Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums Accessories A discovery and a suggestion to Brent et al

I was working on my America the other day and made a most amazing discovery. Seems the warning lights on the dash are really as bright as they should be, IF you are looking straight down on them. So, if anyone decides to make a replacement for the plastic thing on the fueltank, make it so the warning lights and tach are tilted back about 15 - 20 degrees and you will have an outstanding product.

Awesome Idea!

Soren

Good idea!....but until then I'll just ride in the dark.

I wonder if finding different "classes" for them would make a difference? Ones that aren't so prizmatic? Fish eye lense maybe?

I replaced the bulbs with Sylvania #168 bulbs. Brightens up the dummy lights a bunch.

Someone also posted here about moving the bulbs up closer to the lenses and said that made a huge difference.

Good idea GB

You don't need to make a whole console... you could just make some angled chrome "collars" so the lights sit in the holes at a greater angle & point at the rider. Maybe couple that with brighter bulbs and a nice neat method of moving them higher in the tubes and you'd blind yourself everytime you hit the turn signals.

Brent looked at a replacement console a while back but the price was prohibitive... the collars would be lots cheaper.

Matt

Now that's a GREAT idea!

It is the two green ones that could use a lift - the two I'm looking for the most.

The blue high beam indicator isn't hard to miss - when it's on, it's dark.

I saw one guy's solution in the photo gallery here–I think it was early 2003–where he had mounted little chrome hoods on his neutral and turn signal lights that would keep them partly in shadow, and therefore easier to see. I'll try to describe what I mean by "hoods": if you cut a hollow sphere in half then in half again, one of the pieces would be the shape. Also, kind of like an old-fashioned bandshell in a park. Also, something like the cover on a shoplight. Anyway, they looked unobtrusive, just the right size, as if stock. There was no discussion about them that I remember.

Good ideas Dale,Ron, would chromed Lee "press-on nails" work with a rim epoxied on? 1/2 joking and no experience w/ that product BTW.

Ron I think I remember that too, it would be nice to know where he got them and what they were!

I was thinking of somthing like a metal tube about the diameter of the lens and cutting off maybe a 1/2" of it at an angle to make a little eyelid. Then i'd have to figure a way to attach a ring to the base to allow the lens to go over it or some other way to attach it.Thats the part i haven't figured out yet.

I threw this out there under another post a while ago, to mount a tach/speedo combination on the bars with the indicator lights incorporated. The Thruxton setup would probably work. then get rid of the divot in the tank and finish it like the old Triumphs. I can see it in my mind, but have no concept of how to actually do it. Not that handy or ambitious and I spend any extra time riding around aimlessly. Can't afford to pay anybody to do it, so I'm just wondering if anyone has considered the modification. I think it would look great on my Speedmaster. I'll just add that to the list of things I would like to do. That list is starting to get as big as the Philly phone book...

Just installed some Sylvania 168's like Doug/Soul Survivor. Good tip there, much much brighter. Bulbs were $2.50 for a 2 pack at the local auto parts store. I did screw up and got the neutral and oil light switched when reinstalling the rubber hood grommets. As soon as I forget how frustrating it was to change the bulbs due to the POS Triumph design, I'll switch them out instead of just switching the colored lens caps.

Or I could leave it alone for that "custom look".

Wow....good to know ! I just called pep boys and will pick some up on the way home from work. thanks for the tip. Much easier than making hoods for them.

Tony, I think someone mentioned that it would be tough to do a really good job of filling that dip in the tank with bondo or whatever. To do a proper job, you'd have to cut up the tank and do it with metal. I'd love to see it done! I know Robert did it, but had a fiasco with the painter... I'd love to see it with an offset filler cap like a bonnie.

Well, so much for those sylvania 168's ! I can't figure out why the results could be so differnt from my experience to Sal's and Doug's, but in mine they were no better at all. In fact, i lit up the stock and sylvania bulbs with a 12 volt supply out of the bike just to see the difference. I can honestly say the stock bulb look a LOT (yes, i mean a LOT !) brighter. So much so that it hurt my eyes to look at it, while the sylvania didn't at all. it looked about 30% dimmer. However, thinking that since Sal and Doug saw a big difference there must be something different about the way it works under the lens. So i decided to try it in the bike in the turn signal slot. The result was exactly the same brightness as the nutural light. However, having raised the turn signal bulb right up to the lens a while back as i mentioned before, i think it should have been brighter than the N light. So in any case it's no brighter at best. The only possible reason i can think of for the differences we experienced is that maybe sylvania doesn't manufactuer thier own bulbs and outsource them from the best supplier according to cost and therefore you could buy 2 packs of them and they might be from different manufacturers.

Anyway, what a let down....i was hoping to avoid having to fabricate an eyelid but i guess that plan is back on the board.:(

Good call on the 168 bulbs, I can actually see them now when in the sun. Has anyone tried the 25 watt LED replacement bulbs? The 168's are 5 watts.

How do I know I'm getting the right LED replacement bulbs? That sounds interesting... I have my console off now anyway.

I've got all of 10 minutes research into this. I stumbled across this place that listed the 25 watt LED bulbs LED bulbs part# LED168SW. Found several types on other sites with bulbs that had up to 7? LEDs, but they were generally still 5 watts. I sent them an e-mail inquiring on the 25 watt bulbs.

I mean I'm wondering on how to cross-reference the bulb type so they plug into the right socket.. I assume they'll say "replacement for XXX"?

Bulb numbers are 194 or 168.

LED light probably will not work for the turn signal indicator. Polarity reverses to the bulb when direction is changed. LED lights must have the proper polarity or they do not work.