SuzukiSavage.com - Single Filament or Dual

Starzuki YaBB Newbies Offline Is today your day? Posts: 41	Single Filament or Dual 07/06/08 at 14:05:21 Might sound like a stupid question, but whats the difference? I've been looking all over and can't find a simple explaination. I'm looking to replace the stock signals with some aftermarkets and don't know if I'm looking for single or dual filament set. Any info would be great. Thanks.
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T Mack 1 - FSO Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline sold 2001 LS650 for a 1986 XLH1100 Posts: 2919 Emmaus,Pa Gender:	Re: Single Filament or Dual Reply #1 - 07/06/08 at 14:10:19 Fronts are dual & backs are single. Dual means that the bulb is used for running lights (markers) and also turn-signals.
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Paladin.

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Re: Single Filament or Dual
Reply #2 - 07/06/08 at 15:09:23

The filament is the part of the light that produces the light. A single filament produces light at a single wattage level. A dual filament produces light at three levels -- the wattages of each element alone, plus the sum of the two. This would be you standard three-way household lamp, such as a 30-70-100.

On our motorcycles, as noted, we have a dual filament lamp forward, a single to the rear. This is because we can have amber running lights forward. Legally, rear running lights must be red, so the rear amber turn signals have just the single filament.

There is absolutely no reason that you may not use a single filament lamp for a front turn signal. If you change to a red lens on the rear, you could run dual filament lamps on the rear -- run and turn.

If you go with a dual filament with a red lens rear, you can get a trailer light adapter to allow the high wattage filament to act as both turn and stop, leaving the low watt filament an always on running light.

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thumperclone

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Re: Single Filament or Dual
Reply #3 - 07/07/08 at 07:04:45

thumperclone wrote on 07/07/08 at 07:04:06:

Paladin. wrote on 07/06/08 at 15:09:23:

The filament is the part of the light that produces the light. A single filament produces light at a single wattage level. A dual filament produces light at three levels -- the wattages of each element alone, plus the sum of the two. This would be you standard three-way household lamp, such as a 30-70-100.

On our motorcycles, as noted, we have a dual filament lamp forward, a single to the rear. This is because we can have amber running lights forward. Legally, rear running lights must be red, so the rear amber turn signals have just the single filament.

There is absolutely no reason that you may not use a single filament lamp for a front turn signal. If you change to a red lens on the rear, you could run dual filament lamps on the rear -- run and turn.

If you go with a dual filament with a red lens rear, you can get a trailer light adapter to allow the high wattage filament to act as both turn and stop, leaving the low watt filament an always on running light.

in order to use single filiment up front youd need to change the socket to single pin from stock

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Starzuki YaBB Newbies Offline Is today your day? Posts: 41	Re: Single Filament or Dual Reply #4 - 07/07/08 at 08:44:40 Excellent. Thank you for the clarification. That definitely helps get things going for me. Much appreciated.
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Ian YaBB Newbies Offline 1995 LS650, 2008 FLHRC Posts: 31 Northern Virginia Gender:	Re: Single Filament or Dual Reply #5 - 07/07/08 at 10:25:11 Paladin. wrote on 07/06/08 at 15:09:23: If you go with a dual filament with a red lens rear, you can get a trailer light adapter to allow the high wattage filament to act as both turn and stop, leaving the low watt filament an always on running light. Anyone done this? Got a wiring diagram?
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Re: Single Filament or Dual
Reply #6 - 07/07/08 at 20:58:40

Bikers who tow trailers have done so. All you would be doing is mounting the equivalent of the trailer lights on the bike. The adapter has inputs on one side: tail, brake, left turn, right turn, battery and ground. On the output side just four leads, tail, right turn/brake, left turn/brake, and ground. They run about $10 - $40.

It would be fun to do, something like:

(photo chopped.)

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