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Old Dec 25th, 2008, 09:22 PM   #1
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Question Do I Need Blinkers

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"]DO I NEED FRONT BLINKERS ???????????????

I HAVE BLINKERS MOUNTED TO THE [SIZE="3"]REAR FENDER STRUT [/SIZE]BUT DO I NEED THEM IN FRONT TOO??????????

MINE ARE UGLY AND WOULD REALLY LIKE LO LEAVE THEM OFF [/FONT]
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Old Dec 26th, 2008, 03:57 AM   #2
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Originally Posted by 82SPORTYKID View Post
[FONT="Comic Sans MS"]DO I NEED FRONT BLINKERS ???????????????

I HAVE BLINKERS MOUNTED TO THE [SIZE="3"]REAR FENDER STRUT [/SIZE]BUT DO I NEED THEM IN FRONT TOO??????????

MINE ARE UGLY AND WOULD REALLY LIKE LO LEAVE THEM OFF [/FONT]
In most cases if the bike left the factory with signal lights ....you need em to pass inspection.Where I am anyway.
You can try to find smaller "bullet" lights like on the newer Harley's and clamp them on the fork tubes with the same kind of clamps you have mounting them on the bars now. I think you should keep the front sigs and running lights,the more visible you are the better for you and most cagers now don't have a clue what hand signals are. I don't think the rear sigs would work right without fronts hooked up either.
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Old Dec 26th, 2008, 05:12 AM   #3
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yes you need them....for inspections..also prevents faulty vehicle violations...the signal systems requires a certian amount of current draw to work.....that is why when one bulb burns out, that system doesnt work,,,,,alerts you that you have a burned out bulb.....as stated, the more visable you are the safer you may be............have fun,stay safe!!
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Old Dec 26th, 2008, 08:27 AM   #4
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[COLOR="Navy"]From a purely technical legal standpoint, if the bike didn't come from the factory with front turn signals then it doesn't have to have them, but you should check the FindLaw website to read the statutes/regulations for your State, as there might be a retroactive law/regulation. And as has already been stated, the visibility factor is the common-sense reason to have them.

Personally, I got the "relocation kit" for my Sportsters which moves the front signals from hanging down off the handlebar to either side of the front fork tubes & that cleans up the appearance nicely. There are many aftermarket choices too. My front "blinkers", which are dual filament, staying on all the time as marker lights & flashing brighter as turn signals, are far enough away from the headlight that you can actually see them. That doesn't mean cagers will actually look, but it does make the bikes more visible & beats the heck out of hand signals, which most people on the road aren't old enough to remember anyway [/COLOR]

Last edited by Art_NJr; Dec 26th, 2008 at 08:35 AM.
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Old Dec 26th, 2008, 09:06 AM   #5
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Depends On Where You Live And If They Do Inspections Or Not, When I Was In Wash. I Didn't Need The Blinkers Nor Did They Do Inspections, Here In Tx You Have To Have Them If They Came With Them, I Also Have The Big Bulky Ugly Factory Signals On Mine Now Also, Gotta Keep The Cops Off Ya, Don't Want To Give Them Anymore Reasons To Pull You Over. You Can Look Online At The Dot Site For Your State. Or State Patrol Site.
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Old Dec 26th, 2008, 10:09 AM   #6
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Depends On Where You Live And If They Do Inspections Or Not, When I Was In Wash. I Didn't Need The Blinkers Nor Did They Do Inspections, Here In Tx You Have To Have Them If They Came With Them, I Also Have The Big Bulky Ugly Factory Signals On Mine Now Also, Gotta Keep The Cops Off Ya, Don't Want To Give Them Anymore Reasons To Pull You Over. You Can Look Online At The Dot Site For Your State. Or State Patrol Site.
I'm not so sure they're needed in TX either SPORTSTERBOY.
I've always kept the factory signal lights on my scoots, so I have no personal experience. But, the TX DPS website itself indicates in TX you don't need turn signals and DOES NOT state this rule has anything to do with whether or not the bike came with signals from the mfr.

Here's the site I'm referring to for those of us in TX:
Texas Department of Public Safety - MSB - FAQs
Check out FAQ #18 at the link for the signal question.
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Old Dec 26th, 2008, 10:58 AM   #7
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Relocating my front turn signals was one of the first things I did. As a friend of mine said, "Harley still hasn't figured it out. It looks like someone said, 'I don't know what to do with these, so we'll throw them here.'"

I still wasn't crazy about them, so when I got hit in June and the other insurance was paying for my bike repairs, I got the H-D mirrors with the turn signals built into the back. They are also running lights - stay on all the time. The front end is clean and I have running lights and turn signals.
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Old Dec 26th, 2008, 10:34 PM   #8
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In addition to the mirrors with the turn signals built into the back, H-D has mirror stems with led turn signals/running lights built into them so you can have custom billet mirrors. They are stock on the V-Rod "Muscle" if you want to check them out.
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Old Dec 27th, 2008, 06:15 AM   #9
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guess your right blackmouth, I looked on the site and in the begining it said all motor vehicels after 1960, then further down it says motor cycles don't require any at all. guess these one day trained inspection people don't even know the laws they sure checked them. word was if it came equiped with them you had to have them. oh well got them on now beats hand signals. don't know about anyone else but I like to keep my hands on the bars when turning especially with my front end. Just another reason to get pulled over when that cop doesn't get a eye full of your hand while turning.
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Old Dec 27th, 2008, 02:19 PM   #10
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[COLOR="Navy"]A word of warning from personal knowledge & experience - do NOT take what a Dept. of Transportation official, State police website, etc. says as gospel. They are wrong about so many things & they are not authorized to give you a legal opinion, although they often do. I mentioned FindLaw before & here's a link:
FindLaw for Legal Professionals | Law & Legal Information

Yes, it is very time-consuming to look up the particular laws/regulations which apply to your situation, FindLaw is not the only resource & I have a law library from 16 years of looking things up, but FindLaw is free to anyone who has an internet connection & it does have direct links to any State/federal law/regulation in the U.S., plus a lot more, including more recent court decisions.

I got so tired of hearing people tell me what they think the law says, only to find out they were wrong, that I started looking it up for myself (no, I'm not a "licensed attorney"). You can pay someone to do it, but that can get expensive real quick & if you really want to know, you can do it yourself. If I had a dollar for every time I've said, "Don't take my word for it, go look it up" I'd be a rich man - problem is hardly anyone will. [/COLOR]
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Old Dec 27th, 2008, 03:32 PM   #11
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Yes Know What Ya Mean, Talked To My Inspection Person Tonight And Told Them They Where Wrong And They Broke Out The Inspection Guidline Book And Sure Enough It Says If The Bike Came Equiped With It You Have To Have It. So In Tx If Your Bike Came With Blinkers It Has To Have It.
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Old Dec 29th, 2008, 10:01 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by SPORSTERBOY View Post
Yes Know What Ya Mean, Talked To My Inspection Person Tonight And Told Them They Where Wrong And They Broke Out The Inspection Guidline Book And Sure Enough It Says If The Bike Came Equiped With It You Have To Have It. So In Tx If Your Bike Came With Blinkers It Has To Have It.
Thanks for following-up. That's good to know.

Just goes to show...you can never believe everything you read, even on "official" websites.
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Old Dec 30th, 2008, 08:37 PM   #13
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I had mine relocated to the forks and they look just fine there. I'd try that if I were you. I think it's much safer letting oncoming traffic know you're turning. I also like Art Njr's dual filament idea. I think that with three lights up front. the brain extrapolates a bikes location much easier. I may look into that at some point after I pay down my loan a bit and get certain essentials for my new bike.
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Old Dec 31st, 2008, 03:14 AM   #14
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the way people can't see bikes i'd recommend all the lights possible. in my opinion they are a great safety thing
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