Modern Vespa

I don't think anyone's mentioned it, but these headlight modulators usually come with a photosensor you're supposed to install somewhere that will disable the modulator if ambient light is too low.

morra wrote:

Joined: 16 Sep 2007
Posts: 15
Location: Norway
Sun Sep 23, 2007 10:57 am
I can't see how this is to be a safety feature. It is illegal where I come from, and to be honest I think it is quite ignorant to distract other drivers with flashing lights. You are risking other peoples saftey in an attempt to boost your own.



I appreicate your concern in "Norway"......evidently though you have not ventured across the pond lately........where i live in Atlanta GA.......if you even attempt to drive LESS than 80 mph on the Interstate you will be removed.......now that being said....i don't drive on the interstate just for that reason (on my GT200).....but these people traverse onto the nhbrhood roads and sometimes bring that speed with them.

"I would rather argue my case 6 feet above ground than six feet below"

Godogggo

Wow, kinda surprised at the vehemence in all the comments...but spirited debate is a welcome thing in my book.

I plan on adding modulators to both my headlight and brakelights...I've seen them on motorcycles for several years and thought they were quite effective and not at all distracting to me as a driver. Seemed very sensible actually.

Slightly aside, in the world of bicycles there was a company called VistaLite that made the first of the now ubiquitous LED flashers for cyclists and runners. The inventors focused not on brightness, but on the frequency of the flashes. They found that a particular pulse rate registers with the brain and made the light more noticeable. They actually have a patent on that particular flash rate, but noted in their research that almost any pulse was better than constant light for recognition.

Flash on I say!
Don

Oh since Dongoose mentioned installing a brakelight modulator, I just wanted to add my two cents.

I have a Signal Dynamics BackOFF XP brake light modulator installed. Don't know if anyone read the post I made about riding in the rain, but long story short, the other night I was riding home to Orange from LA in a rainstorm.

At one point on the 5, I was in the number one lane traveling at an indicated 70 MPH. I wanted to stay away from the number one lane because I could see pools of water and didn't want to risk losing traction. This car started coming up behind me and started tailgating me for a few minutes. I didn't want to speed up any faster than I already was, so I squeezed a brake lever a couple times, just enough to get the modulator to flash my brakelight a bunch of times. The guy quit riding my ass after that.

That is true for ALL of the USA and Canada too. They work well and I choose to use them.

70mph in the rain? BIG BRASS ONES!

I don't have a headlight modulator and try to be courteous when I pull up behind cages not to shine my headlight into anyone's rearview mirrors... but just this weekend, during the day, I had a driver in front of me at a stop light reach up and misalign his rear view and then whip me the finger... I might not have turned my handlebars away while behind him as I try to. This was without a modulator and during the day. Bottom line... you can irritate some people any time, anywhere.

I personally find them irritating but respect everyone's right to use them.

Hey Petrol, I haven't looked up the CA code to verify but was told in my MSF course that riding in daytime with highbeams on is legal in CA. Annoying to some but legal. At night, normal highbeam rules apply.

I do ride with my highs on during the day. So far no one has visibly been pissed off at me.

I've ridden by tons of cops and haven't been pulled over yet for using my highbeam in daylight hours. Again, I meant to and never got around to looking it up in the code book to see how true/untrue it is.

Not all the time, but if Im feeling weird or like being extra cautious, I use my highbeam during the day if Im splitting traffic. I've also never noticed anyone mad about it -

I also use my Pathfinder headlight modulator all the time. However, if I'm stopped directly behind another vehicle at a red light, I turn it off; but once the light changes, it's back on. If I'm the first one in line stopped at a red light, I keep it on, but turn my handlebars slightly away from facing traffic, unless there is a left turn lane over there. By design, it won't modulate after dark. I also have a tail light modulator, which I know has been an attention-getter.

Disco scooters.

One of the coolest things I've heard about modulators is WHY they work:

The human brain is internally optimized to prioritize MOTION -- it makes sense, for hunting survival, etc. The number of cells dedicated to discerning MOTION in the brain is off the charts compared to other visual cue interpreting cells.

Cycles need a little bit of an unfair advantage in the US -- give 'em hell modulators!

I'm pretty sure he was referring to the jerks that drive right up on your butt, an inch away, all the while flashing their lights at you even though you were simply passing someone else and had every intention of getting back over. This happens to me all the time on the highways around Rome and it pisses me off to no end. I have my daughter in my car about 90% of the time I'm driving, and these a-holes really infuriate me when they put her life in danger by being jerks.

On the flipside, I LOVE the fact that people here respect the fast lane. It makes driving so much more enjoyable.

Some day I will get to drive the autobahn and see what its all about

Then you wouldn't want to experience our freeways in Ontario. Here, the "fast lane" is really just another lane for drivers to go slow in, causing other drivers to have to pass on the right.

Whenever possible, I avoid driving those roads and take the train instead!

Remember folks, in the US there IS NO fast lane. 55 = 55 and 60 = 60. Anything above that is illegal....

THen why all those signs that say "Slower traffic keep right"?

there are no fast lanes or slow ones...

but there is a PASSING LANE

you should only be in the far left lane to pass a car, then right back to the right you go

now there can be different slow speeds for each lane, but all lanes have the same top legal speed....which is why slower traffic is supposed to stay right...

in new mexico you can go 75mph in the right or left lane, but you have to maintain at least 65 in the left lane, while the right you can go 55...but neither is a "fast" lane....if you ain't passing, get to the right

g

so what happens if someone driving has an epileptic seizure?

This has been asked before, and I think that there is a lot of misunderstanding about flashing lights and seizures. "Epileptic seizure" covers a lot of ground. You are really asking about photosensitive seizures. This is what I have posted in the past ...

Photosensitive seizures occur in less than 3% of the population. The frequency is highest amongst individuals with existing seizure disorders (though adults with seizure disorders are often restricted from driving - at least in Ontario). Photosensitive seizures can be brought on by a variety of light change patterns, such as sun light against the waves, regular shadows and light from bridge girders, and so on. The most common frequency is between 15 and 25 Hz, but they can occur anywhere between 1 and 65 Hz.

Headlight modulators operate around 4 Hz, below the most commom frequency for photo-induced seizures. All in all, it should be pretty low risk.

eurgh, i remember that - it's the same in quebec too. it used to drive me absolutely bonkers to get behind these muppets pootling along two abreast, totally oblivious to the fact that there was a mile-long queue of traffic building up behind them. i have been known to pass on the hard shoulder under these circumstances

people in the uk tend to treat the passing lane with a lot more respect, thank goodness

it was just a thought that popped into my head.

wouldn't this be much less irritating than a modulator?

http://www.wolo-mfg.com/warning-light.htm

Seth

Illegal as hell. Those are Emergency warning lights and the three colors (in a flashing or strobe situation) are regulated by state laws. In most states, blue is law enforcement, period. Red is fire and ambulance, yellow is support vehicles, plows, tow trucks and the like.

Hanging stuff like that on a scooter is asking for a stop on the road.

Contrary to popular beliefs, hell is not illegal. Not yet anyway. It's just a poor choice. A choice chosen by many all the same.

While there are statutes against imitating a police officer, imitating an emergency service vehicle, etc, I'm not sure one could prove that was the intended purpose of such lights. I'm not even aware of laws disallowing rotating or strobe lights on a moving vehicle, but as attention getters go, these would probably be up to the task better then a modulating headlight that doesn't make drivers beside or behind aware of your presence. And those are the drivers I'm more worried about.

Couple of things:

Headlight modulators:
Federal Law in the United States says they're legal, and that means individual states can't make them illegal. I like mine, and have aimed for mirrors but only when someone has rolled through a stop sign and caused me to hit the brakes, or otherwise didn't see me. Otherwise I'm very conscious of it.

As for fast and slow lanes, look at them as straight ahead/merge lane and a passing lane. Driving in the UK was a pleasure because the passing lane was always available, because you're not allowed to be there unless you're actually passing - someone with 'UK cred' (yo yo yo G wazzzup) can cite the actual rule of law.

There's also something about overtaking on the right (which is usually faster here because of some fruitcake in the passing lane in a Prius holding everyone up - how's that saving gas? go back to Berkeley) Hi Mel!

I agree that one needs to be mindful of drivers beside us and approaching us from behind. I've had my car rear-ended last January and it wasn't a fun experience. I can understand your opinion. However, the three most frequent causes of collisions involving motorcycles in BC (2003) was when they were struck from ahead (by left turner), from the side passing through an intersection, or from behind. All occured about 10 to 11 percent of the time. A headlight modulator would help with most of that. The most common cause was motorcycles leaving the road, and the modulator won't help in that case.

The data I am referencing comes from the 2003 Insurance Corporation of BC (government auto insurance) statistics, as reviewed here. I don't take these statistics to be the final answer, but they are in keeping with others that I have seen from the UK and US, but which I am unable to access on this computer.

I have an ET4 where can I buy a modulator? I live in OC, California and,

do you recommedn the headlight modulator or both headlight and Break modulator?

go to a search engine and type in " vespa headlight modulator"

You can go to Honda Motorsports on Katella in Orange, near Stadium Promenade. I go there to special order non-Vespa-specific parts all the time. I got my brakelight modulator through them.
They're really helpful there, they don't give you any weird looks for riding a Vespa.

Well,
I'll tell you what I like (and those rotating lights aren't always 'illegal' check your local state regulations on hight, placement, and color).

What I want is a turn signal modulator. Normall you have left for left, and right for right, and both for 'hazard' - so why can't we have hazard lights on the scooters? Why can't we have the signals stay on the whole time (running lights). I'd prefer modulating running lights or oscilating running lights to a headlamp modulator.

Seth

Well, they certainly are in the state YOU live in.

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?mode=View%20Statutes&SubMenu=1&App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=emergency+lighting&URL=CH0316/Sec2397.HTM

I used to have a headlight modulator on my 650 Burgman.
I didn't use it all the time, mainly just when approaching a busy intersection or a shopping mall driveway etc..

A few times, when I had them on (since I was wearing a yellow safety vest and a white 3/4 helmet), the driver in front of me would pull over to the side of the road, thinking I was police, I assume. Maybe it was just to get the light out of their rear view mirrors.

One time after a belligerent driver passed me and deliberately cut me off on a two lane road, just for fun, I switched on my modulators and closed up on him.
He put on his signals and pulled over to the side and stopped.
I just drove on by hoping he needed a change of shorts.
Quite fun actually!

Another time, going through a construction sight where traffic was being directed by the police, as it became my turn to go through, a cop pulled me over and told me that my modulators were illegal.
I had anticipated this and I had a Department of Transport printout under my seat which stated that they were in fact, legal.
He seemed very surprised to hear that, and let me go.

Headlight modulators were very popular back in the 70s used by messengers in NYC and Wash DC, at that time in DC they were riding BMW boxer engine motorcycles. Those older yellowish headlights were really dim and the modulator really made a safety difference.

As headlights moved to Halogen and beyond modulators sort of went away. With the use of Xenon and LED headlights scooter and motorcycle headlights are just as bright as a car.

I started using high beams on my motorcycles back in the early 90s with no real issues from oncoming traffic and dim the light when behind a car at a light, and used a brake light modulator.

I was driving back from a golf Tournament in Winchester VA last week, and I jumped on 70 east in WVA an there was a LED sign that read "left lane is not for cruising, please move over if not passing" it was in a rural area and traffic adhered to the sign. Its when you get closer to more populated areas that its a crap-shoot with bad drivers and idiots all over the road....

This is one of the oldest revived threads I've posted in....
I ride with the high-beam ON during the day.
Looking at getting an LED bulb that does a few fast bursts then goes solid when hitting the brakes. Found one but forgot which one it was to order . Someone on MV had suggested it......

WOW! This is an old thread!

I've been using a Diamond Star modulator since about the turn of the Century. It mostly moves from bike to bike, when I get a new bike or when a different bike rises to become my daily. It has different modes of flashing- I mostly use the low beam modulation with a less frantic pulse. It can be turned off, too. In California, we're allowed to split lanes, more accurately known as "lane sharing", so it comes in handy if I'm splitting traffic. Drivers are polite (freeway and roads) and usually make extra room to accommodate me. In open highway situations, I like to use the modulator for oncoming traffic. I have never received a hostile reaction. For me, it has been indispensable for commuting and has been nothing except helpful.

Hell no. Brake light only.