Topic: turn signal len color

[Ace Blackwell]

Hey All,

I'm restoring my 1977 CB550F.  Well making it presentable at least.  When I bought the bike 25 years ago, it was just repainted and cleaned up.  It had red lens for two of the turn signals and orange for the other two.  Can't remember if the red was on front or rear, but suspect the rear.   Anyways, given  I just found out the tank colors were wrong for the year (550K Brown with orange stripes) I can't be sure if the red was originally on the bike or not.  So far haven't been able to find a vintage picture that clears it up.  In short, did the 1977 CD550F originally  come with red lens or not?

Thanks
Ace

[CBDee]

All stock lenses were Amber. Red lenses were available as aftermarket alternatives, mainly used when using the rear signals as running lights on the back (like on the front). Law requires rear running lights to be red.

[Ace Blackwell]

Cool, thanks for the info.  I'll have to wait until it's up and running to see if they act as running lights or not. 

Ace

[Don R]

 They aren't really running lights, they are  just tied into the taillights so there are 3 red taillights and they blink with the turn signals. The idea was so cars would know it's a bike not a car with one side burned out.

[toolguy]

police / emergency vehicles are the only ones that can have red facing to the front. .

[RAFster122s]

Red are rear and would be paired with a dual filament bulb if you are going to run them as rear marker lamps.
Typically/stock the rear are a single wire and are used only as a turn signal and they are equipped with amber lenses.

[Ace Blackwell]

Thanks all.  Based on the broken rear turn signal I removed, I don't think they were dual filament.  I'll probably just go with all four amber. 

Ace