Should I go with no indicator lights?

legal tax

New Member
Hey all,
Just looking for some input. This is my first build. I'm having to do a complete rewire on a 1976 CB 550F.
So right now I am thinking going super basic and running no indicator lights (turn signals, neutral, oil pressure, etc.) and no speedo or tach.

Just wanted to hear from the board before I get to the point of no return.

Personally I like the look, and it sure makes the wiring easier.

Thanks,
Gabe
 
Well, speedo is usually required legally, and it's never a bad thing to know how fast you're going. A tach is even more important than a speedo for tuning purposes.

I don't run any of the idiot-lights on my cafe racer. Does the CB550F have an oil pressure light? I don't recall that from my old one. Run without the lights, but you might want gauges.
 
It has an oil pressure light.

I run a tach on mine, no speedo, but do have blinkers.
 
Living in good ole' Texas. All we need legally is a head and tail light and one mirror.
Just wasn't sure how important the oil pressure light is?
Thanks
 
legal tax said:
Living in good ole' Texas. All we need legally is a head and tail light and one mirror.
Just wasn't sure how important the oil pressure light is?
Thanks

A lot of older bikes don't have them.
 
I've got a bike with no signals, and I'm used to using hand signals. Not that big of a deal.

I'd argue for keeping the speedo and tach, or at least the tach (especially if you can use it figure out approx. speeds before you take the speedo off) -- nothing like knowing how fast you're going on a 35mph road as a cop pulls up behind you.

550 does have an oil pressure light with the idiot lights. Might be a good idea to keep it, although once that thing comes on it's frequently too late anyway...
 
naw, the oil lights on the high pressure systems like the sohc 4's come on when pressure gets fairly low, but not zero, that's actually enough time to pull over without doing damage. I wish the twins had them though, they're the ones with the oiling systems prone to unpredictability.
 
carnivorous chicken said:
I've got a bike with no signals, and I'm used to using hand signals. Not that big of a deal.

I'd argue for keeping the speedo and tach, or at least the tach (especially if you can use it figure out approx. speeds before you take the speedo off) -- nothing like knowing how fast you're going on a 35mph road as a cop pulls up behind you.

550 does have an oil pressure light with the idiot lights. Might be a good idea to keep it, although once that thing comes on it's frequently too late anyway...
You do hand singlas around here, people will wave at you. Not a clue in the world as to what you're doing.
 
J-Rod10 said:
You do hand singlas around here, people will wave at you. Not a clue in the world as to what you're doing.
I've seen cyclists here make right-turn signal and I know that no one around them had a clue what they were signaling.

Also, can you just run pressure gauge instead of idiot light?
 
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