depends if you want to ride round on a normal bike, where other motorists understand what your rear lights are informing them of - or look like a total wanker with a freak show confusing them
Weiser Wizards
- Thread starter MIKE R
- Start date
depends if you want to ride round on a normal bike, where other motorists understand what your rear lights are informing them of - or look like a total wanker with a freak show confusing them
I do ride around on a normal bike . Didn’t have to pay to finish it off either
No one needs to pay to finish their GS either. The OEM lights are fine, just another very successful scaremongering marketing strategy to get folks to add bits to their bikes!
I wouldn't say they're "fine". If you indicate and press the brakes, the indicator lights are diminished, it's quite simply, a fact.
With the Weizer wizards, the indicator stays primary and the brake light on that indicator stalk doesn't activate so people behind can see you are indicating. I also have the Weizer brake light connector so my centre brake light is on as a DRL too.
Its perception isn’t it. As soon as one owner thinks their rear indicators get lost in the brake light, the flood gates are opened. I’ve ridden behind bikes with combination stalks and have never missed them indicating under braking. Car drivers may not be as tuned in as other bikers, but they generally aren’t anyway, regardless of how big your indicator stalks are. Many sports bike riders actually remove the OEM stalks and fit stupidly tiny indicator stalks which are arguably even harder to see. Be interesting to know how many accidents have been attributed to the combination stalks with the other driver citing the fact that they didn’t see them indicating as the lights were washed out due to brake lights. Given it’s the rear lights that are the ‘problem’ I can’t think of a situation whereby another road user not seeing you indicate would cause an accident. Perhaps if they overtake you when you were turning right? Again though, plenty of videos out there showing cars doing that to bikes with standard, independent indicator stalks. That’s why we do live savers before we turn. All I’m saying is my view is that they are not as bad as they are made out to be. Once the fire is lit though and discussion ensues on a forum, owners become convinced that fitting such add ons as Weiser Wizards is a necessity. The likes of ‘A Bike Thing’ then amplify that in their videos in order to sell the things. Folk can fit whatever they want to their bikes at the end of the day, I have stuff on my bike that many might scoff at - such is their prerogative. I’m just trying to balance the argument a little.
This is not about fitting additional farkles, this is about the OEM parts not being fit for purpose.
I don't have an issue with the original lights providing people indicate well in advance of applying their brakes which, IMHO, is how they should be used.
However, even if they don't, the vehicle following is still going to get the brake light, even if the indicator is wiped out by it, they might wonder what the hell they are doing but the main information that they are slowing down, for whatever reason, is there, and that is the most important information the following vehicle needs.
Yes, those that have the Weiser, or similar, devices fitted can be clearer, but the first time I saw one in action I did wonder what was happening when I saw one multifunction light glowing red, and the other flashing orange. Then there are those that fit additional brake lights that light up the back end, distracting from the indicator, so not a massive improvement on the OEM set-up.
I believe that there is a set-up where you can turn the multifunction light into just indicators and fit the additional brake light above or below the number plate. If I was going to fit anything, this arrangement would be it.
However, I'd check my insurers were happy with the modification as you are now changing how the bike works which has an affect on the certification of the bike. In the event of an accident they could refuse cover if the mod isn't declared and accepted.
However, even if they don't, the vehicle following is still going to get the brake light, even if the indicator is wiped out by it, they might wonder what the hell they are doing but the main information that they are slowing down, for whatever reason, is there, and that is the most important information the following vehicle needs.
Yes, those that have the Weiser, or similar, devices fitted can be clearer, but the first time I saw one in action I did wonder what was happening when I saw one multifunction light glowing red, and the other flashing orange. Then there are those that fit additional brake lights that light up the back end, distracting from the indicator, so not a massive improvement on the OEM set-up.
I believe that there is a set-up where you can turn the multifunction light into just indicators and fit the additional brake light above or below the number plate. If I was going to fit anything, this arrangement would be it.
However, I'd check my insurers were happy with the modification as you are now changing how the bike works which has an affect on the certification of the bike. In the event of an accident they could refuse cover if the mod isn't declared and accepted.
Last edited:
tw99
Registered user
Not sure if it's UK only, more likely to be Europe wide, but flashing red lights on the rear of a (normal) vehicle are not legal here.
In your opinion yes
I think the only exception to that statement is under “emergency braking” the rear lights can flash to alert drivers. All 4 of my GS’s have done this as does my car.
It appears that multi function system was never approved across the pond. Mine functions exactly as the Wiser system does. BMW got it through approval because the approval system allowed it
Yeah that's the difference that complicates things for sure.
What is this forum other than opinions? My opinion is based on owning and riding with the bikes affected by the revised rear lighting system, anyone else’s opinion is irrelevant as I continue to ride with these bikes with/without the WW conversion and it’s clear which ones function correctly.
Do I think owners should fit the WW? No I don’t, I think BMW should fix the issue but they won’t so owners fit a much clearer and safer system.
It’s funny how these integrated rear lights were first fitted to Harley’s yet they were MOT failures here to start with yet the BMW application seems to be the other way round.
I ride a bike with the combined lights and my opinion is that they are fine!
But you can’t see them!I ride a bike with the combined lights and my opinion is that they are fine!
The Harley system here is the same as the bmw is here. no central tail but twin tail lights which turn into twin brake lights with a turn signal always being a flashing (brake light intensity) on and completely off. I like this system more than any single tail light system
flashing Red Brake Lights are illegal in the USA - but have been allowed and increasingly common since 1999 across vehicles in Europe
she had a Volvo circa 2008 that would enable all corner's Orange Hazard Lights if the ESP came to the party - she became gifted at drifting it one handed as she casually tapped them off again with her left hand
Even if the rear turn signals were invisible (they're not) I don't see how that makes the bike dangerous? The brake light functions just fine and that's the main thing. Heck I follow many people who don't even use turn signals and the rear of their vehicles are undamaged. Probably the most likely cause of rear end collisions are from distracted drivers on their phone, fooling through menus on the vehicles display, lighting a cigarette, etc., and no amount of brake or turn signals will stop that because they are not looking.
Where I worry most are at stoppages where there normally are not, like a broken down vehicle or road construction that has traffic stopped so I try to point the bike off to the side while watching the mirror.
Where I worry most are at stoppages where there normally are not, like a broken down vehicle or road construction that has traffic stopped so I try to point the bike off to the side while watching the mirror.
Similar threads
