TOPIC:

They blink fine with the headlight off, but slow down considerably with it on. Anything I should check for or do other than make sure everything is clean?

One very easy, permanent fix is to replace the flasher unit with an electronic flasher. The electronic flasher will provide a very consistent flash interval. I installed a Tridon/Stant 552 2 prong, which is available at almost any auto parts store, and it works great on my bike. It was a perfect fit and even fit properly in the original rubber holder. Ed

What 650ed says. Electronic flashers are cheap; work sharp & crisp. Save your old ones in a box for the day you ever want to put her up on a pedestal fully restored.

But slow conventional flashers can also be useful to indicate low power in the bike. Have you ruled that out?

Is the bike running when you test the signals?

Cheers
Chris

Thanks for the tip, guys. I'll try to get my hands on an electronic flasher tomorrow. I was about to try replacing the old one anyway. The battery is good, and voltage is consistent throughout the harness. Flashes the same whether it's running or not.

daless wrote: They blink fine with the headlight off, but slow down considerably with it on. Anything I should check for or do other than make sure everything is clean?

Sounds like maybe the battery voltage is dropping under load. Did you check the battery voltage when running? The bimetal (standard) flasher's speed of flash is strictly determined by the current through it heating the metal strip. The current is what flows through the bulb. As the battery voltage dips, the bulb current drops proportionally.