Mods to increase visibility, any input?

[MisterCinders]

I recall reading that pairs of running lights or spaced head lights are better than the typical single head light. Doubling up does not make you brighter, but the pair of lights gives the oncoming driver a better sense of your speed than a single point of light. So he/she may not turn across your path.

Many of the left-turners screw bikers not because we are invisible (despite the "I didn't see you" refrain), but because they cannot gauge how fast we are traveling in the same way they can with a car. Cars obviously are larger, and that makes it easier to keep them in perspective (i.e., they get bigger as they close). But size is not the only component. The oncoming lateral shape is the biggest indicator of closing speed. So the headlights (at night) or the cage edges are the best clue of whether that oncoming vehicle will intercept your left turn. Bikes don't offer the same profile, and at night, they present a single point of light.

Split that light into two (or put some running lights on the sides) and the driver has a lot more information to work with.

HTH

[mrbill5491]

I recall reading that pairs of running lights or spaced head lights are better than the typical single head light. Doubling up does not make you brighter, but the pair of lights gives the oncoming driver a better sense of your speed than a single point of light. So he/she may not turn across your path.

Many of the left-turners screw bikers not because we are invisible (despite the "I didn't see you" refrain), but because they cannot gauge how fast we are traveling in the same way they can with a car. Cars obviously are larger, and that makes it easier to keep them in perspective (i.e., they get bigger as they close). But size is not the only component. The oncoming lateral shape is the biggest indicator of closing speed. So the headlights (at night) or the cage edges are the best clue of whether that oncoming vehicle will intercept your left turn. Bikes don't offer the same profile, and at night, they present a single point of light.

Split that light into two (or put some running lights on the sides) and the driver has a lot more information to work with.

HTH

Kind of what I did to my bike. The 80-81 750 and 1100Es did not have any front running lights. I changed out the plug in the front turn signals and installed a dual filament plug in. Now I have running lights in front along with the blinkers. There is a power wire in the harness already that is just right for them.

[Doug B.]

I think anything that causes other drivers to make note of you and put you on their mental map of the traffic situation is going to make you safer.
Good luck.

Agreed, I know anything 'non standard' like emergency vehicle lighting and that sort of thing "pops" when I'm driving, I see it from way far away and can react accordingly.

Hi Mr. Roy,

I use Sylvania Silver Star H4 bulbs in my headlight. I use superbright LEDs in my brake and turn signals. Other than that I haven't done much to the bike. I do wear a Hi-Viz vest.

I put the night tech bulb in the headlamp, advertised as being alot brighter with the same current draw, and the extreme white tail / stop lamp.

I stumble upon this thread, because i just recently had the same question; how to get seen better, after i almost kissed pavement for about 4 times in a month...

I added 2 LED-bars to my front-Fork... I do get seen now! Its just tie-wrapt, for testing... Dont know how the police likes it here... Its not beautiful, but its better than the hospital...

Greetings

Those look bright, but in the pic, they also look blue, and around here that would get immediate attention from the police. I may look into a modified version of something like that though, there are some LED strips available from hobby sources that would be practically invisible when powered down, I just don't know how weatherproof theyd be.

I would bet the sequential KnightRider things are illegal, anyway. One out of fourteen drivers has alcohol in their system and those that are impaired tend to "home in" on lights and wind up hitting you. I just try and stay away from everybody. Oncoming traffic and left turners. Those are my major concerns.

I don't think my local PD would say anything about it, its red and in the back, but I wouldn't use the sequential version, they offer it as a brake / running lamp too. I'm still pondering how to approach rear lighting, my concern is sitting at stop lights, I think Im equally concerned about getting rear ended as I am left turners and oncoming traffic.

I recall reading that pairs of running lights or spaced head lights are better than the typical single head light. Doubling up does not make you brighter, but the pair of lights gives the oncoming driver a better sense of your speed than a single point of light. So he/she may not turn across your path.

Split that light into two (or put some running lights on the sides) and the driver has a lot more information to work with.

HTH

and this-

Kind of what I did to my bike. The 80-81 750 and 1100Es did not have any front running lights. I changed out the plug in the front turn signals and installed a dual filament plug in. Now I have running lights in front along with the blinkers. There is a power wire in the harness already that is just right for them.

This is one of the things I've decided to do. I want to swap the 1156 sockets in the back with 1157s, or I want to add some type of LED running light to the turn signal housings. I'm considering a pair of red bikevis pods, they are tiny and could conceivably be mounted under the turn signals, and be wired through the housing / stalk, so theyd be nearly invisible on the bike, and highly visible while riding..

It's just risk management.. the drunk bonehead or serial texter will still be oblivious to my presence, and people that don't give a crap about others on the road still wont be considerate.. but if even one time someone that woulda turned left on me doesn't do it because they spotted the LED lighting or modulator or whatever, it's all totally worth it.

[Gorminrider]

I got interested in this and so I bought an led flashlight at a local Canadian Tire Store for 5$,, cut out the center so turn-signal bulb goes through, hooked up the leds to a 5volt regulator stePped down with a diode to 4.5 volts and supplied the regulator from the headlight circuit and voila...
The turn signal flashing is added brightness. whether or not I need to tone down the leds a bit by cutting out the inner ones? but I'm loath to do that.

Not my original idea- I saw a kit for rear lights very similar linked up-thread but it's the fronts that I want to enlighten those left-turning Road-Warts that there IS a motorcycle much closer than the Pickup truck behind me they are probably focussing on..

the picture above is a little deceptive- you can see reflections of leds in this picture, but they are only on the ring of circuit board you see...

[eil]

Nice job, I'll have to look into doing something similar.

[Call Me Ahab]

Kind of what I did to my bike. The 80-81 750 and 1100Es did not have any front running lights. I changed out the plug in the front turn signals and installed a dual filament plug in. Now I have running lights in front along with the blinkers. There is a power wire in the harness already that is just right for them.

Will this require any special re-wiring? I was wanting to install something like this on my own.

[mrbill5491]

Will this require any special re-wiring? I was wanting to install something like this on my own.

Nope, there will be 3 wires on each signal stalk...One to ground, one to the turn signal connections and one to a switch power wire for the running lights. Plug and play. Just use a circuit tester and find the switched power connection and plug into that. Took me about 2 minutes to locate the switched power lead.

[Gorminrider]

my turn-signal stalks ('81 GSX400 -no running lights til now!) only had 1 "+" wire for the single bulb. The bulb socket is grounded inside the light case to the stem, and then another wire on a lug attaches to the stalk's mounting bolt to continue the negative gnd connection across the rubber mounts insulating the stems..into the headlight....
I had to pass another wire down the stalk tube to power my running light and it was a tight fit!

added I have the running lights go on with the headlight but I may change this, to allow them to operate independently..."parking lights" sort of

[Call Me Ahab]

Nope, there will be 3 wires on each signal stalk...One to ground, one to the turn signal connections and one to a switch power wire for the running lights. Plug and play. Just use a circuit tester and find the switched power connection and plug into that. Took me about 2 minutes to locate the switched power lead.

Cool, thanks =]

My lights are routed with one positive wire as well, I'll just have to chop and splice. Not a big deal, thanks very much!

[mrbill5491]

Cool, thanks =]

My lights are routed with one positive wire as well, I'll just have to chop and splice. Not a big deal, thanks very much!

I'm not sure you understand...all the connections are in the headlight bucket. All you gotta do is locate the individual connections, unless your system had been chopped up, then I can see the cutting and splicing. If you have or can get a wiring diagram of your bike, you can trace out those connections.

[Call Me Ahab]

I'm not sure you understand...all the connections are in the headlight bucket. All you gotta do is locate the individual connections, unless your system had been chopped up, then I can see the cutting and splicing. If you have or can get a wiring diagram of your bike, you can trace out those connections.

Yeeahhh... definitely been chopped already - I have Bass Cliff's color diagram, but even that is proving confusing. Whoever did the work to it spliced a few wires, some colors are actually missing (green I think) and threw on some hideous little stumpy... just awful turn indicators. I have all 4 originals that I'm going to clean up, and if I can - add that 3-wire connector.

It looks like whenever he removed the wiring for the clutch/engine start safety switch he screwed something up or unintentionally cut some wires, hence the replacements. They're so thickly wrapped with electrical tape though that it makes it hard to trace - and even if I cut it all off, I'm pretty sure that I'll end up cutting a wire. I'm going to HOPE that I can use the positive wire and just feed the others into the bike frame for grounds.

Will I need 2 positive connections for the new lamp holder?

[mrbill5491]

Yeeahhh... definitely been chopped already - I have Bass Cliff's color diagram, but even that is proving confusing. Whoever did the work to it spliced a few wires, some colors are actually missing (green I think) and threw on some hideous little stumpy... just awful turn indicators. I have all 4 originals that I'm going to clean up, and if I can - add that 3-wire connector.

It looks like whenever he removed the wiring for the clutch/engine start safety switch he screwed something up or unintentionally cut some wires, hence the replacements. They're so thickly wrapped with electrical tape though that it makes it hard to trace - and even if I cut it all off, I'm pretty sure that I'll end up cutting a wire. I'm going to HOPE that I can use the positive wire and just feed the others into the bike frame for grounds.

Will I need 2 positive connections for the new lamp holder?

Egads, was afraid that was going to be the case. I would take the tape off and see just how far PO screwed it up. Might be easier just to redo it completely. Maybe even find a decent replacement harness then mess with a butchered up harness.

[Call Me Ahab]

I see... all right then =[

I'll start looking around for a new harness, in the mean time I'll try to cut that crap off. It is pretty thick, I'd say he used nearly 1/4 a roll of electrical tape on the rear alone...
Front's a whole different story, I was out there earlier and I think he used liquid tape too!

I think I can trace them though, I found where he spliced em in (maybe!)

I'll keep working at it. While I do that, any ideas on how to seperate a plug that melted together? Looks like it's the one for the left-hand controls. Completely fused. Should I just cut em all and 1-by-1 reconnect? Seems pretty ghetto to do it like that, especially since I'll be chopping the new controls >_<

*edit:

Apologies for jumping into someone else's thread for this!!

I really was just here for some increased visibility tips =]

[themess]

High visibility improves our odds. That is enough.

Some drivers are total idiots who won't see us regardless of what we do to be highly visible. Because of them, we must ride as if we were invisible to everyone.

But the total idiots are minority. Most drivers try to pay attention. Making it easier to be seen helps around them. One or two hundred dollars spent on birighter and more visible lighting increases the chance that those people will see us.

[Battleship62]

Something like this could help.