Topic: Turn signals flashing fast

[redbaron]

I think I remember, is there a relay or something to control turn signal flashing?

[RAFster122s]

There is a can flasher, mechanical, located behind the right cover in fuse box area. Look it up in your owner’s manual.. Typically mechanical flashers will flash quickly when one bulb of a turn signal circuit has failed. Are both front and rear turn signals flashing when your motor is running. They usually don’t flash when bike is not running but ignition circuit is on…

[Deltarider]

[...] Typically mechanical flashers will flash quickly when one bulb of a turn signal circuit has failed.

Mine is atypical then. When one - either the rear or the front one is disconnected - the remainer stays on, but does not flash. The more wattage, like fitting 21Watts in both rear and front, instead of the standard 18Watts (Europe), the faster they flash.

[Bodi]

The original electromechanical flasher - rectangular metal thing with two terminals - is not smart. Flash rate varies with load current: lamp current heats up a bimetallic contact bar that bends with heat... that openss the contact (turns lamps off) and it cools down, bends back to make contact, repeats. LED lamps with super low current don't flash, just stay on. The expected lamp current gives a normal flash rate. One burned out is slower. Higher wattage lamps heat it faster so it flashes faster.
Two terminal "electronic" flashers will have the fast flash for a burnt out bulb but they "start off" so the first flash is a half second or so after you activate the signal. Three terminal (3rd is ground, the unused green wire hanging near the OEM flasher) are the same but will "start on" and then flash off. I prefer that, I want a signal lit as soon as I slide the switch.
Note there are several three terminal types: some will just blow a fuse instantly when you turn a signal on. These have a second output for a dashlight or second set of signals (trailer?).

[redbaron]

Wow! Way more info than I expected. I will check bulbs and “canister” item.

[willbird]

I bought a 2 wire LED flasher on Amazon that has a knob that lets one adjust flash speed. The downside to these is they will just flash at that rate with one or zero bulbs in the circuit. My intent was to use LED bulbs but the sylvania LED 1157 I got have  weird oval shaped contact lugs on the bottom of the bulb that seemed to short out in my OEM sockets.

[Phoenix]

That flasher is well hidden behind some wires to the upper right, I think hooked up to the back of the battery holder.

[Rosinante]

On old cars, a bad ground can cause fast flashing.