Added some Bontrager Ion 35 LEDs

[GatorGreg]

I just added some LEDs (thanks to Easyrider for the inspiration) - here's a video:

PCX 150 with Bontrager Ion 35 LEDs

[easyrider]

I think they look great and hopefully will get the attention of some hurried, in the rush, soccer mom/dad late for the game , or someone taking their la la meds, or worse someone texting /gabbing on the cell phone.. Job well done !

[RRocket]

That's great!

In solid mode, do they actually light up the road at all?

[GatorGreg]

I think they look great and hopefully will get the attention of some hurried, in the rush, soccer mom/dad late for the game , or someone taking their la la meds, or worse someone texting /gabbing on the cell phone.. Job well done !

Thanks, there are a lot of bicyclists in my area that have these types of lights and they definitely help me see them - hopefully they will work for my scooter too.

[GatorGreg]

That's great!

In solid mode, do they actually light up the road at all?

Good question - I will try to test them out tonight and see. Since they are mounted to the base of the mirrors on the handlebars, they turn when you steer - unlike the actual headlights that are always pointed straight ahead - so it would be great if they actually do help light up the road in the direction you are steering. Lights that turn with the steering wheel of a car are popping up on a lot of cars now.

[Mel46]

I have Kawell LED lights attached to my bike on the forks, so they turn with the front wheel. They DO light up the road in front of me, though they don't flash. I will try to find some that flash as well and maybe aim them down under my front forks. That way they will get someone's attention without blinding them. Have you ever noticed that blinking lights draw your eyes to them, which is good in most cases but I wouldn't want to blind them. I certainly like the idea of the blinking lights though.

[you you]

Exciting times

[GatorGreg]

Exciting times

LMAO - well I was torn between starting a thread about the new LEDs or the bank robbing killing spree I just got back from

[GatorGreg]

I have Kawell LED lights attached to my bike on the forks, so they turn with the front wheel. They DO light up the road in front of me, though they don't flash. I will try to find some that flash as well and maybe aim them down under my front forks. That way they will get someone's attention without blinding them. Have you ever noticed that blinking lights draw your eyes to them, which is good in most cases but I wouldn't want to blind them. I certainly like the idea of the blinking lights though.

I would definitely have to point them down quite a bit when using them at night in flashing mode - I'll be testing them out tonight. They are very easy to adjust the aim up and down and side to side.

[GatorGreg]

Went for a late night ride to test them out:

[GatorGreg]

I think these lights might have already saved my ass. Yesterday around sunset (twilight?) had to make a quick run to the store to get some wasp spray and I'm cruising about 40 on this gentle right hand sweeper with a landscaped center median when a car coming out of a cross street to the left decides it wants to make a left turn into my lane I had my eye on this car from afar so I THINK I could have braked in time but then the car suddenly stopped with its nose about 15% into my lane - I'm guessing the clueless driver noticed my lights at the last second. Gave her a good horn blast as I went by to punish her - I love the horn on the PCX

[Eiron]

Very nice, & very eye-catching!

Have you checked with local laws to find out if you're at risk of getting ticketed for having front flashing lights on a non-emergency vehicle? Each state is different.

Alternatively, mounting them below the headlight might get around such a law, since that's not the standard location for flashers. (sorry, just kinda thinking out loud )

[GatorGreg]

Very nice, & very eye-catching!

Have you checked with local laws to find out if you're at risk of getting ticketed for having front flashing lights on a non-emergency vehicle? Each state is different.

Alternatively, mounting them below the headlight might get around such a law, since that's not the standard location for flashers. (sorry, just kinda thinking out loud )

Good question Elron - no, I haven't checked Florida's laws on this. If I get pulled over my plan is to just play stupid (something that comes very naturally to me ) and tell the LEO that I've seen these lights on many bikes that are ridden on the street so I just assumed they're legal for helping scooter riders stay safe too. I figure they would just give me a warning the first time even if technically illegal.

I was inspired by Easyrider's post in the earlier "Take Responsibility" thread to add these lights - here's how Easyrider responded to a similar question/concern in that thread - I liked his arrested v. laid to rest comment - you can't really argue with that logic.

I don't think they are illegal because they are not blue (police) or red (fire /emergency). Amber is for construction. These are white and many construction vehicles in the public r/w use them for visibility. I can see no law prohibiting the use on a motorcycle similarly to a headlight modulating. I also cant imagine a police officer getting upset due to the safety aspects that they exhibit. They are not blinding and I dont think any cop would get upset over more safety..after all they no more like scraping us up off the pavement then we want to be scraped up. I guess the bottom line for me is I would rather get arrested than be laid to rest.. but I dont think they are a problem.. I made them myself and installed them in the lower headlight reflector fixtures that should have bulbs but they dont. My bike is a 2013 model. They are small strobe lamps and I wired them into the ignition on circuit.Visibility is key and probably cause 75 % of crashes that are not the bikers fault. They just don't see us coming..I hope these help..

So if I get a ticket I'm blaming Easyrider - j/k

[Mel46]

Ok, I didn't want to hijack this thread but your story reminded me of what happened in our area a couple of days ago. Back in September I was clipped while turning across traffic into our subdivision. That area has been a major problem for quite a long time because some drivers come out of the strip mall across the street from our subdivision entrance, and they like to turn left across 4 lanes on one side of the median and 4 lanes on the other, just so that they can turn into another mall just up the street from them. So I am aging an 8 lane road with a cement median, and right and left turn lanes in the middle. On one side of the street is the entrance to our subdividion. On the other side is the entrance into a strip mall. One block away is the official entrance to both, with a light for both. Impatient drivers who do not want to wait for the light will go to this other entrance and go all the way across both oncoming traffic and get into the farthest right lane so that they can turn into the mall just up the street. That also entails running over the barrier posts that mark the entrance into our subdivision.
Now that I have described it, here is the story. Up the street from us in the oncoming traffic lane, a car ran the red light. A cop was right there at the light, so he turned on his lights and went after the driver. The drive pulls into the turn lane that goes into to our subdivision and stops. He had to block the path of any other cars using the turn lane in order for the cop car to fit in that lane as well. Dawned if some idiot, not looking, charged across the street from the strip mall and crashed into the stopped car while the cop was talking to the driver!....and they hit that car at a pretty good speed too! I happen to know that this particular vehicle does this maneuver many times a week, because they have cut me off multiple times. The vehicle was a Lexus SUV, and the driver always seemed to think that they had more rights than the drivers using the proper lanes. I have watched that same vehicle run over the barriers to our subdivision as well. Well, I guess they won't be doing that again, thank goodness! I hope the cop chewed them out good. Who is so stupid as to not look when darting across traffic, especially with blue lights flashing right in front of them!!??

[GatorGreg]

Who is so stupid as to not look when darting across traffic, especially with blue lights flashing right in front of them!!??

Well Mel, unfortunately we've got tons of Mr. Magoos on the road here in Fla - probably a couple million of them

[easyrider]

That's why visibility is sooo vital.. Especially on a scooter where as the profile is a bit smaller than even a motorcycle.We need an attention getter , and sometimes a headlight is not enough. I have found that my lights are getting more attention because I see where people start out and then abruptly stop. I believe they are helping. By the way I have passed several cops in my vicinity head on and even had one alongside of me at a red light.. No issues whatsoever.
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=E ... ideo%2cMP4

[you you]

Exciting times

LMAO - well I was torn between starting a thread about the new LEDs or the bank robbing killing spree I just got back from

Hope you turned off your lights on the way back from the bank

[Mel46]

This thread got me thinking, so I bought some small white strobe lights and attached them to the outer edges of the GIVI windshield I have on my bike. I attached them to a cigarette lighter device that has an on/off button, so that I can see how they are accepted before permanently connecting them. I like the concept so I hope there are no problems with having them on my bike. They aren't too obtrusive so I think they will be ok. I just want to be sure. Thanks for the suggestion.

[GatorGreg]

This thread got me thinking, so I bought some small white strobe lights and attached them to the outer edges of the GIVI windshield I have on my bike. I attached them to a cigarette lighter device that has an on/off button, so that I can see how they are accepted before permanently connecting them. I like the concept so I hope there are no problems with having them on my bike. They aren't too obtrusive so I think they will be ok. I just want to be sure. Thanks for the suggestion.

You're welcome Mel - and thanks again to Easyrider for the idea! As long as you point them down a bit at night you probably won't have any problems with offending other drivers. As you can see in my night time video above, I point them down one or two clicks such that they're aimed maybe 5 feet in front of my scooter and that has been working well for me except for the fact it can be a bit discombobulating to my own eyes at night with the street strobing directly in front of me - the first time I rode at night I thought I was gonna have an epileptic fit . I'd be interested in seeing a pic or vid of your setup if you have any.