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[Coolbreeze]

Once again, the lens on my front turn signal took a suicide leap.  I rode a week or two ago, and it was just fine.  I go out in the far shop this afternoon after work, and damned thing is laying on the ground with two of the four tabs nowhere to be found.  I think it's the cold weather?  wtf!  This is like the tenth lens that I've put on up front.  (the tabs give up and they just fall off!

So, anyway, I want some decent turn signals up front that won't cost and arm and a leg and have some type of a lens attachment system that doesn't take a dump every other week!  I have the stock turnsignals at this point.  As shown in the picture.  (I have never lost a lens off the rears by the way...) 

Any suggestions on what to replace them with?  I would like plug and play in the same location...good chrome... good light....   bullet proof lens assy... 

and a date with heather locklear in her better days, (although she's not aging badly)....   

okay any combination of four of the above ...

[Capo]

I broke one and until I could pick up a new one I put a dab of clear silicone on it so I wouldn't loose it then just twisted it off when I got the new lense-

[sadunbar]

Once again, the lens on my front turn signal took a suicide leap.  I rode a week or two ago, and it was just fine.  I go out in the far shop this afternoon after work, and damned thing is laying on the ground with two of the four tabs nowhere to be found.  I think it's the cold weather?  wtf!  This is like the tenth lens that I've put on up front.  (the tabs give up and they just fall off!

So, anyway, I want some decent turn signals up front that won't cost and arm and a leg and have some type of a lens attachment system that doesn't take a dump every other week!  I have the stock turnsignals at this point.  As shown in the picture.  (I have never lost a lens off the rears by the way...) 

Any suggestions on what to replace them with?  I would like plug and play in the same location...good chrome... good light....   bullet proof lens assy... 

and a date with heather locklear in her better days, (although she's not aging badly)....   

okay any combination of four of the above ...

I installed these and have not had a problem...

[Coolbreeze]

I installed these and have not had a problem...

who makes those?  They look very nice...    very nice...

[Fired00d]

I installed these and have not had a problem...

I use ones similar w/out any problem...

Bullet Turn Signal Trim Ring Kit


 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[sadunbar]

who makes those?  They look very nice...    very nice...

They are HD...

[Midnight Rider]

who makes those?  They look very nice...    very nice...

It's a HD part, CB...you can get them in the visor style (what I've got all around on my bike), or the ring style.  Dresses things up a bit, if you like 'em.

[LRebel]

I put the visor-type covers on my front & rear turn signals and have not lost one, yet.

[Twolanerider]

Breeze, if the tabs are breaking as repetitively as you describe I'd have to at least consider something other then a lense problem.  If one housing has been there the entire time while ten lenses have broken what is the one constant?

Perhaps the lamp housing has too heavy of a chrome job or something?  Something to make its ID just enough to put too much pressure on those lens tabs?  Before buying everything to replace both sides might start with just the one housing?

[Coolbreeze]

I was actually in the mode to replace the entire assembly's.  I hadn't thought of just swapping lenses.  (same issue, both sides, but not in back....) 

2lr's right on the money.  The housings also have some corrosion issues inside from holding water...

[Twolanerider]

I was actually in the mode to replace the entire assembly's.  I hadn't thought of just swapping lenses.  (same issue, both sides, but not in back....) 

2lr's right on the money.  The housings also have some corrosion issues inside from holding water...

Breeze, if the housings clean up, or if they're replaced with like stock housings you can do something to help hold out that water intrusion.  We commonly think of water hoses or rain water hitting the bike from the front and thereby getting past the lenses somehow.  It's not as if the lenses are all that robust to look at.

The water that gets inside, however, nearly all comes from the inside of the stem toward the rear.  Look where the wires enter the stems.  That's where the water comes in.  Even worse is that a lot of it gets trapped behind the bulbs because of it.  So corrosion eats the socket themselves and the springs. 

Once your housings are in good shape again coat that area where the wires enter the stem with some silicone.  It's hard to do neatly but no one ever looks there anyway.  Get that sealed and 99.9% of the water problems will go away.  It'll stop eating light bulbs too.

[Eqcons]

I use ones similar w/out any problem...

Bullet Turn Signal Trim Ring Kit


 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

Trouble with these d00d, (which I also use, front and rear) and the similar "peaked" ones is that they let water and grit in at the join, and 1) let the reflectors corrode and 2) they build a collection of gritty mud up between the lens and the chromed plastic.   Terrible design that could be better with just the addition of a thin rubber O-ring....

Jim

[naitram]

you could get those rings at a locla hardaware store

[sadunbar]

I was losing bulbs fairly regularly until I sealed the stems and the caps with some clear silicone sealant.  Have not lost one since doing so...       

[Eqcons]

you could get those rings at a locla hardaware store

That's one of the things I really, really envy you guys for, Nait.  Local hardware stores where you can just drop in find any item you want.  Here in the highlands of Scotland - Heck, even in the big cities in the UK - these places don't exist. 

Jim

[Eqcons]

I was losing bulbs fairly regularly until I sealed the stems and the caps with some clear silicone sealant.  Have not lost one since doing so...       

How did you do the lenses neatly?

Jim

[naitram]

That's one of the things I really, really envy you guys for, Nait.  Local hardware stores where you can just drop in find any item you want.  Here in the highlands of Scotland - Heck, even in the big cities in the UK - these places don't exist. 

Jim

if you can figure out the dimensions of what you need, i'm sure we can find a way to get them to you

[sadunbar]

How did you do the lenses neatly?

Jim

Not easy - but with a very fine tip on a tube of silicone sealant and enough patience to go very slow...  but at the end, I think it was sealing the stems that made the biggest improvement...

[Eqcons]

if you can figure out the dimensions of what you need, i'm sure we can find a way to get them to you

That would be cool!  they'd have to be ultra-thin O-rings <stretched to?> around 2¼" diameter.

Jim

[Eqcons]

I think it was sealing the stems that made the biggest improvement...

I'm not so sure - you can actually see the light coming through the join between the chromed plastic and the turn signal bodies...

Jim

[Coolbreeze]

That's one of the things I really, really envy you guys for, Nait.  Local hardware stores where you can just drop in find any item you want.  Here in the highlands of Scotland - Heck, even in the big cities in the UK - these places don't exist. 

Jim

Yea Jim, what's up with that!  I was down in Hockwold, (the fens), and I simply had to nick stuff from the base to get any hardware.  It seems to me a guy could make a mint opening up a decently stocked hardware store over there.  Just pick a spot and open the door! 
Use the silicone instead.... even I was able to get it on okay.    Worked best for me by putting in on the light and then sticking the lens in.  I'll tell you how it works later. I just did it the weekend, and bulb ain't burned out yet!   

[Eqcons]

Yea Jim, what's up with that!  I was down in Hockwold, (the fens), and I simply had to nick stuff from the base to get any hardware.  It seems to me a guy could make a mint opening up a decently stocked hardware store over there.  Just pick a spot and open the door! 
Use the silicone instead.... even I was able to get it on okay.    Worked best for me by putting in on the light and then sticking the lens in.  I'll tell you how it works later. I just did it the weekend, and bulb ain't burned out yet!   

I suppose that if I could wipe the excess off round the joint afterwards, silicone would be the best for sure.  What's a good solvent for the stuf to wipe with afterwards is the question I guess....

JIm

[Twolanerider]

I suppose that if I could wipe the excess off round the joint afterwards, silicone would be the best for sure.  What's a good solvent for the stuf to wipe with afterwards is the question I guess....

JIm

After getting the rear sealed where the wires enter the water problem will pretty much go away.  After that, if in a clean and normal size/shaped housing, the lens will actually work ok.  If you'd like to try to the o-ring trick, however, I've got an o-ring assortment kit out in the shop.  Not sure if there's anything quite that large in the kit.  But will look and see.  If so I'll drop some in an envelope and let them take a vacation to the United Kingdom.

[Eqcons]

After getting the rear sealed where the wires enter the water problem will pretty much go away.  After that, if in a clean and normal size/shaped housing, the lens will actually work ok.  If you'd like to try to the o-ring trick, however, I've got an o-ring assortment kit out in the shop.  Not sure if there's anything quite that large in the kit.  But will look and see.  If so I'll drop some in an envelope and let them take a vacation to the United Kingdom.

Maybe you're right, Don - but the fact that you can plainly see light coming out of the joint when the turn signal is on makes me think the join is a worse culprit....  O ring would have to be v.v. thin, of course.   I have little ones, but they won't stretch (even warmed) to the required diameter.

Jim

[naitram]

After getting the rear sealed where the wires enter the water problem will pretty much go away.  After that, if in a clean and normal size/shaped housing, the lens will actually work ok.  If you'd like to try to the o-ring trick, however, I've got an o-ring assortment kit out in the shop.  Not sure if there's anything quite that large in the kit.  But will look and see.  If so I'll drop some in an envelope and let them take a vacation to the United Kingdom.

Don, let me know if oyu find the right size. i have a local shop where i got some thin o-rings in the 2/16" id range to use for my guage mounting. i can pick some up

[Twolanerider]

Maybe you're right, Don - but the fact that you can plainly see light coming out of the joint when the turn signal is on makes me think the join is a worse culprit....  O ring would have to be v.v. thin, of course.   I have little ones, but they won't stretch (even warmed) to the required diameter.

Jim

Not sure how your lenses and housing might be now.  Normally a bit of water can intrude in the front.  But it can't get trapped and will run right back out.  The chrome rings around the lenses actually help with that too.  But it's the water that comes in from the rear that's the real killer.

It gets trapped behind the bulb and socket eating both. Then the slightly corroded and otherwise messy water slowly leeches forward in to the housing and causes more mess.

[Twolanerider]

Don, let me know if oyu find the right size. i have a local shop where i got some thin o-rings in the 2/16" id range to use for my guage mounting. i can pick some up

Will do Neal. Got to be in the shop this afternoon anyway.  Will take a spare lens with me and if I've got anything.

[naitram]

if you dont find a match, take you best guess at ID/OD for me

[Eqcons]

Not sure how your lenses and housing might be now.  Normally a bit of water can intrude in the front.  But it can't get trapped and will run right back out.  The chrome rings around the lenses actually help with that too.  But it's the water that comes in from the rear that's the real killer.

It gets trapped behind the bulb and socket eating both. Then the slightly corroded and otherwise messy water slowly leeches forward in to the housing and causes more mess.

Maybe mine are busy doing that behind the reflector where I can't see, but I can say for sure that A LOT of water and grit goes in the front (especially when I wash the bike, and while most of the water may run out, the grit remains, and at least some water, because they steam up.  I have to remove the lenses c/w chrome rings every time I wash the bike to dry inside, and periodically I press the lens out of the chrome ring to try to clean out the mess of grit (no black eyed peas though!  ) that builds up in there.  Shockingly cheap and poor design, even for Harvey Donaldson's Chinese Emporium.

Jim

[Twolanerider]

It's that damn UK water you have to use. Blame the English!!  They force it on you!!

[Eqcons]

It's that damn UK water you have to use. Blame the English!!  They force it on you!!