So I got a Headlight Modulator - Feedback

[Bravnik]

I have been running with it for about 3 weeks now commuting 100 miles a day (give or take) M - F to work. I ride a 2002 VFR and the modulator modulates my High Beams when I turn on the highs during the day.

Thus far I think they are an amazing tool to get me seen. However, I think cagers don't know what they mean half the time and just react. Some pull to the right immediately, some slow way down and I think they think I'm a cop and others just get pissed. Yesterday I had a guy in the carpool through his hands up when I was behind him with a WTF gesture and flashing his hands

I think they are most amazing at lanesplitting/sharing/stealing what every you want to call it. I also think they are great to deter left turn Larry and I honestly have not seen one with them on in the 3 weeks I been running with them. Before that it happened quite often.

However, with the VFR having such good headlights to begin with, I think the High Beams are over kill. This AM it was overcast and I was coming in at 6:30am, I could see the road signs reflecting my lights at least 500 yards ahead of me. I got to thinking is this simply too much for just normal driving and should I just use them when lane splitting or when in town to deter left turn Larry.

Comments? Do you run them also? What are your feelings on them?

 

[Dr. Evil]

I installed one on my BMW a few days ago, and have yet to ride with it, but I will report!

I love '02+ VFRs!

 

[Kornholio]

Where are you guys getting them?

 

[Bravnik]

I purchased the Kisan Pathblazer online. I tried to find my email but can't locate it. I think I paid like 152.00 for them. They are very plug and play and took like 5m to install.

 

[jrbruin]

My SV has them, it's got a light sensor so it only comes on when it's bright. I don't know if they'd be on at 6:30am or not, I'm not usually up at that time to test it out

In any case, I definitely get noticed more - and I don't think I've noticed anyone getting pissed, maybe the VFR headlights are brighter or aimed higher than mine.

 

[Whodat]

Where are you guys getting them?

California Sport Touring in Hercules stocks them

 

[imurdaddy415]

When I am in the cage I usually tend to notice a rider quicker.

 

[ST Guy]

Kisan is great. Plug and play for 99% of applications. The turn off sensor is a requirement by law. And I think they work great as well. The only thing you have to be aware of is that some people think you're an "official" vehicle and will sometimes do some unexpected things. Like slowing down, pulling over in crazy places, etc. But this doesn't happen very often. The most common reaction, and this doesn't happen all that often though it's nice when it does, is that drivers will move over into the next lane as if you've got a siren or emergency lights on. It's actually great because if I'm behind a slow poke in the commuter lane, sometimes they'll move over at first chance and let me by. Just be aware that some people will occasionally react funny to the modulator. Other than that, it's a fantastic tool to have.

And I think the high beam is perfectly fine. That's the recommended beam to hook it up to. If you compare what low and high beams look like coming at you, you'll quickly realize that the low beam is hardly noticed during the day. Also remember that since it is daytime, the other driver's eyes are already very dialated from all the daylight and they really are not going to be blinded by the modulated high beam. If you put it on your low beam, you'll lose a lot of its effectiveness.

 

[TinyCrumb]

It'd be cool if there was some model where you could easily turn them on/off possibly with a handlebar button, so that as you're just driving in regular traffic you can leave it off but when you start lane splitting or riding in really congested traffic you could switch it on.

 

[Kornholio]

It'd be cool if there was some model where you could easily turn them on/off possibly with a handlebar button, so that as you're just driving in regular traffic you can leave it off but when you start lane splitting or riding in really congested traffic you could switch it on.

A trip to Radio Shack and about 15 minutes of your time on the bike could fix that for you.

 

[Bravnik]

The modulator is controlled by the High Beams. So to turn it off you just turn off your high beams. During daylight your high beams will flash and when dark enough they will just be high beams like normal.

 

[Whodat]

It'd be cool if there was some model where you could easily turn them on/off possibly with a handlebar button, so that as you're just driving in regular traffic you can leave it off but when you start lane splitting or riding in really congested traffic you could switch it on.

Headlight modulators modulate the high beam. When you don't want it on simply turn off your high beams.

 

[Kornholio]

They don't have to modulate the high beam. My bike has three separate lights, two low beams and a third is the high beam. You can hook the modulator up to any of those lights.

 

[Whodat]

They don't have to modulate the high beam. My bike has three separate lights, two low beams and a third is the high beam. You can hook the modulator up to any of those lights.

They don't have to modulate the high beam but they are designed to. After looking it up it is legal to modulate either the high or low beam but Kisan's design is for the high beam.

"Why won't my pathBlazer modulate in Lo-beam?

All plug-in versions of pathBlazer are designed to modulate in the Hi-beam only. Even for the splice-in versions, we highly recommend for the Hi-beam modulation. It is much easier to control the modulation in daytime with the Hi-beam. "

 

[GPzPop]

although I know wiggle-waggle lighting modulation is not legal for civilians, I think it would be cool to have one each of the single headlight modulators for my dual headlights, so they would modulate out of sync with each other

 

[budbandit]

Yes, flashing highbeams at 6:30am would be quite the asshole move.

I have been running with it for about 3 weeks now commuting 100 miles a day (give or take) M - F to work. I ride a 2002 VFR and the modulator modulates my High Beams when I turn on the highs during the day.

Thus far I think they are an amazing tool to get me seen. However, I think cagers don't know what they mean half the time and just react. Some pull to the right immediately, some slow way down and I think they think I'm a cop and others just get pissed. Yesterday I had a guy in the carpool through his hands up when I was behind him with a WTF gesture and flashing his hands

I think they are most amazing at lanesplitting/sharing/stealing what every you want to call it. I also think they are great to deter left turn Larry and I honestly have not seen one with them on in the 3 weeks I been running with them. Before that it happened quite often.

However, with the VFR having such good headlights to begin with, I think the High Beams are over kill. This AM it was overcast and I was coming in at 6:30am, I could see the road signs reflecting my lights at least 500 yards ahead of me. I got to thinking is this simply too much for just normal driving and should I just use them when lane splitting or when in town to deter left turn Larry.

Comments? Do you run them also? What are your feelings on them?

 

[ST Guy]

It'd be cool if there was some model where you could easily turn them on/off possibly with a handlebar button, so that as you're just driving in regular traffic you can leave it off but when you start lane splitting or riding in really congested traffic you could switch it on.

Easily done.

 

[ST Guy]

They don't have to modulate the high beam. My bike has three separate lights, two low beams and a third is the high beam. You can hook the modulator up to any of those lights.

Only if it's the wire-it-in-yourself model. The plug and play only modulate the high beam. And for good reason. If you modulate the low beam, it's no where near as noticeable. High beam is way superior for modulating. And you're not going to be blinding anyone, even in the daytime. Remember, a modulated filiment never reaches full brightness, just as it never reaches full off.

Side benefit of modulating: Greatly increased filament life.

 

[ST Guy]

They don't have to modulate the high beam but they are designed to. After looking it up it is legal to modulate either the high or low beam but Kisan's design is for the high beam.

"Why won't my pathBlazer modulate in Lo-beam?

All plug-in versions of pathBlazer are designed to modulate in the Hi-beam only. Even for the splice-in versions, we highly recommend for the Hi-beam modulation. It is much easier to control the modulation in daytime with the Hi-beam. "

Easier to control??? A filament is a filament. I think what they're saying is that the modulation is much more effective at doing the job it's intended to do if it's the high beam that's modulated. The modulator itself doesn't care which filament it's connected to.

 

[ST Guy]

although I know wiggle-waggle lighting modulation is not legal for civilians, I think it would be cool to have one each of the single headlight modulators for my dual headlights, so they would modulate out of sync with each other

Saw a set up like that on a Harley last month. 'Never seen it before on a bike. Very, very noticeable. And very illegal. I'm sure the guy has been pulled over by now and cited. A very bad no-no.