First of all, thank you Ablock for this thread, and your sacrifice... I just wish I'd found it sooner before frying my own rear Euro-spec Africa Twin LED turn signals with 12v...
Bummer.
Yep. Sorry. We can start a support group. :crying:
I've read through this thread and your voltage adventure, and for what it's worth (as I think you've ascertained now) the US spec front turn signals are three wire - with an incandescent bulb with two filaments - 5w for the running light, and 21w for the flasher/turn-signal - basically the same bulb as you'd fit in a tail light (5w running/tail light, 21w brake light).
Unless something changed between 2016 and 2017 (I have a 2017), this is not the case. The front incandescents use the same 2-wire HC050 as the rear (this is also true of the Honda LEDs). The running light is effected by the relay modulating the 12V current at 150Hz with a duty cycle that results in an average voltage of 3.5V.
Thinking about it further, since the running lights don't show in the rear, there must be either 1) a separate wire with the modulated voltage, combined with a diode to prevent backfeeding to the rear lights; 2) entirely separate circuits from the relay. The wiring diagram shows the third wire for US bikes, and I
think (service manual is at home) shows individual wires for each signal from the relay for non-US. In any case, on US 2017 bikes the wiring is combined somewhere in the loom before the final turn signal connector.
If you replace these with the Euro-spec turn signals (LED or otherwise), you'll forfeit the running light circuit, as the Euro fronts are only two-wire - although I imagine the front connector is the three pin version for the loom, but with only two contacts live - I've not actually received my front LED turn signals from the UK yet to confirm - perhaps you can?
As long as you step down the voltage and limit the current, the existing modulation (as described above) does a fine job of giving a slightly dimmer running light on the front LEDs.
Either way, based on what you've found out regarding the trigger voltage for the LED turn signals, it would appear that the reason the OEM [Euro] LED relay is so expensive, is that it is providing a controlled [lower] voltage to all four turn signals, from the original 12v loom feed.
That does seems to be the case. I don't know if it accounts for the cost. :laugh:
for info. I had already fitted an aftermarket LED flasher relay (that stops the hyper-flashing with the lower load requirements of an LED turn signal), but this was still kicking out 12v, which is presumably what has fried my 5-9v AT turn signals...
...
Personally speaking, I think the only really workable solution is to stump up the $$$s for the proper Euro-spec Africa Twin flasher relay, and hook up the four LED lamps - and forfeit the running lights...
Well, you don't need to forfeit the running lights, but in any case the choice is between:
1. Use stock relay, limit the voltage, add resistors to avoid hyperflash. I have developed a good solution for the voltage. The resistors work fine (once you figure out the correct resistance) but you have to mount them somewhere that can handle the heat. On the plus side, installing them is much easier than tearing off the fuel tank to get to the stock relay.
2. Limit the voltage, use an aftermarket relay for the hyperflash. This should work to get the flashing rate correct, but you will probably lose the running lights and you still have to take off the fuel tank.
3. Buy the OEM Euro relay. Upside: everything should just work. Downside: Very expensive to both purchase and install. However, if my theory above is right that the Euro relay uses separate circuits to each LED, I think this approach is unrealistic as it could require totally rearranging the turn signal wiring starting from the relay deep inside the bike.
My preference at this point is for #1, and that is the approach in the kit I am putting together. Have been talking to some folks about how to distribute these. Any interest posted here is appreciated.
Thanks for posting your experience!