97 M900 Chop kits

[utopia]

One gizmo that I DO think would be a worthwhile addition would be a dashboard "my brake/tail light has failed" warning light.
That really would be of practical value.
I seem to recall that my 1975, Z1B Kawasaki had just such a system.
Not flashy enough for the market though, I presume.

[Jez900ie]

Originally Posted by utopia

One gizmo that I DO think would be a worthwhile addition would be a dashboard "my brake/tail light has failed" warning light.
That really would be of practical value.
I seem to recall that my 1975, Z1B Kawasaki had just such a system.
Not flashy enough for the market though, I presume.

I don't suppose for a moment you miss that bike?

[Dirty]

Originally Posted by utopia

And how does the flashing of a brake light (which you would naturally expect to be continuous) increase the AWARENESS of the following rider/driver ?
I can only see that it reduces the awareness by adding ... CONFUSION.

Safety info should be simple and require the absolute minimum time to interpret, leaving maximum attention focussed on the job in hand .. that's why road signs are generally pictorial, for example.

No offence mate but you're arguing like a bad politician, picking up on any issue which can be re-interpreted in a different context in order to further your argument.

In addition to the confusion caused, I have two further (but admittedly lesser) reasons to dislike flashing rear lights ...
1) It shows a lack of respect for other drivers, since you are prepared to compromise a warning system.
2) They're just trashy (in my personal opinion).

Yes, and 'confusion' wakes up the drivers brain, telling it, 'hey you better switch off of auto and onto full attention mode as this is new and strange to me'.

If anyone is acting like a politician it's you. When faced with a well thought out and reasoned argument you default to emotion and abuse (compromise/respect/trashy).

[utopia]

Originally Posted by Dirty

Yes, and 'confusion' wakes up the drivers brain, telling it, 'hey you better switch off of auto and onto full attention mode as this is new and strange to me'.

If anyone is acting like a politician it's you. When faced with a well thought out and reasoned argument you default to emotion and abuse (compromise/respect/trashy).

Sorry mate, no abuse intended whatsoever.
But I don't see that your argument is particularly well thought out or well reasoned at all.
And I see no particular abuse in my use of the words "compromise" and "respect" in the context in question, and the "trashy" comment was qualified as just a personal opinion.
(As it happens, I have no problem with trashiness itself ........I knew this girl once .....)

I'm afraid I still can't agree that provoking confusion in other drivers has any benefits which aren't massively outweighed by the obvious downside.
This is the basis of the reasoned argument that I have tried to present.

Furthermore, far from merely resorting to emotion (?) and abuse, I have given two real-life, monster based examples to support my view.
To elaborate further on these ...

1) Following Dukedesmo through early morning drizzle on the fish and chip run, and despite expecting him to be taking a left exit in due course, I was surprised when he swung onto a sliproad and only on squinting did I discern that he was in fact already indicating.
(integrated rear light/indies under smoked lens, with supplementary, teatray-mounted panel indies).

2) Following Capo, at a decent pace, into the first bend at the bottom of the awesome climb up Motarrone (Italian mountain, WDW2016).
At the instant he braked I just thought "what the feck is happening" as I was presented with a light show (no offence mate, if you're reading this).
I momentarily and instinctively overbraked (panic braked ..?) because of the extra hazard presented by the unknown/unexpected.
Presumably, this also spooked the following rider.
Eventually I realised that I could not accurately discern, in the instant, whether he was coming on or off the brakes until the flashing subsided.
And in the meantime my attention had been focussed on that subject, meaning I was paying less attention to other stuff (like, does the road crumble away at this bend like so many previous ones had done, for example).
After that, I chose to follow someone else.
Ironically, it was Capo who gave me my red led array unit in the first place (ta, again .. I love it) after having replaced it with his more techno one.
Tbh mate, you should ask for it back though, in my opinion.

I'm all for waking up slumbering drivers but not if it adds even the slightest, momentary distraction or confusion.
And this confusion applies to all the non-slumbering drivers too.
The example that I gave of the loud termis is a better way to do it, in my opinion.

So, two examples of the confusion caused by these systems (even in an alert follower) and one to demonstrate a safer way to awaken slumbering drivers.
Far from merely resorting to "emotion" or "abuse", the way I see it I have offered a well reasoned counter argument with supporting evidence.

Sorry to take over your thread in this way Carlo .. but at least its around the subject area in question, so maybe not quite a hijack.
But by way of apology, if you do find that you need a clear lens at some stage, you can have mine as a freebie.

And by the way, dear other readers, Dirty and I are mates.
We aren't falling out here .. in case you were wondering.

[Dirty]

1. Case Dukedesmo - I'm not, and never have advocated integrated rear lights. I'm not a fan myself. I think they are purely an aesthetic mod, have no practical benefits and in fact are more difficult to read.
2. Case Capo - You knew he was braking - job done. You then rode with extra concentration behind him - job done. You could not tell 'in the instant' when he comes off the brakes so your acceleration behind him was slightly delayed. - Job done! I would say your positive decision to concentrate on 2nd guessing Capo's right wrist to save a few microseconds at the expense of 'other stuff' was a poor one, though subsequently giving up and following someone else was therefore a good decision, for both you and Capo. Again, job done.

I agree, this was a reasoned response this time. There was meat on the bones. Your previous post I described as emotional and abuse because it simply used adjectives without explaining why you had assigned them. I can't accept that a flashing light is not within the 'simple signs' remit. I have followed both bikes and cars with flashing brake lights myself and find they work (my auto brain switches off and I'm forced to think and pay better attention) and are simple to understand.

Don't listen to him readers. We are both extremely upset with one another over a brake light. I myself have broken at least 7 keyboards due to the angry voracity with which I hit the keys when typing my responses. Anyone got a spare?

On a final footnote I would just like to add I hope everybody thinks I am wrong. For obvious reasons my whole reason for using them falls down the moment everyone else gets them

[Dukedesmo]

Originally Posted by Dirty

1. Case Dukedesmo

Guilty as charged m'lud, now do I get a sentence discount for an early plea/good behaviour?...

[CarloL]

https://youtu.be/0xpar1bl1z4

[smiffyraf1]

neat job. looks so much better i think. how the monster was meant to look

[Darkness]

Originally Posted by smiffyraf1

neat job. looks so much better i think. how the monster was meant to look

Now to find the solid centre rear wheel? And the DOHC engine?

https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/487655465874687798/

��

[Nasher]

There is no denying that they look so much better chopped, but even I'm beginning to wonder if chopping one now that's not already been done is the right thing to do.

I think if it was me I'd have been sourcing another pre-chopped frame, and swapping the bits over, as I can see a point in just a few years time when an un-chopped frame will be worth what you'd pay for a whole bike now.

Nasher

[Darren69]

I agree with you Nasher, those Mk1 tails weren't the best looking things, so I can understand why so many chopped them off, but nice original clean unmolested examples, like that one was are gonna be harder to find in future and in just a few years time will carry a premium. its always the same when the classic bike brigade get involved, the prices for original bikes skyrockets and people start speculating by asking silly money. Its exaggerated more when the bike is already a small volume manufacture run.

The original monster was the most popular model that Ducati ever made but they still weren't made in vast numbers that the likes of Honda and Suzuki churned out. If you look on that DVLA link that Rob posted, even some of the more recent Ducati models registered 10-15 years ago are already in single figures!

[Jez900ie]

It looks much better chopped to my eyes!

[Dirty]

That's a big Dirty thumbs up.

A standard bike that has done a good few miles and hasn't been kept in A1 condition won't ever be making big money imo. I think the specials will fetch a premium so probably not a great idea to chop one of them (can't believe I said that )

[CarloL]

Bike is there to be driven She was not bought as an investment , IMHO I think I would be waiting a long time to get a return , It wont affect the outlay I paid , I like it , really highlights the lines of the bike