Repaired a bad front turn signal socket.

patrick_777 · 06-01-2008, 02:34 AM

First post to the boards, but I've been lurking around for a little bit anyway. I picked up an '06 GZ on the 20th of May and have put my first 100 miles on it since then. I know there are a few things I need to do with it, maintenance-wise, and am beginning to prioritize them now.

The first thing I needed to do was repair the left-front turn signal. It worked fine after I picked up the bike, and for a few days after that, but one morning (early and humid) I rode around the neighborhood, getting used to night-riding, and I noticed the signal was out completely. I thought first off that it was just the bulb, but after getting a spare from my storage rack, I couldn't get the old one out. It had somehow corroded itself into the socket.

I let it go for a day or two because work getting in the way of my fun, and then got back to it. I tried to get the bulb out of the socket, but it was just not moving without a bit of destructive persuasion. Finally, I took everything apart and got at the guts of it.

The lens cover was easy along with the gasket beneath it. This is normally just what you take off to change the bulb and get back on the bike. Now, however, I had to unscrew the little brass bracket holding the rubber in place and unscrew the back screw holding the entire light stalk in place. With some prying and pushing from the backside, the rubber holding the socket came loose and now I had a rubber covered socket in my hand with three wires coming out the back. I fought with the socket to try and get a new bulb in it for almost an hour. I bent it this way and that. It totally didn't want to take that bulb. Then, with my needlenose pliers, and some unavoidable pressure, I snapped off one of the contacts inside the socket. It was history now.

The quest for the new socket began in earnest. I took to the internet first and searched high and low for an OEM part for this that was under $60. Not too much luck. Then I searched for just the socket, maybe a generic that would fit the standard bulbs I had. Nothing really turned up much on the net or in forums, but I was meandering through Atwoods (home/farm/ranch store here in NE Oklahoma) and found a "generic turn signal socket". It looked nothing like the first one that came out of the bike, but I thought I could make it work with some old-fashioned, Italian ingenuity. I picked up two of them (.25c each) and a package of fuses just in case.

First, I removed the lens and gasket and placed them aside (screws on the lens). Since I had the bulb out already I removed the mirror reflector in the back of the signal and set it aside as well.

Second, I unmounted the light stalk from the bike and pulled through a few inches of spare wire (heat wrapped) so I could have some play. I pulled the socket and rubber holding out and instead of trying to force out the socket, I simply cut an incision front to back on the underside of the rubber. The socket just slipped right out.

I snipped the wires as close to the socket as possible so I could have a lot of wire and room to splice with.

I stripped all of the wire ends (including the two hanging from the new light socket. I installed a bulb in the new socket and touched one wire (the socket's were black/black, but the bike's was black, black/gray stripe, and solid gray. The solid black wire was the ground. I bent it into an S shape and taped it flat to the metal on the socket. After that, I turned the key on and touch each wire together to the remaining in no such order. I just did it until I got the correct sequence I wanted (dim light = driving light, bright flasher = turn signal). It took about 5 minutes to get to that point. I spliced and taped the ends together and checked the proper results after a dry fit into the stalk and stalk mount. I reinstalled the reflector in the signal's back but had cut through the rubber grommet holding the socket into the stalk without vibrating out. That's when I wrapped about 8 pieces of electrical tape around the outside of the socket and built it up enough to fit into the hole snuggly.

After remounting the stalk and stalk screw onto the handlebar frame, I turned it on expecting fully to see Hiroshima.

Nothing. Just a light. I turned the blinker on and Voile'! C'est Fini'

Here are pictures of the bike.
Flickr Page

It's an 06 GZ250 and it only has 2600 miles on it!

New paint and just perfect condition.

Thanks for letting me share.

Patrick

**jonathan180iq** · 06-01-2008, 03:48 PM

Nice write up.

Did you buy this bike off of the forums? I really liked that paint scheme and remember commenting on it.

Also, what kind of bars are those? They aren't as low as superbike bars and look more natural than the factory mini ape hangers.

-Jonathan

patrick_777 · 06-01-2008, 06:35 PM

Thanks. I bought it off of an individual here in my town. I believe the bars are stock, but I honestly can't be certain. I actually think they are a little tall for my liking, and I'm considering replacing them with some sportbike bars.

According to the seller, the paint job is only like five weeks old, so it might be another bike you remember. The pin-striping and paint is a custom job from a guy the seller knew in the area. The baffle in the exhaust is drilled too, so it sounds a bit throatier than stock, but that also means there could be more custom work done on it...

**jonathan180iq** · 06-02-2008, 09:50 AM

http://www.gz250bike.com/viewtopic.php?t=769

Looks like you bought it from Astro.

Glad it all worked out.

If he drilled holea in the exhaust, I doubt he did much more "custom" work. You may want to take a look and see that he didn't alter the air filter any. You can do that by checking under the seat or by removing the left hand side cover.

Nice bike.

patrick_777 · 06-02-2008, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonathan180iq

http://www.gz250bike.com/viewtopic.php?t=769

Looks like you bought it from Astro.

Glad it all worked out.

If he drilled holea in the exhaust, I doubt he did much more "custom" work. You may want to take a look and see that he didn't alter the air filter any. You can do that by checking under the seat or by removing the left hand side cover.

Nice bike.

That is awesome. Thanks for finding that. It verifies the age of the paint job. I'll look for anything on the filter today. I'm going to tension the chain tonight for the first time. It's kinda loose right now.

**jonathan180iq** · 06-02-2008, 02:33 PM

Tensioning the chain is a lot easier if you have some rear axel stands.

You can even use regular old jack stands or you can build some yourself out of some wood scrap. There is a sticky in the general maint. section on how to do the latter.

Also, the atricle on installing a 16T front sprocket deals a bit chain adjustment. It has photos and everything. So, that might help you out. I don't know hot much experience you have with motorcycles. So, if I'm giving you unsolicited information just ignore me.

good luck,
Jonathan

patrick_777 · 06-02-2008, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonathan180iq

Tensioning the chain is a lot easier if you have some rear axel stands.

You can even use regular old jack stands or you can build some yourself out of some wood scrap. There is a sticky in the general maint. section on how to do the latter.

Also, the atricle on installing a 16T front sprocket deals a bit chain adjustment. It has photos and everything. So, that might help you out. I don't know hot much experience you have with motorcycles. So, if I'm giving you unsolicited information just ignore me.

good luck,
Jonathan

It's fine. I've read through all those threads already (and most others too), and I'm going to build some stands out of scrap. The sprocket will be a bit of a stretch in my current ability, but will be enough of a learning experience to boost my confidence.

**jonathan180iq** · 06-02-2008, 04:39 PM

I was only referring to the sprocket page because there is a bit about adjusting chain tension and some notes on things to look out for while working with the rear axles.

Whether or not you actually want or need a new sprocket is a different conversation altogether.

06-01-2008, 02:34 AM	#1
patrick_777 Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 1,763	Repaired a bad front turn signal socket. First post to the boards, but I've been lurking around for a little bit anyway. I picked up an '06 GZ on the 20th of May and have put my first 100 miles on it since then. I know there are a few things I need to do with it, maintenance-wise, and am beginning to prioritize them now. The first thing I needed to do was repair the left-front turn signal. It worked fine after I picked up the bike, and for a few days after that, but one morning (early and humid) I rode around the neighborhood, getting used to night-riding, and I noticed the signal was out completely. I thought first off that it was just the bulb, but after getting a spare from my storage rack, I couldn't get the old one out. It had somehow corroded itself into the socket. I let it go for a day or two because work getting in the way of my fun, and then got back to it. I tried to get the bulb out of the socket, but it was just not moving without a bit of destructive persuasion. Finally, I took everything apart and got at the guts of it. The lens cover was easy along with the gasket beneath it. This is normally just what you take off to change the bulb and get back on the bike. Now, however, I had to unscrew the little brass bracket holding the rubber in place and unscrew the back screw holding the entire light stalk in place. With some prying and pushing from the backside, the rubber holding the socket came loose and now I had a rubber covered socket in my hand with three wires coming out the back. I fought with the socket to try and get a new bulb in it for almost an hour. I bent it this way and that. It totally didn't want to take that bulb. Then, with my needlenose pliers, and some unavoidable pressure, I snapped off one of the contacts inside the socket. It was history now. The quest for the new socket began in earnest. I took to the internet first and searched high and low for an OEM part for this that was under $60. Not too much luck. Then I searched for just the socket, maybe a generic that would fit the standard bulbs I had. Nothing really turned up much on the net or in forums, but I was meandering through Atwoods (home/farm/ranch store here in NE Oklahoma) and found a "generic turn signal socket". It looked nothing like the first one that came out of the bike, but I thought I could make it work with some old-fashioned, Italian ingenuity. I picked up two of them (.25c each) and a package of fuses just in case. First, I removed the lens and gasket and placed them aside (screws on the lens). Since I had the bulb out already I removed the mirror reflector in the back of the signal and set it aside as well. Second, I unmounted the light stalk from the bike and pulled through a few inches of spare wire (heat wrapped) so I could have some play. I pulled the socket and rubber holding out and instead of trying to force out the socket, I simply cut an incision front to back on the underside of the rubber. The socket just slipped right out. I snipped the wires as close to the socket as possible so I could have a lot of wire and room to splice with. I stripped all of the wire ends (including the two hanging from the new light socket. I installed a bulb in the new socket and touched one wire (the socket's were black/black, but the bike's was black, black/gray stripe, and solid gray. The solid black wire was the ground. I bent it into an S shape and taped it flat to the metal on the socket. After that, I turned the key on and touch each wire together to the remaining in no such order. I just did it until I got the correct sequence I wanted (dim light = driving light, bright flasher = turn signal). It took about 5 minutes to get to that point. I spliced and taped the ends together and checked the proper results after a dry fit into the stalk and stalk mount. I reinstalled the reflector in the signal's back but had cut through the rubber grommet holding the socket into the stalk without vibrating out. That's when I wrapped about 8 pieces of electrical tape around the outside of the socket and built it up enough to fit into the hole snuggly. After remounting the stalk and stalk screw onto the handlebar frame, I turned it on expecting fully to see Hiroshima. Nothing. Just a light. I turned the blinker on and Voile'! C'est Fini' Here are pictures of the bike. Flickr Page It's an 06 GZ250 and it only has 2600 miles on it! New paint and just perfect condition. Thanks for letting me share. Patrick __________________ ]I am hiding in Honduras. I am a desperate man. Send lawyers, guns and money. The shit has hit the fan. Login or Register to Remove Ads
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06-01-2008, 06:35 PM	#3
patrick_777 Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 1,763	Thanks. I bought it off of an individual here in my town. I believe the bars are stock, but I honestly can't be certain. I actually think they are a little tall for my liking, and I'm considering replacing them with some sportbike bars. According to the seller, the paint job is only like five weeks old, so it might be another bike you remember. The pin-striping and paint is a custom job from a guy the seller knew in the area. The baffle in the exhaust is drilled too, so it sounds a bit throatier than stock, but that also means there could be more custom work done on it... __________________ ]I am hiding in Honduras. I am a desperate man. Send lawyers, guns and money. The shit has hit the fan. Login or Register to Remove Ads
	0

06-01-2008, 03:48 PM	#2
jonathan180iq Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Dalton, GA Posts: 3,996	Nice write up. Did you buy this bike off of the forums? I really liked that paint scheme and remember commenting on it. Also, what kind of bars are those? They aren't as low as superbike bars and look more natural than the factory mini ape hangers. -Jonathan
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06-02-2008, 09:50 AM	#4
jonathan180iq Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Dalton, GA Posts: 3,996	http://www.gz250bike.com/viewtopic.php?t=769 Looks like you bought it from Astro. Glad it all worked out. If he drilled holea in the exhaust, I doubt he did much more "custom" work. You may want to take a look and see that he didn't alter the air filter any. You can do that by checking under the seat or by removing the left hand side cover. Nice bike.
	0

06-02-2008, 02:33 PM	#6
jonathan180iq Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Dalton, GA Posts: 3,996	Tensioning the chain is a lot easier if you have some rear axel stands. You can even use regular old jack stands or you can build some yourself out of some wood scrap. There is a sticky in the general maint. section on how to do the latter. Also, the atricle on installing a 16T front sprocket deals a bit chain adjustment. It has photos and everything. So, that might help you out. I don't know hot much experience you have with motorcycles. So, if I'm giving you unsolicited information just ignore me. good luck, Jonathan
	0

06-02-2008, 04:39 PM	#8
jonathan180iq Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Dalton, GA Posts: 3,996	I was only referring to the sprocket page because there is a bit about adjusting chain tension and some notes on things to look out for while working with the rear axles. Whether or not you actually want or need a new sprocket is a different conversation altogether.
	0