headlight modulators

I'm sure it's been addressed here before, but are these things legal in
California? I think they weren't a while ago, but haven't kept up. I'd
get 'em if they were.

tia,
barb

 

yes, they are legal, federal regulations trump state rules in this case.
AFAIK, they've always been legal here. I don't doubt some hick county
coppers will try and rag your ass over them, so its not a bad idea to
carry a copy of the regulations under your seat or whatever.

here,
http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcycle-technical-articles/Modulator-regs.htm

 

I took mine off the SV. I found it was just confusing too many drivers.
I had one woman get out of her car and tell me my headlight was
flashing, others think you are 'flashing' them to go ahead and pull out
or turn in front of you.

 

Maybe I've just encountered the really dumb ones.

 

How would a county cop cite you for something not in the CVC?
Seriously, I dunno.

 

LOL...did you miss out on all those really bad '50s motorcycle movies?
In them we learn that a family in a station wagon can be terrorized by
chain-flailing bikers. "Daddy, why don't you just turn the wheel and run
over them?"
tee-hee
barb

 

At least they're seeing you. That's what really counts.

I've had people pull off the road, thinking that I was an emergency
services vehicle. I've also had cars stop in the middle of the road.

Twice in the last month, people have yelled from their cars at a light
to let me know that my headlight was flashing. I've hollered back that
it's supposed to.

When lane splitting, I think cars are more inclined to pull over and let
me pass than not.

Despite the confusion that it causes for some drivers, I still think
that it's a net possitive situation.

-B

 

Not if, as one poster suggested, they think it means you're going to
turn. I'm not a fan of driver confusion - it makes them far less
predictable.

What does it do to bulb life? I played around with higher wattage 55/100s
but found the experience to be a net negative because they burned out
far more often, leaving me driving with my parking lights for 50 miles
per event.

 

They're legal by Federal law. I don't believe state or county can
make them illegal.

 

Just because something is permitted by federal law doesn't mean that
states, counties or municipatlies cannot ban it. E.g. prostitution is
permitted by the feds ('cuz it's allowed in NV) but banned by most states.

 

The headlight modulator never turns the headlights compleatly off and
the response time of the tungsten filament is very much slower than the
rise time of the flash. This would prevent the headlight flashing from
activating the light switch.

Paul

 

Any cop wanting to give a biker grief could find a better excuse than a
headlight modulator. I'd be surprised if there is a cop who issues
traffic tickets but does not know about headlight modulators.

On an aside - My R1100GS' headlight shakes when I'm blasting down the
freeway (yeah, I need to tighten that brace)... it's very noticeable at
night so cars frequently pull out of my way. I've ridden behind CHP
cruisers and none of them have hassled me (and the shaking headlight
caused the reflective CHP text on the trunk to flash "on and off" so it
must have been noticeable to the LEO)

 

No doubt.

My SV does this and everything is tight.

 

Heh...so really, all I have to do is loosen my headlight? Wow, I'll save
some money that way! <G>

barb

 

It just so happens, I have one available if you want. Half off sale just
for you, $45 takes it.

 

until?? they are specifically allowed in the california vehicle code,
*AND* in the federal codes. what more do you want?

 

Heh...a lot of our lights here are synchronized downtown. All it takes
to make all the green lights is adjusting your speed. There might be an
appearance of a "trigger" there, but it has no more relation to reality
than thinking you've triggered them with your secret mental abilities.

Since there's no evidence of those, however, you're not likely to get
pulled over for using them, unlike modulators. I'm pretty sure that any
cop with half a brain can tell the difference between a strobe light and
a headlight modulator, though.

Right? RIGHT?
heh...
barb

 

Those traffic control units are made by 3M and are called Opticom. The
flash rate is very high (in the 8-14 flashes per second range)- an
incandescent lamp doesn't stand a chance of triggering them (and is why they
use strobes). The flash is so specific- they actually can ID the emitting
vehicle by it's signature rate (each emitter's rate is known and unique).

There are two levels of emitters; high and low (go figure); High for
emergency vehicles and Low for transit busses. They differ so that if they
are both approaching an intersection, the emergency vehicle gets the green
over the buss. On a similar note, the new(est) CHP cars now have Opticom
emitters on the push bumpers- first time in their history.

There are a couple other brands and other technologies that do the same
thing, but Opticom is the big dog for that product.

 

I may as well repeat what I heard (but can't prove), because I don't
have a copy of the NRS (Nevada Revised Statutes) sitting on my desk.

I had always heard that prostitution was permitted only in a few
counties of Nevada (Storey, Lyon, others outside big cities).

However, while I was on an informal walking tour of three of the (ahem)
"houses" in downtown Elko, the Executive Director of the Elko Convention
and Visitor Authority told us that prostitution is allowed in all Nevada
counties except Clark County (Las Vegas) & Washoe County (Reno/Sparks).

Oh, yes, let's get back to the question at hand.

Headlight modulators are permitted under the California Vehicle Code but
only one lamp can be modulated. I've seen motorcycles in other states
that modulate two lamps and have two more lamps on steady. That's not
legal here.

I don't have headlight modulators but they certainly are attention
getting.

Note: as was already pointed out, headlight modulators are different
from strobe lights that some public safety agencies use to _keep_ lights
green (when they're already green), so that they can get through the
intersection.

The agencies with which I am familiar are using a new radio-based system
that is more difficult for the average schmoe to screw with.


Dave

1996 FLHR-I Road King
1992 CB750 Nighthawk

BS#146, DOF # 181, NEWT#4, KOTOR#1, SENS, EKR 2003

EK III page - - - - http://eddiekieger.com/
r.m.h FAQ - - - - - http://rmhfaq.com/
r.m.h parking lot - http://the.rmhparkinglot.com/

 

Rereading the statute, I suppose it could be interpreted that any headlight
(and if there are two on a bike, both) can be modulated.
I'm not sure if "A headlight on a motorcycle can be wired" limits to a
single headlight, or refers to "each" headlight. As in "this is A
headlight" and "this is also A headlight" < s >