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Post by oldchopperguy on Apr 28, 2014 1:32:52 GMT -5
Well, guyz and galz...
I made a post showing "Minnie Mouse's" new whitewalls, with the rear being "home-made", so I figured I may as well show the home-made trunk lights too. This is a fairly easy (though time-consuming) safety fix since big top-boxes tend to hide factory rear lights from tailgating drivers.
Here's the trunk in daylight, and dark, with separate pix to follow...
This trunk was the largest I could find, at 46 litres... Big enough for two full-face helmets. Or a BUNCH of goodies from Wally World... It has a push-button release, to use as a suitcase so I wired the scooter lights to a 5-wire trailer-light harness and male/female plug for the unlikely case where I might want to remove the trunk. It will also make it VERY easy to hook up trailer-lights if I ever build a trailer for "the mouse".
The pix aren't so great, having no tripod handy, and hand-held shots at 2-seconds... LOL! Oh well, at least you get an idea of how the trunk looks when lit. It looks a lot better in-person!
This puts ALL rear lights duplicated right at windshield-level and that monster stoplight illuminates the whole interior of a car on your butt... LOL!
A great many trunks like this use a BIG fake wrap-around red lens, and they seem to be made to have an LED strip inserted in them. The yellow blinkers that wrap clear around the sides also grab the attention of vehicles right next to you, since they also light up the car's interior ad are at driver-eye-level... Easy, inexpensive job, but it may save your life!
Ride safe,
Leo (riding bright) in Texas
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Freshman Rider
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New scoot!
Posts: 71 
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Post by Skunk Shampoo on Apr 28, 2014 2:52:57 GMT -5
I like it. That lets the tailgaters know that maybe it isn't such a good idea to follow so close.  |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Apr 28, 2014 13:44:47 GMT -5
I like it. That lets the tailgaters know that maybe it isn't such a good idea to follow so close. Leo |
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Post by spandi on Apr 28, 2014 13:49:43 GMT -5
Very nice Leo. I'm sure it will add to your safety. BTW, I wear a vest with 120 led lights and sometimes DO feel like a moving target!  |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Apr 28, 2014 14:00:59 GMT -5
Very nice Leo. I'm sure it will add to your safety. BTW, I wear a vest with 120 led lights and sometimes DO feel like a moving target!
Wow! That vest sounds like John Travolta might have liked it for the disco... We REALLY need a pic of THAT! Just gotta ask: Have you EVER forgotten and gone into Wally World wearing it turned on?
Seriously though, visibility is a BIGGIE when it comes to safety. Cars DO tailgate us, and ESPECIALLY tall SUV's and trucks cannot see our rear lights under a top-box at ALL. I'm convinced that getting full lighting up on the trunk of any cycle can and will save lives. Now your vest takes it to a whole new level! COOL! Ride SAFE, ride ILLUMINATED... Leo |
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Post by spandi on Apr 28, 2014 14:10:10 GMT -5
Very nice Leo. I'm sure it will add to your safety. BTW, I wear a vest with 120 led lights and sometimes DO feel like a moving target!
Wow! That vest sounds like John Travolta might have liked it for the disco... We REALLY need a pic of THAT! Just gotta ask: Have you EVER forgotten and gone into Wally World wearing it turned on?
Seriously though, visibility is a BIGGIE when it comes to safety. Cars DO tailgate us, and ESPECIALLY tall SUV's and trucks cannot see our rear lights under a top-box at ALL. I'm convinced that getting full lighting up on the trunk of any cycle can and will save lives. Now your vest takes it to a whole new level! COOL! Ride SAFE, ride ILLUMINATED... Leo Hahaha! yep, to answer your question, I've found myself wandering around the store looking like a Christmas tree! BTW, here is the listing (unfortunately ended) where I bought it. www.ebay.com/itm/120-LED-Reflective-Vest-for-runners-cyclists-dog-walkers-etc-/141037288660?nma=true&si=C64moxBmG8xplmqkQhlfqFX83FM%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 |
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Post by SylvreKat on Apr 29, 2014 6:56:28 GMT -5
Seriously though, visibility is a BIGGIE when it comes to safety. Cars DO tailgate us, and ESPECIALLY tall SUV's and trucks cannot see our rear lights under a top-box at ALL. I'm convinced that getting full lighting up on the trunk of any cycle can and will save lives. Leo That's one of two reasons I don't have a trunk (the other being I dislike the look of it hanging off the back). But your setup sure solves the seeing your brakes issue! Btb, dang Leo, but your photos are NOT bad! Wish I was that steady with day shots at 1/60 sec!  >'Kat |
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Post by Jarlaxle on Apr 29, 2014 7:38:16 GMT -5
Where'd you get the trunk?
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Post by oldchopperguy on Apr 29, 2014 10:23:43 GMT -5
Where'd you get the trunk?
I got it off eBay (like most everything I scrounge lately... LOL!) There are literally HUNDREDS of cycle trunks listed, both new and used. This particular one seems to come in several sizes. My old Kymco had one just like when I got her, but it's about HALF the size. The brand is "Motorbox" and it is made in China, but it's of EXCELLENT quality. On eBay, you really have to research some... I've found THIS exact-same box from $79 to ones "branded" as "Harley Davidson" "Honda" "Ducatti" and "Yamaha" for $200 to $600... Cheesh!It's a copy of the "Monokey" trunk, with push-button release to allow removal when you arrive at "wherever"... It is HUGE, and holds 2 full-face helmets, or a lot of junk... Very stout and well-made. It bolted right onto the factory Kymco rear rack in minutes. It DID take me a full evening on the kitchen table though, to pull the big red wrap-around lens, tack-glue a strip-LED in and then mount yellow strip-LED's for turn-signals. AND, of course, there is a WHOLE lot of wires... This trunk has internal bracing all-round that is ideal to cinch down all the wiring with zip-ties through drilled holes. You want all wires VERY secure and away from stuff that will dislodge it. I used a 5-wire (rather than the common 4-wire) trailer light pigtail to hook up, so even the ground is taken care of. I like "simple"... I went with the $79 version with free shipping... LOL!If you look at mine in the daylight picture, you can easily recognize it if you're searching eBay. These do appear to be FAR above typical Chinese quality. The one that came on my scoot is 6 years old, and served 14K miles of highway touring, and is only slightly faded. No cracks or damage of any kind. I'm sure it's made by the same people. Hope this helps,Leo in Texas |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Apr 29, 2014 10:45:30 GMT -5
Seriously though, visibility is a BIGGIE when it comes to safety. Cars DO tailgate us, and ESPECIALLY tall SUV's and trucks cannot see our rear lights under a top-box at ALL. I'm convinced that getting full lighting up on the trunk of any cycle can and will save lives. Leo That's one of two reasons I don't have a trunk (the other being I dislike the look of it hanging off the back). But your setup sure solves the seeing your brakes issue! Btb, dang Leo, but your photos are NOT bad! Wish I was that steady with day shots at 1/60 sec! >'Kat
I definitely understand! I don't like the look of them either, but they allow me to pretty much use the scooter for 99% of everything I used to use the family car for... And I find the matte-black trunks "blend in" somewhat with the seat material and don't stick out quite as badly as the pretty ones painted to match the scoot.... Well.... Maybe... LOL! If THIS monster was pearl-white to match the "Mouse" it would look like a kitchen refrigerator strapped to her tail! Ride safe!Leo PS: I shot the pix with a teensy "credit-card" size old Canon digital camera I often stick in my shirt-pocket. It's so small and light, I can (on a good day...) mash it between both hands, hold my breath and "luck-out"... |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Apr 29, 2014 10:52:41 GMT -5
Leo[/quote]Hahaha! yep, to answer your question, I've found myself wandering around the store looking like a Christmas tree! BTW, here is the listing (unfortunately ended) where I bought it. Spandi... I knew it... I just KNEW it... LOL! At least it's not as "problematical" as forgetting to remove your ski-mask in snow-country when going into a convenience store! The vest IS cool, and a REAL safety feature! Leo |
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Post by BadCattitude on May 1, 2014 19:20:24 GMT -5
Brilliant!
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Post by oldchopperguy on May 1, 2014 21:09:20 GMT -5
Badcattitude, Welcome to the site! And THANKS! The lights on the trunk turned out to be much more brilliant than the painted rear whitewall... LOL! That project is getting re-thought right now... Ride safe! Leo in Texas |
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Post by SylvreKat on May 1, 2014 22:24:08 GMT -5
Hi and welcome, Cattitude! Good to have another Cat onboard, even a C-cat.
>'Kat
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Post by BadCattitude on May 2, 2014 16:13:23 GMT -5
Hi and welcome, Cattitude! Good to have another Cat onboard, even a C-cat. >'Kat My other ride is an older Jag.  |
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