tam
"Yea I do dance awkwardly, and I am having more fun than you" Taylor Swift
2008 GL1800 IIIA "TH3DOG"
1984 GL1200 Standard
1975/6/7/8/9 Arthur Fulmer Dressed Road bike
1975 Naked Noisy and Nasty in town bike
Psst. oh and by the way CHANGE YOUR BELTS!!!!
"The book is wrong, this whole Conclusion is Fallacious" River Tam
"Yea I do dance awkwardly, and I am having more fun than you" Taylor Swift
2008 GL1800 IIIA "TH3DOG"
1984 GL1200 Standard
1975/6/7/8/9 Arthur Fulmer Dressed Road bike
1975 Naked Noisy and Nasty in town bike
Psst. oh and by the way CHANGE YOUR BELTS!!!!
-
- Zinc Member
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2011 11:35 pm
- Location: NJ
Re: Mounting Small Front Blinkers
Yeah, I saw that part. I was hoping I could relocate them to just about the old mounting spot. That way they would not get crunched.
1979 Honda GL1000
- Whiskerfish
- President
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- My Album: http://www.ngwclub.com/gallery/v/wingmans/whiskerfish/
- Location: Norfolk Va
Re: Mounting Small Front Blinkers
If the threaded holes are still there somewhere on here I read a post about using a pipe thread fitting to screw in there to use as a attachment point.
"Agreement is not a requirement for Respect" CDR Michael Smith USN (Ret) 2017
"The book is wrong, this whole Conclusion is Fallacious" River Tam
"Yea I do dance awkwardly, and I am having more fun than you" Taylor Swift
2008 GL1800 IIIA "TH3DOG"
1984 GL1200 Standard
1975/6/7/8/9 Arthur Fulmer Dressed Road bike
1975 Naked Noisy and Nasty in town bike
Psst. oh and by the way CHANGE YOUR BELTS!!!!
"The book is wrong, this whole Conclusion is Fallacious" River Tam
"Yea I do dance awkwardly, and I am having more fun than you" Taylor Swift
2008 GL1800 IIIA "TH3DOG"
1984 GL1200 Standard
1975/6/7/8/9 Arthur Fulmer Dressed Road bike
1975 Naked Noisy and Nasty in town bike
Psst. oh and by the way CHANGE YOUR BELTS!!!!
-
- Chrome Member
- Posts: 118
- Joined: Wed Jun 22, 2011 9:42 am
- Location: Canada Eh
Re: Mounting Small Front Blinkers
You could always go this route http://www.motoshop.net/mm5/merchant.mv ... ange_high=
1981 interstate 1100 not so stock
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