Topic: Lights High / Low

[broken]

On my 1975 CB400 when I put the lights on HIGH, the headlight is on bright and signals off, when I put the lights on LOW the turn signals go on solid and the headlight, this seems odd to me, why are the signals on solid? is this the normal operation? If so, anyone know the rational?

bro`ken

[endobendo]

I think it is a UK/US spec thing as to why yours are not on all the time.  The front signals are on all the time as a marker light.  Just about every bike I've seen is like that.  They are two way bulbs so if you turn the blinkers on you can still see blinkers. 

On my bike, these lights used to be on solid all the time, regardless of high or low beam.  Recently I replaced the switches with some aftermarket (Euro?) switches and have the same situation you describe; front markers on with low beam, off with high beam.  Having the markers turn off on high beam makes sense, because if you are using high beam there should be no need to be seen by other cars, and you are using a higher watt filament which would take more power, potentially offset by having the marker lights off.

Also in high beam it is easier on your eyes to have the light in front of you versus around the front wheel.  Yet another reason, it is easy to know if you are on high beam because the markers are off.

[Jonesy]

I wondered about that. On my '73 750, the marker lights stay on regardless of what beam the headlight is used. On my wife's '74 CB360, the marker lights turn off with the high beam. Odd they'd do it on some bikes and not others....

[Tim.]

1976 CB550F (Canada) has running lights - front signals are lit all the time, but not as brightly as when signalling.  I believe they are lit whether or not the hi-beam circuit of the headlight is active, but will confirm on my way to work tomorrow morning