Being Conspicuious: Lighitng up the FJR

[GillaFunk]

I'm all about being seen. I have added lots of extra running lights on my other bikes and will beging doing the same to the FJR.

Has anyone added any extra running/accessorie 'see me so you wont hit me' lights on their bike?

Show ME the money!

 

[wfooshee]

It really wouldn't have taken long to find 1000 lighting threads, form HIDs to auxiliary to LED to flashy brakes. Me, I'm stock, but there are those among us who have to have power beamed to their bikes by microwave.

 

[bramfrank]

Lemme see:

Up front:

- Comagination D115H4 headlight modulator

- Hella Micro DE Xenon HID driving lights

 

Out back (because my nephew got rear-ended):

 

- Whelen Dominator 2 red police light bar (no drill installation. Very cool).

- External flasher to control the Whelen - leaving it in police mode would have been spectacular, but a ticket magnet for sure.

It is all VERY bright. There are no excuses for not seeing me coming OR going.

I do recommend that investing in reflective decals for the bags is another good idea if you do any night riding (we have a member here who makes them and (I believe) sells them on ebay - https://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Yamaha-FJR1300-reflective-rear-saddle-bag-decals-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem20b12f7dc4QQitemZ140411633092QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories ) .

 

[Hudson]

Added an Admore LED kit with a Signal Dynamics LED license plate frame (and the Backup XP flasher) for the rear. Install info here

Added HID's for the front. Thinking about adding some LED's, mostly for night lights.

Wear a high viz vest or jacket. That gets me noticed more than anything.

 

[Mount Rainier]

Has anyone added any extra running/accessorie 'see me so you wont hit me' lights on their bike?

I added the AdMore Lighting LED lighting to my Givi top case. The install was easy. A little pricey but they have worked flawlessly the more than 35K miles.

I added a flashing unit from KAHTEC which has also worked without incident. Come on steady and flashes 6 times then alternates steady for 3 seconds and flash 3 times until brakes are released.

Keep Going!

 

[Patriot]

www.flickr.com/photos/mholiver/sets/72157623180535481/

www.flickr.com/photos/mholiver/sets/72157624037066606/

www.flickr.com/photos/mholiver/sets/72157624191235014/

 

[fljab]

Like was said earlier, there's a 1000 lighting threads if you look.

I went with - and yet to install (to be done over the winter), the "Shanghai express" lights and brackets that RJ put together, and I also just sourced a cheap set of LED's that I'll run down by the calibers most likely for extra night and daytime running lights. The SE HID's use more power and can only be used in certain situations, and the LED's use much less power and I figure to have them on most of the time.

I have not settled on a system for the rear. I don't run a Givi or similar rear compartment, so need to settle on a system of LED's I figure to enhance my stock lights plus reflective tape; lots of options there I just have to settle on a combo. I'm also considering putting some in my saddlebags with a QD/plug if I can do it clean enough where when I pack the crap in the SB, it won't disturb the wiring/light; maybe an external mounting if I can find the right setup...

 

[Allnight]

Here's what I did to the bags on mine:

On Flickr

 

[HotRodZilla]

I haven't done anything to the front, mostly because of cost, mounting options, and figuring that me paying attention is a better option than hoping someone else is paying attention for me. Let's hope that continues to work.

For the rear, I have the Kissan flashing bulbs and really like them. Since I'm always paranoid about being hit from the rear, I just added this LED light: LED Flasher. I first saw the light on the back of Galaxy Blue's bike, and decided I wanted one. Well, actually two...I put one on my FJR and am putting the other on my KLR.

The light is less than $100 and was pretty easy to put on. Also, if you install more than one on the same bike, they can be synchronized to flash in phase or out of phase. They are wired for a dimmer switch, and there are 5 different flash patterns.

After install, I tried to take a video of the lights, but unlike some of the others above, they were so bright, they washed out the video. Maybe I can try a photo.

I have a 2007 also and due to the differences between a Gen I (like GB has) and Gen II license plate mount, I had to put my light below my license plate. It works great, and if not for me being kind of dipshit sometimes, was pretty easy to install.

 

[GillaFunk]

Nice guys, nice.

Looks like everyone has the back and front configured.

Nothing for the sides?

 

[Surly]

www.flickr.com/photos/mholiver/sets/72157623180535481/

www.flickr.com/photos/mholiver/sets/72157624037066606/

www.flickr.com/photos/mholiver/sets/72157624191235014/

Hi Patriot,

my family and I were sitting out the back just last night after a BBQ. All of a sudden the night went bright, thought maybe you had come to Oz for a visit. Turns out just some guy giving Pert city a buzz in a STARLIFTER :dribble:

Regards

Surly h34r:

 

[GalaxyBlue]

As noted above by HRZ, I have what i believe to be the best AUX Brake light and mounting location for a Gen 1 FJR. You would think Yamaha designed the FJR for this little intense light!

Here is my youtube video i took last year after installing it.

 

[Patriot]

As noted above by HRZ, I have what i believe to be the best AUX Brake light and mounting location for a Gen 1 FJR. You would think Yamaha designed the FJR for this little intense light!

Here is my youtube video i took last year after installing it.

Adam, I think you may have a bulb or two out :dribble:

 

[Checkswrecks]

There's no such thing as "too much" conspicuity and obviously, we can all do what we please. For context, the NHTSA is currently in an effort to update the Hurt Report of 1981 and there are other data showing we have less frontals and more side-swipes now. However, those other data are largely foreign, such as from Thailand and the predominant "other vehicle" accident is still described in this Hurt passage: https://isddc.dot.gov/OLPFiles/NHTSA/013695.pdf (My bolding)

From pg 45:

Other Vehicle Violation of the Motorcycle Right-of-Way is a predominating factor in the 900 on-scene, in-depth accident cases; 50.9% of all those accidents are attributable to the driver of the other vehicle involved in the accident. This fact is especially clear when the multiple vehicle collision data of Table 5.4.3 show that the 64.9% of those accidents are due to the actions of the driver of the other vehicle. The typical accident in this category is portrayed by the automobile in traffic turning left into the path of the oncoming motorcycle. In such an accident, the culpability is exclusively due to the action of the driver of the automobile. The greatest part of this accident cause factor is related to the failure of the automobile driver to lle.eell the oncoming motorcycle, or to "see it in time" to avoid the collision.

In the typical accident involving the automobile driver culpability, the post-crash statement of the automobile driver is "I signaled to turn left, and started out when it was clear. Then something hit my car and I later saw the motorcycle and the guy lying in the street; I never saw him! Look what he did to my car!" The motorcycle rider would usually say "all of a sudden this car pulled out in front of me. The driver was looking right at me!"

This dominant culpability of the driver of the other vehicle is a critical exposition of the failure to detect a relatively unfamiliar vehicle on a collision path where motion conspicuity is absent. It emphasizes the special need for high contrast conspicuity for the motorcycle and rider. A special sampling of 62 of these cases showed that there were no drivers of the accident involved automobiles who had any motorcycle experience; hence the motor- cycle was an unfalrllliar as well as inconspicuous target.

From pg 48:

Tables 5.5.4 (Appendix C.l) and 5.5.5 (Appendix C.l) show the precrash motion of the motorcycle and other vehicle as a function of accident precipi- tating factor. An important element of 5.5.4 is that the motorcycle precrash motion is straight in 87.3% of those cases where another vehicle violates its right-of-way. This fact demonstrates that the crash collision geometry offers little - if any - motorcycle conspicuity due to motion and that conspicuity due to contrast is an essential element of accident prevention for the motorcycle rider. Also, the motorcycle precrash motion is straight in 47.4% of those cases where motorcycle rider error is the precipitating factor.

Table 5.5.5 shows the dominating condition of the other vehicle making a left turn when it violates the motorcycle right-of-way, 50.5% of that accident precipitating factor.

I've read that facial features such as dual headlights helps sell motorcycles, but that having a "face" coincidently helped reduce frontal impacts by making motorcycles more conspicuous to drivers. I think that was in one of the Thai or Aussie reports and the idea was that there is some subconscious recognition. Hopefully the new NHTSA work will have enough funding survive to provide clarity to it.

btw - And this one is hugely overlooked: The average distance to the accident for the motorcyclist was only 4 miles and he/she had been riding for only 6 minutes.

 

[GalaxyBlue]

As noted above by HRZ, I have what i believe to be the best AUX Brake light and mounting location for a Gen 1 FJR. You would think Yamaha designed the FJR for this little intense light!

Here is my youtube video i took last year after installing it.

And i think you have too many running lights!

While yours has more lights, The definition between running lights and BRAKE lights are diminished,IMO. Yours are pretty though