Summary
Motorcycles are dangerous, we all know that. Anytime you can find a way to reduce your risk and increase safety its worth consideration. The Smart Turn System is an easy way to do that. After installation, the operation of your bike feels unchanged, but your turn signals self-cancel and your communication with the traffic around you is clear and more reliable.
Company
Smart Turn System was invented by a Slovenian start-up called MOVALYSE ltd. They are electrical and mechanical engineers, but more importantly, riders just like us. They set out to solve the safety issue of self-cancelling turn signals and did a brilliant job. I can’t wait to see what they come out with next.
Construction
The STS unit is a small aluminum box with a neatly terminated wiring harness. As soon as you have this device in your hands you can tell that it’s a quality product. What struck me right off the bat was the way the wiring was terminated. I have done a lot of wiring in my life and I can spot and appreciate the extra effort it takes to do a proper job. These guys get it. Every connector looked great and they used heat shrink on the ends to protect it.
Installation
This was a little confusing for me at first. Not because of the instructions, but figuring out where would be best to tap into the wire harness and mount the box. I decided to mount it to a frame member with zip ties. I wanted it on my cowling support, but the wire was about 4 inches too short. The box needs to be mounted level for the motion sensors to work properly.
I wired it into the switch harness. I figured I could replace that easily if I ever needed to and I was able to avoid modifying the main harness.
You will need a wiring diagram for your bike to identify the proper wires. The STS goes inline between your turn signals and the switch. You simply snip the proper wire, insert them into the included crimp connector and then plug the spade terminals from the unit into the side of the connector. I have never seen these before, but they really made the install easy.
The next step is modifying the turn signal switch itself. They include two sizes of small foam circles. These need to be inserted into the switch to make it a momentary switch. I used the thinner pieces and they worked but I had to push the switch really hard to make the contacts connect. I took them back out and trimmed the thickness with wire cutters until I got it feeling just like stock.
It took me a few hours to install it, but I could do it again in about 20-30 minutes.
Functionality
The STS uses a motion sensor to cancel your turn signals and it works awesome. In the video you can ride along with me as I test it out on my first ride with it. It uses leaning, acceleration, braking, and speed as inputs. You can also manually cancel the signal with the handlebar switch. For example, if your left signal is on and you want to cancel it you can push the left signal switch again.
What Could Be Improved
Honestly, this is a well-designed product. It would be nice if the clamp on connectors were a bit smaller. STS did tell me that they have made further improvements on their connectors recently.
Final Opinion
I have always wanted self-cancelling signals on my motorcycle. I am bad about leaving them on. The STS system works exactly as I would expect it to. Its reliable, its well-made, and just works. As I was installing it I emailed customer service several times and they were quick with responding and helpful with their answers.
I am happy with the Smart Turn System and I am happy to recommend it to my friends and fellow riders. Make sure you check out the video for additional thoughts and some hometown stories as I take you on a ride around town to test out the STS for the very first time.
