S-T.N folks - For safety's sake

[R.Markus]

Well, that's because you notice them    

And so does every idiot that panic brakes when they see flashing lights. I'd rather not draw that kind of attention to myself.

[shil]

I couldn't have said that better myself. I find them to be annoying and no substitute for paying attention while riding.

Well, who said they were?  I don't think that anyone's advocating a modulator as a substitute for paying attention.

[R.Markus]

Well, who said they were?  I don't think that anyone's advocating a modulator as a substitute for paying attention.

If motorcyclists paid attention while riding, they wouldn't feel like they needed them.

I really don't care who it annoys because it's my life that's on the line.

So you advocate giving motorcyclists a bad name?

[Flyer]

Headlight modulators are the "loud pipes" of the visible spectrum geeks.
The front lights on the ZZR12 are very visible and relatively unique.
People seem to see me already, or I see them first   .
To date, I've not had anyone pull out or turn in front of me within "OH SHI!" distance.
(Knocks feverishly on wood)...

[R.Markus]

Headlight modulators are the "loud pipes" of the visible spectrum geeks.

I love you.

[Veda]

Huh, where I live flashing low to high beam is universal signal for "go in front of me."

[boattrash]

I like it when some people flash me; mostly only girls say under the age of 23 and firm. Old fat white guys keep it stuck in...

[doug06z]

I'll just stick to paying attention to my surroundings and thinking that everyone is trying to kill me.

james

A huge +1. Today I more than likely would have been creamed, had I not been paying extra attention to the wheels of the suv that pulled directly out in front of me. My gut told me the fat slob b**ch was not paying attention, and sure enough she was'nt. I had to come to a complete stop so she could make her turn into my path while I had the right of way. I just shook my head and she waved like "I'm sorry". Yes fat slob suv driving b**ch, you should be sorry

[R Doug]

[maddjack]

[sagerat]

Headlight modulators, uh, no, I'll pass.  I associate them too strongly with Goldwings which means I'd have to get a half-lid, wear plaid shirts, deerskin gloves, as well as vests and hats festooned with rally pins, plus I'd be 73 years old.  

But thanks for trying.  

[Snowdog]

It would be illegal to use them over here, but I wouldn't anyway.

I don't think pissing people off makes you any safer and I'm certain they don't exactly make it easier for other road users to judge your speed and distance.

[lionlady]

Extra pair of lights (off road use only - not motolights) on the forks, work well for me. The triangle of lights gets the same 'pause... whazzat?' reaction from most drivers.

P

[denydog]

I'm sure a modulated headlight is more noticeable to the public than a steady light, but I'm not sure how much it actually translates into reduced risk.  My opinion is that they are annoying, and I'm not sure the extra attention is worth it.  So I choose not to use one.

BTW- I think the H.I.D headlight on my bike is a little more noticeable than the standard headlight, due to the whiter color.  I don't have a blue H.I.D., just the OEM/White version, but it still seems to stand out a bit.

[jcs-thundercat]

I've often wondered how much headlight modulators affect bulb life.

Cycling a light bulb on and off repeatedly will cause the filament to heat and cool, thus expand and contract and burn out much sooner.  For this reason, headlight modulators (by law) do not turn the bulb off, they reduce it to no less than 17% intensity.  

My senior design project when I was studying electrical engineering was to design a "dynamic" headlight and brakelight modulator system.  It could be configured to operate continuously, or to be triggered for a few seconds by certain events:  pressing a button, activating the turn signals or pressing the horn.  The brakelights would flash upon touching the brake, or if the accelerometers detected enough deceleration (so they would activate on engine braking).  We also added an LCD display with a speedometer and accelerometer.  

http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcycle-technical-articles/Modulator-regs.htm
From FMVSS 108:
S7.9.4.1 A headlamp on a motorcycle may be wired to modulate either the upper beam or the lower beam from its maximum intensity to a lesser intensity, provided that:

    (a) The rate of modulation shall be 240 40 cycles per minute.

    (b) The headlamp shall be operated at maximum power for 50 to 70 percent of each cycle.

    (c) The lowest intensity at any test point shall be not less than 17 percent of the maximum intensity measured at the same point.

    (d) The modulator switch shall be wired in the power lead of the beam filament being modulated and not in the ground side of the circuit.

    (e) Means shall be provided so that both the lower beam and upper beam remain operable in the event of a modulator failure.

    (f) The system shall include a sensor mounted with the axis of its sensing element perpendicular to a horizontal plane. Headlamp modulation shall cease whenever the level of light emitted by a tungsten filament light operating at 3000 deg. Kelvin is either less than 270 lux (25 foot-candles) of direct light for upward pointing sensors or less than 60 lux (5.6 foot-candles) of reflected light for downward pointing sensors. The light is measured by a silicon cell type light meter that is located at the sensor and pointing in the same direction as the sensor. A Kodak Gray Card (Kodak R-27) is placed at ground level to simulate the road surface in testing downward pointing sensors.

    (g) When tested in accordance with the test profile shown in Figure 9, the voltage drop across the modulator when the lamp is on at all test conditions for 12 volt systems and 6 volt systems shall not be greater than .45 volt. The modulator shall meet all the provisions of the standard after completion of the test profile shown in Figure 9.

    (h) Means shall be provided so that both the lower and upper beam function at design voltage when the headlamp control switch is in either the lower or upper beam position when the modulator is off.

[kickapoojim]

Great post!

I didn't think much thought went into the device.  I hate'em. But it's nice to know a little about them.

Stick around here jcs-thundercat

[Brad1445]

Headlight modulators should be illegal.  I bet it causes accidents.  Its the equivalent of a leaf blower.  It dont fix the mess it just moves it.

[zer0netgain]

I'm mixed.  Yeah, they get you noticed, but I agree...more of a hazard than a help.  I see a flashing light behind me and my first thought is that a cop is coming up behind me.

[lionlady]

Everytime I look at the news, it seems that there's a fatality involving a motorcycle.

I want to share with you my experiences with headlight modulators.  "saved" me from many, many possible incidents.

The idea behind headlight modulators is to get folks to stop and LOOK, rather than making an assumption about what they see. There are many ways to get noticed.

P

[Karmak]

Other than the bit about them being annoying and obnoxious?  Well, there's the problem that truckers see flashing headlights as a signal that it's okay to go -- as in "You're clear of me, so it's okay to pull into my lane" or "I'll slow down so you can pull out of that side street."  Most people who have hooked up modulators simply think people will see them.  They don't think about what message that flashing light is sending.

If you want to be seen, plant extra lights on your bike, not flashing ones.  I believe they're not a safety device.  I think they're dangerous.

????I installed extra driving lights, nice, bright ones.  No more than 5 minutes from the house, a moron pulled a left directly in front of me.  Of course, I've been around a while and do not expect anything to save me except good 'ol awareness.  It is quite possible adding lights, modulators, etc. may save some people and I believe that anything you can do to increase your visibility is in your favor, so go for it with the knowledge that you'd better not bank on it.  Modulators or extra lights will not provide insurance against morons, idiots and the people who flat out want to kill you.