| Author | Message | ||
     Tobyf |
Do you guys approve/disapprove of headlight modulators? Not much on the topic in Thumper, but elsewhere in BWB, most commentary seems to be in favor of it, with a few warning that some drivers may take it as an "all clear" signal, inviting them to turn left in front of your or merge into your lane. Lots of confusion on if it's legal, but the most knowledgeable have produced some links clearly showing it is legal, per Federal DOT. So, how can it be done? I just have the stock headlight. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Bad idea (as I've said before). I can tell you it will definitely make you more visible. However, I'm of the opinion that it will confuse other drivers, especially those who will be the biggest threat-cell phone users, foreigners (those not completely familiar with US road rules) and left turners (#1 cause of car vs MC accidents). Leaving your high beam on during daylight hours or turning on the high beam when approaching a suspect situation (not flashing) and/or getting a brighter headlight (or more lights) is a far better option, IMHO. If you decide on using one there is an add on electrical box that will cause the headlight to flicker. White Horse Press usually sells such items as does Kisan (www.kisantech.com). | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
PS USE YOUR HORN. While living in California, using the horn in your car is cause for road rage. Rarely does that happen with a motorcycle. If you even suspect they might not see you (they dont), use your horn. Far better to risk them waiving their middle finger at you than using that same finger to dial an ambulance. | ||
| Buellistic |
drivers do not understand the FLASHING LIGHTS on LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLES ... how in the world would you ever expect them to understand your headlight flashing ??? | ||
| Sarodude |
I don't know that the point of a flashing light is to get people to understand something - other than YOU ARE THERE. It's not, "Hey, I'm a motorcyclist. Wave hello!" It's not about privilege. It's simply about the presumption that a flshing light (and the bike it's attached to?) is more likely to be noticed than a steady light. I personally find the rev of my motor to be more of a horn than my horn.... -Saro | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
"I don't know that the point of a flashing light is to get people to understand something - other than YOU ARE THERE. "Understanding isnt the point, but the resulting misunderstanding/misinterpretation is. The modulator can take a benign situation and turn it into something more hazardous (my opinion). While I'm in the 'loud pipes save lives' club, loud pipes dont say "hey look" as much as the horn does (saying " you're about to, or have just done, something stupid)" Saro, were you for or against the modulator?  | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
PS I think if you live out in Middle of Nowhere, Iowa, the modulator makes much more sense. No traffic and people arent expecting you and a long stretch of road tends to hide you. | ||
| Sarodude |
Erik- I'm mostly neutral on the modulator, I think...... I don't have one, but the idea of being more visible is nice. I ride pretty much like nobody knows or cares that I exist. Just out of curiousity, why do you feel that a modulator can make things worse? -Saro | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
"Left turn in front of motorcycle" is the most common mc vs vehicle accident and probably the biggest reason to get a modulator. I take the view from city living. Accidents are usually caused by inattentive drivers. They dont take the time to properly look and many are on their cell phone. If they see a motorcycle its momentary. At that moment the high beam flashes on and off (from the modulator), the commonly used signal of 'go ahead'. They're in a hurry or distracted and proceed with the left turn. Additionally, they're no longer thinking about the motorcycle (it gave the 'go ahead' signal). They then may panic if they realize the mc is too close, stop or (in my case) turn into another car, still stopping in the motorcycles path. The on/off flash has added more unpredictability to the situation. If the 'go ahead' signal wasnt flashed, we still have a driver that may or may not see the motorcycle, but at least the car wasnt given an attention getting 'go ahead' signal. You still dont know what the car is going to do, but at least you havent added to the confusion by giving it a 'signal'. Just turning on the high beam (not flashing) may get their attention and they probably wont realize it was just turned on. Honking generally means 'look out stupid', unless its the mall at Christmas, then it means "I want your parking spot, move"! Rarely does it mean "please pull out in front of me"! Remember the Steve Martin movie "LA Story"? The scene where 4 cars come to a 4 way stop and everybody politely waves the other drivers on and they all crash from the confusion. Thats the situation I want to avoid. Thats my take on modulators, from my riding experience. It wont fit every riding situation. I do remember the first time I saw a bike with a modulator. I thought " okay, whats he trying to tell me, cop, road hazard, rain, my lights out, hi?" He was very visible though. | ||
| Swampy |
Headlight modulators do catch my eye, but that is because I am looking for motorcycles. Innatentive drivers! I remember I was driving through a small northern Michigan city on the Sportster and a teen girl was looking right through me, I was watching her eyes, she was not seeing me, so I sloooowed way down, and crept up to her, and she poked the gas then stabbed the brake just as I was coming up to her, and the look of suprise on her face, I knew it just did not register with her that another vehicle was coming down the road. I think a modulator would have gotten her attention in that situation. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
I'm sure she would have seen you coming. Bikes with modulators are pretty hard to miss. Was your headlight on? | ||
| Court |
Modulator and air horns . . indispensable in New York City. | ||
| Swampy |
Lights on, she was looking, just not seeing! Court, After visiting Boston, New York looks like another big city adventure for this hickabilly. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
N.Y.C. = urban motocross. Thats another place I could see it doing more good than harm. Many years ago I was walking to work in NYC and somebody actually stopped to let pedestrians use the crosswalk (it was a green light). Their license plate said California! | ||
| Court |
NYC demands full travel suspension to allow you to quickly take to thee sidewalk to employ the full range of your driving skills. . . . I learn to watch for gaps in parked cars that will allow me to quickly made the transition from the traveled was of the street onto the sidewalk to miss slowed traffic ahead. I also do this on my motorcycle. | ||
| Road_thing |
I can vouch for Court's sidewalk use. Never seen him on a bike, though. rt | ||
| Court |
One nice thing about the sidewalk is that there is no posted speed limit . . . as I once suggested to an officer. . . "I just assumed that reasonable and prudent governed" Apparently they never actually codified that. Court - Taking wisdom to where the common man fears to tread | ||
| Sarodude |
Hey, Court, how do you pry apart cars when you need to park your bike?  -Saro | ||
| Court |
>>>>Hey, Court, how do you pry apart cars when you need to park your bike? Shhhhhhhhhh . . . .hush! Not even Road Thing has seen that trick! Man . . that was the closest anyone has ever come to converting an overnight visit to NYC into a jail stay. In OUR (I hold you partially at fault for not seeing the NYPD DETECTIVES ONLY sign. . even if you'd never been in NYC) case we were VERY LUCKY. And to think that only 5 minutes early the most exciting thing that had happened to you was my backing down a one way street the wrong way at 25mph . . . we upped the ante quickly, eh?  Truthfully . . I'm not sure there really is a formal law on the books that prohibits moving an unmarked car. | ||
| Sarodude |
Court- Your apparent unawareness of the parking restriction brings up a very tough to believe image... Imagine some grizzled Army General in a tank cruising through the middle east when, all of a sudden, the tank starts taking fire. Now imagine the general yelling out, "What!? They shoot at ya here!?!?" Sounds unlikely, don't it? -Saro PS - Do gun turrets work well with strobe lights? | ||
| Zane |
Ok, here is a question for the group. What about flashing headlights? I’ve seen them all over the place and I really do believe that they make the m/c and rider more visible. On the down side, they are annoying as heck. I’ve had riders behind me and that pulsing headlight in the mirrors really gets on my nerves? If I was riding in a group wouldn’t it really bother who ever was ahead of me in the ride? I know that headlights are wired as always on and think that is a good thing. Can the pulse unit be wired with on on/off switch so when I’m regular traffic it can pulse but in a group setting switched a to steady on position? What are everyone thoughts on the issue? | ||
| Court |
I have my modulator connected to the "flash to pass" switch and use it approaching intersections. | ||
| Fahren |
I have my modulator hooked up so it modulates on high beam, and low beam is just straight on. I don't always use it, either. But it's really nice to have when I want it. That's on my xb; haven't put one on my Blast yet. Kriss makes good units. | ||
| Daninr8 |
I have a modulator on my bike, and it does seem to help when in use. I have it hooked into the low beam, and mine can be turned off with a quick flip of the headlight switch. Some people actually try to emulate the modulation as they drive by me. When I tested the difference between having it on and off, I found that other drivers gave me less room when they turned in front of me when I wasn't modulating than when I was. I prefer the modulation mode over not, but that's my humble opinion. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
My opinion has already been clearly stated, but I do wonder about the effects of these lights on epileptic people. From what they've told me, indoor lights that flash on & off can cause an episode. Recently I've come across bicycles with modulated LED's. They literally blind you where all you can see is the bicycle and not much else. My dual headlight LED's people avoid in the daylight. Modulation not needed!! |
