I want to put flush-mount flashers on the front

Asian Cycle flushmounts

The most popular flushmounts for the Ninja 250 have come from Keith at AsianCycle.com. However, his store is closed as of March, 2011. Keith didn't actually manufacture the signals; he painted them to body color and made the baseplates. So, since these signals will likely turn up somewhere else in the future, we'll leave all the info on this page.

An eBay store called great-digital has had some advertised for the Ninja 250 that look to be the same, but we won't guarantee they'll fit the same way as the Asian Cycle ones. The major difference with these is the baseplate and small choice of colors.

There is also a store called Sport Bike Lites with the same signals. These are incandescents and need the usual fairing hole drilled for the bulb. They fit like this:

If you find some flushmounts that work, please take photos and post in the forums.

These are the no-longer-available Asian Cycle flushmounts.

These flushmounts fit the Ninja 250 better than other models. They were purposely designed for the bike, in cooperation with members from this board. Pretty much everyone who has gotten these signals has been satisfied with them. The flushmounts come in a variety of colors and are color-matched to your bike.

Mounting instructions

After you purchase the AsianCycle flushmounts, see the FAQ instructions to attach them to your bike.

Bulbs

In the past it has always been the recommendation of the FAQ for riders to change out the bulbs in the AsianCycle flushmounts. Later model signals came with 17 watt bulbs, compared to the 8 watts they used to have. These bulbs also work well with the stock flasher, so you shouldn't have to replace your thermal flasher with an electronic one, as many have done in the past. What type of bulb may be in something you find after the closing of AsianCycle is anyone's guess.

Should you want a different bulb, there are a couple choices.

Bulb #1003

The 1003 is 12 watts. If you have clear lenses, make sure you get amber (orange) bulbs. Amber may be hard to find, but one of our members found them at the TRUCKNVANS website. They have them (and other bulbs, too) in many different colors. Check your local regulations, as you'll probably be required to have amber. If you have amber lenses, then of course the normal clear #1003 will work.

Bulb #3497

Most bulb choices in sizes to fit these flushmounts don't put out a lot of light. Even the recommended #1003 only has half the wattage of the 1073/1156 bulb from the stock signals (which is too big to put in these). An option is to use a #3497 bulb. It's the exact same wattage (12.8V, 2.1A - 26.88W) as the 1156/1073, but it uses the same glass size as the 1003 bulb. This works well if you have amber lenses on your signals.

If you have clear lenses, you'll need to be a bit creative. Nearly all the amber bulbs that are this small are terribly dim, in the 8-10 watt range (#97A and #67NA bulbs are two examples). To get a brighter one, find a pair of #3497. Then, in order to make them flash orange, buy a can of Krylon stained glass paint. Michael's or most art/hobby suppliers should have stained glass paint. Paint both bulbs and install them.

Photos

1156 (1156NA amber) - too big

3497 - just right

Painted

Video

3497 blinking

10w bulb blinking - Notice that it also blinks very fast, which would take an electronic flasher to correct.

Lockhart-Phillips signals

Even though AsianCycle is gone, you can do some fabricating and have signals that are similar, if not exactly the same. This example uses Lockhart Phillips 122-9691 flushmounts, but you could most likely make other models do the same thing. This set has amber lenses, two-filament bulbs, and three wires, so you can use them for running lights.

You could also check D2MOTO and other signals suppliers to see if they have anything you can make fit.

To do this, cut off the stock stalks and sand the base level. Since the holes required for the new lights don't match the existing holes in the base, make a cardboard template of the back of the stock signal base. Then, use it to mark some thin metal (a cookie tin in this case) and hot glue it to the back of the stock base. This new backing plate is what the bolts for the new flushmounts go into. It goes between the fairing and the stock base.

To make it easier to cut and sand, secure the base to a 2x4.

Mark and drill mounting holes for the new signals through the stock base and through the new backing plate. Repaint the OEM signal bases.

Mount the lights to the base and the base to the fairing. Connect the wires. You should be able to position the new light so the mounting screws and wires use the existing holes.

Once the new light is on the stock base, you can take it on and off as a unit by just removing the bolts from the stock holes in the fairing.

Other flushmount options

There are other flush-mount signals available. They won't fit your Ninja exactly, though. Try looking around your local bike shops or auto parts stores. You might find something you like.

Before the availability of the AsianCycle lights, Blazer truck running lights from Autozone-ish or semi truck stores were the way to go. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and they may work for you. See Installing Blazer Flushmounts

You can also check the Lockhart-Phillips catalog. Most shops sell or can order their products. Keep in mind that they probably won't fit the fairing recess too well. Most of the units that you'll find at Autozone or similar stores will leave a bit (or a lot) of space at the back.

Note: Unless you use the stock base plate as described above, you will likely have to drill or trim your fairing a bit no matter what model you get. Be careful when doing this. It doesn't take much force to go through the plastic.