Should my lights always be on?

I do not drive at night much but today I did. I noticed that other bikes had turn signals on front and back lit up, mine were not. THe only thing I have on always is my headlight and license plate light. Should my other lights be on all the time?

I know it will be safer to have more lights. If I add some lights, what do I add them to?

Any help would be great.

 

The headlight, tail, lic and gages are the only lights on this model/year.

The newer models do have front/rear turn signal running lights.

You could get a kit to modify the front and rear, but you may need to go with LED's.

 

On my XJ650J, I have front running lights, but no running lights in the rear. I'm somewhat suspicious of my wiring harness, so this may be a job done by the PO, but runners in front and not in back seems to be a theme with my other bikes as well.

Don't forget to replace your flasher relay with an electronic one if you switch to LEDs.

 

One of my 550's was modified to have both running and turn signal lights on the front and back, but that was a mod done to the factory setting by a PO, I think its a matter of taste - I thought it was a legal requirement but apparently not according to my local Yam dealer. Might be a legal requirement in California though?

 

Don't know. In Missouri, the only requirements are that if the blinkers are attached, they must work. If they don't work, just remove them and demonstrate knowledge of hand signals. Weird, eh?

Oh yeah, and the forward blinkers MUST NOT be red. Amber only in front. Rear blinkers can be red or amber (but not white). Other weird colors are likely to get you stopped.

 

Why do I need to do this?? And how do I know if it is electronic or ?non-electronic, mechanical?

 

Because the stock flasher passes the load for the signals through a bi-metal strip. The current for the bulbs causes the strip to heat up and bend, breaking the connection until it cools off and the process starts all over. The LEDs do not draw enough current to heat the strip so they never blink off. Same reason it doesn't work if one of the bulbs burns out.

An electronic flasher uses an electronic timing circuit to switch the lamps on and off.

It will say "electronic" on the package when you buy it.

 

If you are asking "Why do I NEED Leds?" the answer is that they are less of a load on the electrical system.

The alt and battery combination are almost maxed out from the factory.
Running the stock signals ON at ALL times will tax your electrical system.
Converting to LEDS will lessen the load therefore allowing you to run them FULL TIME without running the battery down.

 

What about the one installed already? If the previous owner added it, how will tell without the package?

Thanks.

 

NY state says Headlight, taillight on at all times.
That's all.

 

If it has three leads and it's rectangular, it's likely mechanical. If so, you should be able to remove the relay from the housing and have a look at it. Coils means mechanical. Circuit boards means electronic.

If it's sealed, it isn't stock, but there may be a part number or other marking on it that you can use to look it up.