In an age when visibility is high on the agenda for rulemakers, Brake Free might be smarter than it first appears
These days, whether it’s at manufacturer level or consumer level, we’re all a little bit obsessed with cleaning up the rear end of our motorcycles. Sportsbikes and nakedbikes just look better with smaller, sleeker and cleaner tail sections, but with those improved aesthetics comes a trade-off in terms of visibility.
Like it or not, the tail becomes smaller and therefore the tail-light is smaller too. And while technology of globes – or light-emitting diodes (LEDs) – have advanced considerably in recent years, the size of a current-model tail-light is up to a third the size of one 20 or 30 years ago.
A team of American riders has developed a simple solution; a wireless smart tail-light that attaches to the rear of your helmet and gets brighter when you slow down. Dubbed Brake Free, the company recently launched a crowdfunding campaign to move the prototype into the manufacturing phase.
With 10 days left of its fundraising campaign, Brake Free had raised $115,510 USD by 1100 backers
This is how it works…
THE SMARTS
The beauty of this product is its simplicity. No wires, no syncing and no smartphone app. By using two internal sensors, a three-dimensional gyrometer and a three-dimensional accelerometer, the Brake Free unit knows when you’re slowing down — even if you haven’t applied the brakes — and will illuminate to alert road users behind you. And it’s clever enough to differentiate between the rider just moving his or her head and the motorcycle slowing down.
THE MOTIVE
Look at any modern SUV or wagon and, in addition to the traditionally placed tail and brake lights, there’s also a strip or block of lights mounted higher towards the top of the rear window. This not only increases visibility, it also means road users who aren’t directly behind the vehicle are able to see their intentions and better predict the scenario about to unfold. Because motorcycle riders tend to sit higher than the average car driver, the Brake Free could prove a boon for bikers.
THE SPECS
The Brake Free light is designed to fit a range of different-shaped helmets and is held on by a pair of strong Neodymium magnets. It’s powered by a rechargeable (micro USB) high-capacity lithium-ion battery that lasts eight hours. It uses 100 ultra-bright LEDs and boasts a 120-degree viewing angle. It measures 162mm across, 83mm high, is 59mm thick and the whole kit and caboodle weighs 170 grams.
Kel Buckley
