GSX250FAcross
Maintenance tips & forum archives

   Site online 21 Jan 2002Made in Sydney, Australia


 
click for large pic
completely replace 
the stock indicators


Introductory BS

A while ago I wrote the little tip on increasing the brightness of the indicators. Well, now safety gives way to fashion as I upgrade the cheap and ugly stock units with Lockhart Phillips Racing aftermarket "marker light" parts. The parts I chose were;


  • "LOC1229685 flush mount carbon with amber" for the front
this is a flush mount indicator with amber lens that will completely fit over the current hole in your fairing.
It also illuminates to the side as well as to the front, so it may indeed increase safety in some situations,
by giving a wider arc of indicator-light spread.

Also available is an iridium lens which looks kind of honeycomb in texture and white/refractive in colour.
I tried both & thought the traditional amber looked better on mine.

  • "LOC 1229960 IS 13 mini carbon ind. tinted lens"
this is a replacement for your rear which is half the size, and this model has a tinted dark lens.

Both of these indicators will streamline the look of your bike like you wouldn't believe.
I got mine at MCA city, about $60 for the front, about $53 for the rear.


The mod

Installation is straightforward, though there may be a couple of things to look out for;

1. you might have to put a couple of new holes in the metal plate of the front indicators, so that you have neat holes in the fairing that are far enough away from the large hole used for the old indicators. The fairing also has a slight arc in it that is not accommodated by the straight back of the indicator, so you can either just be careful not to torque down the screws too hard that attach the lens to the metal plate, or slightly file the lens (in it's centre portion where it meets the plate) so that it is concave and fits snugly to the plate.

2. Make sure you install the front indicators according to their left and right markings. Take a close look; there is a tiny drainage slot in the rubber where it meets the lens; this needs to point downwards. there's also an L or R marked on the rear of the rubber, where it meets the fairing.

2. The rear indicator cables may not quite reach the terminal sockets. I found I needed just a couple of inches on the left hand side to reach the terminals. You might need to construct two or four small (about 3 inch) male to female automotive connection wire extensions, if you want to keep all of the wiring neat. Or you can just splice the wires and add a small amount of extension cable where it's needed.

Here's some before and after shots. (Grainy garage shots may not quite do the new look justice, sorry.)


before
after
other recent mods include;
  • handlebar knurled alloy bar ends; about 15-20 bucks at any bike store
  • custom paint job (for the gun metal grey/'silver' type); How to? 1. place a nice silver paint on the light areas instead of that puke off silver-blue stock colour; 2. black pin stripe the top silver streak; 3. run a dark gun metal (like the tank) along the base of the front fairing, angled downwards along the line of the fairing, and separate this from the silver section with a black pin stripe.
  • polish the alloy on the entire rim surface of alloy wheels; How to? Use a 3M drill mounted paint removing wheel to take off the black on the rims then progressively sand with finer & finer grades of automotive sanding sheet till you're at 1200... follow it with application of autosol to buff the alloy to a high shine. (All black wheels "bring the wheel in" making the wheels and bike look smaller.)
  • and, something you can't see, twin air horns (even louder than the exhaust) a major safety mod I would recommend to everybody (as the stock horn will not alert cars to your presence. It's crap.) How to? Hunt for room! The indicator mod will free up some room in the fairing. Tip: buy a 3 horn set & use the two smaller ones only, buy a two horn set for the car & install 3 horns on that. More on this.. click here...

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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