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Post by mrsunsett on Jul 22, 2016 13:26:17 GMT -5
Hey fellow riders, i wanted to bring up an topic that i know needs to be discussed.
A few weeks ago, i posted about putting LED light strips on mine and my wifes scooter, i wanted to know if they were worth it. Not many replied, so i said fark it and decided to dish out some dough for 4 packs, totaling in 8 strips of white water resist LEDS.
I installed (which was super easy) the strips and instead of putting a switch to turn them on and off i linked them with the lights of my scooters so my wife or i would never have to remember to turn them on. Took me about an hour to do both scooters, just some tie wraps for wire management and super glue to cement thoes lights on for good (cause i knowthe 3m tape they come with will wearout over time)
Let me just say, they saved my life and my scooter one night on the way home from work, going down a dark street in my neighborhood 2 blocks from my house, a driver California stopped at an stop sign that meets up with a road that has no stopsign that meets with the road around a blind turn, i make the bendand see him rolling through the stop sign and had just enough time to hit my horn and swerve. Right as indid that he slammed on his breaks and backed up. We both stopped and thedriver got out of his car and was full of apologies for me, he siad he saw the glow of my LED lights before he heard the horn and said he was never gonna roll a stop sign again.
What im getting at is in florida, at least in Miami-Dade and Broward County we have some of the most careless disregarding for safety scooter drivers in the world not a day goes by where I see someone on a scooter without a helmet or any type of protection. I think it's cuz the mentality down here for scooters is that they don't go fast you don't need insurance and you need to be 16 to drive them so they are seen as something that's on the road illegally. When I drive my PCX around at night I see everyone looking at the glow of my LED strips noticing my bike and before I had the strips no one paid attention to me. I know not everyone has the money to be able to put the lights on but everyone should have the common sense to not want to get hit by a car on a scooter. As a scooter driver I think it's worth the money to potentially save your life.
Ride safe.
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Post by cyborg on Jul 22, 2016 14:07:28 GMT -5
Im sure they would help in every state in the union,,, especially in Florida,,, or the official name " land of the blue hairs",,, that had to be a peekaboo squirrel moment for sure,,, had one of those just the other day,,, in broad daylight ,,,
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Post by oldchopperguy on Jul 22, 2016 18:35:48 GMT -5
I absolutely agree on the LED strip lights! I added them to my old Chinese 150, and now to my old Kymco 250 and they have prevented several collisions.
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I put a LARGE trunk on my small Kymco... LOL! and it actually blocks the stock tail-lights from many drivers (especially tall RV's and trucks) if they are tailgating me.
The trunk has a built-in running light, but a common fake wide red light (lens only) into which I installed a strip light of white LED's connected to the brake light. I also added yellow strip LED's to the turn signals, mounting them onto the red lens. Numerous times, I've had a car/truck roaring up on me at a red light, and had them hit the brakes hard when my huge LED stop-light comes on.
Yes! LED strip-lights DO increase visibility and safety a LOT! They're inexpensive, easy to install and don't use much juice... Have a bone on The Ole Chopper Guy!Leo (lit up like Vegas on Saturday night) in Texas
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Post by JerryScript on Jul 22, 2016 23:05:06 GMT -5
I think this is an excellent topic, and great advice, which oldchopperguy has pointed out many times here. One thing everyone should be aware of is local laws regarding added lights. In most jurisdictions, there are limits on which colors you can use, and in some there are limits to where they can be mounted. Call your local DMV and/or Police Dept and find out the local rules. It would be ironic to get ticketed for trying to save your own life. And don't forget ATGATT! |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Jul 23, 2016 9:07:10 GMT -5
I think this is an excellent topic, and great advice, which oldchopperguy has pointed out many times here. One thing everyone should be aware of is local laws regarding added lights. In most jurisdictions, there are limits on which colors you can use, and in some there are limits to where they can be mounted. Call your local DMV and/or Police Dept and find out the local rules. It would be ironic to get ticketed for trying to save your own life. And don't forget ATGATT!
JerryScript,
EXCELLENT point! Have a bone!Most states DO have stringent laws concerning light height and colors. RED (facing forward) BLUE and GREEN are definite "no-nos" nearly everywhere since they are used exclusively on Fire and emergency vehicles. I often see bikes, cars AND trucks with red, green, blue, purple, etc. "halo" lights around the headlights. Also, bright color lighting underneath the vehicle. Sure, it's very common, AND usually overlooked by police since they have better things to do. HOWEVER, in this anti-cop atmosphere police are using any excuse to pull over vehicles, ESPECIALLY if driven by young males... Do they profile young guys in blingy vehicles? ABSO-FREAKIN'-LOOTLEY. And honestly, I can't blame them.
"Yeah, Bubba, I saw those pretty lights so I pulled your butt over'. NOW I'm gonna find your stash, your money, your gun and check for a green-card, AND verifiy the VIN number... And your butt is GRASS and I'M the LAWNMOWER.Last year, before the rash of cop ambushes I talked with a local officer about the weird lighting phenomenon. Even back then, he told me they absolutely "profile" vehicles with bling-lights. He said when stopping vehicles with those oddball lights, MOST of the time (like,  %) the driver is a young male (could be any race...) with a bad attitude and no I.D., and has contraband in the vehicle including narcotics, illegal firearms, stolen goods, cash (which they're happy to confiscate if over $300) etc. and about a third of the time the VEHICLE itself is stolen. I'm all for backing the police... God knows they are under major attack these days, but... Police don't exactly love bikers or performance/custom car jockeys of any genre, and it just doesn't make sense to give them a legitimate reason to check you for ticks from head to toe, TRYING to find cause to vent their pent-up frustration on you. Running prohibited lights is like giving the bird to cops. Not a good idea.
As for light HEIGHT, many states DO have requirements. I've been told my factory Kymco front turn-signals are TOO LOW to pass California vehicle code. Street-rodders are always griping about CA light-height rules against their T-buckets and Deuce coupes headlights at front axle level. Cops have a miserable, dangerous, often thankless job to do. I'm not going to give cause for one to take out his/her bad hair day on me... LOL!
 Ride safe, ride legal!Leo in Texas |
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Post by wheelbender6 on Jul 23, 2016 20:07:42 GMT -5
I agree with the idea of using the LED strips. Your single headlight, however bright, is merely another point of light to a cager pulling on to a busy road at night.
oldchopperguy has mounted auxillary lights on his scoots in quite a variety of different ways and configurations since I have been a member so he speaks from plenty first hand experience.
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Post by oldchopperguy on Jul 24, 2016 6:25:40 GMT -5
I agree with the idea of using the LED strips. Your single headlight, however bright, is merely another point of light to a cager pulling on to a busy road at night. oldchopperguy has mounted auxillary lights on his scoots in quite a variety of different ways and configurations since I have been a member so he speaks from plenty first hand experience.
Thanks for the vote of confidence! I actually HAVE probably had more than my fair share of "good luck" with LED's on scooters. I do try my best to make good solid wiring, and ensure the LED's only run when needed. In the old days, I rode Hogs with enough reserve battery and charging to light up Las Vegas... So I never worried about "too many lights" on the old Harleys. Now, SCOOTERS (especially Chinese) are known for having somewhat "minimal" electrics, requiring one to be more cautious about adding much more draw on their already marginal charging capabilities.
My first scoot, a Xingyue Eagle 150 was the "quintessential generic Chinese 150"... To make it more visible from the rear, I illuminated the wide, fake light in a "spoiler" atop the factory trunk. (Nice trunk, too). That was if I recall, an old-fashioned bulky 20-light white LED strip I glued behind the removable red lens. Wow! Did THAT grab attention when I hit the brakes. (I only connected it to the brake-light).
I also added an auxiliary headlight (25 watt I believe) which was fabulous. Run through a bridge-rectifier (because the Xingyue HEADLIGHT was AC and LED's like DC) it was literally the difference between day and night... Pun intended... I connected the bridge-rectifier through the factory bright-switch, while disconnecting the factory bright bulb filament. These LED's ran only when the brakes were applied, and/or the headlight bright activated (at night only, when needed). But I had no problem with the battery running down. On my "new" old '07 Kymco 250, I have added several LED strip lights on the trunk, both running lights, brake lights and turn signals. Probably 50 small LED's in strips, total. I must mention that I've found the old Kymco to be "over-built" from radiator hoses to wiring. It is EXTREMELY heavy-duty, which I find most comforting...
My new auxiliary HEADLIGHTS concerned me a little, as they draw 15W each (an extra 30W when lit).I now have a couple of months running them, with no apparent problems. My factory headlight runs any time the engine is running... no switch except for brights. The new LED's are connected directly to the battery via a 12 gauge hot-wire, and lit by a switched relay connected to the factory low-beams (so the LED's can't be accidentally turned on with the ignition off).
So, I have had no problems associated with extra LED lights. I have made every attempt to see that they don't run except when needed, and that may help preserve the battery (or not)... But the added visibility they provide is MORE than worth any effort involved with their installation.
Here in my town of Grapevine, TX I have seen a HUGE increase in scooters on the road this season. Yesterday it was over 100 degrees and I noticed a dozen or more scoots from 50cc to big 600cc+ all over the place, from back-streets to the highway. That is good, since other drivers are becoming more aware of our little rides. On the "downside" not ONE helmet or other protective gear seen... Every rider was wearing shorts, and no shirts (except for the gals... Phooey...)... LOL! A few were even barefoot.
Obviously a LOT of new riders who have never made intimate acquaintance with "mother asphalt"...
So my feelings about added LED's is "go for it". If your teensy battery seems to run down, remove a few, or better yet, make sure they're switched in some way so they only run at night when you need them. This is often simply a matter of running them through existing switched lights; bright headlight, stoplight and turn-signals.
For the record, all my LED's have come from eBay, from dirt-cheap Chinese sources. None have ever burned out or given trouble in 8 years.
Ride safe, light yourself up, and at least wear a helmet...Leo in Texas |
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%) the driver is a young male (could be any race...) with a bad attitude and no I.D., and has contraband in the vehicle including narcotics, illegal firearms, stolen goods, cash (which they're happy to confiscate if over $300) etc. and about a third of the time the VEHICLE itself is stolen.