Motorcycle Warning Lights: How to Detect Problems and Fix?

All vehicles have a dashboard. The dashboard is the part of the car/motorcycle with the speedometer, the gas gauge, and the temperature gauge. The dashboard lights are pretty when they shine. They also tell you when something is wrong with your vehicle. You can’t drive well if something is wrong with your motorbike. New motorcycle riders have to understand the Motorcycle Warning Lights. As a result, If you know the dashboard lights, you can fix your vehicle if any unexpected problem arises.

What Are Motorcycle Warning Lights?

All motorcycle types (e.g., Harley, Yamaha, Kawasaki) have a similar Motorcycle warning light cluster. We also know these lights as motorcycle dash lights. such lights specify the severity of your motorcycle problem with symbols and blue/green, amber/yellow, and red colors:

• Blue/Green Light – The system is working as it should with perfection.
• Amber or Yellow – It means something is wrong. Hence, your vehicle requires attention.
• Red – The system is facing some severe difficulties. Stop your motorcycle as soon as possible and inspect the problem.

The warning lights are unique lights that tell you when your automobile is doing something wrong. For example, the gas gauge will go down if your vehicle is low on gas. After that, a warning light will tell you that you need to put more gas in your motorcycle. Another example is if your vehicle is overheating, the temperature gauge will go up. At the same time, a warning light will tell you that your bike is overheating.

In this way, you know that something is a little wrong. However, some lights warn of brake failures, such as lack of compression or other work done to the bike’s engine. These intelligent ways to let you know your riding assistant’s difficulties are cool! Isn’t it?

Don’t forget to check: Bike cranks but won’t start

Are these Motorcycle Warning Lights Accurate, or does the manufacturer blink them?

Well, the answer is that a motorcycle system can detect problems. For instance, if the engine runs out of fuel, the sensor attached to the bottom part of the tank can identify it. Then, the sensor passes the information through a wire to the light. It’s what we call AI (Artificial Intelligence) in modern science.

A question does arise whether those warning lights are just some tactical blinks triggered by the manufacturer to have you at their service center and make some profit. But not all lights are self-triggered. You have to control warning lights like indicators, emergency strobe lights for motorcycles, neutral lights, etc. Let’s get into the topic in detail.

But are these warning lights of motorcycles accurate and reliable?

The bike warning lights are accurate and reliable. They are helpful too. However, they still need to be improved.

Several sensors are connected to make up a bike system. Such a design can detect situations such as engine overheating or fuel shortage. Moreover, The motorcycle ignition system is entirely on physics. That’s why they are more accurate than standard AI systems. The challenge here is determining the level of the problem ideally. But it’s not that hard too! 

They will warn you only at the time of the problem, not before! For instance, a sensor can’t detect why you’re facing an engine problem. For this reason, you have to go to the service center. Although manufacturers can make this happen using modern technologies, they don’t do it. In this way, they can’t have you at their service center. 

However, those motorcyclists still need some training to use the warning lights effectively. For instance, when their bikes start on country roads, the danger is more serious. Therefore, you have to be careful regarding the correct usage of some warning lights. Otherwise, surviving a motorcycle accident will get higher if you face a crash abruptly.

It would have been better if a motorcycle could detect and solve the problem independently – but it’s just a nightmare. So, the conclusion is warning lights can serve you accurately. Yet, you have to be careful in understanding them.

Motorbike Engine Temperature Warning Light

The engine temperature gauge is an indicator of the temperature of your motorbike. You must check it before you start riding. If you notice that the engine temperature gauge is red, you must stop your vehicle soon and fix the problem. Otherwise, continuing riding can cause further issues. Don’t worry; we will also be checking the engine light causes of your motorcycle.

Can I Still Ride With My Engine Temperature Light Yellow?

Initially, you may notice a yellow signal first. After that, If you don’t stop riding, the engine temperature gauge will go into the red. If it does that, it means that something is wrong with your motorbike and you won’t be able to ride it anymore.

Also Check: Motorcycle Carburetor Flooding Causes

How does this motorcycle warning light work?

This device measures the system temperature. It shows the pressure and temperature in real-time. You can understand when the pressure and temperature are going up or down. Most importantly, the temperature and pressure update constantly. So, make sure you always check it before riding. It shows if the pressure and temperature are going up because of too much work or if something is wrong.

The variations will let you know the following conditions:

• sub-cooling overheating,
• surging under load overloading
• mechanical parts are wearing out. 

The temperature of your motorcycle engine is usually shown in degrees Celsius (C) by the ATG. Sometimes it will also measure it in degrees Fahrenheit (F) when you ride fast enough. For example, the cylinder head temperature will pop up light when the engine is too hot. You need to fix this problem as soon as possible because it will make your machine less durable.

Motorcycle Ignition Warning Light

The heat coming from the ignition coil is dangerous. So, check its temperature before you start riding. If the temperature increases steadily, the ignition light will change too. Remember that the red warning will happen after 3 minutes.

You will probably experience one yellow circle above your engine when trying to start it. You may face this problem if your machine is too cold, such as when it’s raining or snowing.

If this happens, you can do something to help your engine start. You can tape the terminals on your battery together or change the oil in your engine. Make sure these things are okay. We have noticed that many crashes occur due to high-speed maneuvering – It is one of the top 3 reasons motorcycles crash.

If your two-wheeler stops working and you have to take it to the shop for repair, the potential problem is overheating. It means that the machine is too hot to work. Your motorcycle might overheat if you ride on it for too long or don’t change the oil after a long time.

If you ride for a long time and then it stops working, you should think about getting a thermometer to see if your engine is overheated. But an overheating issue is not the only reason if your motorcycle ever stopped. The focusing factor here is the ignition light.

Can I still ride with my ignition light yellow?

Many people ask this question on YouTube, Facebook, Quora, and other sites. Some think their motorcycle is ruined or damaged if they detect an ignition light. The fact is that you can still ride your motorbike. There are many causes why your engine stops with a red circle above its cylinder head here:

Unexpected startups: Low percent of lubrication for average riding time 

Mixed petrol grades used: When you use lousy petrol or hybrid petrol grades such as leaded petrol, The motorcycle begins burning when the engine starts. 

Ignition issues: A faulty pre-ignition sensor catches the flame before the valve opens.

Valve seat damaged from excessive vibration: A high RPM can cause motorcycle engine damage by loosening up and breaking away cylinder head valves. 

Broken/damaged pistons: Piston failure usually happens at around 300HP or above for a motorcycle. It is often because the piston cage is heavy.

Motorcycle ABS warning light

Some motorcycles have a warning light that lets you know about your brakes. This light alerts you of a brake-assist control unit (BCU) problem. One interesting this is that most bikers face this light after an accident. Remember that the abs light is not standard on motorcycles like other motorcycle warning lights. Your motorbike must be ABS-equipped before you find an ABS light.

I didn’t discover why it happens; it is still a great way to warn you about using brakes after a crash. If this light is yellow, there is a problem with the brakes.

It could be a problem with the ABS, or it could be a problem with the brakes themselves. You don’t want to see this light becoming yellow while riding. But if you face it unexpectedly, you should stop immediately. This light is usually next to the speedometer or on the dashboard.

Some motorcycles have an electronic brake control station with a lamp in their middle wheel cassette. This lamp indicates any malfunctions with the brakes or other defects. Anyone who faces the ABS light on should be aware of it as a yet unknown malfunction that may happen. In this case, you will need specific and detailed advice from a qualified (device specialist) professional.

How Can We Diagnosis ABS problems?

When you experience brake running, here are some things to check:

1. Mechanical connections with the pads or cylinders
2. Brake fluid level sensor or circuit (most important if pad wear exceeds 2mm) problems. 
3. Defective bending plates or pistons barely deform due to each cylinder sleeve’s unevenly filled brake tube caps. 
4. Broken flexible cone used for actuation of hydraulic control valves on brakes. Due to extremely high temperatures between brake cylinders and brake rotor. 
5. Brake fluid overflows from the braking equipment due to a high temperature between cylinder sleeves, resulting in metal corrosion on the internal surfaces of the pistons.

By fixing any fault that may cause ABS control failure caused by faulty components, every biker can use their bike with better brakes when riding it – convenient! If there is a complex problem with your abs, you may face motorcycle cranks but won’t start issues.

With time, you will know how an ABS unit works and be able to solve this if it happens to you. Planned maintenance (preventive or emergency) is your standard procedure to keep the brakes operational at peak performance, without any problems and limitations.

Can I Still Ride With My ABS Light On?

Yes, you will not get punished a second time. On average, riders who turned on their ABS light less than 15 miles after turning it off have gone through up to three running-less braking events before hitting a stop sign at 12 mph. Your brake pads wore 3mm of total pad thickness from friction with the rotor surface and ground during each event.

Motorcycle Oil Pressure Warning Light

A motorcycle’s engine has oil in it. The oil is like a liquid that helps the engine run smoothly. If you don’t have enough oil, your machine can’t run. You can check the oil with a gauge when you ride a motorcycle. This gauge tells you how much fat you have left. In this way, you can diagnose the oil pressure due to motorcycle warning lights accordingly.

It also means if you are running low on oil. If you run out of oil, your engine will stop working. Almost most motorcyclists know about this ordinary motorcycle warning light. But let us show you some insight:

The amount of oil in the engine is called the oil pressure. We measure the oil pressure in psi. In this PSI standard, the pressure is usually between 10 and 20. The pressure in your tires is less than 5% of what it was at 2000 RPM. The pressure drops to less than 1 bar or two psi at 5000 RPM. And it goes down to 0 when you ride above 2000 rpm.

I think most motorcyclists are already familiar with the oil pressure warning symptom. There’s no need to diagnose this thing further.

Can I Still Ride With My Oil Pressure Warning Light Yellow?

Yes, you will be able to ride as usual with your oil pressure warning light yellow. But your engine will start vibrating after like 5 minutes. So, find a safe place as soon as possible and stop while riding. So, stop when it gets yellow and wait until the high side comes back down before starting again.

Most people are familiar with The indication of this, but such a problem is a bit unexpected. There’s no risk of hitting something else in typical driving situations, e.g., slowing down at all intersections (where there usually isn’t much traffic) or going downhill. However, you need to be wary when going downhill and if there’s a chance of hitting something. If you find yourself on your cruise control trying to go slowly down the hill (yeah, I know it sounds like an oxymoron), pull over and let things cool off for a while.

Motorcycle Engine Warning Light

Motorcycle Engine Management Warning Light is on the dashboard of your motorcycle. It came from the era when a computer read RPMs and precisely calculated how fast you could go. This system allows motorcycle riders to get more control over when they pull their levers. It will improve performance because your engine won’t be revving too hard if it’s not in demand, which results in unnecessary stress on your moving parts (pistons). At the same time, the engine management light gets triggered when you treat your motorcycle like Donald trump.

To avoid such issues, take care of your vehicle regularly. Ride slowly through ups and downs and use the best engine oils. In this way, you can avoid engine-related issues. Also, you can expect to have a good riding experience.

How Can We Diagnose Motorcycle Engine Management Issues?

Something is wrong with your motorcycle when the engine management light comes on. The system lets you know if there is grease in places where your pistons fit the head or if there are cracks inside some cylinders. 

There are some advantages of using this kind of lighting system. For example, if someone has different noises than others, you can easily detect these issues with a straightforward diagnostic process. You can quickly check various parts of your engine by using a thermometer. Thermometers are great for getting an accurate temperature reading of every place where something has been overheated or under-heated. The engine light is one of the Motorcycle Warning Lights that is more complex to fix.

Almost every mechanic would do any groundwork needed for you to take care of your bike. 

Can I Still Ride With My Motorcycle Engine Management Light On?

The engine management system comes out with a yellow light if there are many warnings from the system. Sometimes it turns red, though this happens mostly in oil and fuel filters.

Nothing is wrong if you observe a green or amber indicator on your digital display. Still, it suddenly changes into an orange color – don’t try restarting the motorcycle. It may be dangerous for a while when this occurrence happens. You would need the turn off your bike and call a professional to help you out with this fresh trouble.

Motorbike Neutral Warning Light

Motorbike Neutral Light is an aspect of safety used on vehicles and motorcycles. Almost all vehicle types feature a NEUTRAL light. The purpose of the vehicle’s neutral light is to signal that all systems are operating correctly and will not cause any sudden movement while in motion. These lights indicate that everything should continue regular operation without hesitance as if nothing is wrong with the car/bike or driver’s skill. It isolates something mechanically wrong from the driver. 

In most states, if you have a vehicle with neutral lights on and another car/bike operator loses control of their car, causing extensive damage to your bike or themself suffering the injury. They will get branded as “negligent.” So, if you ever face a crash in heavy traffic or while parking, an insurance claim will be by your side mostly. Also, if you had an injury, your motorcycle insurance will cover your medical bills.

Besides being a safety feature, neutral lights also serve as operational indicators for traction control. You can control this motorcycle’s warning light by staying in the middle of stop and gears.

Can you ride with your neutral light green?

No, you can not ride with your neutral light green color. Yeah, the motorcycle is working, and the electrical connections are okay. But you have to move out of the neutral green light by shifting up your gear at first. Using neutral light when your vehicle is running needs more experience. Professionals don’t recommend it because of safety reasons (accidents.) Do keep in mind that most motorcycle manufacturers designed the engine braking system with one or two wheels engaged. Shifting would be better than a neutral feeling with no throttle control.

Motorbike Indicators And Hazard Lights

Motorcycles have indicators and hazard lights. We use them to let other road users know we’re turning or have noticed another motorist, cyclist, or pedestrian. Sometimes, you can’t just let others know you have seen them by using internal lighting. Therefore, following the road rules and efficiently using gestures is crucial. However, some newbie motorcyclists reported that they sometimes forget to use the motorcycle indicator warning light, which is a fatal mistake.

It is also good to keep your Indicator turned on when traveling behind a motorcycle or other vehicles. That is why your car has indicators on both front and back sides. In this way, you have to alert all vehicles nearby where you’re planning to turn.

We found in a study that most accidents happen because people do not use the indicators or other lights correctly. Are you wondering how to use the alerting lights and other signals properly? It is more about the experience than skills.

Applications of such signals include:

• Changing lane position (hand signals and Indicator).
• Slowing and stopping (horizontal hand gestures).
• Guide pedestrians safely into positions relative to the motorcycle (index finger gestures).
• Move out of the roadway of an oncoming vehicle (Indicator Light).

Some law requires you to turn on your hazard lights while riding a motorcycle in some countries. In other countries, it’s not a law, but it’s a good idea to turn on your hazard lights when you’re riding your bike. When it comes to the US, more and more crashes are happening each year. That means that some/most drivers are not being careful.

Conclusion: Master The Art of Motorcycle Warning Lights

With that, we’ll conclude the article. Thank you very much for reading this lengthy review on motorcycle warning lights and their applications. We all know it’s an essential function of our bikes, so we need to pay attention whenever riding a bike can help reduce accidents dramatically!

Some motorcyclists prefer using 12mm Motorcycle Dashboard Warning Lights. Such unique, stylish lights make your vehicle look more awesome!

However, We indeed need to master the art of motorcycle warning lights as soon as possible. It is one of the fundamental learning parts of a motorcycle. But don’t spend too much time learning things. Instead, keep general knowledge regarding the lights. Over time, you will be able to master everything perfectly.

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