Hyper-Lites, P3 or others

[kfsinc]

Hyperlites! Great product and outstanding customer support.

[ibafran]

Originally Posted by AlanCT

On my Concours I have Electro-pods, which are Hyperlite knock-offs. I also lined the inside of my brake light with reflective tape to brighten that up, and I have taken to wearing a hi-viz yellow neon helmet.

I did this several years ago after experiencing several times the hair raising feeling you get when you are at a stop light and hear a car with locked up brakes skidding up behind you. It has not happened since.

This. It is a better comprehensive approach. Yes, some sort of really BRIGHT flashing light is good as it gets the brain dead cager's mental slumber jarred. At that point, the cager needs to process info and make decisions. A bright colored helmet is a real bonus as the cager can see it from a long way off. Put some decent reflective stickers on it for after dark.

Another inmate mentioned a reflective vest. While it is damn hard to prove exactly how well these things work, my observations over the years have convinced me that they work surprisingly well. Assuming that one does not have a top box or gear blocking the rear view of the vest. Even if the top box blocks the bottom 2/3 of the vest, it will still work pretty good. I credit the 2.75" X 17" strip on the back of my Stich for keeping the cagers off me at stop signs 99% of the time as compared to when I wasn't wearing such gear long ago. Several budds wear full-on Icon-type vests and the effect on traffic just amazes me. Another budd (40 yr. MSF inst.) has worn a cheap 2-stripe road worker's vest for 40yrs and reports that traffic is right on top of him when he hasn't worn it for short errands. If you have hard cases mounted all the time, 3M makes some great reflective tape in a few colors that disappears when not needed.

The problem with lights is that they have to be seen in direct sunlight. Hyperlights disappear in certain sunny conditions. If you have a top box all the time, mount them in the shadows under the corners of the box. Or build a little sun sheild for them. Lots of bikers will pile up the lights around the tail light/plate. It is better to separate the lights and create an array. First, the array makes the bike look bigger and therefore more substantial making the cager leery of a 'bigger' collision. Second, The array allows the cager to triangulate better and get a good feel for approach speeds. If the bike looks like it is getting bigger faster, the cager might get into the brakes a little harder sooner.

Finally, it doesn't matter one wit what you have if you don't know how to use it. Magicians go to great expense and excruciating care making props and gear. And then they practice endlessly perfecting their presentations. Same thing with the bike. One becomes a riding magician presenting the bike magic to traffic in such a way as to manage traffic for the biker's best effect/safety. Some riders need very little in the way of lights and costume to get their presentation correct. But they do need some bit of equipment. And they have figured out their limitations for themselves so they know what doesn't work well and what to do about that. As an example, I have a small LED light bar under my plate as the lone taillight was just not enough. My riding habits include using my ring finger to flash my brake lights before actually braking to wake up following traffic. That habit requires me to be paying attention and account for the time to do the flashing brake thing. Being able to do this with alacrity actually drops my commute time by a cuppla minutes and keeps me safer allowing me to get to my destination with a more pleasant demeanor. YMMV

[GSWayne]

I had Hyperlites and the P3 lights and I think the P3 lights are better. However, my experience with the Hyperlites is several years old so they may have improved them. The P3 lights can be programmed to to legal in CA which has particular requirements on flashing brake lights. I think the high frequency flickering when the brakes are not applied also increase your conspicuity.

[dutchjohn]

I have had others tell me, wow! them things are bright where did you get them ?

[tprince]

+1 on P3 lights. I cannot compare them with Hyperlites, but they are very easily programmable and have a flicker at still that makes the bike even more visible.

[GSJon]

Thanks everybody for chiming in. Keep the info coming.

I do have a silvery helmet and do wear a hi-viz yellow jacket. My panniers have red & silver SOLAS tape on them if you cannot see me you are not paying attention!

I have not been rear-ended at at stop sign/light (yet) it has always been in rush hour traffic on the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) at the area commonly known here as the Hillside Strangler. 2mph for about 7 miles. It is very easy to turn off your brain in this kind of traffic, I've caught myself doing that when in a car too. I guess I'm a little more cautious of having motorcycles around.

The alternate route changes the 1 hour 15 minute drive into at least a 2 hour commute. And that contains 102 stop lights/signs from my house to work. I am only concerned with the traffic in the evening as the morning it takes 45 minutes and I don't go less than the speed limit.

As you can see, the bike is visible from the back and sides.

I'm thinking of going the Whelen LEN6 route as I am willing to blind the fuck out of the people behind me to keep them a few feet further back.

[Bicyclist]

Originally Posted by tprince

+1 on P3 lights. I cannot compare them with Hyperlites, but they are very easily programmable and have a flicker at still that makes the bike even more visible.

This is important. The guy who designed these has built in a subliminal flicker that attracts the eye even when the lights aren't flashing. This effect enhances conspicuity and is what separates his stuff (including the Photon Blasters) from the other guys'. You have to see it to understand how effective it is.

No relationship to this guy's business. Just a satisfied customer.

[Lounge]

+1 on the P3's.

Subliminal flicker my ass - that 'flicker' will make you sick. If you ride with a group or someone constantly behind you you will want to disable this. Yes, you can disable it and the P3's give you the ability to set several different modes of flicker and flash. Great product.

$0.02

[GSJon]

So I ended up with the P3s.

They are not to bad, much brighter than the stock tail/brake lights. The constant flicker, almost flashing, is kind of annoying. I'm also wondering if it is legal.

[khpossum]

Originally Posted by khpossum

........ Great customer service as well in the unlikly case you need it.....
KP

I am afraid I must retract that statement. i send them twice an email with an inquiry, never got an answer.

KP

[jskene]

P3 Lights' flicker is only visible if your not looking directly at them.

You can try this yourself - step back 50 feet or so from your bike and you will notice that there is no flicker anymore. Now look slightly away from them and the flicker will reappear. The lights flicker at a rate that your central vision cannot detect, but your peripheral vision can.

P3's are specifically designed to attract the attention of drivers who are not paying attention. Once they notice you and look at you, the lights appear to be solidly on, and so no longer hold their attention, but the driver now knows you're there. Mission accomplished.

If another rider is closely following you on a long ride, you can easily turn the flicker off, as it can be a bit annoying over a long period of time at close distance. Just remember to turn it back on when riding by yourself, as it really does make you more noticeable.

Originally Posted by GSJon

So I ended up with the P3s.

They are not to bad, much brighter than the stock tail/brake lights. The constant flicker, almost flashing, is kind of annoying. I'm also wondering if it is legal.

[BlackBeast]

How does one go about turning this "flicker" on and off?

[Hikertrash]

Originally Posted by BlackBeast

How does one go about turning this "flicker" on and off?

The lights are programmable using the brake levers. The instructions are on Skene's website.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BlackBeast]

Great thanks, should have looked there first.

[AlanCT]

Originally Posted by khpossum

Electropods: I have a set laying around in the garage. Not worth half the little money I paid for them.



KP

I've had mine installed for nearly ten years without any issues. Plenty of comments about their conspicuity too. Hyperlites may be a better quality product, but the Electro pods are adequate.