docw1
Bill Rankin
If we're ever riding together, I'll make sure you're in front of me. I think they are as annoying as hell.
Headlight Modulators: Thoughts?
- Thread starter AtlantaST
- Start date
Install switchbacks they show the true size of the bike at night. Paired with a set of decent led headlight bulbs and your good. If they cant see you on a pan they are not looking and you might be dead anyway. If there is any chance a modulator annoys others or makes people think your flashing them out they are more dangerous that not
There's always some chance that someone will be annoyed at just about anything and road rage is triggered. There have been anecdotes posted here and in YT comments about people who've threatened riders who were using a headlight modulator. It's sad and disgusting such idiots exist and exhibit any confrontational reaction to a device that's 50-stage legal and used properly.
Recently I was stopped at a light in a longish queue when a rider blasted through splitting lanes and rapping the throttle all way to announce his presence and possibly just to tick people off.
At that moment the thought of piloting an AH-1 and neutralizing the noise as he cleared the queue seemed logical and satisfying. As I'm not a pilot and don't know where I might access an AH on short notice I dismissed any further thought. But I was obviously justified.
To the point of using a modulator I think a handy On/Off switch is a great mitigator. Used when you think it needed or helpful and secured when not. I think it would go a long way into tempering the intolerant. IIRC SupraSabre does this.
And as we all know - no electronic/active/passive conspicuity measures take the place of SA and defensive driving. I didn't abbreviate the latter as I didn't want to mislead anyone to thinking I was referring to Dare Devil (or making an objectification breach of HR-type protocol).
I drive a 4 wheel drive Ranger that is stock height and when I am stopped in traffic, I mostly turn my headlights down to parking lights because I can see the back of their neck lit up.
My concern with modulating headlights is not whether I am irritating someone but giving them the signal to go ahead with the action that was planned before you got there.
My concern with modulating headlights is not whether I am irritating someone but giving them the signal to go ahead with the action that was planned before you got there.
I saw that a lot in Japan. On some streets that were really well lighted several cars would even be driving with parking/position lights only. I had a headlight modulator on my CB750 and never had a situation were someone thought I was giving a customary double you-can-go flash and acted accordingly. I did have a lot of people telling me my headlight was "shorting out".
ReSTored
Site Supporter
I had modulator on my ST. Any motorist who thinks a modulator is a you-can-go flash is already brain dead and a risk to you. The rate of flashing is substantially higher than you could do manually. Never happened to me, not once, over a 15 year + period I had the ST.
Mine was set up to be off in daylight and was only on when I turned the headlight to high beam. It was off 99% of the time.
I used the modulator when approaching an intersection with someone positioned to turn left in front of me and similar types of situations. I felt it was pretty effective. In general, it was off and only on for a short time when I wanted to stand out. Anyone who has a modulator on 100% is asking for trouble, they as can be very annoying. I haven't found one for my LED headlight Tracer, if anyone has a source please let me know.
Modulator discussions are similar to oil and moly paste threads in that everyone has a firm opinion.
Regarding thread title .. only negative thoughts from me.
GGely
Site Supporter
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2018
- Messages
- 709
- Location
- Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
- Bike
- 2001 ST1100 Non ABS
- STOC #
- 8997
I’m with ReSTored, et al. Legally, from what I recall, they can only work during daylight hours, and they have to be wired to the high beams. Doesn’t stop idiots from doing it differently, but that’s the law.
The on/off switch is right there, on the clutch switch cluster, disguised as the high/low beam switch.
I too have never had anyone take it is a signal to go ahead. And I rarely, if ever, turned them on, except when I saw a potential conflict.
Just another tool in my safety tool belt.
The on/off switch is right there, on the clutch switch cluster, disguised as the high/low beam switch.
I too have never had anyone take it is a signal to go ahead. And I rarely, if ever, turned them on, except when I saw a potential conflict.
Just another tool in my safety tool belt.
- Joined
- Sep 16, 2018
- Messages
- 414
- Location
- Northern Baltimore suburbs
- Bike
- ST-1300A '09/'12
- 2024 Miles
- 000298
I believe it has to be wired that way to be legal.
Andrew Shadow
Site Supporter
Canadian regulations allow modulation of either the high or low beam, and they must have a sensor that disables modulation in low light conditions.
Anyone who thinks a momentarily flashing brake light that goes solid is annoying is wound way too tight.
Well:
On in daylight only
Sensor to turn it off at night (maybe also in low light as Andrew mentions)
High beam only
There is a lot more to the US modulator found in:
I don't think there's anything that restricts adding an On/Off switch to disable it completely at will as long as all the other requirements are met. Who'd know anyway.
That said SuperSabre had a modulator hooked to LED headlights and the extent of modulation was a 100% On and Off duty cycle. Very distinctive. I don't know that he every got stopped while using it.
Uh at least not by law enforcement.
Andrew Shadow
Site Supporter
The criteria used to define low-light condition pretty much equates to dusk to dawn, so basically at night. My guess would be that it was written based on ambient light conditions rather than time of day so that it would also include conditions where it isn't night-time but having a modulator on would be annoying to others, such as in tunnels, or on those days where it is extremely dark and gloomy due to weather even though it is three in the afternoon.
Nashcat
Site Supporter
Gone.
If anyone is thinking they might want one, I’ll send you one that I removed from the ST1300 I recently purchased. I removed it when I went to LED headlights. It worked as expected and has the fiber optic to turn it off at night.
Free modulator has been claimed.
John
If anyone is thinking they might want one, I’ll send you one that I removed from the ST1300 I recently purchased. I removed it when I went to LED headlights. It worked as expected and has the fiber optic to turn it off at night.
Free modulator has been claimed.
John
Last edited:
- Joined
- Sep 16, 2018
- Messages
- 414
- Location
- Northern Baltimore suburbs
- Bike
- ST-1300A '09/'12
- 2024 Miles
- 000298
Yeah, I mis-read the post. That's what I meant. Although, judging by the link you provided, it looks like it could be on high or low beams? At least, it doesn't appear to say one way or the other.
Andrew Shadow
Site Supporter
It states that motorcycles can have either the upper beam or the lower beam modulated.
Upper and lower is how they define what we refer to as high and low beam. It is not a reference to the vertical physical location of the lamps.
Upper beam means a beam intended primarily for distance illumination and for use when not meeting or closely following other vehicles.
Lower beam means a beam intended to illuminate the road and its environs ahead of the vehicle when meeting or closely following another vehicle.
S10.17.5
A headlamp on a motorcycle may be activated to modulate either the upper beam or the lower beam from its maximum intensity to a lesser intensity ......
The Canadian and American regulations are almost word-for-word the same.
My error. I was thinking CVC (California Vehicle Code).
25251.2.
Any motorcycle may be equipped with a means of modulating the upper beam of the headlamp between a high and a lower brightness at a rate of 200 to 280 flashes per minute. Such headlamps shall not be so modulated during darkness.
Correct. I was thinking my CVC.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Sep 16, 2018
- Messages
- 414
- Location
- Northern Baltimore suburbs
- Bike
- ST-1300A '09/'12
- 2024 Miles
- 000298
Lol! Of course it states it in the very first line! You'd think that since my line of work often requires reviewing regulations, I wouldn't fall into the trap of not reading the ENTIRE thing but nope, uh-uh, negative Ghost Rider!
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2005
- Messages
- 9,521
- Location
- Cedar City, Utah
- Bike
- 12/04 ST 1300s
- 2024 Miles
- 000420
- STOC #
- 5901
Who, ME?Well:
On in daylight only
Sensor to turn it off at night (maybe also in low light as Andrew mentions)
High beam only
There is a lot more to the US modulator found in:
I don't think there's anything that restricts adding an On/Off switch to disable it completely at will as long as all the other requirements are met. Who'd know anyway.
That said SuperSabre had a modulator hooked to LED headlights and the extent of modulation was a 100% On and Off duty cycle. Very distinctive. I don't know that he every got stopped while using it.
Uh at least not by law enforcement.
LOL
I still have them hooked up like that and no, I have never been stopped by any cops. I've had cops in patrol cars, give me the thumbs up, when going by (Lane Splitting) them!
I have had a few idiots that have objected to them, one followed me home one night and my neighbor (about 6'4" & 250lbs) pretty much told the guy to leave! LOL
Andrew Shadow
Site Supporter
The US Federal regulations allows modulation of either the high or low beam. Does this California regulation supersede the Federal regulation? Could you be fined for modulating the low beam?
I thought that the minimum vehicle standards are Federal jurisdiction and would be applicable in all states, and that each state could add to them if they so choose, but they can not detract from them. Therefore I thought that the Federal regulation would make modulation of either high or low beam legal in all states.
i.e.
If the Federal law stated that any motorcycle may be equipped with a means of modulating the upper beam only, California could add that modulation of the low beam is also allowed in California. However, since the Federal law states that either high or low beam can be modulated, California can not remove the authorization to modulate the low beam.
I guess it doesn't work that way?