Cycling UK Forum

Hopefully you will find this interesting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbSALBbj8K4

So it poses the question in my mind , could you attach a motorbike battery to your bike and run indicators and lights off of it ?
Ok it'll be weighty but probably cheaper than a decent dynamo set up.

To answer your question a pedal cycle may be fitted with indicators subject to the same RVLR requirements as a moped. I believe any "motorcycle lamps" would need to be in addition to the relevant position lamps for a pedal cycle.

The question it poses in my mind is could you wire in one of these.

gaz wrote:The question it poses in my mind is could you wire in one of these.

I want one .

Hi
Indicators seem to an optional extra on most cars, why would I want them on a bike?
Regards
tim-b

hondated wrote:could you attach a motorbike battery to your bike and run indicators and lights off of it ?

I did that back in the 1970s, before decent sealed lead acid batteries came along. I brazed a small framework onto the rear carrier to take a smallish motorcycle battery to run a set of dynamo lights. In those days the powerful bulbs were not yet available, but I was able to uprate the 0.1A rear bulb to a 0.2A as used in the front for a dynohub. Lights only because all my machines come with self cancelling indicators called hand signals - my motorcycle used them too. By about 1982 I had changed to a sealed lead acid battery and so was able to use the same setup on my club riding bike with the battery in a side pocket of the saddlebag.

tatanab wrote:all my machines come with self cancelling indicators called hand signals - my motorcycle used them too.

Turn signals using blinking lights are called "indicators", but turn signals using semaphore are called "trafficators".

Thanks varied and interesting responses.
tatanab was it a worthwhile exercise.
I just find this young fellas bike so interesting and his attitude refreshing in building the bike that suits his needs.

hondated wrote:tatanab was it a worthwhile exercise.

It worked fine at the time when I wanted reliable commuting lights. Changing to a sealed lead acid meant that I could stow it in the saddle bag, but to charge a sealed lead acid nicely requires a better charger than your normal motor dealer type chargers. These days I would regard it as too expensive. Better to use modern lights with rechargeable AA batteries. As for indicators - I think a problem with fitting them to a pedal cycle is in putting them far enough apart. All the schemes I've seen over the years have them about 6 inches apart, so nobody can really tell "is that the left or the right that is feebly flashing?".

tatanab wrote:

hondated wrote:tatanab was it a worthwhile exercise.

It worked fine at the time when I wanted reliable commuting lights. Changing to a sealed lead acid meant that I could stow it in the saddle bag, but to charge a sealed lead acid nicely requires a better charger than your normal motor dealer type chargers. These days I would regard it as too expensive. Better to use modern lights with rechargeable AA batteries. As for indicators - I think a problem with fitting them to a pedal cycle is in putting them far enough apart. All the schemes I've seen over the years have them about 6 inches apart, so nobody can really tell "is that the left or the right that is feebly flashing?".

Just need arrow-shaped lights then!

FP is it just me or can I remember that very thing on bikes back in 50/60s. I am sure I wasn't dreaming !

hondated wrote:FP is it just me or can I remember that very thing on bikes back in 50/60s. I am sure I wasn't dreaming !

You could buy indicator sets for bikes in the late 50's/early 60's - I bought one 9as a 12 year old) but it didn'tm work very well. Took it along to the manufacturers (I think they were in the centre of Birmingham, just of Newhalll St - St Pauls' square maybe) and they swopped it for a set that did work, but I didn't use it for long. Passing fad, like the twist-grip 3-speed changer!

hondated wrote:FP is it just me or can I remember that very thing on bikes back in 50/60s. I am sure I wasn't dreaming !

I had a hand-me-down bike when I was about 8, think it was a Triumph, from an older cousin, in the early seventies (20" wheels, mudguards etc) that had both a brake light and indicators fitted. Can't remember either actually working.

I remember selling both indicators and stop lights for bikes in the mid 90's - didn't exactly sail out the door!

The problem with hand (direction) signals is you can't always use them when you might want to, eg when moving slowly, when stopped, on hills etc

Thanks for confirming they did exist even though they weren't that efficient.