Hub Wheel as generator for Trike's DC power

[MajorLord]

Daytime headlights

The headlight has to be on while driving in the daytime or night time. AA electronics, Electro Magnetics Technician Senior, retired Lockheed Missiles and Space Co. Retired Semi truck driver. Ham radio operator. Electronic experimenter, circuit board designer. Metal fabricator.

Good to know. Then I need my generator to keep up the headlight charge rate too. I know that motorcycles manufactured after 1978 require an always-on headlight, but I cannot find any citation that requires motorized bicycles ( Under 150 cc's) to operate with the headlights on except when required by conditions. ( i.e. darkness) I have CVC info that shows that the bike have the operable lighting, mirror, horn, etc., but I have only found laws requiring daylight running requirements on "real" motorcycles, not on registered Mopeds. Do you have a CVC or DOT citation on the requirement?

Thanks,

Allen

 

[bigbikeseat]

I looked at a video where the officer wanted to cite the MB driver for not having his headlight on. You need everything going for you when you ride one of these things. My headlight is always on and no one has pulled out in front of me yet. So even if it is not a law, I ride with my headlight on . Today was my first 30 mile trip up to the dam. The little motor made the steep hill I didn't think it would make. The bike weighs 100lbs, and I weigh 250lbs. I was going about 5mph at full throttle up the steep hill. No issues. Got in a race with a road bike. Passed him with authority going uphill at 30mph. He got mad and when the hill turned downward, he caught up to me fast and passed on the inside. Good thing I was looking for him by turning my head.

 

[MajorLord]

Headlight legality

I looked at a video where the officer wanted to cite the MB driver for not having his headlight on. You need everything going for you when you ride one of these things. My headlight is always on and no one has pulled out in front of me yet. So even if it is not a law, I ride with my headlight on . Today was my first 30 mile trip up to the dam. The little motor made the steep hill I didn't think it would make. The bike weighs 100lbs, and I weigh 250lbs. I was going about 5mph at full throttle up the steep hill. No issues. Got in a race with a road bike. Passed him with authority going uphill at 30mph. He got mad and when the hill turned downward, he caught up to me fast and passed on the inside. Good thing I was looking for him by turning my head.

I searched high and low ( no headlight pun intended) and could not find any requirement for a Moped to have a headlight on during the day. In fact, even on this page, in a conversation about California Law, another person had the same question come up. Nonetheless, its probably not a bad idea to have a headlight. I may run the low beam full time. Having had numerous cars turn left in front of me while riding regular motorcycles, I determined that motorcycles are like the Klingon cloak of invisibility! Mopeds, especially home-builts on the other hand, seem to attract cops like flies to honey! When I went through the Police Academy ( And dinosaurs roamed the earth) anyone with any class license could ride a moped, and the CVC was only about 500 pages long! Other than weighing stations and full-time motorcycle traffic cops, very few police actually know very much about the vehicle code. It's very complicated even for people with normal intelligence! Ask any cop to explain the right of way rules for a four-way intersection and see them collapse like slugs with salt poured on them! Every webpage I see about motorized bikes in all their various iterations shows that there is still massive amounts of confusion about the two basic classes, and endless bickering. I still have not figured out why a person with a class C driver license can drive a motorcycle with a sidecar or a trike, but a three-wheeled moped still needs an M1 or M2 endorsement. Go figure.

Glad to see that you are a Ham too! Did you install a radio on your bike? I manufacture Amateur radios sold under the brand name "Micro-Trak" and distributed by Byonics, (Byonics.com) and a lot of our clients use our APRS trackers for Bicycle-mobile applications. That's kind of what got me interested in doing a Trike. Room for radios and groceries! I guess for now I will wait for my next generator to show up from E-bay. I would prefer to have a real drive on the generator, not a friction wheel on the tire, but if I end up with a bike I have to plug in to charge when I come home, it is not the end of the world.



Allen
AF6OF

 

[The_Aleman]

The headlight has to be on while driving in the daytime or night time.

We MaB riders aren't required to have a daytime headlight. That is reserved for motorcycles (according to CA DMV: 150CC and up is motorcycle-class).

Of course, having daytime light(s) helps considerably. I've run LED flashers in daytime for years, definitely helps make one more visible!

 

[KCvale]

Of course, having daytime light(s) helps considerably.
I've run LED flashers in daytime for years, definitely helps make one more visible!

I won't even ride around the block without a daytime front strobe these days, won't let my help either, not even for test runs on repairs so I keep one ready by the door.

Besides good brakes, a high intensity front strobe light will prevent the vast majority of potential painful wreaks, the motorists that just glance and see a bicycle just don't calculate your speed before crossing your path.

A strobe makes everyone look just that extra second longer, and that's all it takes for most to wait another second or two.
The ones that don't care are why you need good brakes ;-}