Modulating headlights

[Solodadof2]

Everyone this has been a great discussion, There is no denying that the modulator may have some positive applications when used in an appropriate manner, However I believe there are many things that can be used that are more effective for safety.

 

Let me pose this to everyone:

 

Have you ever heard anyone say my modulating headlight saved my life? NO

Have you ever heard anyone say my helmet saved my life? YES

Have you ever heard someone say my aftermarket horn saved my life? YES

Have you ever heard someone say my riding gear saved my life? YES

Have you ever heard anyone say I am glad I took the Riders Course, It may have saved my life? Yes!

 

Now does anyone have any statistic to prove that a modulating headlight has a distinct safety advantage for a motorcyclist safety?

 

I have some on a helmet In 2009 Illinois had 108 fatitilies on Motorcycles. I believe it was 84 of those fatalities we not wearing helmets! Can we are debate that a helmet may have made the difference well I guess we will never know!

 

I strongly believe in the right to choose, but when your choice can create a hazardous situation for other which could lead to a bad day for you. I have issue with that and we are just going to have to beg to differ.

[Venturous Randy]

Have you ever heard anyone say my modulating headlight saved my life? NO

 

.

 

How do you know the modulating headlight did not save your life? What if that was the one thing someone noticed that was going to pull out in front of you, but didn't. You would not know this unless they ran you down and told you.

I am not a big fan of modulating headlights and have run strobes in my headlight for about 14 years. Yes, I have had people tell me that they noticed them and made them look twice. But, strobes are technically illegal.

RandyA

[rlyons]

Modulating headlights are legal in all states by Federal DOT regulations during daylight hours. I have had cars pull off the road due to mine and I have had comments on it from cagers, but I always tell them the same thing, "you saw me right", they say,"yes we did", and I tell them,"good that is the purpose". So if it makes a few people mad then so be it, they see me and that is all I want. I use headlight flashers, brake light flashers, high beam headlights and driving lights plus an air horn for the fools who are still blind and I am still alive to tell it. I also ride with boots, gloves, leathers(when Florida heat allows it),and a helmet plus I am always armed. I may be a safety nut but I plan to stay alive.

[FutureVentures]

BTW, if anyone is interested, I have a pair/set lying around, unopened.

 

I just haven't had the desire to install em.

[Solodadof2]

Now I am going to play devils advocate do you think a driver rear ending you saw the headlight modulating? Do you think the guy that t-bones someone sees you modulating headlight?

 

Here is a little study for you that indicate that the Modulating headlight comes in dead last as an effective tool for conspicuancy:

 

Table 1. Mean LTAP distances (in feet), visibility ranking for each conspicuity treatment.

DRL Treatment LTAP distance (feet) Ranking

Reference Car 311.688* 1st

Driving Lights with Single Lower

Beam 276.881 2nd

Lower Beam 275.275 7th

Reduced Intensity Upper Beam 274.613 3rd

Fork Lights with Single Lower

Beam 267.181 8th

Dual Lower Beams 267.180 4th

Enhanced Parking Lamps with

Single Lower Beam 266.449 5th

Modulating Lower Beam 259.518* 6th

Two conclusions can be made from viewing the results in Table 1. First,

participants were conservative when estimating the last safe gap. This can be

attributed in part to the alertness of participants (i.e., they knew to expect a

vehicle approaching), and to the measurement itself (i.e., the measurement

indicated when the participant would initiate the turn, not when they would enter

the traffic flow). Because the intention was to find relative differences in

treatments, this result is not considered to impact the study conclusions.

Second, because the distances were not significantly different from one another,

a strong case cannot be made statistically for one treatment over another.

However, two treatments – the Driving Lights with Single Lower Beam and

Reduced Intensity Upper Beam – showed a trend of higher visibility, as

demonstrated by having slightly longer distances, and higher subjective rankings.

[dingy]

Now I am going to play devils advocate do you think a driver rear ending you saw the headlight modulating?

 

 

WTF ?

 

I'm not even sure how to respond to this one.

 

Gary

[Monty]

Solodadof2.....if you don't like modulating headlights, it's simple...DON'T RUN ONE!!

 

 

Simple as that. Now get off our backs.

[flb_78]

F... it, Im sellin the bike and driving a tank everywhere.

[Solodadof2]

Monty no one is on your back ,up until you chimed in has been a good educated conversation. Now if you have something value added lets hear it otherwise leave these types of conversations to those that can have them objectively.

 

So far the defense for using a modulating headlight has been " Hey bud I use em nuf said" I think I have for the most part shown you through hard data, that the reasons you say you are using them is not ligit.

 

The motorcycle safety Foundation even says they are the least effective in making you conspicuous while riding.

 

SO MONTY CONVINCE ME WHAT IS THE VALUE OF A MODULATING HEAD LIGHT THAT MAKES IT WORTH THE HAZARD IT PRESENTS TO OTHERS AS WELL AS YOURSELF?

 

Now if you want to talk about the value of turn signal conversion kits, loud horns, reflective clothing, and helmets there is tons of documentation out there ot prove how effective these measures are/

[Guest tx2sturgis]

F... it, Im sellin the bike and driving a tank everywhere.

 

Just dont put modulating headlights on it! Not legal for a tank!

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Solodadof2.....if you don't like modulating headlights, it's simple...DON'T RUN ONE!!

 

 

Simple as that. Now get off our backs.

 

Luv ya brother but it IS his thread....

[flb_78]

SO MONTY CONVINCE ME WHAT IS THE VALUE OF A MODULATING HEAD LIGHT THAT MAKES IT WORTH THE HAZARD IT PRESENTS TO OTHERS AS WELL AS YOURSELF?

 

Just the action of being seen makes it a safety feature. If people pull over or are confused, that's their problem with not knowing the laws.

 

Im not sure you'll be able to find any "hard" data to support that a modulating headlight is a significant safety feature because they prevent accidents. Perhaps you ask every person who sees it if they noticed the headlight. I guess another way to check it would be to gather from a number of motorcycle accidents where the motorcyclist was hit from the front, most likely from someone pulling out in front of them and compare how many had modulators and how many did not.

 

Other than that, I doubt youre going to find any statistics.

 

That's like the government saying they have hard data proof that they saved 2 million jobs.

 

If folks wanna run em, run em, if you don't, then don't.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Just the action of being seen makes it a safety feature. If people pull over or are confused, that's their problem with not knowing the laws.

 

 

Until a stupid, confused cager pulling over crosses unexpectedly and hits the brakes right in front of you, in a hurry to get out of the way of the 'emergency' vehicle they think they are seeing.

 

I can tell you that aint fun at ALL.

 

[Art708]

Don't emergency vehicles have red or blue lights where y'all live? Some may have strobes in the front lights but they all have red or blue also here......that I've seen anyway.

[Solodadof2]

You are correct but when you are looking in your rear view the first thing you see is the headlights.

[Monty]

What I'm saying is, my reasons don't have to be legit for you. I feel safer using one, as I have had it save my butt several times. I just choose to run one, and it IS my choice, as it is legal for me to do so.

[Solodadof2]

I can respect that but I have to say that bottom line Based on what I have read on this forum, other forums, Statistics, and internet searching. Some day Brother what you think is protecting you is going to bite you. Either an angry motorist or a person panicking to get out of the way of an emergency vehicle.

 

So here is what we have so far on the the side of Modulators:

 

I like em, I use em. I don't need to justify it to anyone

I feel safer using one, as I have had it save my butt several times. I just choose to run one, and it IS my choice, as it is legal for me to do so.

Now it is the "I have had it save my butt several times" that I want to hear about.

Share some of your experiences with me/us. How do you know that it was the modulating headlight and not you quick reaction time or riding skills that saved your butt?

[Riderduke]

I may decide to run one just to get the cagers out of my way.:stirthepot:

traffic up here in DC is horrible

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

:crackup: sorry i couldn't resist:crackup::crackup:

[Bummer]

... otherwise leave these types of conversations to those that can have them objectively.

 

Objective? Where? "Modulators are dangerous and that's just that," isn't objective, it's entirely subjective.

 

So far the defense for using a modulating headlight has been " Hey bud I use em nuf said"

 

Defense? I don't feel I need a defense to use a legal item. "Loud pipes save lives" requires a defense. "I use a modulator" does not.

 

I think I have for the most part shown you through hard data, that the reasons you say you are using them is not ligit.

 

Not really. You ginned up one set of questionable statistics. First, you offer no citation. Second, you refer to a modulating low beam. Third, number one was a car. Fourth, and I quote: "because the distances were not significantly different from one another, a strong case cannot be made statistically for one treatment over another." That means they're really pretty much all the same. Fifth, modulating high beam was not on the list.

 

The motorcycle safety Foundation even says they are the least effective in making you conspicuous while riding.

 

The MSF fired all the actual motorcycle safety experts and kept the businessmen. Rather than strive to become better they spend their time filing suit against anybody else who comes up with a motorcycle safety training course. David Hough has spoken out at great length about this. The MSF is better than nothing, but not by much.

 

SO MONTY CONVINCE ME WHAT IS THE VALUE OF A MODULATING HEAD LIGHT THAT MAKES IT WORTH THE HAZARD IT PRESENTS TO OTHERS AS WELL AS YOURSELF?

 

You have not shown that a modulating head light is a hazard. All comments of that nature are mere personal opinion.

 

Now if you want to talk about the value of turn signal conversion kits, loud horns, reflective clothing, and helmets there is tons of documentation out there ot prove how effective these measures are/

 

Pony up the studies, along with the source citations, please. I mean, turn signal conversion kits? Not even about the same thing. (Modulators are for the front, not the back.) Loud horns are reactive. Nobody rides down the road with the horn blasting to keep people from pulling out in front of them. Reflective clothing doesn't work until the other guy is close enough to see it, which is a lot closer than required to see a modulating high beam. Plus, reflective clothing requires reflection. Helmets? They don't prevent crashes at all, they're to save your skull when you've smacked it onto something hard.

 

Are you sure you don't want to just leave it at "I don't like 'em"? It'll be ok with me.

 

Over the last five years at least 1,000,000 cars have not turned in front of me. I attribute that to my modulator. Got any evidence it wasn't?

[Solodadof2]

What we are talking about is safety features that are a benefit that are not creating and additional hazardous situation.

 

Bottom Line Bummer the modulator creates confusion which creates opportunity for both the positive and the negative.

 

As for the studies and statistics google it and read it like I did, it is very enlightening.

 

The law saying you can run it doesn't make it smart to do.

[V7Goose]

Over the last five years at least 1,000,000 cars have not turned in front of me. I attribute that to my modulator. Got any evidence it wasn't?

In the past 40 years at least 16 bazillion cars have not turned in front of me. I attribute that to the fact that I will not ride a black bike and I will not use a modulator. Either decision provides complete protection.

Goose

[Tom]

In the past 40 years at least 16 bazillion cars have not turned in front of me. I attribute that to the fact that I was eating red beans and rice 2 hours before.

[dingy]

In the past 40 years at least 16 bazillion cars have not turned in front of me. I attribute that to the fact that I will not ride a black bike and I will not use a modulator. Either decision provides complete protection.

Goose

 

 

Oh, I was wondering how long before you made an appearance.

 

I know this is an issue near and dear to your heart.

 

Right up there with the darksiders.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Gary

[Bummer]

What we are talking about is safety features that are a benefit that are not creating and additional hazardous situation.

 

As Brian pointed out, it's your thread. You can call it what you want. To me, it looks like an amateurish attempt at pillorying modulator users. My mistake.

 

Bottom Line Bummer the modulator creates confusion which creates opportunity for both the positive and the negative.

 

I do not find modulators the least bit confusing.

 

As for the studies and statistics google it and read it like I did, it is very enlightening.

 

Sorry. No citations, no science. I'll read what you can cite, but I'm pretty sure if I Google for nonsense, I'll get Jabberwocky.

 

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:

 

Yep, sure enough.

 

The law saying you can run it doesn't make it smart to do.

 

I'm sorry, but I simply refuse to live my life to the standard of the least common denominator.

 

As has been said, if you don't like modulators, don't run one.

[Bummer]

In the past 40 years at least 16 bazillion cars have not turned in front of me. I attribute that to the fact that I will not ride a black bike and I will not use a modulator. Either decision provides complete protection.

Goose

 

Absolutely undeniable.