Travels with a headlight modulator

[AnotherLee]

Yesterday at a stoplight the guy in the car next to me yelled Do you know your headlight is modulating?

I yelled back That's so *you* can *see* me.

He replied That's ridiculous. Then he smiled.

Not sure if he was a fellow bike rider just kidding around or if he was half serious, but it *did* get his attention.

 

I ride in Oregon and I don't see many headlight modulators. Maybe they are still a bit unusual here.

 

It's not a panacea, people still pull out in front of me, but I appreciate any help I can get.

[FlyingFinn]

I ride motorcycles and I wholeheartedly hate the headlight modulators.

Here's why.

 

Like you said yourself, it doesn't stop the idiot drivers from pulling out in front of you, or doing what ever other boneheaded moves. So we still need to ride defensively and avoid the hazards through our own actions.

 

And second, it's annoying as heck to everyone who does notice you. It really is.

To the point that the modulator is one of those things that build negative image of motorcycles among the average motorists. Just like loud pipes.

[Tri750]

I was against them for years, thought they were dumb.

Then I saw one I think on the way to the Coast on a Harley in heavy traffic. It sure got my attention.

I ordered one a few months ago at the tail of winter and on a gray cloudy day, people sure pay attention.

I use it off and on now, I think I'm a bit self conscience about it which is silly I know. No one has ever made a comment or given me the stink eye over it.

I even have a rubber brake bleeder nipple cover zip tied to the photo cell eye so I can cover it up when I want to run the high beam during the daytime and defeat the modulator feature. (The modulator just works on the high beam filament on the H4 bulb)

So I give it a definite yes for function and safety. Like loud pipes, it's a choice. I choose to not have loud pipes on my street legal bike.

[Bud]

Seems to be no middle ground on this issue.

 

I notice them from a long way away.

 

I'm not sure I would ride behind a guy with it on.

 

I often turn off my driving lights on the Interstate.

 

They are legal in all 50 states due to Federal Law.

 

I'm not sure they are equal to loud pipes.

 

I live 1/4 mile off and Illinois two lane highway. I can hear loud pipes for MILES away.

 

The modulator only affects people within line of sight. Lot's less folks.

[Tri750]

The thing to remember, no matter if it's the type of oil you use, the color of helmet you use, or the accessory on your bike, many times the information offered up on on Internet forums is opinion. No matter how strong the wording is, opinion.

We are all equally entitled to it.

The stating of facts and absolutes is great for capacities and torque values but for things like this? It's Baskin Robbins.

[philbytx]

Rather than have one permanently on my low beam, I put my headlight modulator on my HIGH beam only, because that way I do have an option.

[Tri750]

For my 1100RT, (H4) the modulator wires to the high beam. I have the sensor snaked up to my phone mount in the mirror hole so I can cover it with the rubber cap as needed to gain full use of the high beam in the daytime.

[Bud]

The thing to remember, no matter if it's the type of oil you use, the color of helmet you use, or the accessory on your bike, many times the information offered up on on Internet forums is opinion. No matter how strong the wording is, opinion.

We are all equally entitled to it.

The stating of facts and absolutes is great for capacities and torque values but for things like this? It's Baskin Robbins.

 

Ain't that the truth!

 

BTW what kind of oil do you use?

[Crackenback]

On my R1150RT I put my modulator on my fog lamps. This way I have a switch to turn them on and off at will. This way they are a less annoying as they don't blind anyone like a modulator would on the high beam. I only use them when in high traffic areas.

 

I also put a relay inline with the fog lamps tied to the high beam. The normally closed contact is hooked to the fogs and the normally open contact is connected to my driving lamps. This way the fogs are only on with the low beams and the driving lamps are only on with the high beam. The modulator is placed between the relay and the fogs so only the fogs are modulated. The fog light switch kills both the fogs and driving lamps.

[Michaelr11]

I ride with them on all of my bikes, wired to the high beam. I'm surprised at the polarized view on this, perhaps the annoying ones are on bikes with poorly aimed high beams. There is no guarantee and some boneheads will just not look, so they didn't see your modulator or your high beam anyway. But the vast majority of the time, I can see drivers who jerk to a stop at a point where normally I would have expected them to pull out. Some folks have pulled over thinking I was law enforcement, I'm sorry when that happens but I believe that and the occasional "hey, your headlight has a short" are due to lack of education of cage drivers who don't know what modulators are and don't know they are legal. The only time I switch to low beam to kill the modulator is if I'm in slow crowded traffic and that is very rare.

[Mike]

I used them for years and had one on my current BMW (an R12ST) that never worked quite right, so I removed it.

 

It's one of those things that's like religion--you're either in or you're out. Personally, I'm a believer. I know I can't begin to catalog all the encounters that caused me to come to this conclusion, but I am fully convinced that more people see you and give you a wide berth when you're operating with a modulator.

 

Still, you do have to use a little discretion when you're following someone fairly closely or are stopped behind them in traffic . . . it can be incredibly annoying to have a headlight pulsating in your rear view mirrors.

 

Back when I used to sing the praise of modulators more frequently, I was often met with a chorus of disapproval, inevitably from people who had never used one. Some claimed that the headlight's modulation could be mistaken for a flash, meaning "you can go," at an intersection. Never happened to me in many years of using them. Others claimed they were annoying. Having encountered a fair number of modulators on others' bikes as they were approaching, I just never felt that way; maybe some people are more sensitive to it than I am.

[EffBee]

Just like every motorcyclist has had a close call or three with a cager, every cager has had a close call, or caught themselves just in time (such that they knew they were, or would have been, at fault) with a motorcyclist. Thus, I believe most of them accept the annoyance of a modulator as a reminder of their own fallibility. That being said, I think it's also courteous to shut the thing off if you're at a stoplight behind someone. The problem then becomes remembering to turn it back on amid the cluster of activity once the light goes green (i.e. clutch in/out, footshift into gear, coordinating throttle, making sure the car in front has given you room to accelerate properly, etc.)

 

Wouldn't it be nice if, along with the light sensor, modulator manufacturers could figure out a way to regulate them on the basis of motion. Are enough bikes currently using electronic speedometers that this could be tied in to that signal, or are we all still running cable speedos? Or could they be tied in to the neutral light circuit?

[Zac in NV]

...Wouldn't it be nice if, along with the light sensor, modulator manufacturers could figure out a way to regulate them on the basis of motion...

 

That's a neat idea.

 

I use mine sparingly when I feel particularly disadvantaged. When there's increased potential for crossing traffic. Busy, hectic, or disorienting intersections, distracting lighting conditions like when the sun is near the horizon, or when I see approaching traffic signal left or move to a left turn lane. I try to be mindful and not distract or irritate other drivers with it.

 

This thread reminds me: I rode at night a few weeks ago and my high beam was modulating in the dark. I'll have to look into that.

[Mike]

 

Wouldn't it be nice if, along with the light sensor, modulator manufacturers could figure out a way to regulate them on the basis of motion. Are enough bikes currently using electronic speedometers that this could be tied in to that signal, or are we all still running cable speedos? Or could they be tied in to the neutral light circuit?

 

That's a great idea. Now, let's see someone implement it!

[Jagman]

I believe we owe it to or families to do everything in our power to be as safe as we can on a motorcycle. That means ATGATT. I firmly believe in modulators.

[tallman]

MIke,

 

I'm out.

 

Everyone who wants to use one should have to drive a car with someone else on their bike, mod on, following them for a 100 miles before they can buy one.

 

If annoying other drivers in the name of safety is our creed, well bring on the loud pipes, full modulators, deceleration brake lights, and ;loud speakers playing "It's a Small World After All."

 

Of course in our country, all above is legal so have at it.

 

[philbytx]

Tim,

That's why mine is on the high beam . It gives me the option to drive you nuts...or not

[eddd]

 

First off I don't use a modulator and never have. I would like to point out that the solution of using it only on high beam seems like a poor idea for two reasons. The first one is that using the high beam with oncoming traffic violates state statues for a very good reason, it blinds the other drivers. Even though you are only modulating that high beam it still seems to me you are going against a traffic law that is there for a very legitimate reason. The second reason was something I brought up several years ago when the discussion was about driving with the high beam on at all times, no modulator. The were those who felt the high beam made them more visible. Beside being a violation, self-centered, and rude, I pointed out that I had observed that for some reason it is more difficult to judge speed and distance of vehicles approaching with the high beam on. I forget the scientific explanation given, but there seems to be some reason this is the case. I know I find it to be so. That would seem to negate your purpose for the modulator. Yes you will be more visible but at the expense of being difficult for other drivers to judge your speed and distance.

[EffBee]

 

Wouldn't it be nice if, along with the light sensor, modulator manufacturers could figure out a way to regulate them on the basis of motion. Are enough bikes currently using electronic speedometers that this could be tied in to that signal, or are we all still running cable speedos? Or could they be tied in to the neutral light circuit?

 

That's a great idea. Now, let's see someone implement it!

 

Thanks. I may need someone to negotiate my royalties. Know any good attorneys?

[tallman]

Phil,

 

For me its a short drive.

[Bud]

MIke,

 

I'm out.

 

Everyone who wants to use one should have to drive a car with someone else on their bike, mod on, following them for a 100 miles before they can buy one.

 

If annoying other drivers in the name of safety is our creed, well bring on the loud pipes, full modulators, deceleration brake lights, and ;loud speakers playing "It's a Small World After All."

 

Of course in our country, all above is legal so have at it.

 

Loud music saves lives.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Many years ago I had a modulator for most of one season. It appeared to be confusing to other motorists; on more than one occasion oncoming vehicles pulled to the side of the road as I approached, apparently under the impression that I was a cop or something. In the end I got rid of it.

 

In the end, I look to other measures for conspicuity:

 

-yellow Motolights on fork

-1157 bulbs/sockets in turn signal housings for full time marker lighting

-high-viz jacket

-white helmet

-big bike (you may recall that the Hurt Report indicated bikes with fairings/winsdscreesn were underrepresented in right-of-way violations, with speculation that this was due to improved conspicuity)

-weaving when approaching an intersection with another vehicle present (ensures you don't visually blend in with the background)

 

I have to say, even with no modulator, I can't remember the last time someone at an intersection pulled out in front of me in a way that required emergency action on my part. Sure, I've had nitwits merge into my lane on the highway because they didn't check their mirrors - but then, a modulator wouldn't have helped there.