Integrated plate lights and indicators - any good?

[singlering]

Came across these on the bay and wondered if anyone had tried? I'd be interested to know if they are:
a) legal
b) visible/obvious as indicators
c) going to flash at the wrong p!ssing rate until i get some resistors in there

If so, they could be quite a nice way to tidy up the tail of my M900 :thumbsup:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LED-License-Number-Plate-Lights-Turn-Signal-Indicator-Fits-KTM-640-LC4-SMC-Black-/191208545058?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item2c84eadb22

[Dirty]

a) Technically not legal but that alone is no reason not to fit them. Also indicators have I believe to be a certain distance apart which they won't be if fitted on a number plate.
b) Mmmm difficult but probably not.
c) yes

[Saint aka ML]

Well you could get a carbon tail tidy, drill hole and have them built in to that with light pointing down just skimming the plate. Then it would be bit more legal.

[singlering]

Well you could get a carbon tail tidy, drill hole and have them built in to that with light pointing down just skimming the plate. Then it would be bit more legal.

Already have a tail tidy fitted, just not of the carbon variety. Good idea though!

[Dirty]

I think they would make cool mini indicators on their own. I'd disconnect the number plate light bit and just install them somewhere neat.

[SunEye]

If you want to be legal on the positioning of rear indicators then they must be at least 180mm apart and at a height of between 350mm and 1200mm.

They must flash at between 60 and 120 times per minute.

[Fatal]

And I have recently learnt, you don't need a plate light

Alan H

[Fatal]

I bought this rear light with combined indicators
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131015708851

http://i1154.photobucket.com/albums/p537/Fatalhud/M600/_DSC2088_zpscc2d0ee1.jpg

The number plate light ended up being surplus too requirement but where only a few pound, which to be honest makes the indicator/number plate light ones a tad expensive

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191247011903

Alan H

[singlering]

I bought this rear light with combined indicators
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131015708851

http://i1154.photobucket.com/albums/p537/Fatalhud/M600/_DSC2088_zpscc2d0ee1.jpg

The number plate light ended up being surplus too requirement but where only a few pound, which to be honest makes the indicator/number plate light ones a tad expensive

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191247011903

Alan H

Not to my taste but each to their own n all :)
Out of interest, does it pass an MOT like that?

I think i'm going to go with the idea of mounting them on the tail tidy which would make them just about legal.

[SunEye]

And I have recently learnt, you don't need a plate light

Alan H
Indeed. It is not part of the MOT test.

However it is part of the Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval (MSVA) test. So every bike has to have a number plate light in order to be legal for the road in the UK, but it's not checked in an MOT.

[Dirty]

If you want to be legal on the positioning of rear indicators then they must be at least 180mm apart


Aha, thanks Suneye, I knew there was some sort of rule on the subject. At 180mm you could just possibly get away with them on a decent sized numberplate.

[SunEye]

Not to my taste but each to their own n all :)
Out of interest, does it pass an MOT like that?

I think i'm going to go with the idea of mounting them on the tail tidy which would make them just about legal.
According to the MOT manual:

"The precise position and angle of visibility of direction indicators are not part of this inspection, but they must be on each side of the longitudinal axis of a solo machine."

So in theory a combined brake light and indicator unit could pass an MOT. However the MOT also checks "that the illumination of the indicators are not affected by the operation of any other lamp.". This also applies to the operation of other lights as well. It can be argued with a combined brake light and indicator unit the operation of one light affects the other because usually the brake light is full width and a portion of that is also used for the indicator. If the brake light is only ever the centre part and the indicators are at the side then it could pass an MOT.

[Fatal]

Its all down to having a friendly MOT inspector ;)

[Fatal]

Plan B is take all lights off and run Daytime only MOT

[Dirty]

Last time I was down the MOT bay there was an official poster on the wall talking about rear lights and indicators. It's guidance was that integrated ones don't pass nor do flashing brake lights :)

[Dukedesmo]

When I had my MOT done this year, I was told that they had received a specific instruction that integrated rear/brake/indicators were a failure and that prior to this year it wasn't specifically stated.

Which is odd really as plenty of new cars have lights that are, at least semi-integrated to the point where the indicators are difficult to see, especially if the brake lights are on.

Seems fashionable to have stupid lights on modern cars though, especially the 'fairy' lights on the front... :grump:

[SunEye]

The difference is that on cars they don't use part of the brake light for indicators. On bikes with integrated tail lights when braking and indicating at the same time the brake light is smaller than when braking on its own. That would not pass an MOT because the operation of one light is affecting the operation of another, which is an MOT fail.

IMHO an integrated tail light unit that had the centre for the brake light and the sides for indicators could pass an MOT. However the indicators wouldn't be 180mm apart and so wouldn't pass MSVA and therefore would be illegal.

[Dukedesmo]

The difference is that on cars they don't use part of the brake light for indicators.

Yes but I was following a car the other day (new VW Golf, I think) and the indicator was a very small circle inside a larger red circle that is the brake light and when the brakes were on it was very difficult to see the indicator - so not really any different in reality.

Of course the likes of VW would be considered too sensible/important/wealthy to make a rear light that might cause danger to anyone so they get away with it.

I have integrated rear/brake/indicators on my Monster and 916 but I also have separate indicators aswell as I believe the integrated indicators are too close together (especially on the Monster) for use on there own, but I believe the combination is more visible/noticeable to following vehicles which is why I fitted them.

[SunEye]

Yes but I was following a car the other day (new VW Golf, I think) and the indicator was a very small circle inside a larger red circle that is the brake light and when the brakes were on it was very difficult to see the indicator - so not really any different in reality.

Of course the likes of VW would be considered too sensible/important/wealthy to make a rear light that might cause danger to anyone so they get away with it.

I have integrated rear/brake/indicators on my Monster and 916 but I also have separate indicators aswell as I believe the integrated indicators are too close together (especially on the Monster) for use on there own, but I believe the combination is more visible/noticeable to following vehicles which is why I fitted them.
I agree with you. Personally I also find during daylight the front indicators on a lot of modern cars are quite hard to see. It may be something to do with using coloured bulbs and a clear lens and setting the bulb a long way back in the light unit.

[Dirty]

The poster mentioned vehicles that had them as standard, inc those with flashing brake lights. As they have been through an exhaustive testing process before being allowed to be sold in the EU they are allowed. After market stuff isn't.