Hey folks:

I posted this a few months ago, but it vanished when the site was overhauled.

If you replace your stock, incandescent turn signals with LED turn signals, you'll be left with the notorious fast-flash-rate problem. Usually, the fast-flash-rate problem can be easily solved by replacing the load-sensitive turnsignal relay with a solid state, load-independent relay. But on the DR-Z, it's not so straightforward.

The DR-Z's turnsignal relay is embedded within the big, strange "turnsignal-sidestand relay": a device with seven wires connected. A normal aftermarket solid-state replacement relay, though, only uses two of those wires. What do we do with the other five??

I pored over the electrical schematics in the service manual, and produced the two interconnect diagrams below. The first one shows the original, stock connections to the turnsignal-sidestand relay. The second one shows how to:

• connect a standard aftermarket, solid-state relay and,
  
• remove and discard the entire stock turnsignal/sidestand relay; and
  
• re-connect the five remaining wires.

Overriding the Sidestand interlock:

The connections shown in the second diagram also bypass the sidestand switch, overriding its safety interlock. If you want to preserve that interlock, this connection scheme is not for you.

If you do want to bypass that interlock, or if you've already bypassed it, then that scheme will allow you to be rid of the stock turnsignal sidestand relay, and to use a 2-wire, LED-compatible flasher relay instead.





Note 2. You have two choices for this green wire. It can be insulated and left floating, if you've already jumpered the sidestand switch. If you haven't jumpered that switch, and want to override its interlock function, then connect this green wire to a ground path. You can then leave the sidestand switch in place and connected; it will no longer disable the engine.