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STS SMART TURN SYSTEM

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www.safer-turn.com

Cynical and reluctant, that was my initial reaction to this product, actually that’s my reaction to most new things, it’s on a reflection on the product at all but on the point in life I have reached. My concerns were not whether or not it would work, but did I really need it and do I want to cut into and molest the immaculate wiring of my Triumph Tiger? Well I do if I was to test the product.

There appears to be an universal internet embargo as the location of the Triumph Tiger flasher relay, search as I did there were conflicting but no accurate details as to the location. So I decided to go for the jugular, I cut into the wiring loom halfway between the switch gear and where is disappears under the tank, it felt so wrong; like I would now forever have scar tissue of intermittent faults caused by this breakage and exposure.

However it did make for easy access to the wires and although I’m not a fan of crimped connections I opted to use the ones supplies and if the products works as well and I’m lead to believe it will, I will solder the joints at a later date.

The other thing that seemed like a deficient modification was placing the foam ‘buffers’ either side of the sliding indicator switch gear.

But actually they fitted in fine and had the desired effect of stopping the turn signal from being permanently on, yet still providing enough movement in the switch to make the connection before bouncing back to its ‘neutral’ centre position.

I fitted the device with a kind of semi permanency. Well enough to meet the recommended fitting instructions but not as discreetly located as it could be.

Like so many aspects of life, if I were to do it a second time I would do it so much quicker and more efficiently. The instruction manual although quite thorough had such small diagrams it was almost impossible to read without a magnifying glass. The packaging was a thing of beauty as is the website, and the marketing I have seen is clearly the work of experience and professionalism.

So let’s see if it works, first impression was ‘you mean I can’t cancel my turn signal manually now? I got from right flash to left and can’t stop it, surely I don’t have to rely solely on this device to cancel the turn signal? The response from the manufactures helpline was immediate. No I don’t have to rely on the device, I can cancel a left turn by sliding the switch left a second time, simple now I know but will this habit transfer to other bikes or will it soon become second nature to perform this action. That will remain to be seen. With the box mounted level, forward facing and unsheltered it’s time to take it out on the road and see just how intelligent it is.

I once rode with a friend to Stonehenge for the summer solstice sunrise. We left at midnight and with every overtake manoeuvre he cancelled his turn signal but being ‘shot to bits’ by divorce, bankruptcy and general excesses in life he was not known for his recollections, recall, and reliability. Sure enough as soon as the sky lightened he no longer saw the idiot light flashing on the dash and his indicator stayed flashing in my mirrors until he switched it for a turn in the opposite direction. This product was made for him. Although I’m not perfect, the leaving on of the signal is rare occurrence for me, is this machine going to induce laziness or is it just a safety back up like a side stand switch?

Well will you look at that, it’s like magic, ‘Smart’ is probably the word the manufacturers would prefer to use, how did it know I turned? I assume there is some gyroscopic-pitching-rolling-measuring device within the box and it’s really quite intelligent but not infallible. Yes on the straightforward junctions it knows when the manoeuvre has been completed, when sitting stationary waiting for a break in the traffic it knows not to cancel the turns signal. Impressively on the short bursts of erratic overtaking again it cancels as soon as I’m back in my lane. I feel I need to apply a little more pressure to the turn signal switch as the foam pads cause some resistance. The only time I caught it out is when I leave my village, there is a sharp left hander just before the junction, I indicate right before I have exited the left hander and therefore the indicator cancels itself before I’ve executed the manoeuvre.

Overall the produce certainly dismissed my cynicism, I saw it as an unnecessary accessory. I wouldn’t call it a luxury or a necessity but it is definitely a working appliance that does what it says on the side of the smart little black box, and despite my initial reaction I think this little accessory is a keeper, now where did I put my soldering iron? 

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