OK so I was in Savannah HD having my new adjustable Backrest Installed and I was checking out the bikes when I noticed... some of the rear signal lights are red and some amber.
Never thought about it before. I always thought amber was for the front facing lights and red for the rear and I thought that was state law most places. Why the difference?

 

I bought the little gizmo that also turns your tail lights into brake lights...and it came with red replacement lenses. I like the red because they show up better at longer distances. You can never have too much brake light on the ***-end of these things...

 

General DOT requirement is that you have either a red or yellow set of rear turn signal/hazard lamps set as far apart as practicable. The choice of color is up to the operator, but if they are to be used as brake lamps as well as turn signals, then they need to be red.

 

Red turn signals on back is mostly an American thing...most American cars have red turn signals on back.They have to put different lenses on them to export them. If you want to sell your vehicle in most other countries, they have to have amber turn signals...and you will notice most foreign cars have amber turn signals. Harleys used to all have amber turn signals on back...until the RUN/BRAKE/TURN modules became popular...Now a lot of the more "custom" type bike come with red turn signals.

 

I think that haulers come from the factory with amber rears; my 09 ultra did.

 

i know my 07 came with amber lenses for the rear turn signals. after i installed the run/brake module, had to change them out to red.

my 2010 fltrx came with red lenses. but then again, i don't have the center taillight like the other bikes do so my turn signals are my brake lights.... so they would have to be red.

on the hd website, the touring bikes that still have the fender mounted brake/taillight are shown with amber turn signal lenses.

 

my harleys have had red rear signals, but then I've always used a turn/brake converter

 

Like others already pointed out, if your rear turn signals are also running lights and/or brake lights, they can't be amber. It's illegal. If they're just turn signals, then they can be either amber or red, it's your choice.

 

When I ordered my new rear signal lights, that I intended to use also as aux. brake and running lights, the vendor talked me into amber, instead of the red I wanted.
He said a lot of states don't allow red turn signals.
I've been running them for over 4 years with no problems or tickets.
Don't know which color you are suppose to legally have.
Tom

 

NJ doesn't permit the use of amber lights as brake lights but will permit red ones as turn signals. Wife and I both have the HD run/turn/brake modules on our bikes so it's all red for us.