No lights on bikes riding at dusk and in the dark

[PrincessBandit]

Spent the day doing return trip to Rotorua in the car. Very pleasant day but noticed an outstanding :gob::Pokey::crazy: thing on the drive home. Two riders, one leaving Tirau, the other (with a pillion) joining SH1 to head north in Meremere riding without any light on the back of their bikes. One of them I guess felt it wasn't quite dark enough to have his lights on so he faded into the dusk very quickly with his black bike, black gear and no lights. The one with the pillion had his headlight on but it was very weak and the reflector on the back was so pisspoor (again black gear and dark bike) that barely a few car lengths ahead his bike merged with the darkness against the back of the car he was following and his "reflector" blended with the lights from oncoming traffic.
If it wasn't for the fact that we'd seen him join the traffic flow and were looking for him, he would have been invisible from behind.

I guess each to their own in terms of taking responsibility for being visible, but these guys were next to invisible. And I don't think it was just that they wanted to be ninja invisible. If you're going to play suicide jockey with your profile on a bike please at least don't do it with a pillion on board! Wipe yourself out - hey, your prerogative; wipe out a pillion as a result and that's not your prerogative!

[WristTwister]

That's crazy, the risk of being rear-ended is high enough as it is, without riding with no lights at all... at night! I've seen cyclists ride at night with no lights or reflective items as well and I wonder if they know the risk they're taking.

[OddDuck]

I have a theory about this - light flare off windshields vs bare eyes for cyclists and visors for bikers.

Windshields get dirty, have scratches from the wipers etc. Street lighting, headlamps etc scatters off the dust and scratches, the lighting tends to fog or flare out any dark, low-contrast areas. Try winding a window down (not while driving please), see how much more detail you can see into the shadows vs when looking through the windshield.

I honestly think most of the cyclists you see at twilight or after will think that drivers can see the night the same way they see it. Not true, the windshield makes a big difference.

These bikers should have definitely known better, though, there's no excuse for that sort of thing. Specially carrying a pillion.

[AllanB]

Ah - who has a bike that you can turn off the lights? Was it 1984?



Cyclists. Worse are those wankers with led lights strapped to their heads pointing directly at on coming cars. Friggen blinds you.

[OddDuck]

Ah - who has a bike that you can turn off the lights? Was it 1984?

I do - the mid 90's Supersports will let the rider do that.

[/QUOTE]Cyclists. Worse are those wankers with led lights strapped to their heads pointing directly at on coming cars. Friggen blinds you.[/QUOTE]

I checked a while back. For road use, if I remember right, 50 watts mounted on the handlebars is about the limit. Helmet mounted lights verboten, possible exception for signal lights of 5 watts or less (Not sure, would have to check).

You're right though, I see heaps of commuter cyclists using this. Guess it's one of those rules that isn't publicised or enforced very well.

[Drew]

Aaahhh, another "I'm better than other bikers because I do stuff different" thread. Haven't seen one of these for a while.

How's about ya just concentrate on your shit, and let the rest of the world concentrate on theirs. If ya didn't say something to the riders you saw at the time, all you're doing here is yelling "LOOK AT ME, I'M PERFECT".

[PrincessBandit]

Fuck off Drew


Oh and, since I'm obviously on a "I'm better than you" tangent at the moment, learn to spell properly.

[James Deuce]

You're right though, I see heaps of commuter cyclists using this. Guess it's one of those rules that isn't publicised or enforced.

Fixed it for you.

[russd7]

Ah - who has a bike that you can turn off the lights? Was it 1984?



Cyclists. Worse are those wankers with led lights strapped to their heads pointing directly at on coming cars. Friggen blinds you.

i do, 1999 zzr1100, had to have the switch put on so i could turn the lights off, almost instantly stopped fuckwits pulling out in front of me. my theory was that because of so many dickhead car drivers using their headlights in full daylight i believe other drivers thought my one headlight was just a car a long way off. then they went and changed the law to say we have to ride with headlghts on

[Motu]

Lights go on with the armoured leathers and the Showy - sweet, they can see me now, and if I crash I won't get hurt anyway.

[PrincessBandit]

Lights go on with the armoured leathers and the Showy - sweet, they can see me now, and if I crash I won't get hurt anyway.

Well at least with lights on you won't be actively contributing to your invisibility. Stupidity in other areas may still be factors that outweigh being easily seen though.

[YellowDog]

i do, 1999 zzr1100, had to have the switch put on so i could turn the lights off, almost instantly stopped fuckwits pulling out in front of me. my theory was that because of so many dickhead car drivers using their headlights in full daylight i believe other drivers thought my one headlight was just a car a long way off. then they went and changed the law to say we have to ride with headlghts on

The double headlamps certainly do give that impression.

How about bikers having yellow lighhts instead of white ?

Just a thought :msn-wink:

[AllanB]

Actually the yellow lights is a bloody good idea. Every now and then you see one (oddly I recall a GPZ550 or similar having yellow) and it really sticks out. Far to sensible a idea to consider really - if it was adopted and worked the ACC portion of rego may have to lower .....


Yesterday I was out in the car with the family on the open road and a bike with two extra fork mounted little bright lights came towards us - very noticeable. Other than the extra light I occurred to me it may have something to do with the light triangle.

Years back when the third high mount brake light for cars became law there was overseas studies proving the triangle of lights had a greater affect than two or four.

[russd7]

The double headlamps certainly do give that impression.

How about bikers having yellow lighhts instead of white ?

Just a thought :msn-wink:

or how about fuckwits in tin cans only using their headlights at dusk or dark or in poor visibility, they do not need them to be seen

[granstar]

I ride with no headlight as not required to on my 79 Brit bike, besides the electrics being short on handling it even though iv'e fitted relays, never had an issue with tintops trying to skittle me on that, and I reckon it's because I wear an all white helmet and the upright riding style, could be the lazier speed of the bike? Helmet recognisable from a fair distance in all directions where as high viz is only seen from side on to a car.
Have a mate has fitted a blue dot light at front of his bike, although not cosha you can see that from miles away, if it were legal i'd fit one.
Other steed is crouch rocket and all time lights on, and appears to be a car magnet or have I forgot to take off the sign up front that reads " have a go, hit me".

[James Deuce]

Actually the yellow lights is a bloody good idea. Every now and then you see one (oddly I recall a GPZ550 or similar having yellow) and it really sticks out. Far to sensible a idea to consider really - if it was adopted and worked the ACC portion of rego may have to lower .....


They don't work well for the rider unfortunately. Can't see a bloody thing.

[YellowDog]

Actually the yellow lights is a bloody good idea. Every now and then you see one (oddly I recall a GPZ550 or similar having yellow) and it really sticks out. Far to sensible a idea to consider really - if it was adopted and worked the ACC portion of rego may have to lower .....


Yesterday I was out in the car with the family on the open road and a bike with two extra fork mounted little bright lights came towards us - very noticeable. Other than the extra light I occurred to me it may have something to do with the light triangle.

Years back when the third high mount brake light for cars became law there was overseas studies proving the triangle of lights had a greater affect than two or four.

There something scientific about recognising moving targets and the point of focus being central. Unlike most theories, this one works on men as well as women :wacko:

The yellow lights thing is not actually a yellow lens on the lights. It is the light's intensity that makes it shine yellow. Apparently the new generations of bulbs are just as good, for seeing and being seen, in any colour :yes:

I would be a much happier car and bike rider if i knew from the colour of the lights that it was a bike or a car :yes:

[GrayWolf]

There something scientific about recognising moving targets and the point of focus being central. Unlike most theories, this one works on men as well as women :wacko:

The yellow lights thing is not actually a yellow lens on the lights. It is the light's intensity that makes it shine yellow. Apparently the new generations of bulbs are just as good, for seeing and being seen, in any colour :yes:

I would be a much happier car and bike rider if i knew from the colour of the lights that it was a bike or a car :yes:

There is also a scientific rational for a thing known as 'perceived threat'. Hence why you see people behave completely differently driving, when a Popo vehicle is in sight. A bike is not perceived as a threat to a car driver pulling out on T junction, hence why you read of far less accidents involving a car pulling out on a big truck. A light that specifically identifies a motorcycle above any other vehicle, would in my opinion, end up working agin us.

[Metastable]

Talking about lights.... I use to commute with a bicycle light (front light) so that I could be seen. After scaring a few early morning joggers and myself as a result.... in the dark.... I bought a very powerful cycling light. Now I can see them, because ya know, wearing grey gear when it is pitch black with no reflectors, in a forested pathway, makes it VERY hard to be seen.

[Swoop]

After scaring a few early morning joggers and myself as a result.... in the dark.... I bought a very powerful cycling light. Now I can see them, because ya know, wearing grey gear when it is pitch black with no reflectors, in a forested pathway, makes it VERY hard to be seen.
There is also the mandatory jogging accessory of "earphones" to enjoy music AND avoid having to listen to the annoying sound of approaching vehicles...

[RGVforme]

Talking about lights.... I use to commute with a bicycle light (front light) so that I could be seen. After scaring a few early morning joggers and myself as a result.... in the dark.... I bought a very powerful cycling light. Now I can see them, because ya know, wearing grey gear when it is pitch black with no reflectors, in a forested pathway, makes it VERY hard to be seen.

One of those "Fucking to bright and to high up and oh great now its flashing so its blinding me as I drive towards you on your pushbike" guys aye.

There are reasons car headlights have a dip function and set limits on brightness and Led use.Why pushbike ones don't have the similar as well is just stupid.:msn-wink:

[Metastable]

There is also the mandatory jogging accessory of "earphones" to enjoy music AND avoid having to listen to the annoying sound of approaching vehicles...

So true!!

Hey, I figure it would be better for me to see people on paths..... I'm usually not around cars too often, but if they see me, good. I do try to point the light down slightly.