Weird one re: left signal light on startup

[Bucko]

I guess they're winking at us 

[mittico68]

One more reason why our Drifters are so special! 

[Old Drifter]

Yep...my '99 1500 does the same thing!

[mittico68]

Update.
I've been checking the blinkers for a while and, guess what, it came out that the left one will be on when starting the bike up in the morning!
Weird thing...

[mittico68]

I see, Bucko.
I'll pay attention to it, next time I recover ma-deuce for the night.
Will let you know what happens.

[Bucko]

Could it be that before parking the bike for the night, the last turn you make is to the left (assuming that you always switch on the blinker)?
I'm asking that because I've noticed that the flashing light experience is strictly related to the fact that the bike has been shut down with the blinker still activated.

Yes, the blinker will remember it's last setting if you shut the bike down - i.e. if the blinker was on when bike shut down, it will start blinking aging when the power is turned back on.

That's not what I'm referring to though. In my case, the blinker is not on when I shut it down but when I start up in the morning, the left blinker is on.  It doesn't appear to happen during regular shutdown/startup multiple times a day - only when left overnight.

Never seen this behavior on my 01 but happens every day (when I've paid attention) on the 99.

[Troll]

Seems to me this issue has come up before, years ago. Only the "J" models do it.

[OR Seedman]

my previous bike, a Drifter 800, did the same thing EVERY time I started it.  I made sure that the turn signal was off before shutting it down.  If I started it back up right away, it wouldn't do it, but if it sat over night, it never failed to start flashing the left turn signal.  I chalked it up to one of those quirky things that bikes sometimes do.   

[mittico68]

I notice every-time I start my 99 up for the first time of the day, the left signal light is flashing.  For a long time I just assumed I was hitting the left signal switch inadvertently when shutting down but even when I'm sure I haven't hit it, the next morning when I start up - the left signal will be flashing.  Anyone else experience this?

Could it be that before parking the bike for the night, the last turn you make is to the left (assuming that you always switch on the blinker)?
I'm asking that because I've noticed that the flashing light experience is strictly related to the fact that the bike has been shut down with the blinker still activated.

[tj]

I notice every-time I start my 99 up for the first time of the day, the left signal light is flashing.  For a long time I just assumed I was hitting the left signal switch inadvertently when shutting down but even when I'm sure I haven't hit it, the next morning when I start up - the left signal will be flashing.  Anyone else experience this?

Yes! This used happened to me intermittently, but I could not figure out why.

Unrelated to the startup flashing issue (I'm not a fan of the self-canceling feature) I disconnected the light blue wire that runs from the speedo to the relay. Coincidentally (or maybe not) since then, I've had no flashing on startup.

Good luck finding the issue...looking forward to reading what you found.

[Bucko]

The owner's manual says to cancel the turn signals manually after a turn, even though the self canceling system is supposed to shut them off. Try that and see what happens.

I do manually cancel almost religiously but will make an effort to ensure that I manually cancel before parking and will report.

[Troll]

The owner's manual says to cancel the turn signals manually after a turn, even though the self canceling system is supposed to shut them off. Try that and see what happens.

[Bucko]

I notice every-time I start my 99 up for the first time of the day, the left signal light is flashing.  For a long time I just assumed I was hitting the left signal switch inadvertently when shutting down but even when I'm sure I haven't hit it, the next morning when I start up - the left signal will be flashing.  Anyone else experience this?