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Adding Modulated Lighting


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#21 fixitsan

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Posted 15 January 2016 - 07:34 pm

:good:  I think the flashing brake light is a no brainer, at least in the sense that it's difficult to find fault with the idea. The brake light is there to grab your attention, whatever you do to enhance that effect is good as far as I'm concerned. 

 

I like the systems which give you that delay before reflashing the brake lights, I think it helps other drivers in traffic.

 

A quick search on ebay for 'brake light modulator'  gets loads of hits, as pointed out though, some systems aren't designed to work with filament bulbs, only leds


Edited by fixitsan, 15 January 2016 - 07:39 pm.

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#22 fixitsan

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Posted 15 January 2016 - 07:43 pm

Ebay search for 'brake light strobe' http://www.ebay.co.u...ke light&_frs=1


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#23 ramo

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Posted 15 January 2016 - 08:35 pm

cheers

 

dont know how good they'll be, but I've ordered one of these type,

 

got to be worth a £5, just fo the fun  :rotflmmfao:

 

http://www.ebay.co.u...=STRK:MEBIDX:IT



#24 fixitsan

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Posted 16 January 2016 - 08:36 am

I tend not to be too interested in the visibility - that is, the "rely on being seen" - strategy. I (intend to, at least) drive as if I'm invisible until I see indications on actually being spotted. 
 
One problem with the modulators is the "universal argument": What would happen if all drivers used them ? What then about kids, dogs or a damaged car ?



Funny how some subjects seem to crop up at the same time !
https://ultimatemoto...orcycle-safety/

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#25 fixitsan

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Posted 22 January 2016 - 07:13 pm

I've reinstated my led brake light modulator which I previously had on the FJ

 


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#26 steve27bha

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Posted 23 January 2016 - 03:38 pm

Earlier today I followed you along my High Street, in the car.

 

I can report that the modulator is effective in getting attention, but is not intrusive or objectionable in any way.

 

Did you enjoy your run?


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#27 fixitsan

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Posted 23 January 2016 - 04:30 pm

I only twigged it was you when you overtook me, took a minute for the penny to drop or i would've waved back.

Great ride to Glencoe....snacks at the Green Welly in Tyndrum and on the way back my camera was still on, recording a drunk in front of me who kept hitting the kerb.

Glencoe was as awesome as ever....low clouds and snowy peaks, no other vehicles for 10 minutes at a time.

I've started to get my flow with this bike. Brilliant bike, slight ache in the wrists so might change the bars.

It was the first time i used the Drift Ghost HD.. sone footage to follow ☺

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#28 fixitsan

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Posted 23 January 2016 - 05:11 pm

Earlier today I followed you along my High Street, in the car.

 

I can report that the modulator is effective in getting attention, but is not intrusive or objectionable in any way.

 

Did you enjoy your run?

 

 

Did you see this happen, 2 minutes after you saw me. i had my left foot down on the ground !. I was over on the left because of the lorry coming the other way and could probably have done with being further over to the right, but..... 

 

This is one of those things which reminds  me that it doesn't matter how many lights or how much high viz you wear, if someone doesn't look in your direction then you're in trouble !

 


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#29 divvxj

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Posted 23 January 2016 - 05:13 pm

I only twigged it was you when you overtook me, took a minute for the penny to drop or i would've waved back.

Great ride to Glencoe....snacks at the Green Welly in Tyndrum and on the way back my camera was still on, recording a drunk in front of me who kept hitting the kerb.

Glencoe was as awesome as ever....low clouds and snowy peaks, no other vehicles for 10 minutes at a time.

I've started to get my flow with this bike. Brilliant bike, slight ache in the wrists so might change the bars.

It was the first time i used the Drift Ghost HD.. sone footage to follow ☺

for the ache in the wrist have you tried moving the bars a wee bit



#30 fixitsan

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Posted 23 January 2016 - 05:16 pm

for the ache in the wrist have you tried moving the bars a wee bit

 

 

They're in a slightly different position now to when I first got it and the ache was less today than before...I'll look into that some more....What way do you recommend going with them ? - The way which works best ? :)


Edited by fixitsan, 23 January 2016 - 05:21 pm.

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#31 Gasman

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Posted 23 January 2016 - 05:34 pm

I have a Mercedes with "adaptive break lights" they flash faster the harder you break, until you apply extreme pressure when it then switches on the hazard lights as well.
Excellent you must admit but the car costs a fortune

#32 fixitsan

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Posted 23 January 2016 - 05:38 pm

I had those on my Alfa 159. They didn't flash like Mercs but pressing the brake pedal hard enough brought the hazards on, any hatder and the ABS kicked in.

Did the brake lights flash when you used the brakes to hold your speed steady when going down a steep hill ?

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#33 Gasman

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Posted 23 January 2016 - 06:31 pm

I had those on my Alfa 159. They didn't flash like Mercs but pressing the brake pedal hard enough brought the hazards on, any hatder and the ABS kicked in.
Did the brake lights flash when you used the brakes to hold your speed steady when going down a steep hill ?


Don't think so but can't check as I'm driving.

#34 fixitsan

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Posted 23 January 2016 - 07:32 pm

Don't think so but can't check as I'm driving.



Hahahar.... should you even be typing ? ;)

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#35 steve27bha

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Posted 23 January 2016 - 09:03 pm

Did you see this happen, 2 minutes after you saw me.....

No. Your filtering at the two sets of lights got you away well before me and my first sight after the bend was of you about to take the left beside the solid white line. That is one of the downsides of being first away and into previously empty space.

I don't recognise the car. As you said, weak road position, but good reactions and control (you were respecting the 30 limit, weren't you?!!!).

I'm now hoping my overtake was good on the video!


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#36 fixitsan

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Posted 23 January 2016 - 10:28 pm

I was indeed ! I held back even though the NSL signs were beckoning me on.

 

You're in luck, I turned the video off before I reached the motorway to save the battery because nothing usually happens on the motorway ...no point recording perfectly good overtaking moves.

 

I was a bit sad to turn back from Glencoe to tell the truth, because I had really settled into the bike...half of me wanted to just go on to Skye and get a B&B for the night and return home tomorrow via the Cairngorms but I doubt my wife would have agreed it was a good idea....I couldn't possibly   have lied about there being 3 foot snowdrifts with the video camera by my side ;)  :rolleyes:


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#37 Bjørge

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Posted 25 January 2016 - 08:04 am

Did you see this happen, 2 minutes after you saw me. i had my left foot down on the ground !. I was over on the left because of the lorry coming the other way and could probably have done with being further over to the right, but..... 

 

This is one of those things which reminds  me that it doesn't matter how many lights or how much high viz you wear, if someone doesn't look in your direction then you're in trouble !

 

We just need to accept the fact that the human perceiption system has lack of capabilities when it comes to traffic. 

I actually believe it isn't neccesarily so that all non-bikers are idiots in traffic, we just dont show to the human eye in context of traffic.

 

Simple as that.

 

We may then a) keep complaining until the Übermensch is bred, or b) learn to live with the present facts: in traffic, little actors as (motor-)bikes tend not to trigger car driver's attention.

 

Once you get used to the idea, it's easier both to keep safe (you no longer depend on beeing seen) and to forgive car drivers (as they no longer threaten your existence).

Instead, spend your time in traffic guessing other drivers' next moves - the possible intuition you may develop is astonishing. I believe a skilled biker often may know car driver's next move before this driver even conciously knows him-/herself. I've had this conversation a few times:

 - "I can't understand you dare do lanesplitting in the rush hours - cars change lanes without notice all the time!"

 - "No, they show clear signs of their actions. Allways. Unconciously. When you think the other lane is faster and consider getting there you start driving differently. Can't tell you exactly what changes, but it has to do with how you relate to other cars. It's quite safe, but very tiring - and a very boring bike trip."

 

:oldgit:


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#38 fixitsan

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Posted 25 January 2016 - 09:40 am

Good points Bjorge. I did a search for 'Smidsy' and came across a great article which looked at how riding with a headlight on was going to make motorcyclists so much safer, that bikes produced since 2007 don't have a switch for you to turn them off. At first there was a slight decline in deaths and accidents followed by a slight rise.

The argument goes that at first the novelty value of DRL on motorbikes is what made them visible.....but once most bikes had them then sadly motorcyclists became 'just a part of the background again'.

There is an argument which says all motorcyclists should wear hi viz.....but look outside and lots people wear hi viz.....cyclists, pedestrians, road workers, many drivers keep a vest visible in their car too....so again hi viz loses its impact through a process of normalisation.

I think your points highlight the best attitude, because i believe most people drive with a 'what can hurt me the most' attitude and prioritise risks well before giving consideration to the vulnerability of others.....unless.....you're in the Netherlands, where if you hit a cyclist all hell breaks loose :)

 

I was there just before Christmas (Venlo) and we rode a bike into town every evening, and I loved the fact that traffic already on the roundabout has to stop on the roundabout if there is a cyclist wishing to ride around the outside of it. As a cyclist it meant no stop-start cycling. I'm not saying that motorcyclists should have the same priority, but perhaps something which could help as much, or more, than wearing hi viz or running with your headlight on, is a system which penalises car drivers more when they are blatantly in the wrong, when they hit a motorcyclist, instead of another vehicle. The deterrant effect might be just as effective at making people think twice.

 

The underlying feeling I got in the Netherlands was that it was an acknowledgement of the value of life, and the vulnerability of some road users needs to be respected. I don't think that car drivers appreciate that motorcyclists are as vulenerable as we are, I don't think they understand that we cannot change direction quickly - in a car I can yank the steering wheel and in a fraction of the second I can be a metre or three to the right of where I just was, I bike cannot do that and therefore we have to pick our course more carefully. in some ways our steering control is as limited as that of an aeroplane when travelling at speed - quick changes in direction to take avoiding action aren't easy, if they're possible at all

 

 

 

I never thought that a loud exhaust would make a difference, but I've just ordered a Scorpion system for my bike and I'll see if it seems to make me more noticeable ;)


Edited by fixitsan, 25 January 2016 - 10:03 am.

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#39 Rewop

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Posted 25 January 2016 - 10:35 am

 

We just need to accept the fact that the human perceiption system has lack of capabilities when it comes to traffic. 

I actually believe it isn't neccesarily so that all non-bikers are idiots in traffic, we just dont show to the human eye in context of traffic.

 

Simple as that.

 

We may then a) keep complaining until the Übermensch is bred, or b) learn to live with the present facts: in traffic, little actors as (motor-)bikes tend not to trigger car driver's attention.

 

Once you get used to the idea, it's easier both to keep safe (you no longer depend on beeing seen) and to forgive car drivers (as they no longer threaten your existence).

Instead, spend your time in traffic guessing other drivers' next moves - the possible intuition you may develop is astonishing. I believe a skilled biker often may know car driver's next move before this driver even conciously knows him-/herself. I've had this conversation a few times:

 - "I can't understand you dare do lanesplitting in the rush hours - cars change lanes without notice all the time!"

 - "No, they show clear signs of their actions. Allways. Unconciously. When you think the other lane is faster and consider getting there you start driving differently. Can't tell you exactly what changes, but it has to do with how you relate to other cars. It's quite safe, but very tiring - and a very boring bike trip."

 

:oldgit:

Re: ...Instead, spend your time in traffic guessing other drivers' next moves - the possible intuition you may develop is astonishing. I believe a skilled biker often may know car driver's next move before this driver even conciously knows him-/herself.

 

This is an interesting thought, I'm sure that the more motorcycling experience you gain the more you "intuitively" recognise risky situations without consciously thinking through whats going on.  I play table tennis badly but am still surprised at how I sometimes react to a returning ball almost instinctively,  I'm sure there is a part of the brain that can recognise situations, and calculate responses almost innately.  I suppose the trick with motorcycling is to ride cautiously enough to stay alive whilst your experience grows.  This sort of fits in with another current thread about inexperienced riders buying sports bikes



#40 fixitsan

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Posted 25 January 2016 - 11:32 am

Re: ...Instead, spend your time in traffic guessing other drivers' next moves - the possible intuition you may develop is astonishing. I believe a skilled biker often may know car driver's next move before this driver even conciously knows him-/herself.

 

This is an interesting thought, I'm sure that the more motorcycling experience you gain the more you "intuitively" recognise risky situations without consciously thinking through whats going on.  I play table tennis badly but am still surprised at how I sometimes react to a returning ball almost instinctively,  I'm sure there is a part of the brain that can recognise situations, and calculate responses almost innately.  I suppose the trick with motorcycling is to ride cautiously enough to stay alive whilst your experience grows.  This sort f fits in with another current thread about inexperienced riders buying sports bikes

 

I totally agree.

 

Try being a courier ! You have to push hard to make it pay, but push too hard and it costs you too much in tyres, chains etc So you're always in a determined frame of mind - if someone does something 'stupid' in front of you, you file it in your head as something to watch out for next time. you slowly build a repertoire of evasive moves and often ride in a position which always has at least 1 escape route. With the years of car driving previously I had an understanding of how the traffic could move.

 

But what can happen eventually is that as you get better and better at predicting and understanding, you forget about things like sudden mechanical failure, and it becomes the 'long shot' and 'what are the chances of that happening ?' type of things which will get you in the end, so you're best friend is 'considered caution' in the end. It isn't a race, after all...... 

 

When I couriered people didn't frequently have mobile phones so you could always attempt to make mirror eye contact, now very few people pay attention particularly in slow moving traffic. nowadays you can pull up next to people and wave your arms about and they still won't see you , simply because they're not looking your way.

 

In October 2014 i was knocked off by someone who i could see had their phone in their right hand and was using it as a satnav, looking down at it, and I was alongside them on their right going around the roundabout, I was attempting to go straight on from the right hand approach lane. I never imagined that they would continue to turn right from the left lane, so that as we reached the straight ahead exit  (2nd exit), they were on my left and just drove right around in front of me. I made 2 'mistakes' apparently, I should have realised they didn't have a clue where they were going and also I should have backed off once I realised they probably hadn't seen me. Their fault anyway, they admitted it and her insurance were very good about everything.

 

 

And this week I read that driverless cars could be here by 2020 on our roads.......the driver can choose whether or not to override the car in normal driving mode. It's something that worries me, and that's speaking as someone with a degree in mechatronics (automation and control)  who is all in favour of using technology to our advantage. Hopefully the cars will be submissive and you will  just need to plonk your bike in front of them to make them back off - My company VW Golf has brake assist and sometimes my colleagues play 'pulling out in front of each other' - the cars are very good at slowing down quickly by themselves to avoid a collision......but one day it could end in tears ;)


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