I bought some running lights at Auto Zone today. Got into the headlight wiring harness inside the headlight and jumped some wires off the ground (gray and black wire) and white wires (the yellow is high beams). Pulled them through the hole at the back of the headlight.  I screwed the mounting brackets for the lights directly onto the top of the turn signal holders with 1/2 inch pan head self tappers with a little JB Weld on the threads. They didn't go deep enough to hit the wiring inside the turn signal brackets. Wired up the lights then bolted them into the new brackets. I left enough slack wire to be able to pull the headlight out in case I need to change it some day.

S-P

Our bikes is pretty limited on electrical capacity.  Some have tried this and the bike failed to generate enough electrical power and the battery goes dead after a while.

You might want to unplug the wires for the front yellow running lights to save about 6 watts (3 watts each).

It could be that you have to ride long enough that it won't be a problem like it is for folks who take short trips around town.....which doesn't give the battery much time to recharge.

Thanks for the heads up. Dave do you know which wires are the running lights? Can I unplug them in the harness under the tank somewhere. I'm not sure of the wattage. I'll have to turn them on tonight and see how bright they are.

WD, I'm a little electricity challenged but can follow directions. Could you draw up a diagram for adding a capacitor and what size etc? Sounds doable if I need it and sounds like I might.

Thanks, Dave! I checked the box and the lights are 35 watt halogens (each). A lot of my trips are 6-10 miles with an occassional 2-5 miler. I may see if I can find some lower wattage halogens since I'm not really using them to see the road, just to be seen.  The capacitor fix sounds like a good option to keep all my frontal lighting.

It will take some serious digging. The guy from the old forum, who came up with wiring in the capacitor, died a couple years ago. I'll have to figure out how to find and then search an archived inactive website.

Thanks, WD. Don't stay up late digging, but if you find it, that would be really cool and probably a good thing to have on the tech documents. I'm inclined to do that before shutting off forward running lights, especially in Arizona.  Every morning on the traffic report there are at least two bike accidents...  :'(

Serowbot wrote on 05/29/14 at 07:13:24:

This will start a debate so let me be the first to jump in. Yes they do catch the eye. They could also be interpreted as a friendly flash for the cage to go ahead and pull out or make that left turn.

I did all the research on modulating headlights and could not find any definitive study. The verdict is still out, just a bunch of one person, first hand opinions.

Since I installed a Kisan modulator on the C50 three months ago and, despite my increasing girth, I still consider myself one person, let me share what I have experienced.

1. Oh heck yes, they get folks attention. I have had drivers pull over as I approach, or pass me at 80mph and seeing the headlight in the rear view mirror, immediate resume the posted speed limit thinking I was a LEO.

2. I have noticed many drivers begin to pull out in front of me then stop abruptly as they see the modulator. I have had two drivers pull out in front of me causing me to swerve to miss them. Both were young, female, and on the old cell phone. No broad generalization here, just a statement of fact. Both were from a side street with a stop sign that led onto a four land road. I was in the right lane. I don't believe the modulator was a contributing factor. They were pulling out anyway. However, it also did not prevent them from pulling out.

3. Other than that, I have not had any issues. I have, however, begun using the modulator in selected situations. I turn it off on city or neighborhood roads with controlled intersections. I have it on while riding a four lane boulevard if I can stay in the left lane. If I am using the right lane, I turn it off. I keep it on when riding the highways and interstates. I plan to keep using it.

So everyone knows, the one I have works on the high beam only and has a light sensor that shuts off the modulation feature at night. The modulation is not full on/off. It goes from full bright to about 20% at 240 cycles a minute. Flipping the headlight switch to low beam turns it off. The Federal DOT regulations specifically allow it on motorcycles so it is legal in all 50 states.

I do not consider the modulator as a complete solution for the visibility issue but I do consider it as one more tool in the tool bag. As I note, I also wear a white helmet( all the good guys do) and hi-viz yellow/green jacket.

For what it is worth