Self cancelling indicators

[Biff]

I was talking with a guy at the weekend who believes that self cancelling indicators on m'bikes could save hundreds of accidents every year. I'm sure that such a feature has been tried out before on some older bikes.

Any of you guys ever heard of these? Ever had a bike with them on? Any good? How do they work?

Cheers

[Coyote]

Man that would be nice to have.

[scumdog]

I was talking with a guy at the weekend who believes that self cancelling indicators on m'bikes could save hundreds of accidents every year. I'm sure that such a feture has been tried out before on some older bikes.

Any of you guys ever heard of these? Ever had a bike with them on? Any good? How do they work?

Cheers

My 'olde-technology' Harley has them, they work like magic, turn off by themselves after you overtake/turn at an intersection yet stay on constantly when you are sitting at the traffic-lights.

'Course they were dangerous when I first got the bike 'cos I spent so much time checking they had turned off when they were meant to causing near heart failure when I looked up again and saw a stopped car/sharp bend on front of me!!

[Fryin Finn]

My old Yamaha XJ650 (born 1981) had self cancelling indicators as did most of Big Yamahas around that time. When I next bought a Yamaha (87 SRX600) they no longer featured - probably hit and miss weather the indicators worked. I know I had a few problems with the wiring hence only 3 or 4 WOF's over 8 years of ownership

[Biff]

Sorry Scumdog - didn't mean to infer that your Harley was an old bike, I didn't realise modern ones had them.

So how do they work? Distance travelled?

[Coyote]

Can you install self cancelling indicators to your bike? Can you buy a kitset or something?

[scumdog]

Sorry Scumdog - didn't mean to infer that your Harley was an old bike, I didn't realise modern ones had them.

So how do they work? Distance travelled?

I don't KNOW but suspect they are a combination of time and a switch activated by a change of lean and/or momentum (Use to be known as a 'mercury switch').

Anybody else able to assist?

[Motu]

My 1971 XS1 had self canceling indicators - for a left turn I put my hands back on the bars to use the clutch,on right hand turns to use the front brake.I leant to cancel them early - going down the road with your left arm stuck out for miles looks bloody silly - if I left my right indicator on by mistake the bike would just come to a stop - bloody good safety feature that eh?

[bear]

Talking to a guy with a new BMW RS (or RG, sorry can't remember) 1200. They have the switch for the right indicator on the right handlebar, and the left on the left. After 15 flashes they turned themselves off. (If bike was stationary, then count wouldn;t engage until moving) I reckoned they were bloddy good.

[pete376403]

82 GS1100 has them, so did the 850 - they have two modes - the low speed mode is worked via a sensor on the back of the speedo so they turn off after a certain distance, eg 500 metres. High speed mode (over a certain speed) turns them off after a time. Logic behind this is - if it was distance only, at highway speeds they would self cancel too soon. If it was time only, at low speed they would remain on too long. Very handy thing to have.

[MrMelon]

I could do with some of these. I'm always leaving my fricken indicators on.

[Biff]

I could do with some of these. I'm always leaving my fricken indicators on.

Hence the reason for this post, potentially a bloody dangerous mistake - forgetting to switch your indicators off.

So I guess the next question is, why the hell aren't they standard on road bikes? Mr Honda, My Suzuki etc - answers on a postcard to the usual address please.

[mr x]

Glad to see I'm not the only one who forgets to switch them off.
I thought it was just an L plate thing.

[Hitcher]

If anybody ever invents a sensible heads-up display for a helmet visor, the first thing that needs to go on it is an indicator light...

[Jackrat]

My 83XS has them.
I just resently bought a unit to replace the self canceling feature.
Never did like them.
They worked on a timer of some kind an would cancel when you didn't want them to.
I put them in the same catagory as electric starters.