A dumb question, does the GT550 have running/parking lights?

[bobotech]

I"m referring to how a car has parking lights when you turn your headlights on.

My wiring was quite messed up when I got it but its almost finished. My blinkers are working perfectly front and rear but when I turn my headlights on, none of the amber lights in the front light up. The red taillights come on when the headlights come on. But the amber lights only work with the blinkers. Is that normal or do the amber lights come on when you turn your headlights on.

Just wondering if the wiring is still messed up or not hooked up right.

[jabcb]

No.

Take a look at the wiring diagrams in this forum under Board index >> Categories >> Electrical - Wiring diagrams.
If there were parking lights then the turn signal bulbs would have two filaments and there would be an additional wire going to the turn signals.

The ignition switch has three positions: off, on & parking. Parking lights up the taillight but nothing else.

The front turn signals on my 1986 Honda CB700SC use dual filament bulbs. So some vintage bikes do have front parking lights & its not an unreasonable question.

[bobotech]

You are totally correct but I will now explain to you why I'm confused. My amber side lights on the front have 2 wires coming into the headlight wiring area. The left and right each have 2 green wires with quick connect on them. The lights are grounded to the frame/housing. So if I am working on the left side and hook up one of the green wires to the left turn signal wire and turn the left blinker on, it blinks happily away. And then if I unplug that green wire and plug in the OTHER green wire, it blinks happily away again. Its like the amber turn signals are dual filament so I thought they had running lights.

I possibly could tap into the tailight wiring easily enough and add running lights to the motorcycle, should I consider that for safety?

[tz375]

When you connect either green lead, is the intensity of the light the same or is one much brighter than the other?

You can easily pop the lens off and see if it's a twin filament bulb. If it is, you could hook one of the leads into the leads going to the instrument lamps or to the dip switch

[bobotech]

Yup, opened it up and they are dual filament bulbs. I'm guessing aftermarket since they say "Stanley Made in Japan" instead of Suzuki on the inside.

[tz375]

Stanley were/are an OEM supplier but those indicators may have come form a much later bike.

Cool. That means you can have running light as well as the headlight on.

[jabcb]

Took a look at the pics you posted: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4813&start=15

The '72-'76 GT550 turn signals had side reflectors. The '75 looked like this:
http://www.suzukicycles.org/photos/GT/G ... s1_800.jpg

The '77 GT550 had updated turn signals with no reflector & a much flatter lens. It looked like this:
http://www.suzukicycles.org/photos/Germ ... 50_600.jpg

Your turn signals look somewhat like the '77 version, but the lens looks different.
They probably are for a later Suzuki model, or maybe even for one of the other Japanese brands.

You should make sure the turn signals flash the brighter of the two filaments.

[Cliff]

The headlight and bucket are from another bike as well!
The only "parking light" you have is when you turn to key all the way to the right, then the tail light comes on.
Cliff.

[Suzsmokeyallan]

Those are Honda indicator units on the bike in the photo, and they are also Stanley units. Its possible the headlamp unit is as well.

[H2RICK]

Those are the REALLY early style Honda signals from ~1969 onwards....
and they stopped using them on street bikes, at least, in 1975/76 when they changed over to the larger style signals.
I've never seen an early style signal like those with a double filament bulb, though. I wonder if someone along the way has swapped out the bulb holders......