my brain gears are turning-- signal and brake lights

[RedBaronX]

OK yes I know that there are units you can buy that are brake and signal lights, but I want something bigger and more vintage... something that looks more integrated into the bike...

A couple options for the turn signals are: one three way switch, maybe a rocker switch, thumb activated, for selecting between left, right, and off. Other option is spring loaded press buttons, one on each hand-- press the button with your thumb to signal, release the button and it's off. I guess which I choose will depend on what kind of hardware I can find, but I think I like the press button idea better (impossible to forget to turn the signal off).

For a brake light, that might be harder because its a matter of figuring out how to complete the circuit. I guess the brake handle itself could press a button, but I don't know how well I like that...

Anyone scratch-build signal and brake lights? All things considered, I think the turn signals are pretty easy and straight forward. We used to build simple circuits like that all the time when I was a kid. For the brake light, it's a matter of figuring out how to complete the circuit.

 

[RedBaronX]

OR... I can just look at motorcycle parts... because I am finding lights and switches for at least turn signals... motorcycle turn signals will require using (and mounting) a 12 v battery somewhere

but it gives me more options.

still need brake light activation....

 

[mudbug]

If I remember right...I think there are some lighting "kits" designed for mini-choppers that might address your needs.

I'm still researching the basics of building a bike and lights are wayyyy down the road from that at the moment.

The kits I saw were made for the small displacement mini-choppers and were used with the small 49cc engined bikes.... Don't recall if they ran off the motors or a small battery.

I would think LED's would be less taxing on any battery. I was looking at the LED lights on Ebay earlier today,but know very little about their requirements. I did notice they need some sort of relays or controllers to function as turn signals.

I'm in the dark on electrical stuff and I'll have to research it better than I have,but maybe those ideas will steer you in a direction to find what you need.

Good Luck..

 

[kerf]

I've built my own system from scratch but it's not built to look retro or "flow" into the bike. I ride a lot in the dark and I don't mean riding down a lit street after sundown, I mean pitch black. I need a system that will throw enough light for a 30-35 mph cruse speed, in my case that means at least 1500 lumen's. A 55 watt halogen driving light & 12 amp hours of battery power is the heart of the beast, along with turn signals, brake light and hazard flashers.

I like riding in the dark but I have a strong desire to live to tell about it. Bicycle lighting systems won't facilitate the latter.

 

[motorpsycho]

OR, you could hook up a push-pull microswitch to the rear brake caliper that is pulled by a spring when the brake caliper moves (when you squeeze the brake lever.) Pull the brake, the spring pulls on the microswitch and closes it, making contact inside and completing the circuit. The reason I say use a spring is because it will allow the switch to "open" (break the circuit) when you release the brake.
The problem there tho is you would have to find a microswitch for the voltage that you want to use.
I know for sure that there are 12 volt microswitches out there, but if you plan on going with a 12 volt power supply then you would be ok.
Most microswitches have a spring inside them already so they require some pressure to close the switch (pull), and when you release the pressure, they close (push) on their own. Microswitches require very little movement to make them open and close, and I think if you hooked it to the brake caliper, there would be enough movment there to open and close a microswitch. PLUS microswitches are fairly small, and it would be easy to hide one.

For your turn signal idea, I like the 2 button idea because it is easy and simple.
But...you would have a lot of wiring to run (in my opinion anyway). I personally don't like a lot of wiring and I hide every bit of wire I can, but if you are ok with stringing more wires on your bike, then it's fine.
One button on each side of the handlebars (one for left, one for right) and then 2 wires to each button, unless you get buttons that ground themselves to the handlebars.

L.E.D.'s would be the way to go for the brake and turn signal lights because they take less power to run, they are brighter than incadesent bulbs, and they last a whole lot longer. You would have to get a flasher of some sort, OR, you could take the easy way and use your buttons and thumbs as the flasher. Just push and release, push and release when you want the turn signals to flash. You would just have to remember to get in the habit of doing this rhythem when you are using the turn signals. This is what I would do because it will be a lot easier than trying to hook up a flasher , or a controller board to make the lights blink on and off without releasing the buttons.

I am not an electronics person but I know enough to make some things work.

 

[AussieSteve]

I'm with kerf. You want a headlight that lights up the road at night and makes you more visible in daylight. LEDs are rubbish compared to a decent incandescent bulb.

Mine's a dual headlight with 2 x 18W/18W bulbs, used as 18W for low beam and 36W for high beam. (12V 5Ah SLA battery.) (Pics in my album.)

kerf, your 55W sounds wonderful. Particularly for daytime visibility, the more light the better.

 

[james65]

turn sig brake light

Diy lighting
If you look real close you can see the turn signal sw lever comming up thru the left grip (chrome bat). lights are 21 led clusters.
Also an incandesant headlight(almost never needed day or night). I love my china girl engine!

 

[kerf]

Keep in mind, at 30 mph and a 1 1/2 second reaction time, plus another 1/2 second for the brakes to begin to apply, you will travel about 88 feet. That's not including stopping distance for you and the bike. Being able to visually resolve a threat, far enough down the road to react to it, is the most important aspect of lighting. Getting enough light to be seen is easy, it's the other part that hard.

 

[AussieSteve]

1 1/2 seconds reaction time? Maybe you. For most of us, about 1/2 second.
Definitely not 1/2 second for the brakes to come on after application.

Getting enough light to be seen is easy, it's the other part that hard.

#1 Getting enough light to be seen in daytime is not easy.

It's not that hard to get a light that lights up the road, at night, by comparison.
Also, if you can't see quite as well, you might hit a pothole and get a bruise or two.
If you can't be seen well, you could be hit by a car and killed.

 

[motorpsycho]

i don't know, on my bike anyway, i would rather be able to hide 4AA batteries to power 3 l.e.d.'s than try to hide a 12 volt battery that powers 12 volt incandesent lights.
4AA batteries provide 6 volts of power and with 3 l.e.d.'s, my headlight lights up the road in front of me a good 15-20 feet.
of corse, i'm not one of those guys who rides his bike in traffic at night...i just putt around my neighborhood or around on the backroads, rarely at night.
but when i do take a night spin, my headlight works just fine for me.
I have never ridden my bike in traffic, or in a setting where there are a lot of people.