turn signal cancel devices

[homie]

Someone mentioned they wanted a commercial device to increase audio or auto turn off signals on the PCX. This didn't motivate me to look at existing products but kept me awake last night wondering why hasn't any one simply attached a mercury switch to the body of the bike with a newly designed turn signal control box to include an electrical actuator driving a striker to reset the button as soon as the bike recovers from a slight lean.

Naturally as with any new idea you do a patent search before you get excited. There must be a half dozen currently running patents describing the above in one way or another. I have several patents and for the first time I understand why so many people hate the US patent laws. We are sitting on everything we ever wanted in 20 year renewable patents held by private individuals like me that won't settle for any offer from industry and wont make it themselves.

So we don't get the simple mercury switch fix for leaving your turn signals on motorcycles accidently... until someone takes a check. Wake up America, I'm giving this to the foreigners for thought now.

[Sowaka]

Patent laws just make no sense to me and everything is vulnerable to patent trolls with no intention of making the product. Doubt it'll actually be fixed anytime soon though, hard to make progress when you have to wait 20 years before you can create something.

I actually heard a story regarding one fantastic invention that uses lasers to shoot mosquitoes out of the air, it can kill hundreds over the span of just an hour, is cheap to create, and would be a godsend for countries with West nile/malaria problems... But a patent troll currently holds the patent and it can't be manufactured.

[SECoda]

They are trying to pass a law restricting patent trolling here but the problem always is that all of the law makers are lawyers too. It is killing a lot of businesses.

[homie]

My idea for patent laws is simple, you can still secure your intellectual property rights but if you don't sell or lease to industry in a reasonable time you must manufacture and market it yourself in order to retain control.

umm lawyers would say OK a reasonable time is 20 years LOL

[jblye]

There are turn signal cancel devices available from aftermarket sellers.
I had the Ducati dealer install one on my Ducati. Sorry I can't remember
the brand name that I used, but you should be able to search "turn signal
cancel" or some such and find them. Mine timed out after 8 seconds
after completing the turn. The time for that was adjustable. It worked
well. The timer held the countdown while holding the brakes on waiting
to turn, then resumed counting when the brakes were released to start
the turn.

Johnny

[homie]

There are turn signal cancel devices available from aftermarket sellers

Yep and some of them you count your taps for longer activation but fully automatic without need to think or hold the brake is doable just not without someone claiming sales royalties. Typically they would wait until you sold a million and then pounce for all you are worth.

It's tough patenting for profit. There is a 1 in 400 chance of success which beats lotto though One of mine leased to HunterDouglas for 80k and 2.5% of every unit sold in the US and around the world. I dreamed up every possible way I could to keep it from being modified and stolen. Boiled it down to the simplest form and talked it up in the spirit of the embodiment as complicated as imaginable in the patent. But monster companies have awesome R&D and will find a way if they want it all to themselves... so after only 2 years they patented around me. Lesson learned, take the lump sum offered and sell, not lease.

[jblye]

I've always wondered why automatic turn signal cancelers aren't
standard equipment on all motorcycles and scooters. My 1997
Harley Sportster had automatic canceling which worked
perfectly every time; however, the bikes that I owned after the
Sportster ( Buell S3T, Honda ST1100, and Ducati ST4) had
manual canceling systems. I wish that my new 2015 PCX150
had an automatic system. I'm trying to minimize the problem
by keeping my thumb resting on the cancel button until the turn is
completed....a bit awkward at times, but it does help me to
remember to turn the blinker off. The flashing turn signal
light is very bright, but you have to look down to see it
(especially if you are wearing a full face helmet, as I do).

Johnny

[homie]

I have a low tech solution I am working on that might give us all better control over seeing the green flashing light on the instrument panel though the chin guard on a full face helmet. So low tech it cant be patented or even sold and needs nothing more than some double side tape and maybe a trip to the Hobby Lobby.

Can anyone guess what will keep our heads up, eyes on the road and still notice the flashing turn signal?

[you you]

I have a low tech solution I am working on that might give us all better control over seeing the green flashing light on the instrument panel though the chin guard on a full face helmet. So low tech it cant be patented or even sold and needs nothing more than some double side tape and maybe a trip to the Hobby Lobby.

Can anyone guess what will keep our heads up, eyes on the road and still notice the flashing turn signal?

Experience?

[jblye]

Homie wrote: "Can anyone guess what will keep our heads up, eyes on the road and still notice the flashing turn signal?"

Maybe a small mirror or a small prism ? Or a short piece of light transferring tubing ? Or something else in your field
of vision that you couldn't miss ?

Way to think outside the box, Homie !!!

Johnny

[homie]

Homie wrote: "Can anyone guess what will keep our heads up, eyes on the road and still notice the flashing turn signal?"

Maybe a small mirror or a small prism ? Or a short piece of light transferring tubing ? Or something else in your field
of vision that you couldn't miss ?

Way to think outside the box, Homie !!!

Johnny

That is correct! what do we have for Johnny?... Johnny
A small prism would be needed, put inside or outside the helmet on the visor (still in beta) to change the direction of the light directly from instrument panel to your eye. Just a twinkle of green flashing would let you know the signal was on... or just push the button all the time like I do LOL.

[homie]

There is a tense moment careening through a busy intersection whilst coming out of a turn behind a car that may or may not continue on a steady course. That is when we have to start thinking about turning off the signal... or its easy to forget. I would like to focus on the guy in front and never take my mind (or eyes) off him just in case he sees a pink elephant and slams the brakes.

[iceman]

Adding led repeaters (extenders) to the new versions so you have a higher mounted turn indication should be easy on the new models (a bit harder on the normal lamp versions). Probably already available somewhere. You can already get mirrors with built-in led turn indicators! . . . as an example
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/mirrors-motor ... 4d2456314b
May be a great way of letting you know you've left them on, and further high-up warning to vehicles behind you!

[homie]

Adding led repeaters (extenders) to the new versions so you have a higher mounted turn indication should be easy on the new models (a bit harder on the normal lamp versions)

I did not know this... most excellent solution! Project cancelled (cant find tiny prisms anywhere on the market anyway). Yes I would use something like that in a heartbeat. You say easier with LED wiring... can you elaborate how one would wire in such a device?

[jblye]

A search on the internet indicates that there are a lot of led repeater devices
available for turn signals. They certainly could be installed if one knows how
to do it. I have to admit that I'm a little bit leery of altering the wiring on
my new scooter, but others probably wouldn't mind doing so.

One further thought on Homie's prism:

If you have one of the tall windscreens, a prism of the size shown in Homie's
video could be velcroed to the top / backside of the windscreen at nearly
eye level. Some experimenting would be need to get the prism positioned
properly, but it should work. In fact, you could probably attach the prism
at an angle that would point the image of the entire "dash" directly toward the
rider's eyes. Industrial strength velcro (available at WalMart) would probably
be needed to hold the prism securely. If that could work properly, it would
eliminate the need for a lot of special wiring for the repeater devices. I guess
that the prism would "flip" the image (not sure), but that shouldn't be a problem.
I plan to buy a tall windscreen for my 2015 PCX150 when they become available,
so I'm keeping Homie's idea in the back of my mind. Being a certified hillbilly,
I usually try the simplest way if it will get the job done.

Just a thought.

Johnny

[homie]

Thanks Jonny, to be honest it will be hard to stop looking for a tiny prism to adhere to the visor, I have no doubt this would have been borderline silly but effective. And really don't want to tap into the wire harness of anything ever nor would I be happy with wires running down the mirror mounts as depicted in the pictures.

For now I guess I just double check signals through out my ride and hope Honda addresses the issue in the next makeover. We could just ditch the full face helmet and maybe all this just goes away

[jblye]

Homie, I think that a prism of the size that was in your video would be
about the right size to attach to the top of a tall windscreen.

Unfortunately, the tall windscreens are not available for the 2015 PCXs
yet. I plan to get one when they become available.....probably a Givi,
as their tall windscreens appeared to be taller than the tall Honda
screens on the earlier PCXs. I'm long waisted, so a Givi screen might
work better for me.

Anyhow, I'll probably try your prism idea when I get the tall screen.
I'll probably also attach a bicycle GPS cyclometer to the top of the
screen, as well. I had one on my Ducati, and I found that having the
digital speed readout right in front of my face was pretty neat.
Note: By "top" of screen, I mean on the back side of the screen
(out of the air flow) about an inch below the top of the screen.

Thanks
Johnny

[FritzPinguin]

Just use a relais with a beeper. I got one for a few Baht, and it is installed as replacement for the original one. Since I have it I never forgot to turn off the indicator. Honda uses it on some bikes, so you should get an genuine part if you want it.