Rear lighting mod(s)

[ManagerMike]

After completing a full LED conversion I was a bit unexcited about the intensity of the brake light, I was tempted to keep incans back there.
Some thought led me to try, what else.....MORE MODS!
Having heard from many people that one should use some sort of license plate frame or support to prevent it from cracking over time due to vibration, I broke out some aluminum plate and got busy with the tools and an automotive LED center high mount stop lamp.......





Man that thing is bright as hell! Like a red landing light



Some time went by and another mod bubbled up from the depraved depths of what passes for my mind; since I have the chmsl, why not swap some wiring and eliminate the turn signal stalks and clean things up back there?
So now I have the bulbs in the tail lens as tails and turn signals, the blindingly bright chmsl for brake and no square lemons on a stick.

Here's the back with the RH signal on:

Just a thought provoker for those of you that like me, just can't leave it alone

[Poprock]

More light is always better. Excellent supplement to stock light position. I like to never underestimate the ability of a cager to be confused, so turn sigs on a stalk, that make your next move more obvious, seem like a good idea to me. But you're right, it looks good. On my bagger it isn't about looks as much.

[steelraider]

Light Mod

As I was told lately by a lighting philosphy expert, "If the driver following you has to think about what you are trying to communicate, it's too late". In other words, is the turn signal red? If so it will get easily absorbed in your signal to stop. Remember, you'll be hitting your brake intermittenly as your prepare to turn. So which is which with both blinking? The turn sinal should be amber (I know the law Allows red) because it distinguses it from the stoplight. Only turn signals can be amber so no question what you're saying to him. My owm preference is to locate them a repectful distance away from the bike so as to definetly indicate which direction I am turning,

i have been hit from behind by a van doing 70mph. I had my turn signal on and brake lot was operating properly. I was going about 15mph. Knocked me 150ft.
Go figure!

Ride Safe.

Larry

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Mike,

I like the extra bar light on the plate. I can also understand wanting to get rid of the STALKS. I, too, have concerns regarding the interpretation of the turn signals burried in the tail/brake lights, both their narrow positioning so that it's hard for them to tell LEFT/ RIGHT side intentions, etc.!

BTW, have you seen/read the tech tip in the MISC forum I posted a few years ago about how WE are INVISIBLE? I work with these people doing their vision exams every day....60-70-80-90 year olds that are out there driving, and with less than optimal vision...often only 1 good eye....yes, across the USA, you are only required to have 1 seeing eye to be able to get a personal license....a CDL requires only 20/40 in both eyes...still 3 lines blurrier than 20/20!

Superbright LEDS has a bunch of nifty truck MARKER lights..AMBER..
http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-b...uck_lights.htm

I was thinking you would make another license PLATE..wider to allow room for the yellow marker lights on either side of the plate so you don't have the STALKS, but do have W - I - D - E - R separation of the turn signals....also YELLOW/brighter more visible...and separate from the brake lights, so no confusion of intentions with brake/turn signals!

Just a few thoughts and suggestions!
T.C.

[CatatonicBug]

Not sure how the interpretation of the law works, but as I understand it, the signals must be at least 4" off from center of the vehicle. Not sure how your blinking brake/tail light falls into that. Of course, we do a lot of things to our bikes that fudge the laws - my HID headlight is one, but that's to ADD light/visibility, not reduce it. I too understand the "streamlined" look you're after, but sometimes safety is more important.

TC is right about the vision issue though. SWMBO only has one eye, and no lense in her "good" eye. She has to wear glasses, but still cannot read street name signs AT ALL, even with her glasses. She is still legal to drive though.

[ManagerMike]

So far, so good. As a thought provoker, it seems to be working. I've not done anything to the rear turn indicators that can't be undone in about five minutes. Thanks for the feedback, undoubtedly further modifications are soon to come, however the chmsl is here to stay. I've got ideas about doing turns in the saddlebags to get the 'separation' (they are genuine leather, but LEDs make alot possible), but, one, two, (ok maybe three) mods at a time

[fredintoon]

Hi Mike,
what I did to avoid plate fatigue was to bolt a 3" strip of rubber mudflap to the plate mounting holes and bolt the plate itself to the flap's bottom edge.
Love the light bar.
Hate the signal conversion.
Mount 2 more light bars vertically on the soft bags outboard rear panels to give distinct signals.
Better yet if you can get those 2 light bars in amber.

[natemoen]

When I get my bags mounted I plan on adding those led scrolling arrow turn signals you see on ambulances and fire trucks

[ManagerMike]

Hi Mike,
what I did to avoid plate fatigue was to bolt a 3" strip of rubber mudflap to the plate mounting holes and bolt the plate itself to the flap's bottom edge.
Love the light bar.
Hate the signal conversion.
Mount 2 more light bars vertically on the soft bags outboard rear panels to give distinct signals.
Better yet if you can get those 2 light bars in amber.

Something like what has been rattling around in my skull, have to stumble upon a compatable (and affordable and avaialable) pair of lights.

Like I said, some time passed between the additional brake light and the TS mod, like April until today. I hope to have the rest complete before next season as this season is about over with school starting next week. I take my kid to school in the cage on the way to work, so the daily scoot commute is about to end, sadly
Then it is catch-as-catch-can 'til next year.
That does however give ample time to devise a strategy for replacing the front "stalks"......perhaps on the case guards/hiway peg mounts, hmmm......

[gui_tarzan]

Interesting idea. I like the LED part, not so much the turn signals from a safety standpoint. As far as the fronts on your highway pegs, again that's a no from me because of the height. Car & especially truck/SUV drivers need to be able to see our lights - all of them. If you mount them too low you're just asking to be run over because someone won't see them.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Mike,

Just had a thought, Superbright has many styles of those amber marker turn signals housings. Instead of LOW on the cruise pegs, you could strap them to the front side of the handlebars or even the mirrors, either strap or double side tape! That way you've eliminated the extra stalks, have them far enough apart from the headlight, and up high enough to be in the regular line of sight of the oncoming cars/traffic!? JAT to mull over the winter!

T.C.

[crazy steve]

Mike, I did something similar on my chopper (brake/turn running off the same lamp like many cars, with a custom 'module' to allow the the turn to override the brake), but I have two separate tail/brake lights, so the 'separation' is more obvious. Having both behind a single lens makes it much less obvious... not so sure this is a good idea in terms of visibility.

I did check for a 'minimum separation' requirement, but was unable to find anything; 'Bug's noting of that may be state code.

[ManagerMike]

Added to it

Added a pair of DOT clearace marker superbright LEDs to the saddle bags to augment the turns in the tail lens........




......Better? Couldn't find these in amber.