Here's a new one!

[jamesevans]

Never being one to follow the road more travelled or more expensive, I added some 10W LED lightbars from CARID (69.95 pair)for extra conspicuity to my 20009 R1200RT. They are 7.5" long, about an inch high, 800 lumens each, and being different I mounted them on top of the mirrors (photos to follow when I clear up the shop a bit) as I didn't want them unsprung.
What attracted me to these particular lights is that they change to amber with the turn signals. I wired them through a fuse and switch direct from the battery then took a feed off the coloured (not brown, which I presume is ground) wire from the turn signals.
All works great EXCEPT: when the flashers turn on the LEDS stay white, when they go off they turn amber! It's a spectacular light show, particularly with the four-way flashers, but I think I'd rather have them in sync. Turn signal speed is normal, there aren't any blown-bulb indications on the dash or anything.
Anyone got any ideas?

Roses are red
Violets are red
The grass is red
Mower accident

 

[shakeybone]

Not to criticize but if conspicuity is what you are after mounting the lights low and creating a "triangle" of light with the headlight might be a better idea.

 

[jamesevans]

I take your point about the "triangle of light". The distance from the low beam to the fender bolt is 19", to my lights is 15" : so I think I've achieved that, plus they are wider and higher and so more visible in traffic. That was my thinking, anyway: as I say, I prefer the road less travelled.
On careful inspection I see the lights are only partly out of phase: they certainly show up, anyway. Here are some photos

 

[2bikers1collie]

If the normal color conventions flow, brown is the 'tail light' positive wire. This is the dim marker light yo9u see on a tail-light, not the bright turn signal/brake light. That might help?

 

[jamesevans]

the coloured wire I connected to must be positive as the LED wouldn't light otherwise. Or could it be that the LED is seeing enough of a positive current though the turn signal lamp to trigger it? My knowledge of Ohm's Law is pretty rusty but that seems possible. However, I don't want to muck about with the wiring any more on the chance it might work. Any electric experts out there?

If the normal color conventions flow, brown is the 'tail light' positive wire. This is the dim marker light yo9u see on a tail-light, not the bright turn signal/brake light. That might help?[/QUOT

 

[2bikers1collie]

You should have three colored wires for each signal. What colors do you have on the light's side of things?

 

[pauls1150]

Europe (i.e., Bosch) does not adhere to any "American" color code ... brown is ground.

 

[jamesevans]

I could only see two wires on the turn signal - brown one side of the lamp, blue/red stripe on the other (on one side) and a similarly striped wire and a brown on the other side. I don't recall which side was which. I'm not bothered enough to get in there and re-wire it: it shows up well anyway. Next time, though, I think I'll just spend the money and get a proper setup. The lights are pretty cheap-looking and only time will tell how they last. But what the heck, it whiled away a wintry weekend!