Ducati Monster Forum

Some of us are rocking the HSi tail light from Vizi-Tec, but I just can't find turn signals that matches the visibility.

The HSi Integrated turn signals are ok, but I had mine switched off because I think turn signals should be positioned a certain distance from the tail light to do their job.  

Rizoma, Motogadget and similar products are bright enough two feet away, but drown at any distance and especially at day time. Compared to those I really think we're better off with bulbs in good reflector housings. LED towers won't fit in small turn signal housings and aren't working well enough anyway..

The bicycle people have some great flashing tail lights - multiple 3 watt Cree (?) LEDs - but none (?) of the motorcycle aftermarket businesses have caught up. Weird.

The ONLY good LED turn signal I have seen are actually the front multiple LEDs in reflectors (?) in the hand guards on the HyperMotard 939 SP (and possibly on the MS1200) Those are GREAT.


So, have you seen or heard of something that could match my expectations?

(I emailed Bernard to see if he's interested in inventing something spectacular again)

Subscribed!

 [popcorn]

interesting, will be watching as well  [coffee]

http://www.customdynamics.com/motorcycle_lights.htm#LED Turn Signals

Couple of examples of what is out there at reasonable prices. Light (!) years ahead of anything I've seen marketed for motorcycles.

The MagicShine MJ-818 is bright enough and is powered by an external battery box - which might mean that the bike turn signal leads can be used to power it on/off - unless it has a warm up period/sequence/??  Draw back is the look of it and that  it has a narrow beam spread/angle...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kblCOgcUiSg



Then there's the out-of-stock DesignShine DS 500 which looks half finished, but is Bernard bright and then some

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1pjhwi_ds-500_sport



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xGzfcvNBNc

http://www.hyperlites.com/turn.html

I have their tail/brake set up along with my stock tail lamp. 

I love my Oberon bar end signals.  All their signals are double sided too. They are very visible during the day. At night they light up the whole lane next to me when they go off. Even if they are in my blind spot they know my signal is on.
I have a cheap integrated on back with a smoked lens.

Second this on the Oberon's.

Paul Geller of (former) Ducati Designs had plug-n-play LED boards that fit into the ST-series rear signal housing. They were very bright and fairly straightforward as far as construction. Of course, they are unobtanium now.

I agree that it's odd. Though it seems the design goal is to make them as unobtrusive as possible so as not to detract from aesthetics. Visibility be damned.

Heard back from Bernard today  [thumbsup]

He has some ideas and sounded like he's interested  [coffee] maybe in a year (?) or ten (?)

As you would expect from him - it's going to outshine ALL else  [beer]


LED: yeah the key is to have the reflectors in addition to the powerful LEDs. .................. tech info deleted.......................
It will be a miniature BAT LIGHT.(search lights). That's the way to do this shit!

Cool now we can quote him on the "Bat Light"! [laugh]

Where do I sign up?! [bow_down]

Anywhere below me on the list  8)

When he launched the first Monster tail light, the SupaNova with 490 individual LEDs, there was a demand, but I think much less than the buzz indicated.

Then there was the outstanding HSi "airport landing light" which he had to detune to, I think, 15-20% of available capacity. The first run had a cooling fan. Demand... not as high.

Most people will continue buying Rizoma or cheap copies, but turn signals can be sold to a much much larger group since it's not Monster, or even Ducati, specific.

 [popcorn]

Tell me more!

Can't remember who, but a DMF'er tested the first version and a part of his colorful review was the "planes will land on you" comment. 

It's a very bright tailight with integrated turn signals. Even at startup, the tailight goes through a lighting sequence. When you brake, it lights up and flashes three times. If in stop and go traffic, the tailight flashes like a regular brake light. This was done IIRC by Bernard so it was not annoying to the drivers behind you. The turn signals are yellow and can be seen well even in the daytime - that is what a couple of friends have said and what I could tell standing behind it. The 490 HSi was pricey, but is worth it to me. Only negative I had was it was not a direct fit on my 97 M900 and had to do some cutting and test fitments with "L" brackets. I forgot what year it was supposed to be a direct fit and no customizing was needed.

Subscribed! [popcorn]

Heard from Bernard a few days ago  :)

He's too busy to do this now and probably will be for a long time, but I will ask him later, maybe anually, to see if the genious lab itch is back  8)

In the meantime I will use a light with an ok reflector in it and a 23 watt (you'd think it's twice as bright as a 10 watt, but it's not)  1156 BA15S bulb. Those are rated ~4-500 lumens and I've only seen one LED tower with a higher rating, and it was huge. Anyway, the point is the reflector. We'll see.

Came up behind a Nine T with a pointy dual LED turn signal that was just as bright as I imagined LEDs could and should be. Much much much more visible than any other I've seen in action.

Since Nine T owners probably are even more brand loyal than most Ducati poseurs, I took a look in the original accessories catalog (which is huge) and found similarly looking ones at ~€40 a piece. Looks quite like the Kellerman Rhombus S Extreme, but that light is twice as expensive (€70).

So, thankfully, motorcycle LEDs are getting there  [thumbsup] (I officially hate that most of them require resistors)


EDIT: price misunderstood at first.

Got a link to those blinkers?

If they've got your attention on good visibility, function is sorted as I'm concerned.

It's the smartypants ECUs that have dead bulb sensing circuitry that causes the problems.
They then requires resistors to avoid triggering that circuitry with the low current demand of LEDs.
We just need lots and lots of LEDs to get the current up higher!  [laugh]

If I go for LEDs, I might do the fast blinking delete "snip" in the cluster.

Besides the Multi and HM SP hand guard turn signals - which are very visible, I've never seen anything close to what I saw today. I was just ~10 meters behind, but when he turned I stopped and followed the light down the street. Daylight. Stupid that I didn't follow and ask., but I felt sure it had to be OEM.

https://www.kfm-motorraeder.de/cms/en/genuine-spare-parts/bmw-spare-parts?itemid=63138522499
The part number is more important than this particular shop.


EDIT: today is edit day...  I'm not sure these are the same as I saw.

Those look like nice units.

One thing that strikes me as very nice, the wires are decent sized, appropriate on a moto.

So much LED stuff has wire appropriate for drones or desktop games or the like, no ruggedness at all.

I'll try the standard and nicer looking (?) ones first - video upcoming. Next is blowing the first Rizoma signal I can film out of the water - daylight competition, not 3 feet away in a dark garage.

If that doesn't satisfy me, I'll go with the BMW signals - even though their shape is wrong for a Monster (?)

 [Dolph]

I'm hoping that BMW is following the sensible approach of having an outside company manufacture the turn signals.

This may provide us with the path to *their* door, where we may find other signals more suited to a Monster.

I will ask a local BMW dealer - hopefully they have one I can look at and confirm what I saw. Maybe they know who makes them. Kellerman is the closest I can find so far.

This manufacturer (bragging about their 1,000 lumens lights)(compared to ~400 from an incandescent bulb). Looks marginally better to my eye....
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4909/30775763527_c4701b485b_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NTxQhx)

Another example: Clearly better than an average LED
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1937/44802076955_25984376ed_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NTxQhx)


, but none of these count - video in bright daylight at least 100 feet away, thanks!
 (https://flic.kr/p/2bg1mAF)

I have the Vizi-Tec tail light.  Is is very, very good.  Added the m blaze turn signals from moto-gadget. Low profile and very bright.  Adds visibility from a wider angle.  Very happy with this set up.

Derek V

Call off the search  [clap]

I visited a dealer today. Many of the bikes there had these lights and they demonstrated them for me.

These BMW turn signals are it! Some LED turn signals are bright only up close, some not even then, but these are the best. Maybe Kellerman can match them, but I have not seen Kellemans in action. Best because they are the most powerful LED and because they have a very well designed spreading lens.

I hope Bernard can develop a similar turn signal, but now the reason is just cosmetic. The BMW light is borderline ugly - medium long and slowly tapering / pointy. The designer (?) should be fired and/or get a good beating.