Replacing front left indicator

Alas, I need to replace my front left indicator. Knew nothing about indicators on a Bandit prior to this need and I have learned much in the process.

If you are interested in reading about how my indicator got broken in the first place, and the subsequent saga that has been the search for its replacement, please see below.

Price for an original indicator from one of the local Suzuki dealers is $65.20.

1. Would appreciate hearing from anyone who knows a better source.

2. Interested too in recommendations regarding any aftermarket indicators.

Regarding the latter, quality and good visibility is much more important to me than how they look. 

Thanks in advance,

SK.

Oh Indicator, Indicator! Wherefore art thou Indicator?

First the reason for needing the new indicator. Had to get creative parking the bike on a side patch of the carpark where I work. Got caught out by a change in the weather and the cheap and nasty work that was done when the carpark was installed. I am sure a few of you have had the same experience, not my first time either. Warm afternoon resulted in the kickstand sinking into the bitumen and over she went.

Where I had to park is sloped so it was a pretty hard fall but remarkably very little damage. Indicator holder broke but bulb was fine so just had to tape it up to ride home. Section of the Givi pannier seriously scratched up but no cracks: I think I can repair that myself. No damage to the mirror and only a minor scratch on the fairing. All in all, if it is going to happen then this is a good outcome.

I am the only one who rides a bike to work and normally I reverse park in a concrete drain inlet: it's like having my own dedicated parking space . Unfortunately, one morning a few weeks back rode in to find someone had parked their 50cc moped there so had to find another spot.

Funny how our minds work. I confess that at first I felt a bit ticked off, "How dare you take my spot!" Fortunately, I successfully fought off the temptation to pick it up and take it with me, put it under my desk, and let them come look for it. After all, it's actually not my space, and I well remember when I once rode one too: my first bike was a Honda 50cc.

There were plenty of places to park that morning but our site manager thinks that motorbikes should not take up a full car space. First and only time I ever dared to park where the cars do I had barely gotten to my desk before he was there telling me to move my bike. Yes, I know I could have stood my ground and made an issue of it. But as parking is often tight on site, and I didn't feel that strongly about it, I decided to let it slide.

One of my friends who's also a rider was far more upset about it than I was. He wanted me to front the guy and point out that these are vehicle not car spaces and that I pay registration too. However, there were some very good reasons which I will not go into here why making waves would not have been the smart thing to do at the time. However, things have changed since then, so if 'my' space is taken up again you can be sure that I'll be parking with the cars and he can go tell his tale to senior management because I will not be moving it  .

Following weekend I went looking for a replacement indicator. Found some aftermarket halogens online that looked pretty good. Did the right thing and emailed the company to check that they would fit my bike. They assured me they would and that fitting them would be a very simple and easy process. So bought them thinking I might as well replace both at the same time and upgrade.

It was only after taking off the fairing and instrument panel that I unfortunately discovered that the connectors were different. Also, the left indicator wire was about 4" too short. "Ah well", I thought, "live and learn. No worries, I'll just nip over to Supercheap Auto and buy the right connectors. Maybe I can buy some wire and make an adapter". Supercheap Auto is only a few minutes from my place and I needed to get some more Threadlocker anyway.

Those more experienced than I will already know the end result. They had nothing even remotely close to what I needed: except of course for the Threadlocker which by the way you can now buy as a gel. Next stop was one of my local bike shops, but no joy there either. They said try the Suzuki dealer down the road. They told me that not even they can buy Suzuki connectors.

I did find Oxford adapter leads online but too expensive to make it worthwhile. So, in the end loathe to cut the wires to the harness so they would take bullet connectors, and the wire being too short anyway, decided to return the indicators to whence they had come and look for an original: got a full refund by the way.

Today, went to a different Suzuki dealer today try out an OGK helmet, only bike shop remotely close to me who has them. While there thought I'd get a quote for an original indicator. However, browsing their racks what should I find but a Suzuki bullet adapter cable for under $7! On the way back dropped into the Suzuki dealer close to home and they offered to rewire aftermarket indicators for me for free even if I buy them somewhere else. How good is that! For now the taped indicator is working just fine, so I'll look at my options and if I still end up going aftermarket I'll definitely take them up on their generous offer.

Now, what have I learned from this sad event?

1. First and foremost, always use a kickstand pad or something similar when parking on dodgy surfaces. Sure, it's nice and cool when you park, and that incoming rain probably means you have nothing to worry about, but if there's one thing you can be sure about when it comes to weather, it changes.

2. If like me you normally carry a kickstand pad, check to make sure you actually did leave it at home. Believe me, you'll feel absolutely awful when after the event you go to get something else and discover you had it with you all along: to add insult to injury mine was in the left pannier!   

3. Suzuki apparently does not like aftermarket indicators which may be why they make it so hard to connect them.

4. Manufacturers of aftermarket indicators apparently adore bullet connectors as I have yet to see any that do not use them.

5. Whatever they tell you the reality is that fitting aftermarket indicators, at least for a newbie like me, is never going to be an easy 10 minute job.

6. Suzuki appear to have purposely designed the Bandit to maximize suffering for those who work on it.  Try removing the front fairing for the first time, it's the Buddhist version of hell on earth. "Grasshopper, go work on your Bandit. Let the parts perfectly placed to maximize obstruction, and those carefully hidden as if from the gods themselves, teach you that all human intelligence is but an illusion and therefore reality nothing more than an illogical fantasy born in the mind of a Suzuki engineer who does not truly exist at all."

7. Never take the word of those selling bike parts that a) it will fit your bike and b) that it's so easy to fit anyone could do it (see point 5). If they do tell you this then ask lots of specific questions, get all the details you can, then go buy something entirely different.  

took me 2 1/2 hours to do the RH one, they could have put the joiner just behind the fairing, inner fairing trim off, but noooooo, screen off, gauges out, ffs, how to make a easy job a nightmare!!

could you just have cut the connector off the aftermarket indicator and joined on one from the original ones? That way you wouldn't be cutting into the main wiring loom and you could extend the indicator cable at the same time.

Yes, absolutely could have done that. But only the plastic on the left indicator is broken, it still works. Being able to keep using it has kept me on the road.

truck wrote:Gday SK, I recently purchased blinkers for my 02 from Dale Walker Holeshot in USA. Very obliging and helpful to deal with. Think the price was A$170 delivered for 4 off. 

My boss mistakenly asked me to move my bike once as I had parked in  car space at work, there was heaps of spare car parks as we were in a worklull but it was the principle apparently, I checked to see if I had heard him right and I had.
I said Ok, I then grabbed my keys and helmut and moved my bike home for the rest of the day.
win win I say.   

   

If you are not too worried about keeping her stock, you could always source out some aftermarket LEDs and an LED flasher unit. Probably all for the price of ONE OEM indicator.  Just a thought.

Truck, absolutely priceless mate! That's hilarious.  

Don't like or dislike the stock indicators, neither here nor there to me whether the bike is stock or not. My thinking was that the stock indicator would already have the right length of wire and connector, so easier option.

The concern I have about LED indicators is whether or not they are bright enough. I've read conflicting reports on that. Interested in anything that increases visibility and that's what first attracted me to the Halogens. Shame that didn't work out.

Just wondered if  I'd see if anyone might have any particular indicators they wanted to recommend. Plus, you never know, thought there might be a chance someone had a pair of stock indicators they were wiling to part with for a reasonable price.

I'll take a look at the Dale Walker ones tonight Truck. I've been thinking of getting a few things from him and when I do want to maximize the result from the shipping costs.

You're just a few months too late SK. I had a set that I sold to one of the members.  A few guys have switched to LEDs so there could be some floating around. Some LEDs are not good but most are brilliantly bright. Best of luck.