You’ve been wanting to change those turn signal lamps into turn signals and running lamps, but didn’t want to pay $130.00 for a converter module. Well for approx., $10.00 and a little effort you can install dual filament sockets and 1157 bulbs and be back on the road.
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Road Star Tail light Conversion
Procedure
By Vince Sbordone
For approx, another $20.00 you can purchase red turnsignal lenses from Barons Custom to complete the job..
This is approx, a 2 hour project
Instructions
- Get 2 double contact universal lamp sockets, this is the 2 wire type with the lip at the top of the socket and two 1157 bulbs.
- Some bullet crimps to splice the wires. They come 10 to 14 in a blister pak. (Male & Female)
- Small amount of stranded wire #14 ga will work.
The cost is about $10.00 total for the setup.
- Remove your license plate and reflector. Loosen the boltsholding the turn signals in place.
- Pull the flexible wire keeper outward and gently spread the wires apart.
- Unplug the left or right blinker, (work on one light at a time) Attach a wire to one of the turn signal wires with tape then remove the light assembly from the bike. Un-tape the wire from the turn signal wires, this is to provide you with a manner in which you can pull the lamp assembly wiresback into the tubing.
- Unscrew the amber lens from the turn signal. Remove the 2 screws holding the socket and remove the socket and rubber boot. Remove the Ground wire from the socket (push it up from the bottom of the socket to remove, it’s the wire with the ring on it).
- Take the Ground wire that you just removed and gentlybend the ring so that it curves. It will match the contour of the NEW socket when placed on the OUTSIDE of thesocket.Make a small hole in the rubber boot for the 3rd wire and slide the boot over the new socket, ( which will now have 3 wires coming from it. The curved ground wire ring is laid against the socket and the boot holds it in place.)
- Put the new socket back into the signal arm using the small strap and screws that you removed earlier. This piece will also squeeze the ground ring against the socket for a good connection.
- Snake your wires back through the turn signal arm.
- Plug the original Ground wire back into it’s connector.Crimp a MALE bullet to the ends of the two other wires and plug the turn signal filament back into it’s connector. TRY the turn signal. If it blinks VERY FAST you have the wrong wire plugged in. Just use the other lead and test again. You WILL notice a difference in the blink rate this time.
- Locate the BLUE wire on the brake and tail light assembly, it will be coming out of the fender through the rightgrommet in the fender. This is the running light side of the tail light.This is where you will connect the wire from the new socket for your running light. The easiest way to do this is to use 3 short lengths of wire.Twist 3 of the ends together and use a MALE bullet crimp on that end, plug it into the BLUE FEMALE, with the three loose other ends use 3 FEMALE bullet crimps. You wind up with a 1 to 3connector.Use one for the BLUE MALE, and the other 2 are for your new running lights.
- Go back to step 3 and do the other side.
- At this point everything is ready to be plugged in and this socket exchange should zip by. When done, neatly foldthe wires back into their hiding place and bend the flexible keeper across the wires.
- Install the reflector/license plate. Retest the SIGNALS.
- Go RIDE
