Those black rods are called "Space Grips" that I got from Bike Nashbar - URL is http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...eid=&pagename= for the "new and improved" version. They're $9.95 US each. Before I had that, I was simply velcroing the lights (on the pipe) to the handlebars. That didn't work so well, because they kept tilting down making it impossible to be seen.

On the left handlebar, there is a little control box for the turn signals. A power button to turn the unit on, which activates the tail light, and another on-off-on slide switch for the turn signals. The Night Hawk has it's own power switch, which I haven't tampered with. Yet.

For the battery, the NH came with a charger. You unplug the light from the battery, plug the charger into the wall and then into the battery. Leave it until the light switches from red to green. Then I plug the NH light cable back into the battery.

I think I said so before, but I tied my electrical system into the NH's light cable so I can use just the one battery. Anyway, the generator (dynamo for the British crowd) is a 12v version which puts out alternating current. Most people don't realize that because it's not important if you're just running a regular headlight with it. Well, I take the 12v AC to my little control box where I built a circuit that has a full-wave rectifier, a 1,000 microfarad capacitor, and a 6v voltage regulator. The output is pure 6v DC with practically no ripple. That output goes to the battery, turn signals, and lights. Very similar to what happens with an automotive electrical system.

As for reactions, people tend to see me better, and once they see the turn signals in use, they seem to have a bit more patience with me and don't attempt to blow around me near intersections. Especially with left turns, drivers don't seem so ready to tell me to get out of the way. I passed a cabbie in Uptown Charlotte recently, and he'd seen my turn signals in his rear-view mirror. As I came by, he had a look of amazement on his face, and his mouth hung open.