I want to do several safety mods to my bike before spring. One of them is a headlight modulator, but I'm too cheap to pay $100 or more for one. I decided it could be done cheaper and easier, so I sat down and drew up this. Total cost to build should be about $20.

As a note for those who care, it DOES NOT meet FMVSS stadards, in that the flash rate likely will not be 240/minute (probably slower, 90-150/minute) and it controls the ground, not the power feed. On the plus side, it leaves the low beam on, and flashes the high beam constantly until you move the dimmer to high, then it will shut off. It can be manually shut off at night with the additional switch, and the headlamps operate as normal. The high beam indicator should also flash with the headlamp, letting you know it is working.

When I get around to building this, I will do a little write-up if anyone is interested.

 

I like it! Let us know how it works.

 

I hate those things!!!! Depending on what you read they don't do anything for safety. I can tell you one thing for sure, they annoy the heck out of me. I can understand why the Goldwing guys run them (they are weird), but a Superhawk?

Jamie Daugherty
http://members.iquest.net/~daugherj

 

Cheap mod? Yeah, I want to see a write up with pics.

 

Annoying YES but you did notice it though. They give me a friggin headache.

 

Turns out this wont work. Honda in their infinite wisdom, decided to have constant ground and switch the power to the headlamp - unlike every other Japanese manufacturer.

I could redesign the circuit, although it would get more complicated.

So instead I installed a 80w/100w bulb. I just leave it on high and blind everyone alll the time.

Amazingly, Honda did make the wiring and switches capable of carrying the extra current of the high output bulb. A voltage drop test was less than 1v for the whole circuit (positve and ground combined) with both beams on at the same time.

 

I think Honda has done this all along. In fact, I think there has only ever been one manufacturer (Yamaha?) that switched the ground. Don't quote me on that though. Anyone know for sure? Swtiching the power seems like the way to go to me.

Jamie Daugherty
http://members.iquest.net/~daugherj

 

Pretty much all Japanese car manufacturers -and Yamaha- switch the ground. Being this is my first non-Yamaha motorcycle, and my experience with Asian cars, it's not what I'm used to. There isn't any real advantage to doing it either way, just not what I'm used to.

 

How about making the small marker light above the headlight flash?

I just bought a couple of Bell bicycle lights at sprawl- mart.
The front light has super bright twin led's ( with a flash mode(about 2 flashes per second) or a single halogen light. The tail light (which can be bought separately) has five red leds with different flash patterns.
Either one would fit behind the marker light.
You would just have to modify it to run on 12 volt.

Ideally you could take the existing SH light - remove the bulb and install a bunch of super bright led's into the reflector and wire in the flash mechanism from the Bell light.


Here's a pic and description of what I bought.

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/pr...d=1673439&cid=

So all you electronic wizards figure out how to do this and post up.

 

Well I just took both lights outside in the daylight and from a distance the tail light is much brighter but has the red leds.

also I don't think the tail light flasher electronics would be able to handle 12 volts - it runs on just 2 AAA batteries.