a tiny inovation

GoldenMotor.com

Tom Allen

New Member
Aug 20, 2013
77
0
0
Chicago
Today I purchased a bike light at Walmart. Reason--in a day or two I have to ride about 45 miles, some of it on moderately trafficked back country highways. I bought the light so I could show it to any cop that might get fussy with me. While I was studying the mounting instructions and the contour of the lamp, it occurred to me I could easily put some Velcro on this thing and attach it, not in front of me where I will never need it--I don't ride at night EVER. But I could set the thing on the gear cover of my Golden Eagle Honda engine--rear mounted of course--point it toward the stampede coming up behind, set to flashing mode and voila! Peace of mind! At least more peace of mind than without it. The lamp is one of those high intensity led lights that are REALLY bright and showy even in daylight. I wish I could upload a pic of this arrangement but have none right now. Anyway, I pass the idea on for what it's worth. I would like to think it is original but--hahahaha on a forum as full of ingenious characters as this.
 

greaser_monkey_87

New Member
Mar 30, 2014
397
0
0
USA
If you get pulled over in broad daylight, I doubt if a cop is going to be concerned with whether you have a headlight. If he is, the headlight might not do you any good velcroed on the back of your bike.
 

Davezilla

New Member
Mar 15, 2014
2,705
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San Antonio Texas
Maybe he has a red lens so it don't offend anyone coming up from behind... Really... I'd either use a red one or just face it forward... Those LED's are obnoxiously bright when ya take a direct hit in the eye from one. I'm just mentioning this because if someone is behind you in a car and they get blinded by that led you might get unintentionally hit.

The reason is because these things have a narrow but concentrated beam so they work very well as headlights, and any oncoming traffic isn't directly in front of you, but slightly off to the side so they don't offend... but from directly behind, there is a chance the beam could hit and blind someone following you if it's at the right hight and pointing just right... Isn't a rear mounted engine about the same hight as someone's face when sitting in a car?
 

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
175
63
Littleton, Colorado
It couldn't be any more obnoxious than some of the brake lights on today's cars. Some of those things are so big and bright they are a hazard more than a safety feature.

If I had it my way brake lights would be illegal. Drivers would have to learn how to judge closing distance and react accordingly. But that'll never happen. Makes too much sense.

Tom
 

greaser_monkey_87

New Member
Mar 30, 2014
397
0
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USA
We didn't always have brake lights, but there's a reason we do now. Cars also used to have wooden frames. There is a reason they don't anymore. Aside from brake lights that seem too bright, the obvious advantage is that you can't always predict when another driver is going to make a sudden stop. You can't always stop in time anyway, but brakes lights or no brake lights don't change that. And if a driver does happen to make a sudden stop, being automatically warned of it does give you more time to react, albeit a very marginal difference at times, it takes less time for your brain to react to a brake light than it does to realize they're making a stop when you're not being warned. So, I vote for brake lights. But not for obnoxious flashing tail lights. I saw a guy on a crotch rocket the other day and his brake light was flashing. Ridiculous. I'm not voting for those ones.
 

Davezilla

New Member
Mar 15, 2014
2,705
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0
San Antonio Texas
True... Just plain old incandescent brake lights work just fine... Those new LED brake lights everyone is going with nowadays can be offensively bright. I still prefer to just judge distance and if I notice I'm closing in on someone to quickly it's time to change lanes or hit the brakes... Of course, now some cars have sensors on them so they can hit the brakes for you while you're texting your buddies instead of paying attention to the road... Just wait til those systems start to fail...
 

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
175
63
Littleton, Colorado
We didn't always have brake lights, but there's a reason we do now. Cars also used to have wooden frames. There is a reason they don't anymore. Aside from brake lights that seem too bright, the obvious advantage is that you can't always predict when another driver is going to make a sudden stop. You can't always stop in time anyway, but brakes lights or no brake lights don't change that. And if a driver does happen to make a sudden stop, being automatically warned of it does give you more time to react, albeit a very marginal difference at times, it takes less time for your brain to react to a brake light than it does to realize they're making a stop when you're not being warned. So, I vote for brake lights. But not for obnoxious flashing tail lights. I saw a guy on a crotch rocket the other day and his brake light was flashing. Ridiculous. I'm not voting for those ones.
No, you're wrong. The reason brake lights are on cars is because they are mandatory. The reason is because drivers are too distracted with everything but the task of driving and the laws were passed in an attempt to make up for poor driving habits. Typical.

If you're watching traffic ahead of you and keep a proper following distance there is no reason to rely on a red light to tell you the car ahead of you is slowing or stopping. Any able bodied human has the capability to make those judgements. They just don't need to because of mandatory features like brake lights. Gives them more time to devote to the phones/kids/pets/billboards/their lunch/breakfast/makeup/ etc, etc.

The biggest problem with brake lights is people over react to them. One driver taps his brake pedal, the driver behind him actually applies his brakes, the one behind him applies more brake and in short time traffic comes to a stop, for no reason. If drivers were made to drive and learn to judge what's going on in front of them we could eliminate many of the traffic problems out there. Instead we have brake lights.

Ever see brake lights in a NASCAR race? No, and that's because the drivers know how to judge where they are in relation to the ones in front of them. They don't need a light to tell them.

Tom
 

Tom Allen

New Member
Aug 20, 2013
77
0
0
Chicago
Re: a tiny innovation

Maybe he has a red lens so it don't offend anyone coming up from behind... Really... I'd either use a red one or just face it forward... Those LED's are obnoxiously bright when ya take a direct hit in the eye from one. I'm just mentioning this because if someone is behind you in a car and they get blinded by that led you might get unintentionally hit.

The reason is because these things have a narrow but concentrated beam so they work very well as headlights, and any oncoming traffic isn't directly in front of you, but slightly off to the side so they don't offend... but from directly behind, there is a chance the beam could hit and blind someone following you if it's at the right hight and pointing just right... Isn't a rear mounted engine about the same hight as someone's face when sitting in a car?
I will have to test it on the morning of the day I am heading out.If it looks dicey to me I will keep it off. Or I may figure some way to tint the lens red or yellow. Can't return it now. Well, I guess I could use it for the purpose it was designed could't I? But there goes my innovation.
 

Desert Rat

New Member
Jul 30, 2012
565
9
0
Apache Junctoin Az
Re: a tiny innovation

I will have to test it on the morning of the day I am heading out.If it looks dicey to me I will keep it off. Or I may figure some way to tint the lens red or yellow. Can't return it now. Well, I guess I could use it for the purpose it was designed could't I? But there goes my innovation.
buy from autozone or wherever some red brake light lens cover repair tape and
cut it to fit works perfectly because its red and transparent
 

greaser_monkey_87

New Member
Mar 30, 2014
397
0
0
USA
I still vote for brake lights. I'd rather be warned than try to guess. Am I lazy? Perhaps, but so is the rest of America, and that's the point. I said there's a reason we have brake lights now, didn't say what that reason was. Equal parts laziness and stupidity on the part of American drivers. Brake lights don't completely eliminate it from the equation, but they make a drastic reduction. I'm sure there were a lot more accidents before we had brake lights, or they wouldn't be mandatory. So I still vote for them. That's my opinion, and I'm sticking to it. The less we have to suffer for other people's laziness and stupidity, the better.
 

BarelyAWake

New Member
Jul 21, 2009
7,194
21
0
Maine
I still vote for brake lights. I'd rather be warned than try to guess. Am I lazy? Perhaps, but so is the rest of humanity, and that's the point. I said there's a reason we have brake lights now, didn't say what that reason was. Equal parts laziness and stupidity on the part of us all. Brake lights don't completely eliminate it from the equation, but they make a drastic reduction. I'm sure there were a lot more accidents before we had brake lights, or they wouldn't be mandatory. So I still vote for them. That's my opinion, and I'm sticking to it. The less we have to suffer for other people's laziness and stupidity, the better.
Two minor amendments & I'm in 100% agreement lol, we all have our moments ;)
 

BarelyAWake

New Member
Jul 21, 2009
7,194
21
0
Maine
...The reason brake lights are on cars is because they are mandatory. The reason is because drivers are too distracted with everything but the task of driving and the laws were passed in an attempt to make up for poor driving habits. Typical.

If you're watching traffic ahead of you and keep a proper following distance there is no reason to rely on a red light to tell you the car ahead of you is slowing or stopping. Any able bodied human has the capability to make those judgements. They just don't need to because of mandatory features like brake lights. Gives them more time to devote to the phones/kids/pets/billboards/their lunch/breakfast/makeup/ etc, etc...

Tom
Despite my previous, this is not untrue as driving skill depends on environmental awareness & thus, depends greatly on that environment. Make it safe & you'll get complacent, unskilled operators - if it's hazardous you'll get some level of skill and casualties.

Casualties are ofc intolerable, thus we festoon ourselves with blinky lights & dayglo oranges, encased in a cocoon of nerf we pretend all responsibility is someone else's and we'll sue the point...

There's downsides to both, but that's humanity for ya :p
 

curtisfox

Well-Known Member
Dec 29, 2008
6,041
3,935
113
minesota
No, you're wrong. The reason brake lights are on cars is because they are mandatory. The reason is because drivers are too distracted with everything but the task of driving and the laws were passed in an attempt to make up for poor driving habits. Typical.

If you're watching traffic ahead of you and keep a proper following distance there is no reason to rely on a red light to tell you the car ahead of you is slowing or stopping. Any able bodied human has the capability to make those judgements. They just don't need to because of mandatory features like brake lights. Gives them more time to devote to the phones/kids/pets/billboards/their lunch/breakfast/makeup/ etc, etc.

The biggest problem with brake lights is people over react to them. One driver taps his brake pedal, the driver behind him actually applies his brakes, the one behind him applies more brake and in short time traffic comes to a stop, for no reason. If drivers were made to drive and learn to judge what's going on in front of them we could eliminate many of the traffic problems out there. Instead we have brake lights.

Ever see brake lights in a NASCAR race? No, and that's because the drivers know how to judge where they are in relation to the ones in front of them. They don't need a light to tell them.

Tom
Love this, reminds me when I first started driving. Everyone should have a chance to drive a model A ford ,6 volts one brake light, mechanical breaks. Boy do you learn to judge distance. LOL..............Curt
 

Henshooter

New Member
Feb 10, 2014
275
0
0
Melbourne au
Re: a tiny innovation

I will have to test it on the morning of the day I am heading out.If it looks dicey to me I will keep it off. Or I may figure some way to tint the lens red or yellow. Can't return it now. Well, I guess I could use it for the purpose it was designed could't I? But there goes my innovation.
Square piece of red cellophane and an elastic band would work a treat to tint the light ,I use a small cheap 1cell led light ,cheap as chips and it's bright but un offensive ,I use it during the day aswell on the rear as it adds an extra bit of here I am to my daily ride
I tinted the white led,s with a red permanent marker and they seem to work well ,the added advantage is once the light goes flat it only costs $2 to replace rather than spend the dish on new batteries

Cheers Henshooter.wee.
 

greaser_monkey_87

New Member
Mar 30, 2014
397
0
0
USA
Two minor amendments & I'm in 100% agreement lol, we all have our moments ;)
No. I cant speak for the rest of the world. I've never been outside the U.S. But Americans (not all, but a lot) are fat, stupid, lazy, greedy, ignorant, inconsiderate and just plain selfish. I've had multiple jobs in the service industry, and most of the people I encounter on a daily basis are big, stupid animals, too stupid to not crap where they eat. THIS is why we have mandatory safety features. I have no faith in Western "civilization" anymore. Nothing anyone can say will change that. You wanna know what I did all day today? Hustled grocery carts. How many times were the carts put in the corrals in an orderly fashion? ZERO. How many times did I almost get hit by stupid jackholes who weren't paying attention as I was crossing the parking lot while pushing a gang of carts? I stopped counting after three. I used to work at a pizza shop, bussing tables, washing dishes, and it was also my job to keep the floor clean. People would slop food all over the tables and floors all the time, because they knew we had to clean it up. Just because its someone else's job does not give you the right to make it harder. No, the land of freedom is the land of the fat, stupid and lazy.