Turn signal indicator lights dim, awkward to look at, and turn off too easily.
To see left and right green indicator lights I have to shift eyes 'way down to the tank, change focus, & back up, which takes my eyes off the road too long.
When I'm using turn signals they damn well better be on but to check them takes too long.
Also the signals switch off too easily, with very little lean, e.g. a bit of lean to move into left turn lane turns off turn signal.
Indicators hard to see in bright light.
So I am often stuck not being sure the signals are flashing.
In a car I could feel the lever with my fingers. On the bike, I can't.
Can't just push the button again because if they are blinking that will shut them off.
Solutions?
Sure, a brighter bulb replacement, and wash both sides of plexiglas.

Duplicate pair of bigger indicators closer to line of sight e.g. above handlebars (would be a nice addition to the tach I want there!)
How to set Automatic Shutoff to greater lean angle.
Control left & right with same switch?

Kayakeur Bud
1999 Evo FLSTC Softail Heritage, new to me 2015

 

Somebody smarter than me will tell you to upgrade to a Badlands module. I've never used one but supposedly they're the best.
Me? I would just put the bike into gear but not start it, put directional on then lean it on the kickstand and see if that is enough lean/bank angle. Take off the dash and break out your multi meter and start checking for 12 volts at the bulbs.

First things first, are the bulbs newish leds or are they standard incandescent?
Happy hunting,
Tom

 

I have the same problem with my 1998 FXDWG but have never tried fixing anything. I've had many auto's blow their horns at me when I turn because my turn signals self cancelled early. Below my sight line and always been dim, very hard to see in sun light but at night easy to see. If I can I try to press the turn signal button twice, once to start it blinking and the second when I think it has cancelled. I'm not always lucky with it. I always thought it was a RPM signal and not a lean signal that cancelled them but I could be wrong.

 

On my 1995 it is a reed switch in the speedometer. I guess I don't signal as long distance as you two. Not sure I ever thought it was a problem. The Badlands has a double tap function that increases is time. Ask Spanners39 as he has installed many.

 

I didn't think lean had anything to do with it. It is distance traveled.

The indicators on my Heritage were hard to see. The fix was simple and cheap.

Pull the dash off and replace all the bulbs. Dust on them will cause them to not be as bright plus with age they don't shine as bright.

Take the dash to your kitchen sink and wash it inside and out with Dawn dishwashing liquid. Use a q tip to get the grime out of the corners of the lens.

Make sure to rinse thoroughly and that it is completely dry before reassembly.

They also make led indicator lights for some models. None were available for my 95 Heritage Softail Classic.

 

Thanks. I'll pull the 'dashboard', clean it, put new bulbs in all the sockets for now,(neutral still plenty bright), clean the connections, maybe dielectric grease?
Badlands NAMZ ATS-03 Self Cancelling Module. $75 to $95. Badlands says:
"All Badlands ATS-03 Self Canceling Modules are designed to provide a less expensive alternative to the factory flasher module. The ATS-03 module has a built in 11-second flasher and also is a Load Equalizer which allows you to use small incandescent bulbs, halogen bulbs or LED’s without any rapid-flashing issues. The ATS-03 also has a 4-way flasher feature for safety or parade mode just like the factory flasher unit. Whether you have a Plug-n-Play module or the hard-wired version, ATS-03 Modules all work the same." http://www.namzcustomcycleproducts.c...lands_ats.html The 11-second time-out is news to me. My Sportster 2005 keeps blinking til I straighten up after leaning it over. On the 99 Heritage it has turned off after straightening up after turns; maybe that was 11 seconds. It has turned off waiting in a left turn lane, figured it was a gentle lean. Dunno but an arbitrary 11 seconds is dumb and dangerous. Car drivers will think the biker turned off the signal!

 

The leaning and the timing being tied to cancelation is news to me. Both my 91 Sportster and now my 95 Heritage were both based on distance traveled only.

Did you pull your seat off to see if somebody has altered something?

 

Lean angle has nothing to do with it. It's coincidental that your speed and the straightening of the bike lead you to think that. There is a green/white wire coming out of the speedo to the module that communicates speed. Disconnecting that should change your signals to push on/push off. Double check the wire color in your diagram, but I'm pretty sure that has stayed constant through the years. If you have a radio with speed controlled volume, that will stop working as well.

 

I tried cleaning my bezel but it was just sun faded and the lenses were opaque. You can buy a new one from Harley, still available, cheap, easy to replace, and that'll fix your problem. Go to Ronnie's HD parts finder, super easy.

http://partsfinder.onlinemicrofiche....ENT%20ASSEMBLY

You want this part:

71146-94 LENS, INDICATOR LAMPS 1 $15.99 $13.49

 

Thank you all, Joe G esp for part #, Owtlaw, Prot, ClifWideGlide, and TeeVee for the tip on Badlands. Nice easy fix!

Still, its dangerous located so far down on the tank. I'm looking for a duplicate pair of bigger brighter indicators I can install closer to line of sight e.g. above handlebars which is where I also want to put a tach or tach-speedo combo. Just duplicate the originals, let 'em both flash. Badlands has a controller that will control all that including make turn signals blink at proper rate, repeat speedo info and connect a tach. They have a replacement signal controller which only operates at 11 seconds - dumb.
Maybe HD's controller on late-model bikes - with lean angle - will retro fit to Evo and Sportster. I'll post what info I find out.

(Why in hell does Harley not put tachometers on every bike?!)