Additional Bike Lighting

[Commuter_Tim]

Ive been looking around for something to light up my bike in the dark as the headlight is piss poor for making me visible, people seemingly try to kill me on a daily basis at roundabouts.

I wanna buy some of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pack-WHEEL-VALVE-CAPS-LIGHTS/dp/B008IY6806/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&qid=1390660969&sr=8-17&keywords=valve+lights
But apparently you cant legally have flashing lights on your vehicle? nor blue lights, or red to the rear...

So my question is, Does anything legal exist so that I can prevent fuckers from trying to flatten me in the dark? (I could give a fuck If it looks daft, staying alive is the priority here)

I did search several "police forums" and the likes on this topic, but they were as much use as a chocolate cock, So I turn to you BCF!
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The above post is most likely nonsensical.

I ride a Bandit 600... badly.

[wr6133]

Big LED strips? (like cars use for underlighting). Run down either side you'd be like a mobile Blackpool illuminations.

[Skudd]

No matter how many lights, or how much hi-viz you wear there will always be people who don't see you.

Nip down to Halfords and get their £30 spot lights, go on to ebay and get a motorbike switch loom (£5) use the power from your head light and the earth to the battery earth. Jobs all good.
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Famous last words of Humpty Dumpty. " Stop pushing me "
Petty Anarchists look at "1984".............. The Visionary looks at "Animal Farm".

[WD Forte]

Lights have one of two purposes
to 'see by' as in headlights or 'see me'
I guess you want 'see me' lights ?

A CG wont have much power to spare so I'd go for leds
As said, you could be lit up like a christmas tree and some daft sod still wont see you so never assume you're safer, but strategically placed
high brightness leds may help.

Honda did a test some years ago where they found lights spread over an area were better percieved by drivers than say a brighter single light.

Cant find the Honda one but this one says similar things

https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/86/60/62/PDF/doc00015712.pdf
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bikers smell of wee

[mgh0]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290784783352?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

+

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2pcs-3W-LED-Eagle-Eye-Car-Back-Up-Reverse-Tail-Light-Lamp-Daytime-Running-Light-/390572893964?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item5aeff5670c

=

https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm265/megah0/A13614B2-CE97-4CA7-9434-BDE7B5F701F2_zpsylrjgkhp.jpg

£6.34 plus some aluminium strip I had around to make some simple L brackets which attach to the engine mounts, could also have used the indicator stems.

Crap camera makes the LEDs look different colours, they are both white.
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"Courage is not defined by those who fought and did not fall, it is defined by those who fell and rose to fight again." Adrienne Rich.

[recman]

Everyone, yes everyone loves these-
https://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/motorcycle/headlights/bike-it-dominator-headlight .
Don't let them tell you any different.

[Vincent]

Nobody will see you any better at roundabouts with more lights up front. You need something that stands out - high viz is OK but people tend to go over the top. What you need is Contrast - a black jacket with yellow gloves for example will stand out more than a high viz jacket.....IMO.

You have to ride as if nobody can see you anyway and never take it for granted......if you want to survive that is.
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Space Is Deep

[Vincent]

[Commuter_Tim]

[BrownTrousers]

What about one of those high vis vests with strips of little LEDs built in?

Should avoid the problem of using bike's power, and should be visible from the side a bit more easily (plus removable, usable on different bikes etc.).

[Commuter_Tim]

[G]

I do no like point light sources. They MAY make it easier to see something is somewhere, but they can also make it harder to judge vector; position, direction of travel and speed.

In the past I've added extra LED strips as running lights (white front, red rear) With the front ones on muffs and the rear ones on the topbox.
I've also added additional amber LED strips to work with the indicators.
It does seem to make a decent difference - it should make it easier to judge vector and just looks 'different' to what you normally see in the mirrow when driving - ie one or two bright points of light, which could be a car a long way away.

Loud exhausts DO help.

I got a load of 'neon string' to put on my bike - the idea being that I would cover visible bits in so it was obvious, but didn't provide a single bright point source.
Never got around to it as I didn't have the commute anymore, but there's an idea of what it could have looked like, in this case as a festive window decoration .
https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/17869_231540160688_5852519_n.jpg

Finally, if you are going for point sources, the triangle pattern pictured above makes sense. Trains in the US have lights like this because it's been proven to make it easier to judge vector - however on a train they can be a bit further apart, of course.

[Commuter_Tim]

Cheers for the further advice

I did laugh at the loud exhaust on a CG bit though
My powerhouse of a vehicle is clearly enough on its own!

So am i best to put red lights on it if its going on a backpack then?
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The above post is most likely nonsensical.

I ride a Bandit 600... badly.

[G]

No reason you can't have a loud exhaust on a CG125 - pitbikes make a decent bit of sound from a similar capacity.

It really hit home when for a few days I seemed to have less people noticing me. Realised it happened after a put a baffle in the full race system on my tuned zx9 for MOT. Took baffle out and it was back to normal.

Even more people noticed me riding JD's GSXR 6 which had a racefit 'can' (basically a little bit of pipe to make the mid-pip look better.)

[mgh0]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Glowing-Strobing-Luminescent-Luminous-Lighting/dp/B005UCLS9K/ref=pd_sim_k_h_b_cs_2

wonder if this would work
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"Courage is not defined by those who fought and did not fall, it is defined by those who fell and rose to fight again." Adrienne Rich.

[G]

The FSM pictured above is made of that stuff. It's not as bright as the LED string stuff I had, but you get longer sections of it that are smaller, so can be more creative with it .

[Rogerborg]

I'm running with adhesive LED strips stuck up on the mirrors.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Commuter_Tim]

[Rogerborg]

[stuarthouston]

[mgh0]

[Marmalade]

This was brought up in live chat the other night.
I suggested a pair of cree led cycle headlights Like these at £15.60 connected to the bike by a voltage dropper 8v3Ah.
I have one running off the supplied battery and it is really bright.


I do use LED adhesive strips on motorbike, they are bright and as rogerborg does, putting them on mirrors, fairing or forks creates an unusual pattern that might help people to see you.


Up front, the led link is my shop, you can of course get these strips in many places.

Cree headlight in use.
https://i881.photobucket.com/albums/ac17/Marmalade43/cycles/474C7F81-8AD6-4A8D-87DC-44A1E3E6D436_zpslqxasigd.jpg
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Nobby the Bastard: How yo tell the difference between the actual japanese and her just screaming because she's had live fish stuck up her arse? [url=https://www.nicks-shop.co.uk/bcf-goodies-15-c.aspGet BCF stickers and things here[/url] Reflective helmet stickers - Legal requirement in france - Clicky

[G]

Note that for any normal bike use a flood lead acid (normal) should do just as well as AGM.
However, a cheap or knackered old lead acid would obviously be outshone by a new decent quality AGM (or lead acid) battery.

AGMs can be damaged by the float charge some vehicles have.

[map]

[G]

Yea, I always used to think they were illegal, but reading up on them a few years ago for a post on here, I'd agree that they likely are legal.