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VTRkemshell10...
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PostPosted: 12:18 - 23 Nov 2010    Post subject: Bike vis bullets Reply with quote

has anybody tried/got these?

and are they any good??

https://www.bikevis.com/
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DrDonnyBrago
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PostPosted: 12:26 - 23 Nov 2010    Post subject: Re: Bike vis bullets Reply with quote

kemshell123 wrote:
has anybody tried/got these?

and are they any good??

https://www.bikevis.com/


They will do less than F all to help you, but I'm sure they light up fine.


The problem with people not seeing you is that they look at you but don't recognise/aren't expecting a motorcyclist. Sticking some LEDs on the front is unlikely to actually help and might make it worse.

You also might want to look up risk compensation, we are all affected by it. If we feel safer we take more risks, a couple of poxy LEDs will do bugger all to help you but will probably involve you subconsciously taking more risk.
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Pedd
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PostPosted: 12:33 - 23 Nov 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote

£20 for a couple of l.e.d's Shocked screw that
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 13:43 - 23 Nov 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote

I run extra spots with LED H3 bulbs. Probably brighter than these little things, but still not as bright as the headlight. If you're bothered about visibility, you'll have that on anyway.

The use I can see for them is sticking them on the mirrors to give you lights as high and wide as possible.

£20 is a lot for a couple of LEDs, but it's cheaper than any accident you could have, so it's really your call.
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iooi
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PostPosted: 16:25 - 23 Nov 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote

If other drivers can't see or hear a police bike or such running blue's & 2's what diffrence do you think a couple of led's make.... Shocked
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Ol
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PostPosted: 16:32 - 23 Nov 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote

Chap i know had some on his Pan - looked really good to be honest, not sure they'd make that much difference to someone pulling out on you mind.
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G
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PostPosted: 17:00 - 23 Nov 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rogerborg wrote:
If you're bothered about visibility, you'll have that on anyway.

Depends if you're bothered about more people knowing you are in the vicinity, or people knowing where you are, how fast you are going, when you're indicating etc Smile.
I prefer the latter, personally!

I've had some LED strips on my bar muffs which I've used for commuting and found they do make a noticeable difference to people realising where you are.
It has the added advantage that you're not blinding or annoying people so much.
You can get various lighting products that offer more light for less than the above, so don't seem that great.,
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DrDonnyBrago
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PostPosted: 17:00 - 23 Nov 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rogerborg wrote:
£20 is a lot for a couple of LEDs, but it's cheaper than any accident you could have, so it's really your call.


You are assuming that the lights would prevent an accident. It is possible that the extra lights will blur/distort his outline such that he is no longer recognised as a motorcyclist by another motorist in the split second decision they make before pulling out and is more likely to be involved in an accident.

I regularly 'see' some unusual animals lurking in the trees on my way to work, in reality they are logs, bin bags and bits of newspaper but they have formed the silhouette of an easily recognisable animal and I have interpreted it incorrectly. When we are deciding if we should pull out of a junction we don't fully process every image, hence people can look but not see an oncoming motorcycle. DRLs, extra LEDs, HiVis, funny coloured lids etc can act to break up our outline and make us less likely to be subconciously recognised as a motorcyclist despite us being more 'visible'.
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G
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PostPosted: 17:03 - 23 Nov 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yea - I suspect this is what helps with my LED strips. Because they are a more diffuse light in a line, it's something that people will do a double take - see people staring as you go past etc.

Oh and I've had plent of accidents that cost less than £20, but that's another matter.
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Teflon-Mike
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PostPosted: 17:26 - 23 Nov 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm unfortunately of the jaded opinion that conspicuity is a lost cause. So much is competing for our attension along the road-side these days, from golden arches to chav's under-neons, everything is just a jumble of lights and noise, lighting yourself up like a christmas tree seems to do very little but add more competition for attension to confuse simple minded myopic SMIDSY's even further.

I've been inclined by the 'stealth' argumet, the reverse psycology of going black, for a while. Dont make yoursleff obviouse, blend in, dont give them any reason to 'notice' you and do something daft in reaction, and just presume every-one will!

But I was being given a lift back from a resturant the other day, in teh dark, in the fog, so I wasn't concentrating on driving, and could actually think about other stuff.

We were following a bike, and the thought which struck me was that all in black, on semi-lit and lit streets, winding through maze of junctions of city snarl, he was ACTUALLY more conspiciouse, NOT lit up.

The black silhuette, was an obviouse person shape, and actually mure easily recognised as a bike.

Everything else, was a a blur of bright lights.

Red and white and orange points, of brightness, the glare actually obscuring teh shape of whatever they were attached to. Was it a bus, a car, a truck? What? actually took more attension to work out whether the four red lamps infront of the bike were a car pulling a trailer, or a 4x4 with two sets of tail-lights, or something else, all together.......

So...... I dont know, but made me think......
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defblade
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PostPosted: 17:36 - 23 Nov 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote

If I did fit them, I would use the "flicker" units.

A flickering light attracts the human eye much better than a steady one - I tend to wobble the bike a bit when approaching someone waiting at a junction so the light moves side-to-side which is much more noticable than just gettign closer on the same line (they still have to be looking tho!)
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G
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PostPosted: 17:46 - 23 Nov 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote

Teflon-Mike wrote:
stuff

This is why I try to go for a diffuse light source where there is not a single 'point source' of light.

Enough times I've seen a bike with headlights on in the day time which you can't actually tell is indicating because you're eye is overpowered by the headlight.

I have tried with and without a variety of extra lights, reflective jackets etc.

Commuting on the motorway, same blue TRX and noticeably more people people pulled aside as I approached while filtering.

Commuting thought town on the zx9 and added LED strips to my muffs and again had more people noticing me ahead of time and less pulling out on me.

Add exhaust baffle to zx9 commuting through town - was actually confused for a little bit why more people were not noticing me.

Add HID light - did see more people see me, but consistent with expectations, also had more people do so way earlier than needed, suggesting they didn't really know where I was.
When commuting I tend to take a fairly 'confident' approach to my manoeuvres - while I use indicators, I don't expect others to have seen them and will make my move promptly when I know it's safe to do so. However I'd be willing to be people did find it harder with the HID.
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Bendy
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PostPosted: 17:52 - 23 Nov 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote

defblade wrote:
If I did fit them, I would use the "flicker" units.


The trouble with flickering or flashing lights is they distract other people. Loads of cyclists use them and when I see a light flashing in my mirror, I take my attention off what's in front of me to see who's flashing me.
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Ariel Badger
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PostPosted: 20:07 - 23 Nov 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote

Twin lights close together register as a car in the distance rather than a bike near up to the eyes of a lot of drivers.
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Im-a-Ridah
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PostPosted: 22:09 - 23 Nov 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote

Its not really legal, but coloured LEDs forming shapes on the front of the bike will make you stand out. Its not so much about the intensity of the light, but the area, since you are trying to make yourself visible, not illuminate things! Try to stick with something symmetrical, like a triangle or similar, and don't make it difficult to figure out as it will slow the other drivers reaction time.
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Fluke
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PostPosted: 07:57 - 24 Nov 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi all

This is Dan from BikeVis, I don't usually wade in on forums but some interesting ideas / points being raised here thought I'd post some of my thoughts.

Many of you are right in that there are no magic cures to the lack of visibility on our bikes, but what is generally agreed with is if you add protection (visibility) in a 'layered' approach you can improve your chances of being seen.

I set up BikeVis to try and help with products or ideas that I thought would help... and they can make a difference, some of them to a lesser extent but built up in 'layers' they can all help.

On my ZX10 I have a 55watt HID flanked by two off center 290 lumen run lights, these cure the problem mentioned by someone else of a single light not giving a indication of distance (and create a three point shape). Maybe it looks abit silly... but since fitting them I've not been pulled out on once. Also run a brake modulator to help prevent being pushed out into busy roundabouts by numptys playing with mobiles Sad

I think over the years I've come to conclusion that if you can make your bike look different, and if it makes other road users double take (without dazzling), then it's a very good thing.

https://www.bikevis.com/images/cree-led-running-lights-3.jpg

As someone said about pricing, well I keep them as low as I can, and I would encourage anyone with electrical knowledge to source and make their own solutions. It's cheaper for sure Smile


Again, sorry for barging in, I in no way want to sell anything here.. just thought I'd post my thoughts.

Keep the shiny side up with winter here, and if you do have problems with all this supposed snow on way, build a snowman on ya bike Very Happy (but dont do what I did and take a fast run up at a hump back bridge doh)

https://www.bikevis.com/images/snow/SNC00052.jpg

https://www.bikevis.com/images/snow/SNC00048.jpg
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Vin
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PostPosted: 09:39 - 24 Nov 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fluke wrote:
Hi all

Hello and welcome Smile
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Frost
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PostPosted: 10:24 - 24 Nov 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just remember to be careful with your colours if you attempt something like this. White only at the front, red only at the back and sides, blue absolutely NOWHERE.
Twin lamps have the old "Is it a bike up close or a car far away?" problem.
I find that people don't look closely and are just looking for something car sized anyway. A nice loud exhaust helps but can make you a bit of a dick.
Generally i just ride like i'm wearing a harry potter invisibility cloak.

Odd idea, but what about forward facing wide angle lights at the rear of the bike. Then when seen from an angle the gap between the rear light on that side and the headlight will be large making you look more like a car. Obligatory paint diagram:

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/lights.jpg
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G
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PostPosted: 10:31 - 24 Nov 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote

I never actually wired them in, but I did put some more LED strips on the panniers of my KTM - with white (and white reflective stuff) at the front on the outside edge and red on the back.
While I wasn't trying to emulate a car (there lays some confusion I expect), I was trying to give people an idea I was rather wider than standard bikes - especially when I was filtering etc.
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 11:17 - 24 Nov 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Dan, thanks for weighing in.

We've all got to make our own decisions, but I tend towards thinking that the big risk is a vehicle pulling out in front, not one missing an indicator.

I run an extra LED brake light, but hadn't thought about fitting a modulator - I usually "modulate" manually by dabbing the brakes to wake up the following traffic. Very Happy

G's idea about a strip light seems sensible too. Might give that a try as the winter deepens and we become more invisible.
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G
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PostPosted: 11:32 - 24 Nov 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rogerborg wrote:

We've all got to make our own decisions, but I tend towards thinking that the big risk is a vehicle pulling out in front, not one missing an indicator.

So you use a bright light that can make it hard to judge distance/speed? Wink

Reality is that it probably does help in more situations, but if nothing else is a bit rude to my mind.

I think the start of the video on the website linked gives an idea of this - at a couple of points you can just see 'a bright light', rather than a bike coming towards you. This is being videod from the sides - I suspect from the front you'd have a lot more of the same effect.
Of course cameras tend to exaggerate lighting issues, but it can easily happen.
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colin1
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PostPosted: 12:00 - 24 Nov 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fluke wrote:
Also run a brake modulator to help prevent being pushed out into busy roundabouts by numptys playing with mobiles Sad


This had me puzzled. Can anyone tell me what a brake modulator is ? and what he means ?
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G
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PostPosted: 12:07 - 24 Nov 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote

It makes your brake light pulse brighter and darker.
You can get them for headlights too, but I think that's definitely asking for trouble.

On that, another against headlights used all the time - bikes with a shorter wheel base and longer suspension travel tend to bounce about more. With headlights on, this can easily be interpreted as 'flashing', which is universally recognised as "you can go now".
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Bru
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PostPosted: 14:19 - 24 Nov 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is all good, but nothing undoes all these efforts more than road positioning. Last night, in fact, I was waiting for an oncoming car to pass by so that I could turn into a side road. As it's dark, I am aware of the stream of cars as (superficially) a succession of lights. There was a decent gap coming up, so I prepared to turn in behind the next passing car, but then did a double-take: a motorcyclist was riding about a car-length behind the car! I never saw/noticed him earlier, as his headlight was obscured by the car in front. Could have been a SMIDSY, and I would have been at fault.
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 14:41 - 24 Nov 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote

G wrote:
Rogerborg wrote:

We've all got to make our own decisions, but I tend towards thinking that the big risk is a vehicle pulling out in front, not one missing an indicator.

So you use a bright light that can make it hard to judge distance/speed? Wink


Why, yes, yes I do. I'd prefer Terry Transit and Debbie Discovery to see that there is something there. I can't really imagine how that's more dangerous than them looking and not seeing anything.

I'm talking about in daylight, and I'm running a 50W bulb, not some thermonukular HID kit. In addition, I wear a white helmet and a hi-vis jacket, so it's all part of an integrated "HELLO! HERE I AM! AND LOOK, I'M ON A BIKE!" strategy. Very Happy

I do agree that it's very much a personal judgement call based on bike, conditions and route, and I don't think there's a single right or wrong answer.
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