Indicator Globe Wattage Problem - Please help me!

[benpaddlejones]

Hi
Just installed a aftermarket indicator to my motorbike. The original globe was 21w, but the new globe has to have a 23w as all that fits in the housing.

The too high wattage is stalling the indicator. Will a resistor or similar stop the over flow?

Cheers

Ben

 

[Diver300]

The difference between 21 W and 23 W isn't enough to stop a flasher unit from flashing.

The current variation due to the change of battery voltage with the engine speed and the variation from one bulb to another is much bigger than that.

Have you fitted LED bulbs that say they are equivalent to 23 W? If so, they probably take far less current, maybe only 0.25 A instead of the 1.75 A that a 21 W bulb takes at 12 V. That would stop the flasher unit from flashing.

If that is the case, you need a resistor of about 4 Ω, rated at 50 W, in parallel with the bulbs on each side of the bike.

You might also try a car flasher unit as they work better than motorcycle ones. The car ones flash more consistently, they start at the start of the "on" cycle not the start of the "off" cycle, and they flash twice as fast when one bulb is blown.

 

[benpaddlejones]

Diver300

The oem part was a globe, then the last owner fitted a LED Cluster (inbuilt resistor). I am now replacing with a globe again.

When I indicate the dash light stalls for a second, then it indicates as normal. When I was installing & testing a few times when the motor wasn't running the light would get stuck at the stall. The click sound from the flasher unit is noticably louder too, not sure if that means anything.

Not a big issue but i'm keen to fix as concerned may decide to stall and not flash when most needed.

I found another oem part list that says some bikes were released with a 10watt oem globe, I will check with Kawasaki tomorrow, but what resistor would you recomend in this case?

Cheers for your help

Ben

 

[Diver300]

You need to match the flasher unit to the bulbs. If the flasher unit is designed for 2 x 10 W, 12 V, that is what it will flash with.

You do not need to be really accurate with the power, but you need to be within 20% of rating.

For some reason, motorbike flashers seem to use much older technology than cars of the same age. That is why I suggest you use a modern electronic 3 terminal flasher. (Well not too modern. My car has the flash rate set in the computer)

I think that the LEDs took a lot less current than the bulbs. The extra current of the bulbs makes the flasher louder and makes it behave the way it does. The 10 W bulbs might be what the flasher was designed for.

If that is the case, any resistor will make things worse. The resistor helps when the bulbs power is less than normal for the flasher. I think you have bulbs powers that are more than normal for the flasher.