Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

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Well, we're most of the way through the month, but it makes sense to say a few words about Motorcycle Safety. After all, it is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.  Interestingly, I have not heard any ads about this at all. 

Anyway, first, some stats, from the National Safety Council (NSC): 

• In the U.S. in 2016, 4,976 motorcycle riders and passengers died in crashes, and nonfatal injuries that year totaled 88,000, according to NSC Injury Facts® 2017.
  More than 40,327 people were killed in all crashes on U.S. roads in 2017, according to estimates from NSC.  
• Motorcycles make up 3% of all registered vehicles and only 0.7% of all vehicle miles traveled in the U.S., but motorcyclists accounted for 13% of all traffic fatalities in 2016
• 91% of riders who died in a motorcycle crash in 2016 were male
• 26% of riders who died in a motorcycle crash in 2016 were alcohol-impaired

So the odds against us are pretty high compared with other vehicles. 

That last item is totally preventable, though -- if you drink and ride, you are stupid and are likely to be counted in that statistic one day.  ...Let alone any damage you do to others while you are killing yourself. 


In South Carolina, you are at an even further disadvantage, because the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle-miles for all vehicle types is the highest of all 50 U.S. states at 1.89.  You can see a chart of fatalities by state here. 

This is a map from that website:

Red is highest.  Green is lowest. 

I think there are some things we who ride can do to reduce the probability of such trouble and reduce the magnitude of the trouble if there is some:

• Wear motorcycle-specific jacket, pants, boots, gloves, and helmet.  No excuses here.    
  
  Remember this about pavement and other things on and near the road: They are just as hard, whether you are dressed for it or not.
  
• Ride like you are invisible to others.  Assume that everyone else on the road doesn’t see you.  
• This one amplifies the previous point: Pay attention to what every vehicle around you is capable of doing, in addition to what it is doing. Anticipate and formulate a plan to avoid what could happen. 
• Don't ride at your skill level.  Ride under it.  Leave a little leeway between the road situation and your ability to handle it.  And remember that your confidence as a rider increases faster than your skills.  
• Practice swerves, threshold braking and other maneuvers.  
• Install a headlight modulator.  It used to be that only motorcycles and military convoys used their headlights in the daylight.  That made them stand out.  Nowadays, many vehicles have daytime running lights, so a motorcycle can get lost in the glare.  I recommend a modulator to restore some of the contrast. 
• Wear fluorescent gear.  It might look a little dorky, but it certainly helps you stand out amongst the crowd on the road.  Here is a photograph from the start of a rainy, day-long ride: 
  
  

  

  Rally to Ridgecrest, Memorial Day weekend, 2011.

There is something you can do with your family to help prevent future accidents where other motorists fail to see you on the bike.  This one comes from another blogger, Borepatch:

And the same thing related to bicycles:

On the lighthearted side, this Allstate Insurance magazine ad:

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See you on the road, safe and sound, I hope!
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Droopy Rear Turn Signal Fix for Kawasaki Ninja 650R

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If you own a 2006 through 2008 Kawasaki Ninja 650R, then you are probably wondering what to do about the rear turn signals -- or as the Brits would say -- indicators. 

If you don't own one of these bikes, here is what happens: 

See the right signal hanging down?  Droopy, I'd say. 

The reason why they fail is that they are made with a rubber piece so that they have some flexibility and don't get broken off by a careless boot when mounting, or when they get crowded by a set of side bags,

or when you have a minor tipover. 

That rubber piece deteriorates with age and sunlight until it becomes cracked and broken.  ...and you can't buy the rubber piece by itself.  You have to buy the whole assembly. 

I have fixed mine using Dap 18384 Flexi-Clear Elastomeric Sealant (UPC code: 70798 18376),

along with a stiff wire covered in rubber tubing to support the lamp from the side reflector. 

Rubber-covered wire beneath signal lamp,
supported from reflector mount.

Underside of fender view.
The wire support has a loop that wraps around
the screw and under the nut on the back of the reflector.

Be sure to apply the sealant into the cracks and then smear some on the outside to smooth out the cracks.  It is very messy, but solvent removes it from your hands. 

This holds up fairly well, is inconspicuous, and is very inexpensive. 

If your signals are in much worse shape, then an alternative is needed.  New signals cost about $70 each. 

Eek! 

I have been unable to find a set of used ones that are in any better shape than mine, and I won't spend that kind of money to get new ones. 

You can buy a set of Chinese LED lights that look almost like the originals, but since the originals are incandescent, you do have to install a different flasher or install parallel resistors to make the lamps flash at the correct rate with this option.  It is also not certain that those meet DOT light output requirements. 

Most of the other cheap aftermarket LED signals are very weak and almost invisible in daylight. 

You could also install an integrated LED tail/stop/turn signal.  The disadvantage is the flasher replacement issue above and the fact that the separation distance between the tail light and the signal does not meet DOT requirements.  In other words, a following driver may not be able to distinguish the brake light from a turn signal because they are so close together. 

One other solution that looks factory is to replace the signals with some from a later year bike.  The ones for the 2009-2011 are a different shape, and have a different rubber piece, but they fit the same opening and use the same mounting hardware and electrical sockets. ...and you can be sure that they meet all DOT visibility requirements. 

Here are some pictures for comparison:

2006-2008 signal showing mounting hardware.

Top, 2009-2011.
Bottom, 2006-2008.

2009-2011 signal shown mounted on 2006-2008 rear fender flap.

The later year rubber piece is of a different design, it does not appear to deteriorate as fast as the older design, and it fits the openings in the rear fender flap properly.  You can find them used for a fairly low price (certainly well under the $70 each retail price new). 

I bought my set on ebay from seller mxnmama (Sooner State Cycle in Tulsa, OK) for $4.90 + $5.00 shipping each. 

Here is a rundown of part numbers and current retail prices to help you find what you need:

2006-2008 

• 23037
  LAMP-ASSY-SIGNAL,RR,LH
  23037-0077
  $69.78
• 23037A
  LAMP-ASSY-SIGNAL,RR,RH
  23037-0078
  $69.78

2009-2011 

• 23037
  LAMP-ASSY-SIGNAL,RR,LH
  23037-0235 (was 23037-0161)
  $69.85
• 23037A
  LAMP-ASSY-SIGNAL,RR,RH
  23037-0236 (was 23037-0162)
  $69.85

Mounting Hardware for either 2006-2008 or 2009-2011 (one of each part number required for each signal.)

• 92200
  WASHER,SIGNAL LAMP
  92200-0164
  $2.32
• 92200A
  WASHER,SIGNAL LAMP
  92200-0165
  $2.32 
• 224
  SCREW-PAN-WP-CROS,4X8
  224AB0408
  $2.48

Here is an exploded 2009-2011 parts diagram:

OK, so now you have no excuse to run around with those droopy turn signals.  

See you on the road soon!  I'll signal 'ya.  

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Flashy, Flashy, Kerflooey! ...and Fixed

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Back in 2015 I wrote about having installed a Comagination brand headlight modulator on my Ninja 650R shortly after I bought it in late 2007. It has probably protected me from some vehicles that would otherwise not have seen me coming if it had not been for the flashing of the high-beam headlight.  In other words, my conspicuity is higher with the modulator than without. 

How much higher?  Nobody knows, but I have seen several drivers who looked as though they were about to start out or turn in front of me, and who then did not after all.  That might be because of the modulator. 

On my bike, the low-beam stays on whenever the engine is running, so there is not only a constant light but the modulating light as well when it is light outside.

The other day, I had occasion to go riding and went through a tunnel.  The modulation is supposed to stop when in a tunnel or when it gets dark.  This is so you can have the high beam on continuously to see by its wider pattern of light.  The unit knows when it is dark by way of a photo sensor that points to the sky. 

I did some diagnosis, trying to figure out what had gone wrong.  The most likely failure was a faulty photo sensor or its wiring.  I examined the sensor closely, and removed the potting material around it.  I resoldered the wires running to it, and I substituted a potentiometer for the sensor to try to cause the unit to stop modulating. 

Nothing worked to stop the modulation.

Since the modulator is potted in a plastic shell, there was no way to do any diagnosis inside.  That meant that if I rode at night or went through a tunnel, I would have to use the low beam only to turn off the modulation. 

That is not a good idea, because there are times when the added light of the high beam is necessary. 

I decided to replace the unit complete.  So into the trash can it went:

After some research online, and visiting the Comagination website that doesn't work any more, I found that they are likely out of business.  I researched other brands on webBikeWorld and decided that Kisan might be a good alternative. 

The Kisan P75-W would work, is easy to install, and costs $69.95.  Another one that would work is the P115W-H3 at $109.95.  I wanted to pay less. The old one was $55.98. 

So I looked at Amazon and ebay.  I found an open box Kisan pathBlazer P115W-H3 Z option for use with BMW CAN-bus motorcycles for $50 with free shipping from ebay seller rwbmwparts (BMW Motorcycles of Seattle).  The Z option doesn't prevent its use on other electrical systems, so I placed my Buy-It-Now order.  It came in a few days, and was as described.  

Essentially, you wire it in series with the hot wire leading to the bulb you want to modulate -- in my case the high beam -- and connect the ground wire.  I tidied up the wiring with some wire ties, and Velcroed the module to the back of the meter bracket.

The photo sensor must point upwards at the sky.  It is about 3/8" diameter, so it is not easy to hide.  You can wire tie it to something, but that didn't look very good.  I settled on positioning it through the meter cowling under and near the base of the windscreen.  Since the meter cowling slopes downward toward the front, I made an angled adapter out of an aluminum bushing so the sensor would point upward, then used silicone to hold it in place.  

Cockpit view.

Still a little dusty from the drilling.

The sensor is not obtrusive, and works fine under the slightly tinted windscreen.  The sensor cable plugs into the module. 
 
The sensitivity of the photo sensor is adjustable.  You turn on the high beams three times in rapid succession when the light conditions are such that you want the light to begin modulating. 

Reminds me of clicking these things together three times to get your wish: 

There is a problem with this method of changing the light sensitivity, however.  The modulator sometimes begins the programming mode when you start the bike due to changing voltage going to the headlight.  This happens even on my Ninja that does not turn on the headlight until it senses that the engine is running.  Kisan recommends that you only start the engine with the high beam turned off.  That certainly works, but I am forgetful and don't do that or I forget to turn it back onto high beam so the modulation works. 

Fortunately, the unit is easy to set back to the as-received sensitivity, but it would have been better if the circuit designers had built in a delay so the programming mode is not initiated so easily.

So, I am back to a working headlight modulator again -- day or night, it now works right. 

Flashy, Flashy! 

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Don't Hit It, Unless You Can Eat It All....

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Well, that's an odd title for a posting. 

I am not suggesting that you eat anything you hit when out riding the scooter. 

Nor am I advocating that you try to hit anything that happens to be on the road.  I'm afraid that PETA or some other bleeding heart group would come after me if I did. 

I'll explain further in a bit. 

What brought this strange topic to mind was a trip I took the other day, where a stray dog was standing on the road.  Confused as he could be, he was not sure where to turn. 

Here he is:

After slowing way down and blowing the horn at him a lot, he ran off. 

A closer look:

He is not long for this world, I'm afraid, if he stays around here. 


That got me to thinking.  What if I had hit him?  He is probably an 80 or 90 pound animal.  My bike, with me on it, weighs about 620 pounds.  He would make quite an impact if I hit him.  I am sure I would fall if I did, and I'll bet the bike would be heavily damaged both by the impact with the animal and with the road. 

...and that doesn't count what might happen to Bucky. 

So, what size isn't too big to cause major trouble if we collided? 

Let's go down the list and see if we can figure this out. 

I once ran across this horse wandering on the road, along with a pretty big dog. 

See: Stuff in the Road

Both are too big to survive tangling with on two wheels. 

This deer is also too big, even though she is a small one as deer go in this area:

See: Oh, Deer

What about this group?:

See: Got My Goat

Too big, and there being several of them together would make them hard to miss. 

Do you see the cow on the right there? 

It looks as though he is getting ready to sprint out into the street.  (Actually, he is a yard ornament in the city of Brevard, NC. ) 

Nevertheless, he is too big.  

How about this rabbit?:

You might be able to stay up if you hit him.  ...but it would be best of it were not while leaning into a curve. 

Same with this guy:

I can't tell you how many of these I have run over in the car because of their indecisiveness.  They seem to change their minds right when they have escaped being crushed. 

Yea, that's about right, I'd say.  I wish they would take decision-making classes or something. You'd think the indecisive ones would already be wiped out.  Maybe they are all that way. 

This is a slippery one:

See: Stuff in the Road

A tortoise (not a turtle).  Stay away. 

This?:

See: Pavement Surfaces and Other Things to Watch Out For

Possibly. 

So what is the decision point?  How big is too big? 

One rule of thumb I have heard,
but not tested,
is that if it is too big to eat in one sitting,
avoid hitting it.  

Your results may vary.  ...and it depends on your lean angle, your machine, your tires, your speed, and whether you manage to hit whatever it is squarely or a glancing blow. 

Lots of "depends ons". 

That rule of thumb might work for all but the tortoise.  I believe I could eat one of those in one sitting, but it sure would be quite a lump to run over.  I think I will avoid it. 


Best not to hit any of these varmints, actually. 


Instead, learn to brake heavily and swerve smartly (but not both at the same time, please).  ...and practice those moves frequently. 


There are a few other live road hazards I have experience with. 

One like this got me about four years ago: 

See: Big Bird

I avoided several of his associates who were dining on some road kill, but this one flew right into my face shield as he flew away.  Good thing I has wearing that protective gear.  (I always do, by the way.) 

What about these varmints?:

See: Stuff in the Road

...or this one?:

Especially if he is running in the middle of the road, or not facing traffic.

Some of them seem to willfully make it hard to avoid them.  ...and they have lawyers, I'm told. 

I've seen a lot of these, too:

See: Smooth

Coming and going at high speeds, some more careful than others, and some easier to avoid than others. 

They're too big, and can cause you lots of other trouble. 


So let's run down the list, and whether it is likely to be OK if you hit one:

• Rabbit - OK
• Squirrel - OK
• Bird - OK (if small enough to eat in one sitting)
• Snake - OK
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• Dog - not OK
• Goat - not OK
• Deer - not OK
• Horse - not OK
• Cow - not OK 
• Tortoise - not OK (usually small enough, but hard and slippery)
• Man - not OK
• Bicyclists - not OK
• Motorcyclists - not OK

Well, it looks as though the list is pretty long of things that you should avoid hitting.  That's a good policy. 


What about you?  What animals have you encountered on the road...and what was the result? 

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Flashy, Flashy

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No, no, not Will Smith's Men in Black flashy thing.

Let's talk about something else first.


Not long after I bought my Ninja 650R, I added a couple of things to it that I thought were expedient.

One thing I added was a set of frame-mounted sliders.  These are the type that were available from Kawasaki.

The slider is the round black object protruding through the bottom of the cooling air vent.
Photo taken four days after bike purchase.

The sliders have helped prevent damage to the pretty -- and expensive -- plastic cowlings several times.  Most of these times were low or no-speed tipovers when making a sharp U-turn or when balancing the bike where there is gravel or where there is a major slope to the road.


OK, now, let's talk about flashy, flashy.


The other thing I added was a headlight modulator to make the bike more conspicuous to oncoming traffic.  The Ninja has two headlights.  The low beam is on all the time, and the high beam comes on in addition to the low beam, when extra light is needed.

I bought a Comagination VisiPath sS115H7, available now for $55.98.  The unit comes with connector plugs that are supposed to go between the wiring harness and the bike's H7 headlight bulb terminals.  The Ninja has a headlight bulb adapter, however, so the plug won't mate up as intended.  Instead, the ground female spade connector had to be removed from within the connector plug on the bulb modulator so the two female spade terminals can slide onto the wider spacing of the adapter on the bike.

Like this:

The cylindrical electronics housing is about 1-3/8" diameter by 5/8" high.

Photo shows H4 bulb connector.

It will fit easily on most bikes.  I wire tied mine to some other wiring so it doesn't flop around.  

You can connect the modulator to either the low or high beam, but not both at the same time.  (There are other models that allow you to connect two bulbs to one modulator.)

I connected the high beam lamp to it.  Now, the low beam comes on as usual, and when I turn on the high beam, it modulates.  The modulated lamp is varied between 18 and 100% brightness at about 4 times per second.  It works only with incandescent bulbs, halogen, and xenon, not with HID.

One more thing is needed to make the device functional.  There is a photocell that is mounted so it can see daylight.  I found a place between the instruments and windshield. 

Here: 

The purpose of this is so the high beam does not modulate at night or when in a dark place like a garage or tunnel. 

[So, does the modulator have any effect, Bucky?  Does it ward off mishaps?]

Take a look at this video: 

Taken from a YouTube video by HuachucaGuy of a Bergman scooter with modulator.

(It sounds like he breaks the sound barrier just as he passes the camera.)

His original video is here.

What do you think?  Does it help make the bike more visible? 

There are a couple of differences between his setup and mine.  My bike has one headlight that is always on low beam.  The other headlight is high beam only and comes on in addition to the low beam and modulates.  His bike has two dual element headlights, and he modulates both headlights on high beam.  (Try as I might, I could not get my video camera to clearly show the modulation.  Thus, the borrowed video above.) 

There is no way to tell for sure whether the modulating headlight has prevented any mishaps.  I can tell you, though, that there have been many instances where a vehicle has begun to pull out, but stopped short and waited for me to pass.  I suspect that this is mostly because of the modulator setup.

If it has helped avoid even one crash or near miss, then the unit is worth its weight in gold.  But, I still ride as though no one can see me, always on the lookout for danger. 

There is an occasional side effect that I need to tell you about.  When I am following someone, and modulator is on, the driver of the car I am following sometimes seems to be seeking out a place to pull off the road.  This could be because the modulating light is annoying.  (It may be, so I usually turn it off when I am following a car closely.)   The other possibility is that they think I am John Law.  I think this is a distinct possibility.  Some drivers have actually pulled over and stopped.

I'm sure they are relieved that they weren't being stopped for some traffic violation. 

Though I have replaced the low beam lamp several times in the last 50,000 miles, I have yet to replace the high beam.  I ride with the modulator on almost all the time, so the modulator doesn't seem to reduce bulb life at all.  In fact, it may extend it, because the modulator uses electronic switching so it is a soft ramping up and down in brightness rather than an abrupt on/off. 



Comagination also sells a brake light modulator that flashes the brake light a few times, then makes it come on constantly.  I had purchased one of these, but it has a characteristic that I think is detrimental.  It delays the illumination of the brake lamp for a fraction of a second before it begins to flash.  This reduces the reaction time a following driver has when you put on the brakes.  I removed that modulator and, instead, added an LED auxiliary brake lamp beneath the license place.  The LED lights faster than the incandescent bulb, so it provides a larger margin of reaction time to the driver behind.

 

Safety first! 


So, what's your take on the headlight flashy, flashy thing?   Is it beneficial, like Will Smith's?  Better than his?  

Additional info:

Here is a video that shows how the photocell turns off modulation when you enter a tunnel, garage, or when it gets dark. 

Here is an update on the modulator I installed.
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