5 ms·

The cellphone/app seems like a weak link for such a safety critical system. Is there no other way to control the blinkers?

Nbox9 6y ago
I’ll agree that turn signals are a safety system, but I wouldn’t describe it as a critical safety system. Out of the 1000 things that could go wrong while riding a motorcycle the turn signals not working wouldn’t rank in the top half as far as safety implications if improperly functioning.
- bborud 6y ago
  If it can kill you it is critical. I had an intermittent short in the indicator switch on a motorcycle. One day it suddenly started indicating left at an intersection when I was going straight. A car in the opposite direction was turning (their) left and almost hit me. According to the other driver my bike started indicating (my) left as I neared the intersection so it looked entirely intentional. Fortunately we both had left ourselves safety margins and had eye contact so we didn't crash. But add youth, testosterone and aggressive driving and that could easily have been a really dangerous misunderstanding.
istjohn 6y ago
Hand signals can be used in a pinch.
hwillis 6y ago
pretty sure it's just a checkin app that can change colors etc. He uses a current sensor to detect when to blink the lights.
darrylb42 6y ago
At least in BC you are always supposed to use hand signals in addition to lights if you have them. Lights are secondary.
- mschuster91 6y ago
  Hand signals are nasty enough to do on a normal bicycle, especially when the road condition is ... sub-par. But on an actual motorcycle? I'd never even dare to try and ride one with only a single hand on the steering and the other hand swinging around.
  - jhloa2 6y ago
    It’s a lot easier than you’d think. Unless you’re going really slow, motorcycles are pretty gyroscopically stable.
  - loeg 6y ago
    Easier on a motorcycle than a bicycle, I think. Motorcycles just have a lot more momentum, bigger tires, and are going to be jostled by non-uniform road surface less than bicycles, which are very lightweight and have tiny tires.
    - macbem 6y ago
      It really depends on the speed. When going slow, you need to control the motorcycle with your whole body and it'd be really hard to use your hands to signal - much easier on a bike. Above 20-30 mph (32-48 km/h) it gets easier, because the bike balances on its own and you don't need to hold the handlebars at all (you should though, for emergency braking and saving yourself from potholes etc.). Keep in mind that most motorcyclist don't support the bike with their feet unless they're standing still - it's a good practice to keep your feet on the pegs as much as you can. It's way better to tip over than to lose your foot to the chain. TLDR: I'd pick using hand signals on a bicycle over using them on a motorcycle every time.
      - loeg 6y ago
        I've ridden both proficiently (had a motorcycle endorsement on my license).

Nbox9 6y ago

I’ll agree that turn signals are a safety system, but I wouldn’t describe it as a critical safety system. Out of the 1000 things that could go wrong while riding a motorcycle the turn signals not working wouldn’t rank in the top half as far as safety implications if improperly functioning.

bborud 6y ago
If it can kill you it is critical. I had an intermittent short in the indicator switch on a motorcycle. One day it suddenly started indicating left at an intersection when I was going straight. A car in the opposite direction was turning (their) left and almost hit me. According to the other driver my bike started indicating (my) left as I neared the intersection so it looked entirely intentional. Fortunately we both had left ourselves safety margins and had eye contact so we didn't crash. But add youth, testosterone and aggressive driving and that could easily have been a really dangerous misunderstanding.

istjohn 6y ago

Hand signals can be used in a pinch.

hwillis 6y ago

pretty sure it's just a checkin app that can change colors etc. He uses a current sensor to detect when to blink the lights.

darrylb42 6y ago

At least in BC you are always supposed to use hand signals in addition to lights if you have them. Lights are secondary.

mschuster91 6y ago
Hand signals are nasty enough to do on a normal bicycle, especially when the road condition is ... sub-par. But on an actual motorcycle? I'd never even dare to try and ride one with only a single hand on the steering and the other hand swinging around.
- jhloa2 6y ago
  It’s a lot easier than you’d think. Unless you’re going really slow, motorcycles are pretty gyroscopically stable.
- loeg 6y ago
  Easier on a motorcycle than a bicycle, I think. Motorcycles just have a lot more momentum, bigger tires, and are going to be jostled by non-uniform road surface less than bicycles, which are very lightweight and have tiny tires.
  - macbem 6y ago
    It really depends on the speed. When going slow, you need to control the motorcycle with your whole body and it'd be really hard to use your hands to signal - much easier on a bike. Above 20-30 mph (32-48 km/h) it gets easier, because the bike balances on its own and you don't need to hold the handlebars at all (you should though, for emergency braking and saving yourself from potholes etc.). Keep in mind that most motorcyclist don't support the bike with their feet unless they're standing still - it's a good practice to keep your feet on the pegs as much as you can. It's way better to tip over than to lose your foot to the chain. TLDR: I'd pick using hand signals on a bicycle over using them on a motorcycle every time.
    - loeg 6y ago
      I've ridden both proficiently (had a motorcycle endorsement on my license).