The turn signals on your Harley are vital for your and other drivers’ safety when you’re on the road. They increase your visibility so other drivers can see you and tell everyone else what you plan to do as you drive. That’s why it’s essential that they work as they should and why it’s good to know how to synchronize your turn signals.
Issues With Turn Signals
The sync of your signals is important, as mistimed signals can confuse others and make it difficult for them to understand your intentions. This can lead to dangerous situations as you ride, especially driving at night. For your safety, you should learn how to sync the turn signals.
When To Synchronize
There are a few instances where you should sync your signals; understanding these times can help you maintain your vehicle. The most obvious is when you first purchase your Harley, as you want to start with your bike in pristine condition. You should also sync when you change your lights, whether it’s an upgrade or replacement. Additionally, you should check your Harley front turn signals every few months to see if they need a resync.
Model Differences
When you start syncing your Harley signal lights, first determine which model you have. Each model is different, and synching your lights will vary depending on your Harley. Generally, the models from 2001-2016 are the same, and the 2014 and new models are the same.
2001-2016
This section will help guide you through syncing your turn signals if you’ve got a Harley model between 2001 and 2016.
Ignition Start
You first want to start your Harley up in a safe place where you can leave it for a few minutes without worrying about it. It’s important that you only start up the ignition but don’t turn on the bike fully, as you don’t want it to run when syncing the signals.
Use Hazards
The next step is to turn on all the hazards of your bike while you let it run. You will find the hazard buttons in the controls of your bike, but you can use your owner’s manual to identify the four-way hazards if you need.
Ignition Off
Once you turn on the hazards and have them running, turn off your bike’s ignition. Even though your ignition is off, the hazards should continue to blink. This is a good thing, as it’s what you need to sync up your signals. So let the hazards run even after you turn off your bike.
Run the Hazards
The next step is quite simple, let the bike sit as the hazards blink. This is why it’s best to do this in a safe place, as you don’t want to wait around in a public place for your hazards to finish syncing your turn signals. You should only need to let your hazards run for a minute or two to fully sync up your signals.
On and Off Again
The next step is to turn the bike back on and then quickly turn it fully off again. This will help everything set correctly and finish the sync. This is the last step of the sync itself, but there’s one more step that you should take before you call it a day.
Check the Signals
The last step is to recheck your turn signals to ensure that the sync finished and that your bike is ready for the road. This is a quick check, as you just need to turn on your bike again and turn on the signals to see if they match as they should. If they don’t match, you can try syncing again or bring the bike to a mechanic.
2014 and Newer
The 2014 and newer models use a different method to sync the turn signals. Here’s a guide to help you sync the later models. This process requires a lot more involvement from you to sync the turn signals, so you’ll need to stay near the bike as you progress through the sync.
Ignition Start
Like with older models, the first thing you should do is find a place inside and safe to perform your maintenance. Then turn on your ignition without starting the bike.
Right Side
The next step is to flash the right-side turn signal twice at its normal pace. Then stop it once it flashes twice.
Left Side
The next step is to copy what you did on the right side but to do it to the left-side turn signals. This means flashing the turn signals twice and then immediately turning them off once they blink twice. Yet again, let them flash at their normal pace to help them properly sync.
Back to Right
Once you finish flashing twice on the left side and stop the signal, it’s time to return to the right side. Turn on the signal and let it flash at least 10 times. You can let it flash more than 10 times, but it must be at least 10 times. Then turn off the signal once it’s done flashing.
Back to Left
Repeat the same process on the left turn signal, letting it blink at least 10 times and then turning it off. It’s essential that you don’t try to do this manually and just let the Harley blink at its regular pace while counting the blinks to know when to shut it off.
Off and On
The last step is to turn off the bike and let it reset like you would with an older model. This is important as it helps the sync and will lock everything in place. Then you should turn on your bike so you can perform your final check of the signals. You want the signals to blink in proper time the moment you turn on the signals.
This is how you synchronize the turn signals of a Harley, no matter the model you have or why you need to sync. If the process doesn’t work or sync up your lights correctly, the issue may be internal. It’s best to bring your bike to a mechanic who can identify and fix the problem.
