The tailight saga continues....

[LIGuy]

I'll take any firsthand knowledge or experience with gratitude

I've started to lay hands on my newly acquired INT and one of the first things I wanted to change around were the lights. Im still pondering the R&G tail tidy but I thought I would start by changing out the signal lamps. I saw these on that auction site thought they looked a little better than my stock round ones. I thought perhaps these were for a newer year model. I now believe that is not the case, I think these are for markets other than the USA. Looks like all of ours on this side of the pond are round from what Im seeing in other peoples pictures posted.





After taking my rear light assembly off and looking to do a quick swap, ironically I quickly found out that is wasn't going down like that . Instead this is what I found.
They dont fit !! Apparently the stem where it goes into the housing, and gets indexed is totally a different size.


Hitchcock's has the bracket, and the signal lights they show in their parts diagram associated with it also looks like the ones I purchased. So that might be my way out....kinda, I hope.

BTW - The front lights looks to be an exact fit with the naked eye, but Im not taking the headlight assembly apart just yet as I am waiting for a flyscreen and some other goodies


I could have went the LED upgrade route but I like these smaller rectangular indicators because I thought they would look cool, maybe even LED them in the future.
Also, the light I purchased seem to be of much better quality that the ones that come on the bike.

Like the title says, the saga continues.

 

[severely]

Why not a couple of SS or chrome washers to fill the hole and run the signal through?

 

[LIGuy]

It's keyed so that the light wont rotate. If you look at the very first picture you can see them at the 12 oclock position on both light fixtures, .
I guess I could fabricate something if I really wanted to

 

[severely]

Just eliminate the key and fab away. Good luck

 

[Woodstock]

No issues with conforming to local traffic laws or whatever federal authority grants a roadworthy certificate, in changing to the rectangular in the USA?

 

[Gone in 60]

I switched from the round to rectangular signals with no problems. A direct swap, fit just fine front and rear. I think they look better. Wonder why you had fitment problems.

On the rear, you know that you reuse the wider black sleeve from the round lights, right?

No problems legally here in the US. The larger round lights were probably needed for federal DOT compliance, but once the bike is in private hands it’s fair game.

 

[LIGuy]

I switched from the round to rectangular signals with no problems. A direct swap, fit just fine front and rear. I think they look better. Wonder why you had fitment problems.

On the rear, you know that you reuse the wider black sleeve from the round lights, right?

No problems legally here in the US. The larger round lights were probably needed for federal DOT compliance, but once the bike is in private hands it’s fair game.

You know i looked at that for a quick
second but didnt look at it closely enough to realize that's what needs to be done, although the parts diagram from Hitchcock doesn't show the sleeve , but if you are someone who has done the swap I'll take your word for it. And yes, I think the rectangle ones look better/sleeker.

 

[LIGuy]

No issues with conforming to local traffic laws or whatever federal authority grants a roadworthy certificate, in changing to the rectangular in the USA?

I'll let the NYS inspector tell me when it's inspection time

 

[Gone in 60]

 

[LIGuy]

View attachment 13212

Ty for the pic . What happens with the little tab that's on the new light? Does it sit in something or you just level the light, tighten the nut and call it a day?

 

[Gone in 60]

 

[Gone in 60]

I don’t really remember. I just recall everything fitting together easily and lining up. You do have to watch the level as you are tightening the nuts to keep them from moving up or down a bit due to the play in the alignment tabs.

 

[LIGuy]

Thanks for your insight, not sure what I was thinking. The parts catalog also shows it clearly in black and white

 

[LIGuy]

After playing dumb and dumber with myself I put the indicator lights on that ordered.


Thanks to Gone in 60 for posting his experience and pics, making me looks at things twice.
All good now, I will put the front ones on once my windscreen and headlight grill arrive from the Far East

Old Indicators:



New Indicators:




I prefer the rectangle ones. YMMV

 

[Gone in 60]

Looks good! A nice, easy fairly low-buck mod.

 

[LIGuy]

So I forgot to mention - The plastic spacer is keyed on BOTH sides. Thats how it stays level.
Also, you toss the nut and lock washer (not really, you save it for some day) that came with the new lights and use the sleeve nut from the old lights.

 

[beagle]

Those are what we have as standard lights over here in Australia...most of us wish they were the round ones you guys get over there...lol...

 

[LIGuy]

Those are what we have as standard lights over here in Australia...most of us wish they were the round ones you guys get over there...lol...

Isn't it always like that....
"oh the grass must be greener in the other side." Hahahaha

 

[beagle]

Never a truer word was spoken....if you werent so far awaay I woulda swapped you...lol...

 

[Gone in 60]

Sounds like a conversation I had with a gentleman from Australia who visited the car museum where I work.
“Hey mate, there’s a Holden in your parking lot!
“Actually that’s a Chevy SS. Lots of people here put the Australian Holden badges on them.”
“Ha! Ya know what we like to do to our Holdens in Australia?”
“Let me guess… put American Chevy badges on them.”