Daytime running lamps?

[Erelyes]

.....

Got it. Clever setup.

I suggest you dont use a off low high switch use a completely seperate off on switch.Its rather disconcerting to turn your lights off when you meant to select high beam instead

Good point, I had hoped that engagement would be fairly positive, such that switching from high down to low was easy to do without the rocker going to the 'Off' position. Suppose with glubs on at night it could be easy to duff it though with possibly dire consequences.

[Big Dog]

Got it. Clever setup.



Good point, I had hoped that engagement would be fairly positive, such that switching from high down to low was easy to do without the rocker going to the 'Off' position. Suppose with glubs on at night it could be easy to duff it though with possibly dire consequences.

Disambiguation: my supplementary lights are white led bars set into my handguards. They are on as long as the key is.


Stupid phone / Tapatalk, apologies in advance.

[R650R]

I suggest you dont use a off low high switch use a completely seperate off on switch.Its rather disconcerting to turn your lights off when you meant to select high beam instead

Used to have a mitsi line haul truck where the extra spotlights had been wired in some dodgy manner. When you went to go back to dip the relay would drop all the lights off until you switched off and on again. Was an intermittent quirk but scary as hell lol

[R650R]

Another related question, was wanting to move the orange side reflectors to a different location as they are where I want to put my lights.
Upon searching NZTA http://vehicleinspection.nzta.govt.n...of/motorcycles I can't find anything specific, have seen sports bikes with them factory mounted on lower fork leg.
Are they a legal requirement, is it an offence to remove them if fitted from new???

[Gremlin]

I believe the only requirement reflector wise is a rear facing red one.

[R650R]

Cheers Gremlin.

Well after much reading I have decided that the only way to be compliant is to mount, wire and operate them as fog lamps (which requires ability to separately switch them off) is the only legal way. (and run the rare risk of a ticket for using them on deserted road at night in clear conditions with high beam on etc ie no actual fog)
To run as daytime running lamps mean the headlight must be disabled in some manner of switchery which defeats the purpose and they are not allowed to be off sufficient power to illuminate the road.
And to run third option as Forward facing postion lamp it must be of a low power style light.
The lights are 10W LED with three settings and a very subtle button on back to change this.

I found another note in that if such setup I want to install was already on bike from manufacturer (eg like suzuki did with the limited edition Yoshi gsxrs) it would be legal 100%!!!! Its just like the roof mounted truck spotlights you see on Scanias. They are legal if factory fitted and there at first COF but your screwed if you try to install them at a later date.

We need Rastus and our other lobbyist/submitters to govt to argue for a law that you can fit anything that increases visibility as long as its professionally mounted and wont annoy/blind other road users under normal operating conditions. This naming of every type of operation is just a beaurecratic brickwall to improving visibility and night vision easily...

These are the lights I have keeping the bench warm btw http://www.trailtech.net/lighting/led/60mm-led

legal guff:

http://vehicleinspection.nzta.govt.n...position-lamps

http://vehicleinspection.nzta.govt.n...-running-lamps

http://vehicleinspection.nzta.govt.n...rear-fog-lamps

[varminter]

Cheers Gremlin.

These are the lights I have keeping the bench warm btw http://www.trailtech.net/lighting/led/60mm-led

The price seems a bit steep, I was looking at these:

http://www.supercheapauto.co.nz/onli...om=40202#Cross

[Gremlin]

Rastus has already tried to get DRL and headlamp on together for motorcycles without success. Yes... it is ridiculous. Same sort of reasoning is why I'll never support headlights on 24/7 for cars.

I've got Clearwater Kristas (36W each) for "fog" lamps, and use them most of the time (dimmed to minimum brightness), but on high beam they go to full power. Awesome for night riding. I've had a set of Denali D1 (10W each) fitted as well, as cornering lamps, but angled up and out to fill the holes... no way they are legal for WOF though. I used to remove them for WOFs, but not doing much night riding currently, so after last WOF I never re-fitted.

For forward facing position lamps, I've got strips of LEDs along the handguards, and these I use at night to replace the Kristas (too bright at night on lowest setting), plus being hard wired, I have navigation light around the bike when stopping in the middle of the country with no other light.

Next WOF will be interesting. I'll have a set of flashing orange lights fitted (finalised the build just after WOF this year) for some sporting events I do (four, two each side, all on the front). Technically, they're not part of a WOF (same as retroreflective material), but we'll see if the inspector knows that...

[R650R]

Wonder if that was yours I was drooling over on last MMMMM ride, was a BMW that had them.

Well fitted them anyway, angled downwards lower than spec and no dramas on low (3W). Looking at cars coming the other way, its not lighting up their faces or sides of car etc even when on high.
But when on High (10W) I did get high beamed by cars on four occasions out of about 100 I would have driven past during 20min ride.
Stopping at roadside, getting off and looking back they look fine, I think some people get possum syndrome though and stare directly at the light source.
I've had truck lights that were wrongly set from new and you could see them shine on peoples faces but not these.
Will angle them up a little more and just treat as a set of unofficial high beams when coming home late on trips over taupo and wairoa roads etc...

Orange flashing beacons whether rotators or LED, you are supposed to have a separate permit from NZTA to have them on your vehicle along with valid reason but yeah prob not part of WOF.
Something else that's never policed unless you fail the attitude test though...

[R650R]

Rastus has already tried to get DRL and headlamp on together for motorcycles without success.

I'll agree to do an ACC riding course if he gets the changes sorted I mentioned earlier and even bring the donuts

This offer expires in six months time and is not valid in the event of me losing my license prior or having vehicle impounded ;p

[BMWST?]

Wonder if that was yours I was drooling over on last MMMMM ride, was a BMW that had them.

Well fitted them anyway, angled downwards lower than spec and no dramas on low (3W). Looking at cars coming the other way, its not lighting up their faces or sides of car etc even when on high.
But when on High (10W) I did get high beamed by cars on four occasions out of about 100 I would have driven past during 20min ride.
Stopping at roadside, getting off and looking back they look fine, I think some people get possum syndrome though and stare directly at the light source.
I've had truck lights that were wrongly set from new and you could see them shine on peoples faces but not these.
Will angle them up a little more and just treat as a set of unofficial high beams when coming home late on trips over taupo and wairoa roads etc...

Orange flashing beacons whether rotators or LED, you are supposed to have a separate permit from NZTA to have them on your vehicle along with valid reason but yeah prob not part of WOF.
Something else that's never policed unless you fail the attitude test though...

It doesnt have to actually illuminate faces
Sometimes it just the ammount of light.esp if the lights have poor quality,or "wrong reflectors"
Try following a car at night with rear fog lights,they only 25 w each

[Gremlin]

Wonder if that was yours I was drooling over on last MMMMM ride, was a BMW that had them.

I've only done one MMMMM ride, pretty sure it was 2012.

Will angle them up a little more and just treat as a set of unofficial high beams when coming home late on trips over taupo and wairoa roads etc...

Yeup. Only problem I've found is having such a powerful high beam, you get used to all the light (or blinded from bounce back of reflective boards) and then an oncoming car means you switch to dipped... Oh crap, are the lights even working?!

Orange flashing beacons whether rotators or LED, you are supposed to have a separate permit from NZTA to have them on your vehicle along with valid reason but yeah prob not part of WOF.
Something else that's never policed unless you fail the attitude test though...

VIRM specifically mentions they are excluded from inspection. Road User Rules 2004 in Section 11 (Flashing beacons) mentions permitted use, and there's a catch all clause that if you're operating in or around a hazard you're permitted to use them. Otherwise, it's acting in accordance with traffic management plan etc. Only use them around the events, so they're fitted for about half the year, during the season.

[GrayWolf]

So a question for you WOF issuing type guys...

I am thinking of adding daytime running lamps to my bike, so I thought I would check on the LTSA website regarding the do's and don'ts and it says that you can have them but they have to be disabled when the headlight is on. Now my bike does not have a headlamp switch, it is on all the time....

So that means they are illegal for my bike? Seems like a bit of a crock to me...

I brought two of the 10 watt Cree spotlamps (not cheap) and use them when required, advantage is, as they are spots I can switch them on and off with dipped beam on, they must be electrically switched off on high beam,,, (dont need high with them anyway) I just have the spots set to go very slightly past the low beam cut off, to avoid dazzling oncoming vehicles.

[russd7]

Orange flashing beacons whether rotators or LED, you are supposed to have a separate permit from NZTA to have them on your vehicle along with valid reason but yeah prob not part of WOF.
Something else that's never policed unless you fail the attitude test though...

interesting case a few year ago up north somewheres about thses, was a farmer had them on his vehicles whilst moving stock along the road, a cop fined him for having then as at the time they were the sole domain of road workers and the like, cocky took it to court and the judge threw it out with some rather not nice words to the cop involved suggestng that it was far better for the cocky to have them going so as to warn traffic of a hazard, now the regulations for moving stock on a state highway requires the use of flashing amber beacons at front and rear to warn traffic of the hazard. Never once have i applied for or even knew about the necessity of a permit and i used them regularly including on the tractor.

[speeding_ant]

http://www.dx.com/p/10w-950lm-cree-x...5#.U9YIg1aaKhM

Good ip rating, and has reviews.