Topic: Indicator lights?

[racemx51]

Hey guys, question for you... Your indicator lights, I want to just keep my oil pressure one and get rid the others. On these bikes, can you just chop them or are they the type where the bulb basically is the end of the circuit so if you chop it whatever its the light for doesnt work... I know thats the case for certain bikes but before I started screwing with it I figured Id ask some guys that have screwed with these things for years.. 

[HondaMan]

They are optional: Honda designed with more sanity than some other Japanese bike builders (I wont mention names, here...  ). You can run with or without.

[Danno]

things would not work right when the bulbs burn out if you could not run without them but believe it or not my brother in law has a kawasaki that if one of the indicator bulbs burns out you cant start the bike

[racemx51]

Yeah Ive come across a few like that. Thats why I figured Id ask.. I JUST got the thing completely wired and running so it really would have pissed me off if I had screwed that all up because of bulbs. I plan on keeping the oil pressure and just ditching the rest..

[HondaMan]

things would not work right when the bulbs burn out if you could not run without them but believe it or not my brother in law has a kawasaki that if one of the indicator bulbs burns out you cant start the bike

I think the Suzuki GS750-4 was like that, if the taillight bulb burned out. Or, one of those Suzukis...I remember struggling with that in a shop one day because I didn't know it (nor did the owner): someone had backed into his taillight and broke the STOP filament, but the run lamp still worked, so no one noticed the bulb was bad right away. The bike wouldn't start, and we scratched heads for almost 2 hours trying to discover why the "Electronic Ignition and Control" module would not work unless I jumpered one of the wires to +12 volts. It just cranked the battery dead unless the jumper was there: changing the taillight bulb made the dashboard "LITE" lamp come on with the brake, and suddenly everything was fine.

What twisted SOB engineer could come up with an idea like that? (I can say that, because I AM one!)

[cougar]

Hey HondaMan ; Not trying to hijack the thread and this isn't about an SOHC4 (sorry) but it is Honda related. Is there any chance that something like a bad bulb would cause my wifes 1985 Rebel 250 to not start? Bikes been a PITA but had to ask.   ...cougar...

[racemx51]

Hondaman can answer you but no, that sounds highly doubtful to me... Have you checked spark?

[CoachDoc]

Personally I'd hate to be without the neutral light. These bikes can make it hard to find neutral- seems like not knowing when you've found it would make life more difficult than need be.

[cougar]

racemx51 ; Honestly I didn't think that was the situation because of HondaMan's Reply #1 . I've been through the bike, tested coils, pulse ignitor,kill & key switch, wiring for cont. , everything was within specs. and even replaced the CDI with another (but used) unit. Still dead! Oh well, I'll just build her her new bike, a 1976 cb400F  .   ...cougar...