It alternates between high and low beam so you get a flashing light affect, like you see on undercover LEO's. Makes you much more noticeable to people ahead of you. Most states alow this to be legal on motorcycles, as long as they are used at the legal flash rate for your state.

http://www.kisantech.com/index.php?cat_id=2

 

From the Kissan site. Re:The daylight sensor:

Select hi-beam to modulate - as long as there's sufficient daylight. If you enter a tunnel or if it gets dark, it will stop the modulation of the hi-beam and stay ON steady. Select lo-beam to end modulation.

This unit doesn't modulate between high and low beam. High beam flashes, low beam runs steady.

 

Since the "low beam runs steady," do you think that means that all three front lights on my RKC will remain ON during daylight during modulation? I don't want to have to switch to the highbeam setting, which normally turns OFF the two running lights.

Great info guys, thanks for the feedback.

 

The use of the Kissan modulator requires you to switch between low beam (no modulation) with or without your passing lights to high beam which will modulate.Your passing lamps will shut off as always when running high beam.Some here have rewired the passing lights to also run when on high beam, but that's another story.


Bottom line is that the only change to your headlight with a modulator is it will flash when on high beam.

 

He wanted to know the benefits and how it works. I know how they work, and was just giving a link so he could read and get some more info. There are plenty of different units out there that accomplish this goal in different ways.

 

If you are interested in getting one that lets you have the option of modulating the low beam then this product will do that for you.

http://www.cruisercustomizing.com/de...id_name=detail

But like soos suggested you could wire the driving lamps to stay on regardless of high beam selection, which IMO is a better option. The modulating high beam will get you noticed better.

 

I didn't know about the Kriss modulator. That looks like another good one.
Thanks for all the info guys.

 

I have the Kriss modulator on my 08 RK and have also rewired the passing lamp switch to allow me to choose to keep them on with the high beam. So as the high beam modulates the passing lamps are also on. I can't tell you how many cagers actually slow down and get out of the fast lane when they see me coming. I then often get flipped off when they see that I'm not the CHP, as has happend to others also with the modulator. Best thing I ever bought for safety!

 

I've been running a Comagination headlamp and taillight modulator duo for about 2 years now. Still works as advertised, still on the same headlight bulb.
I recommend them to everyone I talk to.

 

To the OP and the person asking what these things are:

To be clear, most of the headlight modulators increase or decrease brightness to the bulb by controlling the juice going to the bulb, most would say they don't technically 'flash' or go on/off or high/low perse. It's more of a pulsating light, getting brighter and dimmer at a rapid rate, but always lit.

They are legal in all 50 states on motorcycle headlights, on either high or low beam.

Many run them on the high beam, because during the day, the high beam is projected on a higher plane, more in line w/ cagers head level, AND casts a wider beam, so as to attract the attention of cars off to the side or an angle, including traffic in the oncoming lanes, whereas the low beam is on a lower plane, not directly at eye level for cagers, and not out to the side as much, or in direct view of oncoming traffic.

Many of the mfg make them that run on the high beam only. The signal dynamics one posted earlier will run on both, but requires more wiring. Of the plug and play ones, some can be ordered in either high or low beam, but many of them cannot be switched back and forth, it will only work one way, however you ordered it.

The only plug and play one that I've found that you can use the same model for either high or low beam is http://www.comagination.com/ I had called them about it to confirm, basically it comes default to run on high beam, plug your light socket into it, and plug it into your headlight. If you would rather run on low beam, swap two wires (I think they're like quick disconnect blade connectors) and then the unit runs on low beam instead. Change your mind later, pop the headlight out, swap the wires back, and now it runs on high beam.

The only one that you can swap high or low beam on the fly, because it's wired to both, that I have found is the diamond star http://customdynamics.com/signal_dyn..._modulator.htm and it even strobes the light more when you hit the horn, if you wire it into the horn (only during daylight), but it involves more wiring, as stated.

This company http://www.kriss.com/ makes a high beam and a low beam, but it's either or, supposedly can't change it later, it is what it is.


I've debated this myself w/ my RKC, as I preferred to run the passing/spot lamps while modulating, but standing in front of my bike during the daytime, I see a huge difference in visibility running brights during the day vs low beam.

I considered doing the modification (you can search this here) to run your passing lamps all the time, even with brights on. Many have done this, whether or not they run a modulator. However, in some states, this is technically illegal to do, and while that may not be a big deal to some, others have found difficulty getting their ride to pass inspections in some states as a result of that mod, so you have to know your laws and your inspection people, if that's an issue for you.

What I've chosen to do for the time being, is to add the HD Fog lamp kit on the engine guards, which I wanted to do anyway. I connected them to the accessory connector to run off the accessory switch in the nacelle, as opposed to the battery/low beam, so now I can run my fog lights on high or low beam, so if I decide to run brights, and/or a modulator on brights, I still have the fog lamps which cast a wider angle light than the spots do anyway, and IMO do more for peripheral visibility to cagers than the spot/passing lamps do, and left my spot lamps alone for now. (some would also fail inspection for having fog lamps set up this way, while I don't have inspections right now, by running it through the accessory connector the way I have, if I ever did have to get it inspected, I could simply unplug the fog lights to where they don't run at all and just say they're not hooked up yet, as they're aftermarket, not required to be on the bike, imo)

I haven't decided which modulator to get yet, but I do like the simplicity of the comagination one, as it's plug and play, and I can choose later if I want to run on high or low, even though I have to remove the unit to make the change, at least I can change my mind with it, for whatever reason.

I think running a modulator on low beam and other lights on, is better than running on low beam w/out the modulator, but running on low beam w/ a modulator compared to running a high beam regular is debatable, and I think running a high beam modulated is best, but I still like running another set of lights with that. Now that I have my fog lights, I would feel better about running the modulator on highs, and then if I switch to lows for regular traffic/following someone/group ride, whatever, then I still have the passing/spots PLUS the fog lights now, so that may be a good compromise.

Hope that helps. You can also consider putting a 'brighter' bulb in your stock headlamp housing. Some go w/ PIAA, Silverstar Ultras, etc., while some experience a shorter bulb life w/ the intense light bulbs, I've also heard if they run em modulated alot, it increases their life because w/ the alternated voltage, they run cooler, and theoretically last longer.