Semi-DIY - Convert stock signals to flushmount

[Nemy]

So here's a semi-DIY on how to convert your stock front turn signals into flushmounts. There are plenty of flushmounts out there that you can buy now but they're usually hard to see from the front and range from $30-$100. Total cost for this project - $5 or free if you already have some automotive sealant lying around...

This is a semi-DIY because I took the pictures after-the-fact but the entire process is pretty straight forward. I have to give credit to beeline12000 from the other forum for the original idea. Some people have decided to make modifications to the fairing to flushmount it, but I wanted something that could be reversible and brought back to stock if/when I sold it.

First remove the screw holding the signal to the fairing. Then with a hearty pull, the wires will come undone and the signal should come right out. EDIT: Or, instead of pulling the wires off, you can unscrew the signal open (see further down) and unplug them by hand


Once that's off, have a look on the back and remove the screw to open up the signals.


This is what's inside:


Take the clear and chrome piece and set the rest aside.


Have a look at the back of the chrome piece as you'll need to put it back together. I have the memory of an 80 year old so I can't remember which wire goes where... IIRC green goes to the pin on the right. But test it out with the wires to make sure it lights up... then you'll know for sure. When you put it back together too, it might be a good idea to wrap the connections with electrical tape in case some moisture manages to find its way inside. But I've ridden in light and heavy rain already and have no problems to report. Just watch out where you aim when you wash the bike...


Now with a file, file down the underside of the chrome piece where indicated. File it enough so that it sits snug when you put it back into the fairing and not rocking from side to side. It won't snap right in or anything but that's ok. We're going to seal/glue it down later.


Once you're satisfied with the finish. Get some clear automotive sealant/adhesive and follow the directions to glue the signal down into the fairing. Secure it with some ducttape or green masking tape and let it cure as per the directions. After a day of curing, apply some sealant onto the outer rim of the chrome piece to glue on the clear piece. Repeat steps to cure. This stuff is good because it seals/secures but can also peel off quite easily if you need to remove the signals again (i.e. return to stock, replace bulbs).


And your done! Kinda... you'll still notice some gaps on the sides of the finished product. I had some black sealant rubber lying around so I wrapped it around the edges and secured it with the sealant/adhesive.

And finally here are some closeups of the finished product



Front


Side


Front both sides. Easily visible.

[Alex]

Nice job! Linked to this thread in DIY index...

[TnNinjaGirl]

Looks good. Worth the trouble?

[camaroz1985]

Very resourceful.

[Nemy]

Originally Posted by TnNinjaGirl

Looks good. Worth the trouble?

It is if you're like me and hate the stockers. First mods I knew I would have to do were to chop the fender and replace the lights... But you also have to be cheap like me and not want to pay for flushmounts

Thanks for the comments guys.

[TnNinjaGirl]

Oh!! Can you still change bulbs and stuff?

[Nemy]

ya the sealant can peel right off if you wanted it to. Change the bulb, seal it back up and you're good to go! Easier said than done lol so I'm honestly hoping to not have to go through that hassle for awhile

[tinng321]

nice job...

[Snake]

Very clean looking. Great for tight budgets like mine.

[sharky nrk]

that looks really nice - good job

[Nemy]

Thanks. It'd be nice if someone could think up a way to flushmount the stock rears too :P

[Ninja007]

good job man! too bad I swapped mine for flushmounts quite a while ago otherwise I would have done this!

[headshrink]

I like this better than the flushmounts - awesome!

[Chamus57]

Very Kewl Nice Job!!!

[i916it]

WOW. Amazing.
Practically free.
Better than spending $100 on them protons and they look better IMO.

I'm confused about where the black piece that's between the fairings and the signals themselves come from?
(The black piece that's in the finished pictures, but not the DIY steps pics)

[g21-30]

Originally Posted by i916it

I'm confused about where the black piece that's between the fairings and the signals themselves come from?
(The black piece that's in the finished pictures, but not the DIY steps pics)

To quote from the first post "And your done! Kinda... you'll still notice some gaps on the sides of the finished product. I had some black sealant rubber lying around so I wrapped it around the edges and secured it with the sealant/adhesive."

[Cochese]

I wish I would have read this before I bought the Protons. :P

[i916it]

Originally Posted by g21-30

To quote from the first post "And your done! Kinda... you'll still notice some gaps on the sides of the finished product. I had some black sealant rubber lying around so I wrapped it around the edges and secured it with the sealant/adhesive."

how would i find black sealant rubber?
like what does it look like if I were to walk into home depot/lowe's to buy some?

[paterick4o8]

ingenious! can people in front of you see them pretty well when you signal?

[g21-30]

Originally Posted by i916it

how would i find black sealant rubber?
like what does it look like if I were to walk into home depot/lowe's to buy some?

He used the clear adhesive to bond rubber seal around the base of the lamp and the fairing. You could do the same thing with a perfectly sized o-ring. Measure the circumference of one of the lamp housings and search the hardware stores for an appropriate o-ring. The following link will give you some approximations on the sizes available:

http://www.marcorubber.com/sizingchart.htm

You might even be able to find colors that match your bike, if it's not black!

[watcanido]

Good job Tim! looks really nice.

[k4m1k4z3k]

Originally Posted by Nemy

Thanks. It'd be nice if someone could think up a way to flushmount the stock rears too :P

I'd imagine it could be done the same way right? it just might not look as good

[haksu]

i just did this mod
nice and easy
made a mess of the silicone sealant so i'm after some rubber striping to clean up the mounting point
great idea!

[Nemy]

sorry for the late reply but ya something like an oring material would be perfect - just soft rubber that can be used to stretch around the base... and hide the gap/sealant.

Originally Posted by haksu

i just did this mod
nice and easy
made a mess of the silicone sealant so i'm after some rubber striping to clean up the mounting point
great idea!

lol glad it turned out for you too. I found that if you use a toothpick you can mould the adhesive/sealant better and be more accurate. And even when it dries up you can use it to rub spots off or push it into the gap and away from sight.

[Nemy]

Originally Posted by paterick4o8

ingenious! can people in front of you see them pretty well when you signal?

ya they stick out a good amount and because they're stock bulbs they're bright and easily seen during the day.

But, even if they didn't, I never understood the argument that it's unsafe if oncoming traffic can't see your front signals. Worst comes to worst, a cage would assume you were going straight so they still wouldn't turn left into you etc...

[Tubesock]

I have a question, I'm doing the exact same thing based on this DIY, my question is when you put the stock blinkers in did the curve in the plastic of it and the fairing require you to cover a lot of holes with sealant/adhesive?

[Tubesock]

Oh and Nemy I thought of a way to flushmount the rear sigs, I'll let you know how it turns out when I'm finished!

[Nemy]

Originally Posted by Tubesock

I have a question, I'm doing the exact same thing based on this DIY, my question is when you put the stock blinkers in did the curve in the plastic of it and the fairing require you to cover a lot of holes with sealant/adhesive?

ya even if you file the chrome piece down so that it doesn't rock side to side you will still notice gaps on all 4 sides. I filled them up slightly with the sealant (using a toothpick for precision) then covered it up with the rubber hose for aesthetics and an additional seal.

Originally Posted by Tubesock

Oh and Nemy I thought of a way to flushmount the rear sigs, I'll let you know how it turns out when I'm finished!

Nice, I think a bunch of us would be interested to see how it turns out

[Tubesock]

Yea I tried it today, the idea is good but I'm having problems finding something that produces a strong enough bond, more to follow in a couple of days.

[Nemy]

What are you trying to use right now? Any of the auto sealant/adhesives should be good. Just make sure you follow the adhesive version of the instructions and allow it to cure properly while taped down.

[Tubesock]

Yea I tried something my friend said might work(last time I listen to him) and they came off on the ride home. I'm letting the same sealant/adhesive I used for your project dry on them right now and if that doesn't work I'm going to try something else I had lying around the house. Oh and I tried to use something called Mighty Mend I've never heard of it but my friend said the stuff was good.

[Buffalony]

Looks good Tim.

[Nemy]

Originally Posted by Tubesock

Yea I tried something my friend said might work(last time I listen to him) and they came off on the ride home. I'm letting the same sealant/adhesive I used for your project dry on them right now and if that doesn't work I'm going to try something else I had lying around the house. Oh and I tried to use something called Mighty Mend I've never heard of it but my friend said the stuff was good.

Just make sure you don't get something that's incredibly strong and irreversible cause changing the bulb is inevitable.

Thanks joe!

[JaeL]

i vote nemy for forum member of the year

[Nemy]

Originally Posted by JaeL

i vote nemy for forum member of the year

lol does that mean you're gonna give it a try too? and I wouldn't compare a cosmetic semi-DIY against all the great DIYs that kkim and others have posted and referred to .

[haksu]

also a note for all doing this

1. electrical tape the connections to the housing, they can come out otherwise
2. duct tape the inside of the fairing to stop water getting in
3. secure your wire inside the fairing as you've got a few inches of slack now after re-positioning the connection point

the procecure:
1. keep a big bucket of water nearby to clean up your silicone job after smoothing it out
2. get your hands dirty and use your thumb and/or pinky finger to smooth out the join
3. bring lots of microfiber cloths (any will do, i use a cheap $2.50 for 30 brand)


enjoy!

[BEELINE12000]

thanks for the rep buddy!!!
just a few things i did a bit diff though to really make it more flush.

1--trim around the chrome part not just the back part so it will fit snug inside the clear part.
2--when putting the sealant to the clear part while trying to make it stick to the fairing...hold down ( or flush) the signal with strong duct tape or gorilla tape for about 1 day or so while the sealant dried up nice and good
3--if you have excess silicone sealant use a box cutter style razor to remove the excess.

[BEELINE12000]

[BEELINE12000]

[Nemy]

Originally Posted by BEELINE12000

thanks for the rep buddy!!!
just a few things i did a bit diff though to really make it more flush.

1--trim around the chrome part not just the back part so it will fit snug inside the clear part.
2--when putting the sealant to the clear part while trying to make it stick to the fairing...hold down ( or flush) the signal with strong duct tape or gorilla tape for about 1 day or so while the sealant dried up nice and good
3--if you have excess silicone sealant use a box cutter style razor to remove the excess.

welcome to the site beeline! I always wondered how you got it so flush against the fairing. Cause I needed the black rubber to hide the leftover gap. You actually trimmed the chrome piece to fit inside the clear piece? I might give that a try when the light burns out and I have to take it apart.