Total Motorcycle Community Forums

XM23 wrote:

Just wanted to re-itterate for our Canadian members, headlight modulators, wig-wags, or whatever you want to call them are illegal up here unless displayed by an emergency vehicle.

This seems to be contradicted by this: http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/Motorcycle- ... canada.htm

(See S7.9.4)

Have the Canadian laws regarding modulators been changed recently?

Yes it has. Transport Canada's Technical Standards Regulations effective November 2001 state:

S7.9.4 Motorcycle headlamp modulation system

S7.9.4.1 A headlamp on a motorcycle may be wired to modulate either the upper beam or the lower beam from its maximum intensity to a lesser intensity, provided that:

(a) The rate of modulation shall be 240 ± 40 cycles per minute.

(b) The headlamp shall be operated at maximum power for 50 to 70 percent of each cycle.

(c) The lowest intensity at any test point shall be not less than 17 percent of the maximum intensity measured at the same point.

(d) The modulator switch shall be wired in the power lead of the beam filament being modulated and not in the ground side of the circuit.

(e) Means shall be provided so that both the lower beam and upper beam remain operable in the event of a modulator failure.

(f) The system shall include a sensor mounted with the axis of its sensing element perpendicular to a horizontal plane. Headlamp modulation shall cease whenever the level of light emitted by a tungsten filament light operating at 3000 degrees Kelvin is either less than 270 lux (25 foot-candles) of direct light for upward pointing sensors or less than 60 lux (5.6 foot-candles) of reflected light for downward pointing sensors. The light is measured by a silicon cell type light meter that is located at the sensor and pointing in the same direction as the sensor. A Kodak Gray Card (Kodak R-27) is placed at ground level to simulate the road surface in testing downward pointing sensors.

(g) When tested in accordance with the test profile shown in Figure 9, the voltage drop across the modulator when the lamp is on at all test conditions for 12 volt systems and 6 volt systems shall not be greater than 0.45 volt. The modulator shall meet all the provisions of this TSD the standard after completion of the test profile shown in Figure 9.

(h) Means shall be provided so that both the lower and upper beam function at design voltage when the headlamp control switch is in either the lower or upper beam position when the modulator is off.

As long as the modulators meet these requirements, they are allowed. According to my previous post, the manufacturer states that their products comply w. both Canadian and US regulations.

Last weekend I was on a group ride through the mountains and back. It was a grey and sometimes rainy day.
The tailgunner of our group had his highbeam light on and I must say, he was really visible. As the road captain for the day, it helped me a lot because I could see in my mirror where he was.

Later when we were nearing home, he moved up to the next position behind me and although bright, the high beam was not annoying because it was still daylight.

I have ridden with my friend dr_bar behind me when he has had highbeams on during the day and it was not bothersome. Just more visible.

Brights on all day...it also helps when you're riding one of the biggest dresser on the road. I have a light bar too, so there are three lights up front.
Makes me fairly visable, as long as the cagers are watching where they're going...some of them need to "HANG UP THE PHONE AND DRIVE!!!!"