My friend has a knightrider-like LED chaser for his 3rd brake light on an eclipse, and I was wondering if it would be something we could do with the MINI's since the 3rd brake light is already LED's. It looks like there are 12 LED's in the light, so a circuit with the ability to drive 12 LED's would work perfect. Something that started the chasing at a high speed once power is applied.

Any ideas? Think it would just be annoying?

EDIT - This would work, but instead of the LED's, you would run wires to the individual LED's of the brake light. http://www.voti.nl/kitt-1/

 

Not sure if this is what you are talking about, but they make a pulsar.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=77381

-Cody

 

yeah i saw the pulsar, and that sort of gave me the idea again for the chaser. The chaser basically does the knightrider thing when the brake is depressed. hehe

 

Just my $0.02 but things that make lights do things they aren't supposed to are annoying to some to the point of bringing out road rage.

For me personally I just think extra flashing lights are a bit obnoxious and sometimes will let the driver know it. For example, the latest trend in motorcycles is a flashing headlight. Riding on a road with some twit in a motorcycle behind me flashing me constantly is beyond annoying. One guy in a crotch rocket was following me with his headlight flashing away. After 3 miles of this I was really tired of it so I decided to let him know exactly how annoying it was. I turned on my flashers and then started tapping my brake pedal in a different time so he got two sets of lights flashing out of synch back at him. He got the hint and turned off his flashy headlights, and I stopped flashing him.

You might also want to check and see if such a mod is legal, since the brake light is a safety device. You might either have the cops on you, or you might not pass your state's safety inspection (if you have them).

That being said, if you could rig up an extra light in your supercharger vent and hook it up, a la knight rider, that might be cool for shows or get togethers.

 

As a long long time motorcycle rider... This pretty much yanks my chain. Most motorcycles don't in fact have flashing headlights but rather have stiff enough suspension that the headlight will flash in and out of your visual range when the suspension starts hopping. I for one get angry and bothered / scared when some one in a car does ANYTHING around me other then drive normally when I am on my bike, regardless of the situation.

You sit comfortably behind 1ton of metal while I sit vulnerable on 400lbs and an engine being kept up by gyroscopes. I know this was just an example you used and I do agree that anything other then intended use for the street is not smart at all, however think twice before you play with the lives of cycle riders.

erik

 

Look at this site. A few of us in Michigan have installed these on our MINIs

http://www.comagination.com/bflasher.htm

 

prime, this is not the suspension making the headlight flash; please, I know the difference. This is a relay that alternates the high and low beams and is highly distracting, and the motorcycle that was TAILGATING me figured it out quick enough and turned the bloody thing off. The road conditions didn't change; just the obnoxious flashing in my rear view mirror. I did nothing to endanger this rider; just gave him a taste of exactly how obnoxious flashing lights can be when one is trying to concentrate on ones driving; nothing more.

I have no issue with bikers in general. Many of my friends and relatives have them and I ride with them often, so I know what you are talking about as far as safety and vulnerability. They drive with courtesy and obey traffic laws and definitely do not do things to deliberately endanger themselves.

Just so you know, I do give bikers a wide berth, don't tailgate and give them a bit of extra space in general. But that courtesy stops when they drive like jerks. Weaving in and out of traffic going 100 mph during rushhour, tailgating, doing wheelies and violating other traffic laws because they're small, quick and can most likely outrun the cops; things like that yank my chain and any sympathy for them and the danger they put themselves in quickly evapourates.

It works both ways. Cheers!

 

Amen!!

 

Many motorcyclists report that the modulated (its slower then a real on off flash) headlight/taillight makes a big difference in people noticing them or not, so annoying to you or not it serves a purpose and could mean the difference between being safe or hit. If it really bugs you get over and let him pass or something.

(In a bizzare twist of fate, while I was posting this I got a call about someone being hit on a bike, he does not have the modulated lights and who knows, maybe it would have helped...)


With regards to the Mini "chaser", check with your local laws befreo doing anything, you never know. Plus you may want to look at motorcycle related items and LEDs, perhaps they can be modified if you are really keen on it.

 

Well said! In most instances like this (including the knucklehead riding your rear bumper in his Honda Civic with speed equipment decals which he thinks makes it faster!) the best thing is to pull over and let him go by.

 

good friendly discussion

I usually hang out with the ducati owners club and most of us are more of the oldschool gang that wouldn't ever put flashing headlights on our bikes. If we need to be noticed we either do it by showing some one a taillights miles in the distance or nail the breaks and find a new road.

I meant all due respect by my post and hope you didn't take offence to it (it doesn't seem like you did) I'm just a heavy advocate of making sure people understand the dynamic of being on a motorcycle and the insanly dangerous things that can and do happen. It sounds like you know exactly what I am talking about so, Cheers glad we are on the same page.

As far as getting noticed. The flashing light would work but it almost seems like so much of a distraction from the road that it could be detrimental in either case. Maybe the rear fog light would be a better happy medium in this case?

erik

 

Ironically that is exactly the last place I read of people advocating it, on a Duc forum People who have it swear by it, others don't like it, as always there are different opinions about things.

Intersections is where most fatalities occur as far as I know (people turning in front of bikes) and the modulation seems to really help there, as well as seeming to catch people's eye/peripheral vision in other circumstances (ie, lots of bikes get rear ended or sideswiped) - so alternatives or speeding away is not always an option, particularly in the city. I was actually considering trying it myself, better safe then sorry as they say.

 

Prime, no offence taken.