Motodynamics Integrated tail light question

[SueMc]

I have a question for riders that have a Motodynamics Integrated tail light installed on their FZ6. My husband and I just received ours and installed them last Thursday (his on an FZ1). His looks great, bright and sharp all the way across, top and bottom. Mine looks.... lopsided. There's no other way to describe it.

The fixture itself is level; but the light only seems to go about half-way up on the top of left side, slanting up until it's fully lit on the top of the right side. The lower left side is mostly fully lit, but the lower right side is almost completely dark. It appears this way standing about 6-8 feet behind the bike, and also riding about 2 car lengths behind the bike out on the road (my husband confirmed this). Angle doesn't seem to make a difference.

We sent an email to Motodynamics about this, and they replied saying that was normal, and it would appear different out on the road. It did not. My question to other riders is does your tail light do this too?

We tried to get some pictures, but it's really hard to capture on camera. This picture comes closest, with a definite dark spot in the lower right quadrant. The slant at the top isn't as visible in the picture as it is in person, but it's there. The camera and bike were both level at the time.

 

[lawlberg]

I'd say it looks like something is loose inside - I'd say it's probably the strip of LEDs (I'm assuming here)

If you take it off and give it a little shake, do you notice anything loose?

If it's not that, then maybe the reflector isn't lined up right.

Call Motodynamic, I'm sure there's something wrong here and they should replace it.

 

[trepetti]

I'd say it looks like something is loose inside - I'd say it's probably the strip of LEDs (I'm assuming here)

If you take it off and give it a little shake, do you notice anything loose?

If it's not that, then maybe the reflector isn't lined up right.

Call Motodynamic, I'm sure there's something wrong here and they should replace it.

No reflected light on the rite side of the tail lamp. Looks defective to me.

 

[Motogiro]

I would say that is defective. That's like going to the dealership and leaving with your new car and the tire looses air. You call them and they say, "Well yeah, that's normal"


Who did you get these lamps from? Are they in fact Motodynamics?

 

[rivettm]

I have the Motodynamics tail light and it's not lopsided like that. As Motogiro said if it's genuine they should replace it.

 

[SueMc]

Thanks all. We did order the lights off the Motodynamics site, not through any third party vendor. I pulled the light off the bike tonight and nothing seems loose. I'm quite sure it's either the reflector or the LEDs are out of alignment. When we said as much in an email to Motodynamics this is the response we've received:

We understand your concern. But due to the fact that the LED light output is not like the incandescent light that distribute light in more spherical pattern, in fact, rather a lambertian distribution so, when you stand on the side or standing too close. You do not see full blown effect, and feel as of the light distribute unevenly. To get a more accurate assessment, one shouldn’t observe the light from a close distant. You should observe the light from at least 40ft (2-3 car distant) away from it. And you should observe it at the height of eye level of a driver. BTW, this light had went thru photometric design and testing to satisfy the requirement for street use.

We did follow up with the photos and a phone call, but we're still waiting to hear back from them.

Thank you for posting your pic rivettm, I was hoping to see something like that to reassure myself that it was not normal!

 

[Motogiro]

Thanks all. We did order the lights off the Motodynamics site, not through any third party vendor. I pulled the light off the bike tonight and nothing seems loose. I'm quite sure it's either the reflector or the LEDs are out of alignment. When we said as much in an email to Motodynamics this is the response we've received:

We understand your concern. But due to the fact that the LED light output is not like the incandescent light that distribute light in more spherical pattern, in fact, rather a lambertian distribution so, when you stand on the side or standing too close. You do not see full blown effect, and feel as of the light distribute unevenly. To get a more accurate assessment, one shouldn’t observe the light from a close distant. You should observe the light from at least 40ft (2-3 car distant) away from it. And you should observe it at the height of eye level of a driver. BTW, this light had went thru photometric design and testing to satisfy the requirement for street use.

We did follow up with the photos and a phone call, but we're still waiting to hear back from them.

Thank you for posting your pic rivettm, I was hoping to see something like that to reassure myself that it was not normal!

Totally off base on the lambertian distribution theory.

Please copy this and send it back to them: :rof:

If light consisted strictly of ordinary or classical particles, and these particles were fired in a straight line through a slit and allowed to strike a screen on the other side, we would expect to see a pattern corresponding to the size and shape of the slit. However, when this "single-slit experiment" is actually performed, the pattern on the screen is a diffraction pattern in which the light is spread out. The smaller the slit, the greater the angle of spread.
Similarly, if light consisted strictly of classical particles and we illuminated two parallel slits, the expected pattern on the screen would simply be the sum of the two single-slit patterns. In reality, however, the pattern changes to one with a series of light and dark bands When Thomas Young (1773-1829) first demonstrated this phenomenon, it indicated that light consists of waves, as the distribution of brightness can be explained by the alternately additive and subtractive interference of wavefronts.[3] Young's experiment, performed in the early 1800s, played a vital part in the acceptance of the wave theory of light, vanquishing the corpuscular theory of light proposed by Isaac Newton, which had been the accepted model of light propagation in the 17th and 18th centuries. However, the later discovery of the photoelectric effect demonstrated that under different circumstances, light can behave as if it is composed of discrete particles. These seemingly contradictory discoveries made it necessary to go beyond classical physics and take the quantum nature of light into account.

The double-slit experiment (and its variations), conducted with individual particles, has become a classic thought experiment for its clarity in expressing the central puzzles of quantum mechanics. Because it demonstrates the fundamental limitation of the ability of the observer to predict experimental results, Richard Feynman called it "a phenomenon which is impossible ... to explain in any classical way, and which has in it the heart of quantum mechanics. In reality, it contains the only mystery [of quantum mechanics].",[3] and he was fond of saying that all of quantum mechanics can be gleaned from carefully thinking through the implications of this single experiment.[4] Časlav Brukner and Anton Zeilinger have succinctly expressed this limitation as follows: The Motodynamics tail light should show clearly in all quadrants regardless of your Quantum BS Theory!. Because light behaves as a particle and a wave we would like resolution to this defective tail lamp!

 

[Yasko]

Let them know that we're all watching on the forum to see how they treat there customers.:rockon:

 

[zackattack784]

I have a question for riders that have a Motodynamics Integrated tail light installed on their FZ6. My husband and I just received ours and installed them last Thursday (his on an FZ1). His looks great, bright and sharp all the way across, top and bottom. Mine looks.... lopsided. There's no other way to describe it.

The fixture itself is level; but the light only seems to go about half-way up on the top of left side, slanting up until it's fully lit on the top of the right side. The lower left side is mostly fully lit, but the lower right side is almost completely dark. It appears this way standing about 6-8 feet behind the bike, and also riding about 2 car lengths behind the bike out on the road (my husband confirmed this). Angle doesn't seem to make a difference.

We sent an email to Motodynamics about this, and they replied saying that was normal, and it would appear different out on the road. It did not. My question to other riders is does your tail light do this too?

We tried to get some pictures, but it's really hard to capture on camera. This picture comes closest, with a definite dark spot in the lower right quadrant. The slant at the top isn't as visible in the picture as it is in person, but it's there. The camera and bike were both level at the time.

Hmm. Mine kinda looks like that too. It doesn't look that bad, but it does have sort of a dead spot in the exact same location as yours.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Circle]

Thanks all. We did order the lights off the Motodynamics site, not through any third party vendor. I pulled the light off the bike tonight and nothing seems loose. I'm quite sure it's either the reflector or the LEDs are out of alignment. When we said as much in an email to Motodynamics this is the response we've received:

We understand your concern. But due to the fact that the LED light output is not like the incandescent light that distribute light in more spherical pattern, in fact, rather a lambertian distribution so, when you stand on the side or standing too close. You do not see full blown effect, and feel as of the light distribute unevenly. To get a more accurate assessment, one shouldn’t observe the light from a close distant. You should observe the light from at least 40ft (2-3 car distant) away from it. And you should observe it at the height of eye level of a driver. BTW, this light had went thru photometric design and testing to satisfy the requirement for street use.

We did follow up with the photos and a phone call, but we're still waiting to hear back from them.

Thank you for posting your pic rivettm, I was hoping to see something like that to reassure myself that it was not normal!

I can hear your answer now.

Dear Motodynamics,
Checked it from 40ft away, at drivers height. Still lopsided.
Would you like me to attach a copy of my receipt with the returned goods?
Kind regards,
SueMC

Forgive me Sue, I don't know if you are professor on lights and particles, waves and lamington distribution (Sounds better this way?) but I smell a little Motodynamic condescension here...

 

[SueMc]

Thanks for that excellent response Motogiro! I'll keep that in reserve if we don't get a satisfactory resolution to this!

Circle, the our reply to their response above bears a striking similarity to what you suggest!

Zackattack784, it is interesting that you are seeing a similar issue with your tail light. Given that Rivittm's pic doesn't show that, I think it's a good indication that it is the mounting angle of the reflector or LEDs and not a normal effect of the light distribution causing the dark section.

 

[Gelvatron]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGaHwYtO0fg]Fz6 Motodynamic taillight and 2wheels turn signals - YouTube[/ame]

 

[rivettm]

It sounds like that might have some quality control issues. For the price I would not have been happy with the light you received. You can find much less expensive options out there.

 

[elus1ve]

I ordered one from Motodynamic a few days ago and waiting for the item to arrive. I'll let you know how mine fare.

As for other choices out there, there aren't good alternatives to Motodynamic from what I saw.

 

[rivettm]

Yeah the other tail lights I found look cheap but they are cheap so I guess that's expected.

 

[trepetti]

Totally off base on the lambertian distribution theory.

Please copy this and send it back to them: :rof:

If light consisted strictly of ordinary or classical particles, and these particles were fired in a straight line through a slit and allowed to strike a screen on the other side, we would expect to see a pattern corresponding to the size and shape of the slit. However, when this "single-slit experiment" is actually performed, the pattern on the screen is a diffraction pattern in which the light is spread out. The smaller the slit, the greater the angle of spread.
Similarly, if light consisted strictly of classical particles and we illuminated two parallel slits, the expected pattern on the screen would simply be the sum of the two single-slit patterns. In reality, however, the pattern changes to one with a series of light and dark bands When Thomas Young (1773-1829) first demonstrated this phenomenon, it indicated that light consists of waves, as the distribution of brightness can be explained by the alternately additive and subtractive interference of wavefronts.[3] Young's experiment, performed in the early 1800s, played a vital part in the acceptance of the wave theory of light, vanquishing the corpuscular theory of light proposed by Isaac Newton, which had been the accepted model of light propagation in the 17th and 18th centuries. However, the later discovery of the photoelectric effect demonstrated that under different circumstances, light can behave as if it is composed of discrete particles. These seemingly contradictory discoveries made it necessary to go beyond classical physics and take the quantum nature of light into account.

The double-slit experiment (and its variations), conducted with individual particles, has become a classic thought experiment for its clarity in expressing the central puzzles of quantum mechanics. Because it demonstrates the fundamental limitation of the ability of the observer to predict experimental results, Richard Feynman called it "a phenomenon which is impossible ... to explain in any classical way, and which has in it the heart of quantum mechanics. In reality, it contains the only mystery [of quantum mechanics].",[3] and he was fond of saying that all of quantum mechanics can be gleaned from carefully thinking through the implications of this single experiment.[4] Časlav Brukner and Anton Zeilinger have succinctly expressed this limitation as follows: The Motodynamics tail light should show clearly in all quadrants regardless of your Quantum BS Theory!. Because light behaves as a particle and a wave we would like resolution to this defective tail lamp!

Yeah....like HE said!

 

[SueMc]

So I'm mailing the tail light back to Motodynamic today. They had originally suggested that we wait until next week when their technical help manager could review the pictures (he's currently on vacation), but after seeing the photo and video posted here, and reading your comments I decided I'd rather just return it for exchange. Hopefully the replacement will be correctly aligned.

If they receive the light and determine that it is not defective, I will just ask for a refund. I do believe it's a good product, and I really like the look of it; the one on my husband's FZ1 looks fantastic. But having one on my bike that appears crooked, and is not fully visible, is not a look I want!

Thank you all for your input, I really do appreciate it. I'll keep you updated as to how this turns out. And Elus1ve, I'd really be interested to know how your tail light appears once you have it installed.

 

[Motogiro]

So I'm mailing the tail light back to Motodynamic today. They had originally suggested that we wait until next week when their technical help manager could review the pictures (he's currently on vacation), but after seeing the photo and video posted here, and reading your comments I decided I'd rather just return it for exchange. Hopefully the replacement will be correctly aligned.

If they receive the light and determine that it is not defective, I will just ask for a refund. I do believe it's a good product, and I really like the look of it; the one on my husband's FZ1 looks fantastic. But having one on my bike that appears crooked, and is not fully visible, is not a look I want!

Thank you all for your input, I really do appreciate it. I'll keep you updated as to how this turns out. And Elus1ve, I'd really be interested to know how your tail light appears once you have it installed.

Motodynamics does make the best unit. I've seen copies but they are far away in the quality of light etc.
Good luck with this and I'll bet they take care of you on this.

Please keep us posted!

 

[rivettm]

Is your tail light smoked? Mine's clear and I wonder if that could have something to do with it.

 

[SueMc]

Is your tail light smoked? Mine's clear and I wonder if that could have something to do with it.

Mine is the smoked tail light. I could see that making a small difference in the overall brightness of the light, but not something as dramatic as an entire segment being dark.