Wotchoo Think?

[vifferman]

After munce of research, fretting (and not on my guitar), conniving and planning, I finally removed my front confirminators. Yes, the huge and dangerously protruding DumboEars / Madonna ConeBras / Orange Boobies have been consigned to the depths of my tool cupboard (about 10cm, coz it's pretty shallow).

My criteria for the operation were as follows:
They had to be less protrusive
They had to be cheap
The mod had to be reversible
The had to not cost too much
I needed at least partial (grudging) approval from the WifeAccountantPorcupinePillionist.
Preferably, they needed to be clear.
I had several possible candidates, viz:

Vespa ET4 / ET8 confirminators
Toyota Echo/Yaris side blinker-thingies
TGB 303 scooter front confirminators
Some "LED indicators made by Oxford that are just right, and only NZ$35 each".

These were all ruled out, one-by-one. The Vespinators were a good fit and look, but the price was misquoted: they were NZ$42 each, not $22.
The Toymotor blinker-thingies were too small, too expensive ($59 each!) and had "Toymotor" deeply embossed on them.
The TGB indicators were beautiful, but mounting them was problematic, and they were $55 each - a gross rip-off, given they were made in China and the scooter only costs marginally more than that.
The "perfect LED indicators" from Oxford looked like putting irons, and were totally unsuitable.

Then I found some on TardMe (http://www.tardme.co.nz) that were OK, and only NZ$42. So, I fabricated some blanking plates from some bits of car bumper I retrieved from a dumpster, did a whole bunch of other fidly stuff, and Viola! (A small musical implement).

Wotchoothinkonit? The WifeAccountantPorcupinePillionist hates them, and thinks they're dangerously small (probably right), but at least the bike looks better/slimmer from front on, and they are less likely to trash the fairing if the bike decides to lie down for a wee snooze.

Before:

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=55025&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1172695255

After:

http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~cam4/nc_front.jpg

http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~cam4/nc_34ths.jpg

[placidfemme]

Deffinatley better! And I like the clear ones too!

[Ixion]

Not very noticeable, though,are they? I like big, obvious indicators. And lots of them.

[MotoGirl]

Not very noticeable, though,are they? I like big, obvious indicators. And lots of them.
That would be my main concern too. Indicators don't have to look ugly, I just want oncoming traffic to see me. :dodge:

Apart from the 'safety concerns', they look cool!

[Babelfish]

Look wicked mate, I'll add my name to the nana list though in terms of visibility. Have you had someone check your blinkerness on approach?

Are the new ones LED or LEB? (Light emitting bulb...thought I'd stick another TLA in there for S AND G, FAB?)

[Pumba]

Has defently improved the look of the bike but the cerinly dont look that visable

[vifferman]

Look wicked mate, I'll add my name to the nana list though in terms of visibility. Have you had someone check your blinkerness on approach?

Are the new ones LED or LEB? (Light emitting bulb...thought I'd stick another TLA in there for S AND G, FAB?)
They're bulbs - currently orange ones, so they make the confirminators look a little like a fried egg. I'll switch to silvered orange ones later.

As for visibility, I checked all the official regulations regarding visibility. These ones have the necessary "E" certification marked on them, have sufficient visibility to the sides/rear, but don't quite meet the other criteria. This states that the left-hand confirminator must be visible at a point up to 45-degrees to the right of a line drawn directly through the confirminator, and the right-hand one at 45-degrees to the left side.

I could get round that in two ways; I'm allowed to have up to four front confirminators, so I could either mount a bulb/LED in the hole left in the back of the fairing, where the screw for the OEM confirminators was, or in the mirrors. I was tempted to just buy a pair of mirrors (GSXR750, Aprilia or Blackbird) that already have confirminators in, but they're all too expensive and/or URGLEEE, as are the stick-on LED strips that Kisan Technologies make for sticking on mirrors.

Apart from urgleeness, when the VFR lies down, the OEM confirminators are almost invariably one of the first things to hit the deck. When they do, not only do they get muntered, but they ensure that the front lower fairings AND inner fairings are destroyed.

[Hitcher]

Wotchoothinkonit?

I think you're desperately hankering to own an FJR.

[avgas]

Only a matter of time until the fz gets some new fronts. i think im gona get some sticks similar to the ones i had on the zxr. As i have never had luck with flush mount ones - most people fail to see them or something.

[The Pastor]

Hmmmm I did like the lines you got with ur old indicators from the front on. If I was you and worried about looks i'd get rid of that headlight protector its almost as ugly as you!

[Gremlin]

I had an option to get something very similar when I installed an integrated tail light. I went against them, due to visibility. The only reason we have them, is for cages to hopefully see them, and do anything accordingly. I went for the Oxford ones instead.

Ideally, you want them highly visible, and also bright.

[vagrant]

I have similar low profile front indicators on my Fireblade. I ahve no worried at WOF time so far, and have had only one close call with someone not seeing them.
That said, she also didn't notice the two highbeam headlights, that fact that I was in a turning lane, it was dark, and there were no other vehicles around.
I don't think the dozy B@#ch would have noticed a set of disco lights stuck on the front of the bike.

I work on the trust principle. I don't trust that you have seen me, until I see you see me.

Keep your new indicators, they look good.
T