Admore Mini Light Bar: Be seen, be safe

I have completed my next "Please Don't Hit Me" feature on my Swing.

Attached and wired up Admore Mini Light Bar and it worked on first try!

Next is putting on front spots.  GoonerKev answered a pm with great instructions.

Happy to have so much info on this forum.  Many thanks to those who have shared their fantastic talents!

Be "SEEN", Be "SAFE"

Yes that seems a good idea, then you visit a European country like Italy where there's scooters everywhere. I was there on the Amalfi Coast last month and it was teeming with mainly big wheel scooters. In fact as you neared the main resort towns they lined the roads for about half a mile.

The thing I notice on every visit to Italy is despite the manic Italian riding style, everything on the scooters is bog standard.  They're not lit up like Christmas trees, there's no Admore light bars, pulsing headlight modulators, fitting freight train horns, or LED spotlights. The riders aren't ATGATT or dressed in hi-vis vests, it's their normal clothes, open face helmets, and often no gloves.

Here at home, I'm getting into textile riding pants or reinforced jeans with knee and hip protectors, a variety of textile jackets, lined, unlined, or vented. Complete with shoulder and elbow protectors, and a vented back protector. In hot weather that large surface area of back can't breathe properly so I can get hot and uncomfortable, so I now wear a dry cooling vest. Then there's the usual Buff, boots, fitting custom made ear plugs before I put on my usual open face helmet, then finally gloves before I set off.

I'll often wear a hi-vis red or yellow vest over my jacket, which is really just for effect and possible insurance claims, as hi-vis gear is worn everywhere these days.

(I wear my now getting scruffy circa 2000 hi-vis orange German refuse collectors outfit when I go voluntary litter picking round my local area. I've been stopped on a few occasions by curious strangers assuming I'm a convicted offender doing community service, and asking what my offence was.)

So overheating with all this gear on,  I get on my Forza with it's full LED lights including big bright 'eyebrow' layers above the headlight array, and those big amber LED lit running lights in the mirrors. So however visible I am to others, and wearing protective riding gear, it's only part of the game.

As soon as I set off I get into the mindset that every other road user is a complete moronic dickhead and a danger to me. In fact having that mindset and attitude is more important to my personal safety than bright lights, bolt on gadgets, and hi-vis clothing.

Meldrew

As soon as I set off I get into the mindset that every other road user is a complete moronic dickhead and a danger to me. In fact having that mindset and attitude is more important to personal safety than bright lights, bolt on gadgets, and hi-vis clothing. wrote:

I agree, that thinking that every "Road User" is a "Complete Moronic Dickhead". But as I mentioned earlier.......
BE SEEN, BE SAFE

Yes you did mention

GoonerKev wrote:

BE SEEN, BE SAFE

However visible you think you are, it still won't prevent you from being clattered by a car driver who's distracted, tired, on drink, drugs, chatting on their phones, uninsured, pissed off as they're late for somewhere, or driving like a tool.

Neither will it stop a driver suddenly braking in front of you, cutting in front of that safe distance you've kept from the vehicle in front of you. Turning into your path without indicating, suddenly pulling out of a line of traffic when you're filtering, showering you with road chippings by ignoring speed limits on newly resurfaced roads, and any other number of reasons.

You're kidding yourself if you think otherwise.

So are you saying it's not worth putting extra lights, Hi viz jackets, Hi viz stickers on then and were all doomed !!!
May as well walk then

Nice to be seen----but paying attention/good riding skills much better way to stay alive.

Exactly John

I'm not saying that at all, I wear a hi-vis vest a lot of the time, my rain suit jacket is hi-vis, I have reflective patches on most of my riding gear and my helmets. The lights automatically come on when I start my scooter, but I hardly stand out when every other approaching new car also has LED running lights, and even the postmen, grocery delivery drivers, and even someone walking their dog are are all wearing hi-vis vests.

Personally I've hardly ever felt the need for extra lights, that trend probably started with fitting them to big adventure bikes as another expensive extra. All very well if you're on a RTW trip in some Third World country, but savvy riders wouldn't be riding at night anyway.

When I thought my Silver Wing's headlights were no longer up to it on a pitch black ride over the Pennines from Cumbria to York in freezing weather a couple of years ago, I simply updated the OE bulbs and to Osram Night Breakers a few days later and it sorted that problem out. The fact that I was familiar with working in the restricted space behind the headlight reflector made changing the bulbs a doddle.

I think nice to be seen----my Aerrostich Darien jacket is yellow and has reflective tape......but much better to concentrate on riding skill/ avoiding skills than lights that might bother people/or screw up electric system of bike.

Paying attention/avoiding idiots/good riding skills has worked for me for the last 64 years and over 1.5 million 2 wheeled miles. I have lived/ridden on Italy/Asia/Germany and seldom did I see bikes with extra lights

I have realised lately that the vast majority of UK car drivers are very considerate towards bikers. I get frustrated when the line of traffic may be moving at just 40mph or so, and I find myself needing to overtake them in order to get to a more 'sociable' speed, say 50mph.

On reflection this makes for safer motoring and riding. Most motorists (including me when driving the car) will move over to allow bikes to pass which reassures me that they have seen me. Of course, cars pulling out on you or cutting you up is scary and I don't think more visibility will help. I sometimes ride with my headlight on 'full beam' in bright sunshine.

Better visibility can only be a good thing but mostly it's down to us watch out for the 'deadheads'.

BTW, I understand that in Germany car drivers will open their door to stop bikers passing them in slow moving or stopped traffic...sheer lunacy!

Yes, some drivers will do that in those mysterious long autobahn tailbacks that are often a few miles long. Or if they see you coming they'll move out of their lane to narrow the gap when you're trying to move past lines of static traffic. I don't think it's malicious, more like filtering is illegal on autobahns and it's to stop you doing it.

Whatever it is, I just copy what German riders in these tailbacks, just rather more cautiously.

Loosebearing wrote:

I sometimes ride with my headlight on 'full beam' in bright sunshine.

Which falls into the offence catagory of .. inconsiderate driving .. if a policeman happens to see you, but more importantly takes you into being one of the 'deadheads' you mention.

Have a read on the subject of target fixation bud :Happy Holiday:

On the other hand...I've noticed that the French drivers actually move over to create a 'passing lane' for bikes. Incidently, this is what I found on Google...

'Not only is it legal in Europe, but it is expected of you in most places. Only Germany has restrictive legislation when it comes to motorcycle lane splitting; you may filter (that is, move past traffic which is at a standstill) but not split when traffic is moving'.

Target fixation is an interesting human behaviour which I suspect we've all been afflicted with on occasion.

As I said, making yourself more visible can only be a good thing. If I was going to install daytime riding lights I would like to somehow fair them into the SW tupperware...wouldn't that be cool?

So what's wrong with the stacked OE headlight, and those two pilot lights above it? How much more light do you need to kid yourself you're a beacon of visibility to other road users.

Not so long ago the fad was riders buying HID light set ups off eBay 'to make them selves more visible'. Effectively by pissing off oncoming traffic by dazzling them. Before that, it was fitting very high powered 'not for road use' halogen bulbs. It didn't matter who got their corneas seared, were dazzled and had their night vision ruined by these selfish riders, they couldn't care less because they were making themselves more visible.

Other riders kid themselves the same way that 'loud pipes save lives'.

The car driver equivalent of making themselves more visible is fitting and using powerful and unnecessary rally spotlights, switching on high intensity rear fog lights at night time in clear conditions, and keeping the rear brake lights on when stopped at traffic lights. But hey, they're playing the visibility card and someone might run into the back of them.

Even some hardcore commuter cyclists fit high intensity LED lights for winter riding. Instead of lighting the road up ahead, they have an intense beam of light on top of their handlebars more or less aimed into the eyes of any oncoming drivers. It's annoying, but they only bought them to themselves more visible.

I agree. 12v 55 or 65w filament bulbs have always been adequate. Fairing in additional day riding lights was just a cosmetic idea which would also make them easier to keep clean and maintain the clean lines of the SW which i like so much.

Well you can replace the 12v 5w pilot bulbs either side of the headlight with brighter LED bulbs. There must now be brighter and more reliable versions of the early short lived and useless LED ones I fitted years ago.

I was just thinking how useless the pilot bulbs in the sidelights were. I'll check out the latest LEDs. Hadn't thought of that...derrr!

I have the more powerful LED polot bulbs I fitted and it helped a great deal when on a dark stretch of road when my headlight fuse blew......(F**K) they were bright enough to get me to a lighted bit of road where i could inspect and changed the fuse.

Just my two cents worth, but the most impressive item that ever got my attention was the modulated headlight that Meldrew spoke of... I experienced it firsthand while in my car and was about to make a right hand turn onto a main drag... Upon looking back to my left I was immediately drawn to that motorcycle's flashing headlight. Maybe it was because I'd never seen one before, but I was definitely impressed by it and the way it grabbed my attention. Do I have one now?? No, but am still seriously considering one.

It's always summer in South Florida and blazing hot/humid from May to September, so ATGATT is a non-starter. A pair of loose shorts is MUCH better. You can splay your legs and catch an oh-so-refreshing breeze in your nether-region.

I view every car I encounter as the one that might change lanes without warning or stop on a dime or cut in front of me to make a turn. That's especially true in a state where 25% of the population is over 65. I swear old (really old) drivers are more dangerous than teens. They move more slowly but they are far more likely to do totally random, nonsensical, unexpected maneuvers.

Lane-splitting/filtering is illegal but I do it constantly at red lights, cruising slowly between cars or on the shoulder to walk the Wing into the #1 position. When the light changes, I'm gone before the driver behind me hits the gas pedal. That means I spend the majority of my riding time on open road with no cars anywhere near me ... until the next intersection, of course.

There is nothing wrong with making oneself more visible on a motorcycle; whether it is with extra lighting ( as per current transport regs) or with hi-viz clothing. As for ATGATT, I can attest to the effectiveness of full protective gear. There are mesh protective garments that provide plenty ventilation.
My accident was caused by a craftsman at the wheel of a crew cab pulling a works trailer loaded with tools and kitchen cabinets. He had forgotten something in town and was pulling an illegal u-turn on an off-ramp. He was very deliberate: slowed down and pulled right. I thought: how considerate, he's letting traffic by ! And as I am level with the trailer, he pulls a hard left and I have nowhere to go except into the crewcab window. I was behind him in his mirror for about 2 kms. Behind me was a long line of cars.
No amount of extra lights would have helped. I was in full gear and saved my skin and if not for a back pad I would have had more than the one broken rib. All this on a clear sunny 1 pm.
Take all the precautions you can to minimize the consequences of an accident because you may not be able to avoid one.

Jay.

Well-told tale, thanks for sharing.

Easy to say there's mesh garments with ventilation when your average daily temperature in New Brunswick in the "heat" of August is 71F/22C.

Try 90F/32C days with humidity at 80% and no cloud cover (for four months). If I rode for an hour with full gear I'd end up in an emergency room with heat stroke.

My solution is not to ride during the day. Summer nights are beautiful, around 78F/25C, with very little traffic because the SnowBirds are back up north. I ride at night a lot during the summer. For safety at any time, I never ride during rush hour. Or on interstates. All of my riding is under 60 mph. I wear a helmet in the winter months and sometimes at night (there are many ways to be safe).

I'm not discounting your point. "All the precautions possible" is smart advice. But for me, ATGATT is a PITA in any weather. It lessens my enjoyment. I feel imposed upon, like I have to go through the machinations of "gearing up" in case THIS is the ride, out of 21,257 rides in my life, when out of the blue, like your trailer truck, I'll be in an accident. I know it can happen. But I don't think it will. I made a deal with myself on my first ride (after getting my license) to reach the last ride of my life without ever going down once. So far, so good.

The closest I came to an accident was 20 years ago in Rochester NY riding down Monroe Avenue, a two-lane street in a busy, hip neighborhood. As I was approaching a side street to my right, some babe barrels through a stop sign and turns on to Monroe Ave, going in the same direction as me, all without a HINT of looking in my direction for any approaching cars. She kept looking forward during her whole turn, toward the direction she was going.

She was going to hit me (I can still see it). My only option was to surrender the lane and veer into oncoming traffic. Lucky for me, there was none, or I would have been in a head-on. I was so mad I followed her to a red light, pulled my bike close to her car and kicked the daylights out of her door with steel-toed boots while yelling and swearing. Not cool, I know, but it's what came out.

Motorcycling is a risky business. "You buy the ticket. You take the ride." (Hunter S. Thompson)

So the message seems to be from people that have made comment's is:
YES to extra things on the bike & on your person to HELP make you stand out.

And always be ALERT from the TWAT around every corner, crossroad, Lay By, Lights & anywhere else on the roads.

Ride Safe

I fitted an Admore Mini Light Bar on my first Silverwing.

It was a toss-up between that and fitting lights in the topbox.

Discussions with friends drew attention to two points:

1) The light-bar was there even if the box wasn't

and

2) the topbox lights were too much in the face of a following driver.

I haven't got around to buying another bar but mean to.

At the time there was some doubt as to whether the flashing brake lights and 'progressive' indicators were legal in the UK.


I was stopped by a police motorcyclist on the Embankment in London for another matter. He made no comment about the bar - he'd been following me for an appreciable distance so must have noticed it.

Not sure it was legal in Europe but it never caused any difficulty.

Scootering friends all remarked on the efficacy of the bar.

Lights on cars these days are so fancy and diverse a sensible set of lights on a scooter for helping visibility makes sense to me.

Well said Mike

Thanks, Kev.

MikeO wrote:

I fitted an Admore Mini Light Bar on my first Silverwing. . .

At the time there was some doubt as to whether the flashing brake lights and 'progressive' indicators were legal in the UK.

As far as I can see they are not legal in UK. The brake light 'must emit only a steady red light'.  The progressive indicators (if that means what I think it means) would not meet the requirement that they 'must flash on and off'.

See https://www.fasttrackmotorcycles.co.uk/mot/mot-checks/lights-and-signals/comment-page-2/#frontrearlamps

I assure you I went through all this at the time.
The police on either side of the channel did not pull me up for it.
The fact that it flashes only three times very quickly when the brake levers are pulled leads me to think the modulation is effectively unnoticable.

If you wish to maintain your position on the matter, I will not argue.

I maintain mine, based on three years' practical experience.

In addition: the 'driving lights' I had fitted to the front of my Silverwing are technically illegal, as I suspect most after-market driving lights on motorcycles are.

The MOT examiner has chosen to ignore them at each of six MOT Tests, possibly because he fitted them for me!

MikeO wrote:

The MOT examiner has chosen to ignore them at each of six MOT Tests, possibly because he fitted them for me!

Brilliant

MikeO wrote:

If you wish to maintain your position on the matter, I will not argue.

I don't have a position. I am not arguing. I am trying to help.

Modulating brake lights are NOT legal in the UK, never have been & are extremely unlikey ever to be.
Sequential indicators are a different matter, always have been legal when fitted as original equipment & now with more European car manufacturers fitting 'running' led's, aftermarket ones are deemed acceptable.

Just purchased some LED taillight bulbs. On the package it says "for off-road use only" . So nowadays I only ride off road with the Swing, other than that I stay home and stay in bed.

FYI ATGATT is not PITA it is ATGATT

Really though there isn't much excuse for not wearing gear. That stuff used to be terrible and as long as you were moving it was tolerable. Nowadays everything is ventilated and much better than it was. You do get what you pay for though in fit and quality. Besides I don't want my insurance to go up because someone else got hurt. Please be careful & courteous.

Interesting article here:

https://www.visordown.com/news/general/are-flashing-brake-lights-legal