Brake light modulator

[ai4px]

I ordered a brake light modulator for $6 from http://superlumination.com/braker_installation.html . Don't bother to waste your time. There are two issues with this unit.

1)It is designed to be inserted in line with your brake light, but the ground wires for it are not common (ie not passed thru). Apparently the flashing function is done by switching the ground line, not the hot line. This frankly is a silly design because it prevents the tail light from working at all.... there is no path to ground for the tail light when the brake is not activated. When I grounded the down stream side of the controller it allowed the tail light to come on, but the brake flash function was disabled. Silly silly silly.

2)I ended up wiring up some of Joe Florida's red LED pods as auxillary brake lights. The company sells two different flash rates 10hz and 20hz. The $6 module only comes in 20hz. In the daylight, the 20hz is visible as flashing, but at dusk yesterday when my night vision started, the 20hz was just too fast to see the flashing. From 20-30 feet back the brake looked like it was simply dim for a few seconds then went full bright. Not at all the effect I was shooting for. The flash rate of such a device should really be 2 to 4 hz... about the rate of a turn signal flasher with a burnt out bulb and no faster.

[ai4px]

I've since ordered http://www.ebay.com/itm/261034810174...S:3160&vxp=mtr for $15 that works like a champ. This unit is tucked away in the side fairing under the seat and is perfect.

[MarcoPolo]

Originally Posted by ai4px

I've since ordered http://www.ebay.com/itm/261034810174...S:3160&vxp=mtr for $15 that works like a champ. This unit is tucked away in the side fairing under the seat and is perfect.

Just curious, how easy or hard was it to install? I am completely illiterate when it comes to electronics and wires so. The price of the name brand modulators was keeping me from buying one, but at this price i'll buy one for my friend lol. Thanks for the good deal.

[ai4px]

The hard part was figuring out which wire was the brake. On my 650r Blue was brake and black/yellow was ground. I found it by splitting the factory connector and poking around with a volt meter.

I cut the ground wire and slipped some heat shrink over the wires and soldered the modulator's black wire amongst the ground.

The blue wire (bike brake wire) connects to the input of the unit and then the output of the unit connects to the other half of the blue that continues back to the tail light. Heat shrink there too.

Wrapped the whole thing in electric tape to cover the sin of slicing open the cable bundle.

BTW, this modulator will NOT work with incandescent bulbs. You must use LED tail lights.

[MarcoPolo]

Originally Posted by ai4px

The hard part was figuring out which wire was the brake. On my 650r Blue was brake and black/yellow was ground. I found it by splitting the factory connector and poking around with a volt meter.

I cut the ground wire and slipped some heat shrink over the wires and soldered the modulator's black wire amongst the ground.

The blue wire (bike brake wire) connects to the input of the unit and then the output of the unit connects to the other half of the blue that continues back to the tail light. Heat shrink there too.

Wrapped the whole thing in electric tape to cover the sin of slicing open the cable bundle.

BTW, this modulator will NOT work with incandescent bulbs. You must use LED tail lights.

Ahh I see thats unfortunate. I'm 90% sure the ninja doesnt have LEDs lol. Doesn't sound like too hard of a project though. I'd probably need a friend around for moral support lol. Thanks for the reply man.