Motorcycle headlight FLASHING?

obieone

I've seen bikes coming down the hwy. with their headlights flashing, like a cop's bike would, and am wondering if there's a kit out there, what it's called, and are they legal?
I don't want to get the UBER loud pipes to let people know I'm coming.
Did a search for headlight kits, nothing that describes this function.
Thanks

hoosier21

http://www.bikerhiway.com/headlight-products-headlight-modulators-c-60_132.html

obieone

Wicked cool. Thanks!

dkg999

They are called headlight modulators. You can also get tail light modulators that flash your tail light when you hit the brakes. There's a lot of controversy over the headlight modulators, and my experience with having one wasn't real good. I had lots of older drivers who I would come up behind decide to hit the brakes and pull over to the shoulder, which ended up in a couple of Oh Sh$t situations as I tried to avoid them. People would constantly flash their lights at me. I switched to a set of auxillary driving lamps on the bike, and they seem to give me the visibility I wanted, without some of the adverse reactions from other drivers.

obieone

Thanks DKG999. It's good to have BOTH sides of an issue. When I've seen these things, I do think it's a cop. I guess I not the only one.:o

WilliamM2

They annoy people at night, and aren't very effective during the day. And in my experience, a lot more people pull out in front of me during the day, so what good are they?

Loud pipes aren't very effective either. They put out more noise behind you, than in front of you. And in the summer, most people are driving around with the air on, and the windows up. The best thing is just to assume everyone will pull out in front of you, and ride accordingly.

dkg999

Always ride like no one else can see you!

And the federal law the regulates headlight modulators also says they are illegal to use at night. They are supposed to have a sensor installed that will shut them off when it gets dark.

exalted512

They've always caught my eye, which is a good thing. But I could see how you would get brake checks for having that **** on at night.
-Cody

bobman1235

They're supposed to flicker a bit, not flash. The bikes I've seen with this usually look like they're riding over bumpy road, nothing like police flashers. So either there's various different types of this or someone messed something up installing them.

As for daylight use, I just keep my high beams on on my bike during the day.

petrym

bobman1235 wrote: »

As for daylight use, I just keep my high beams on on my bike during the day.

So, you're the goofball that does this! ;);)

cmy330go

I kinda wondered if this was what I've been seeing on some motorcycles lately. The first couple times I saw it I just thought it was a loose headlight or a rough patch of road.

I remember reading about a car manufacturer trying the same thing a long time ago. I want to say it was in the 60's or 70's. Can't remember who it was though. Does that ring a bell with anyone else?

exalted512

I believe Mercedez was experimenting with a brake light system that strobed when you braked exceedingly hard. Dont think they were ever able to get it DOT approved though.
-Cody

Ron-P

The brake light ones are fine but I for one hate those flashing head light mods as I think it's a copper as well. My take, you want to ride a bike, you take on the risk of getting hit more so then being in a car, deal with it. No need to do mods like this to piss off other drivers or cause an accident. I'd love to see them banned, which I would imagine will happen eventually.

bobman1235

I agree, a very mild annoyance is much more important than protecting people from being maimed or dying.

WilliamM2

The brake light ones are fine but I for one hate those flashing head light mods as I think it's a copper as well. My take, you want to ride a bike, you take on the risk of getting hit more so then being in a car, deal with it.

Actually, bike accidents are far less common than auto accidents, per mile traveled. It's also been shown that bike riders tend to have less accidents than others when driving our cars. That's mainly because bikers are much more alert, and aware of their surroundings than auto only drivers.

The issue is the severity of the damage when we are hit.

That said, I find the lights annoying as well, but I have never mistaken them for a cop. Usually a cop car has lights that switch completely off and on from right to left. They don't just flicker.

cwhyte

With all of the disctractions that drivers have these days, bikes need to do everything they can to be noticed.

dkg999

The headlight modulators are allowed by federal law/regs, so probably not going to be outlawed anytime soon, since a state can't over-ride a federal regulation/law. I just don't like the way cage drivers, especially senior citizens, react to them. No doubt they do get you seen!

I like what my PIAA driving lights do for visibility. I have noted cage drivers on cell phones tend to take note of me now, and I have nicely increased headlights for night riding.