Augmented Turn Signals

by Jeff Dean

I have been concerned for some time about whether cars can see my turn signals when they are not directly behind me. When I am changing lanes or turning and cars behind me or to my side cannot clearly see my rear signals, I felt that I needed more visibility.

So I contacted Ron Atkins at Hyper-Lites for help. Hyper-Lites is well known for making flashing brake light LED systems that greatly enhance the visibility of motorcycle brakes to following vehicles. We came up with the idea of attaching amber LEDs to the underside of the rear view mirror housings on my R1150RTs, and simply wiring them directly to the forward facing turn signals in front of those mirrors. You can see the result above, left.

Of course, the under side of R1100/1150RT mirror housings are not level. With a carpenter's level and a protractor, I calculated the appropriate bevel angle as 15°, and asked Ron to taper the LED housings that amount. That seems to have worked. I mounted the LEDs splayed slightly outward to catch drivers' attention.

To remove fairing panels, however, the LEDs must be disconnected from the electrical wiring for the stock turn signals. Given the small amount of room inside the mirror/signal housings, I chose to use Dean's Micro Plugs 2R (no relation) in the leads connecting the LEDs to the signal wires (photo above, right). Soldering wires to these connectors takes a pencil soldering iron and a steady hand, but the result is worth the effort.

I now have installed this system on all the RTs I own, and feel my turn signals are more visible — most especially at night.