Hyper-Lites: Do you flash?

[Ken]

Recently installed 3-way Hyper-Lites purchased through a successful and apprecaited group buy here at st-owners.com. The install was fine and I opted to initially leave the flashing brake lights on, as opposed to snipping the green wire which causes them to flash for the first five seconds and then stay on.

My wife followed me home recently and mentioned that she had target fixation on the flashing lights. That may not be a good thing, as we all know what happens when one is fixed on a target. So I'm wondering if you flash :cool:

[Mellow]

When I had mine, I got the non-flashing model. I had heard during he MSF course I took a few years ago that the last thing you'd want is a drunk behind you fixating on the flashing lights. I wonder if thats why you see police cars rearended every now and then on the open freeway?

I agree they get your attention and I'm sure there are many opinions as to which is a safer setup, but I just liked the off/on ranther than blinking setup myself.

Hope you don't mind, I added a couple options to the voting. If it negates your intent, I'll remove them.

[Hewhois]

When I had them for my previous bike I set it for 5 second flash. Figured longer than that would be useless, and if I needed them to flash again I could always just let go of the brakes and reapply. They are great for when at a stop light by yourself with a car zipping up behind you, or when they are tailgating.

[Ken]

Hope you don't mind, I added a couple options to the voting. If it negates your intent, I'll remove them.
Good additions Mellow - thank you. And honestly, I didn't know that no flash was an option with these lights.

[Mellow]

Good additions Mellow - thank you. And honestly, I didn't know that no flash was an option with these lights.

No flash is an option when you purchase them (they are delivered with no green wire at all). The flashing have the green wire and, as you know, leaving it connected or cutting it result in the two flashing options.

If you wanted to change I would think Hyperlites hopefully would sell you that module cheap :rolleyes:

[eddiemack]

In my opinion, the rear light cluster on the ST (stops & directionals) are located too close together to use a blinking system. If you run a blinking brake along with a directional it gets real confusing and your intent gets washed. On a cruiser where the directionals are off to the side away from the brake light it might help... I read somewhere (Hurt report?) that rear end collisions only account for 7% of motorcycling accidents... I'm more interested in threats in front of me.

[Hewhois]

In my opinion, the rear light cluster on the ST (stops & directionals) are located too close together to use a blinking system. If you run a blinking brake along with a directional it gets real confusing and your intent gets washed. On a cruiser where the directionals are off to the side away from the brake light it might help

At least our turn signals are amber. I hate red turn signals with a passion.

... I read somewhere (Hurt report?) that rear end collisions only account for 7% of motorcycling accidents... I'm more interested in threats in front of me.

I'm interested in threats all around me, wherever they may come from ;) A lot also depends on where you are riding. On a road with no stops it is much less likely to be rearended, but in the city during rush hour it is much more likely. See it happen to cages every day.

[Carl_T]

I've been rear ended in my truck once and by whiskers, nearly a second time. Both times I was legally fully stopped. The first time the driver behind was looking to the side at someone in a driveway, hit me at a full city 35mph and pushed me through the red light (luckily no one coming through the green). I just avoided the car ahead of me stopped at the light by fractions of an inch as he pushed me through. Perhaps my having the availability of flashing would have caught his attention through his side vision.

The second time a new teen driver wailed into the 4th car fully stopped behind me at 55, or 60mph. I just moved ahead in time to avoid the car behind me reaching me. All the rest of the cars made contact. Flashing would not have done shiznet that time.

I've set mine up for 5 second flashing and have used it a number of times when it seemed needed already. I can tell cars see me better as many stop a bit farther back than before.

Eddie mentioned the turn signal thing to me, so now I try and turn that on before I brake. I may relocate them, or not, but if you keep the brakes on they go steady after 5 seconds and the signal still flashes. The steady after 5 seconds should take care of target fixation except for last second stops also. If they are closer than the 5 seconds, the majority of drivers are going to target fix on you and your steady brake light anyway.

So far I'm keeping with the flashing as it helps in City traffic, which I dislike anyway, and it helps with people newly coming up on you when you are stopped with distracting stuff around or limited sight distance.

It may or may not be a pain for the bike directly behind you, but when leading a group the rest of the riders get easy early warning that something is ahead as well.

[Ken]

I read somewhere (Hurt report?) that rear end collisions only account for 7% of motorcycling accidents... I'm more interested in threats in front of me.
If it weren't for the fact that I've had two VERY close calls with rear ends in the last 8 weeks on the ST, I would agree with you. I'm not convinced that the tail light design, coupled with it now being largely underneath my top box, is particularly visible. Thus my decision to purchase the Hyper-Lites ;)

[Ken]

I'm just a little surpirsed to see as many persistent flashers as there are in the poll. I'm leaning towards snipping the green wire and limiting the flash to 5 seconds. It can always be reconnected if need be..

[ccryder]

I have the Hyper-lites but use the Kisan Tailblazer to flash my brake lights. IMHO it is the best of BOTH worlds since it's frequency of flashing is an Unique exponential decay over a few seconds to solid on. This virtually eliminates the fixation issue. Take a look here: http://www.kisantech.com/index.php?cat_id=3&PHPSESSID=00dff499229845fa93a7746079432b20
Time2Work.

Neil S.