Skip to main content

Wireless motorcycle helmet has smart brake light that shines at motorist eye level

Brake Free Indiegogo Campaign
You motorcyclists out there know that an astounding number of motorists just don’t see you. In the interest of self-preservation, it’s up to individual bikers to do the best they can to be seen. Brake Free‘s wireless helmet smart brake light, currently running 
Recommended Videos
an Indiegogo campaign, should at least improve your odds with its always-on red LED at most motorists’ eye level.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Brake Free light mounts on the back of your own helmet, held in place by a pair of removable neodymium super magnetic snap mounts. There are no wires to get tangled and nothing to connect to your bike’s electronics. The LED lighting is composed of 100 individual high efficiency, ultra-bright red LEDs with a 120-degree viewing angle.

A 2600 mAh high capacity rechargeable Lithium-ion battery powers the helmet light for 8-plus hours per charge. Recharging with a USB connection takes two hours via an included a Micro USB cable.

The company calls the helmet light “smart” because it doesn’t require a connected app or a sensor on your brakes.  The light is always on to improve your chances of motorists noticing you even when you’re moving along. Onboard 3D accelerometer and 3D gyrometer sensors detect when you are slowing down, whether you are using the brakes, downshifting, or engine braking. As soon as it detects a reduction in speed, the LED brightens up brighter, just like car brake lights.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Brake Free helmet light’s Indiegogo campaign started March 27, 2017, and has already raised 58 percent of its $50K goal, with a month still to go. As of this writing, the 150 $89 Super Early Bird Special pricing units have all been claimed, but there are still several attractive prices, including $99 EarlyBird, a two-pack for $198, and more. Delivery is estimated in April 2018.

Unless the rear end of your bike is lit up like a Christmas tree or an airport landing strip, many motorists don’t see you. A bright red LED at their eye level that gets even brighter every time you slow down could make the difference between getting to your destination or winding up on in the hospital or worse.

Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown Contributing Editor   As a Contributing Editor to the Auto teams at Digital Trends and TheManual.com, Bruce…
I reviewed an electric car like it was a phone, and I came to a shocking conclusion
The front of the Cupra Born VZ.

The Cupra Born VZ is not a smartphone — it’s an electric car. Yet, during my time driving it over the last five days, it has reminded me more than once about the device I spend most of my time using and reviewing.

This is not a put-down, nor is it a comment on electric versus combustion-engine vehicles, but more about how I, someone who doesn’t professionally review cars, can still easily recognize what’s good and bad about it. What’s more, the categories I usually break phone reviews down into, and the language I regularly use to talk about them, also neatly applies to the Born VZ.

Read more
Hyundai teases Ioniq 9 electric SUV’s interior ahead of expected launch
hyundai ioniq 9 teaser launch 63892 image1hyundaimotorpresentsfirstlookationiq9embarkingonaneweraofspaciousevdesign

The Ioniq 9, the much anticipated three-row, electric SUV from Hyundai, will be officially unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show next week.

Selected by Newsweek as one of America’s most anticipated new vehicles of 2025, the Ioniq 9 recently had its name changed from the Ioniq 7, which would have numerically followed the popular Ioniq 6, to signal the SUV as Hyundai’s new flagship EV model.

Read more
Kia EV5: everything we know so far
Kia EV9 front exterior

Kia is expanding its EV lineup in a big way. The company is currently in the middle of rolling out the EV3, which is now available in Europe and is likely to come to the U.S. next year. Not only that, but it's also prepping the EV4, which it will likely announce more widely in 2025. And it's not stopping there either -- the Kia EV5 is a slightly scaled-back version of the much-loved EV9 SUV, and not only is it a vehicle we're excited about, but it's one that has already launched in Australia.

If the EV5 is anything like the EV9 -- only cheaper -- it'll be an instant success. Curious about whether the EV5 could be your next car? Here's everything we know about the EV5.
Design
Despite the lower number, the Kia EV5 is actually larger than the EV6 crossover — but not quite as large as the EV9 SUV. Kia calls it a “compact SUV” that offersa boxy design that’s similar to the EV9, but with only two rows of seats instead of three.

Read more