Taillight Flashers

[billxs650se]

Now, I'm just asking as I've not looked it up yet, but I was thinking about getting a unit to make the tail light flash when I brake instead of the solid light, this way people see I'm stopping in the dark.

Anyone have any experiences (good or bad) or recommendations with these?

[tomterrific]

Remember those Japanese kids who had seizures because a TV cartoon flashed rapidly? That is what all the poor motorists are going to suffer behind you.

Look for the type that flashes for a second then burns solid.

Tom Graham

[OldBlue]

If there is a car behind me, I just pulse the brakes a few times with the pedal then start seriously slowing down.

[spyug]

Bill, I think the more you can do to get the cagers attention the better. The only problem with most of those idiots is that they will see the lights as something "novel" and likely crowd in closer to see, or it will take their attention off something else...like looking for other traffic. Nasty things are likely to happen.

I saw something like this two summers ago. A guy in a beautiful custom Harley was exiting a highway and coming to a stop at the end of the off ramp. The twit behind him was ogling the bike so intently, he didn't see the bike stop and piled right into it. Don't ask me how but when we all stopped ( iwas behind him in the family van)all he could say was " I was checking your beautiful bike". Horses a$$! The rider was ok by the way but I'd say the back end of the bike was toast.

Like Blue, I start pumping the brakes as I'm coming to a stop, let off for a second or two and pump again before keeping on the brake steady. As taught at the MSF course, gear down into first with clutch held in and right foot on brake, left foot down and eyes on the mirror ( and brain planning the escape route).

You could certainly try the flasher ( I doubt they would cause anyone to have a seizure)but don't ever count on it to keep the nitwits off your a$$.

Think and ride safe bro.

Cheers,
Spyug.

[Six-Five-O]

I use the front brake lever to "flash" the brake light to try and signal my intent to stop and/or turn off the road.. I use the front brake, while stopped, keeping both feet on the ground and most often, shifted into 1st gear with the clutch pulled in. Just like it was said, in case you need an escape..

Good info guys.

[shifty]

The standard universal imprint in every drivers head is ... the tail light goes solid bright red ----> the brake is on. I agree a few taps of the lever, I do it in the car on the highway if necessary, not around town. A flashing red light may mean someone is parked on the shoulder (I'm referring at night), but you can drive past them without stopping. Just my opinion, but a flashing red brake light only ... you may confuse someone ... and then what is gonna happen is anyones guess.

shifty/jarmore/jim ... and we all agree ... who said that?

[Six-Five-O]

I agree Shifty, the concept that some drivers could see the pulsating red brake light, and mistake it as a warning flasher seems very plausable, especially at night.. Also to consider is the size of the tail-light on the average motorcycle..Most are fairly small, which effects other drivers perspective of the their distance from the small pulsating red light..I'd think the majority of the other motorists on the roads are used to seeing two or more of much larger taillights used on every other vehicle on the road..That withstanding, it creates a size bias, which IMO compounds the distance perspective, fooling some motorists to assume at the glance, that a small taillight, is a tail light that is further away.

I think the modulating daytime headlight is a good thing though.

Regards
John

[billxs650se]

Well, I guess that settles that. ;D All the stuff I should've thought of in the first place.

Thanks guys!!

[ShakerNorm]

Spyug
- the novelty factor is certainly true - I was watching a show on Discovery where Jay Leno was talking about the LED taillight on his Y2K (Turbine powered) bike. Seems some idiot in a Lexus couldn't understand the flashing red letters saying "STAY BACK", and as Jay pulled ahead a little to make some distance for the HOT exhaust (remember - this is a JET engine on a motorcycle!) - buddy kept pulling closer to him. I wonder if the "STAY BACK" sunk in when he got home and realized that the front of his $40,000 Lexus was now a smouldering pile of melted plastic.

[agentj]

I have hyperlites on one of my bikes. They work really good, very good at getting attention and wire up in a snap. The thing I like best is that you can mount them inside the tail light lens for the stock look. They are set to blink continiously, but if you clip one wire the blink for 5 seconds then go solid.