Weird electric issue (help?)

[stopintime]

Last year, after a work shop visit, the rear right turn signal was flashing fast. The front right was not. A back up turn signal wasn't either. Shop blamed the instruments. Their remedy; one (only one) wire was arranged from the rear to the front. I have had two fast flashing right signals since then.

Today I plugged in another working programmed instrument. Same result.   

The multimeter shows voltage up and down on the good left side. It shows around 11 volts steady on the front right side harness derived wires - which strangely do nothing to a turn signal.

[Howie]

Incandescent or LED?  If LED, what are you using for resistors?

Offhand, I think finding the voltage drop might fix your problem.

[stopintime]

Thanks Howie,

incandescent bulbs. One/the weird thing here is that I find steady voltage in the two wires for the front right turn signal, but it's not resulting in any light.

If those two wires did NOT give any voltage reading, I assume the answer would be in the harness... I suppose it can be in the harness anyway... series of damages MAKING voltage at the turn signal, but confusing the instrument which triggers the fast flashing..

Should I measure the voltage coming out of the instrument?

[Howie]

Yes.  Also make sure you have good continuity to each bulb from the dash and good grounds should be your next step.  Include the switch in this check

[stopintime]

Replaced the switch in the same operation 

"Good continuity"? That's when I switch the multi meter to ohms, right? What's a "good" number? How do I know I have "good grounds"?

[Howie]

Yes.  Close to 0.  Voltage drop is better.  https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=voltage+drop+test&mid=0B76E6DFC7B0B6080A030B76E6DFC7B0B6080A03&FORM=VIRE

[stopintime]

My very basic meter doesn't seem to have a voltage drop monitoring function.

To find out what "comes out" of the instrument, am I ok putting my red probe(?)/needle into the wire for the signal in question? Black needle in the common instrument ground or ground somewhere else? (if so, where?)

What's the usual voltage reading from a flashing signal (think the meter displayed roughly 3 - 10 volts), but what does a fast flashing voltage look like, on a basic meter?

[Howie]

Should be 12 volts.  Min/Max makes life easy, but not necessary, just keep your eye on the meter.  In my younger years, all we had were analogue meters.

[stopintime]

I appreciate the help, Howie    However, there's more    If there is something broken/worn in the harness, perhaps creating shorts, will that disturb my attempt to read what's "coming out" of the meter? I plan to contact the wire connected to the signal in question, close to the instrument, and the other probe/needle elsewhere. Is this "elsewhere" the black wire coming out of the instrument or just any ground - like engine, frame and such?

[Howie]

If you have a short in the harness and the short is to ground you would be blowing a fuse.  A short to another wire is possible.  This would be tricky to pick up with a meter, too many variables.  Eliminate everything else first.

[stopintime]

My plan is to start close to instrument - on the positive wire. As asked, where do I connect the black probe/needle?

I'm close to clueless with electrical issues. So, be patient.

If the result is good (with my meter fluctuating from around 3 to 10 volts) there must be a problem elsewhere in the harness, right?

Then, I have a choice between looking for it in the harness (please no), replacing the harness OR arranging new wires. New wires sounds easiest...

[Howie]

Depending.  If checking voltage drop on a connection or consumer, on the other side of the connection or consumer.  Other wise, battery.

Yea, I agree, new wires.  Partly because your bike looks really good after all these years.  Give me some time to find a better voltage drop video and create a wiring diagram.