Pulsating Brake Lights

Joined
Sep 15, 2019
Messages
68
Age
65
Location
Costa Rica
Bike
ST 1300 - 2010
I bought a 2010 st1300 a few months back in Vegas.

I drove it to my farm in Costa Rica and tried to Nationalize today but they said the pulsating brake lights were ornamental.

Is this a stock feature on the bike? If not, any ideas where this type of sending unit might be?

Thanks

Marty
 
The previous owner may have installed LED bulbs that pulse. Many here on the forum have. You might try and get some regular bulbs and see if that will get you through the inspection.
 
st11ray said:
That's not stock.
fnmag said:
As posted...the pulsating brake lights are not standard.
What they said. Someone has either replaced the tail/brake light bulbs with flashing brake lights or installed a flasher module inline with the power lead to the brake lights.

Most riders here say damn the Federales when they go with flashing lights but appears that's not an option for you. The rear fender drops down after removing four bolts and you can get at the tail light bulbs from below. Lift the seat and look in the tail section and you may see if there's something adding to the brake light wiring. Generally they're a small black box with three or more wires.
 
I use a pulsating LED module under the brake light. I’m told it gives my bike great visibility. And that’s the whole point.
 
Said black box can be located either under the fender outside the tail light holder, or under the seat. It all depends how the PO wired it.
 
I personally can't see why anyone would think them ornamental. They are a very good safety device. I have that feature on my ST and everyone who sees it always comments...wow! We can sure tell when you're stopping. Why would anyone, anywhere think any different ???
 
I use a Signal Dynamics “Back-Off” unit on all of my bikes and it is very effective at alerting the phone-yakking twits behind me that I am stopping.

The unit goes in the brake light power wire and simply causes the light to flash three times whenever I use the brake.

Pete
 
Maybe, but here in the UK, they are illegal too, and could result in being pulled over, but will definitely result in an MOT failure at the annual test. They have a strict set of criteria to work to, and procedures to follow if items need mentioning or failing. Charges are set in stone, and the records of tests are held on a database to which the owner of the vehicle has access via the internet.
I guess like here,there are folks who make laws thathave no actual clue about safety. Clearly unable to 'think outside the box'
 
W7AX-Lee said:
Clearly unable to 'think outside the box'
Possibly. Not everybody are the experts on everything we are. And there's the fact that without some baseline regulations there's no end to what some people would do with their vehicles 'in the name of safety'. Even with laws people still go over the top.

Not thinking outside the box might be a problem. Not having a box in the first place would be a bigger one.
 
Easily solved with a hidden switch.

Maybe, but here in the UK, they are illegal too, and could result in being pulled over, but will definitely result in an MOT failure at the annual test. They have a strict set of criteria to work to, and procedures to follow if items need mentioning or failing. Charges are set in stone, and the records of tests are held on a database to which the owner of the vehicle has access via the internet.
 
This is a LED only flasher BUT.... it has three flashes then solid. I installed these along with the flasher unit and am very happy. I have seen the LEDs that flash by themselves and its more of a hyper flash thing that almost looks like a strobe. A strobe would almost certainly get annoying in traffic for the driver behind you. This is a video of the flasher unit installed on my Honda CTX700. The CTX has a factory LED running / brake light.

 
Sorry for the delay responding but living in Costa Rica means going to the beach A LOT so I was out for a few days

Yesterday I did my best to get it approved saying it was part of Honda original equipment with the moving windshield, emergency flasher and cruise control, and the supervisor agreed it is an increased safety feature, but he said per the letter of the law no go

Here is a pic of the unit installed. Now I gotta figure out how to bypass it with a switch so I can shut it off when I need to!!!!

Ty all for ur input

Sincerely

Marty
 

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Here is a pic of the unit installed. Now I gotta figure out how to bypass it with a switch so I can shut it off when I need to!!!!
Should be a piece o' cake. Here's a link to the wiring diagram which should be identical to yours. Note that it omits the ground wire in the schemo but mentions it in the text. You could get fancy with a relay but a DPDT switch and enough wire to reach your mounting point would probably do the trick. I don't know if it's standard but a break-before-make switch would be a good idea.
 
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