Lights on the Road

[Skyryder]

How many of us use our lights in daylight??

[Blackbird]

... as it's hard wired on the 'bird, but I'd do it anyway to make sure I've been seen. Another benefit is that I find coming up behind cars with lights on seems to make them move over to let you pass more regularly than with no lights on. Mind you, I've got grunty halogen bulbs, so it probably distracts people. :niceone:

[FROSTY]

I'm a tad forgetfull about the lights on thing. Thanks for the reminder :2thumbsup

[wkid_one]

How many of us use our lights in daylight??
Most bikes are hardwired these days.

The bigger question - how many people ride with their lights on full?? This is actually more dangerous than you think as a bike with its lights on full is next to impossible to gauge the speed of if it is coming towards you - plus it pisses people off.

[Jackrat]

I stopped useing them during the day when I bought this bike because the charging system can't handle it.I was a bit worryed at first but now I don't belive it makes any difference at all.The bike was hard wired but I v'e put a switch in so I can control it myself.I've noticed no difference in how car drivers react.I don't expect anything from them anyway.
I treat them all as totaly blind morons and am seldom disappointed.

[Ms Piggy]

Always ride with my lights on but NEVER on full during the day. I've seen it on bikes coming the other way during the day & it's terrible!

[maybe]

I use lights all the time also my front indicators light as well, an orange light is easier to see for some reason.

[MikeL]

I stopped useing them during the day when I bought this bike because the charging system can't handle it.

I think it's more likely that the charging system in modern bikes is designed for the constant load of a headlight. If it's hardwired and you put a switch in to turn it off you may end up frying your regulator/rectifier because it has to dissipate a lot more heat.

[erik]

the headlight on the zeal is wired on, so I haven't got any choice either.
I don't have it on high beam though.

[Two Smoker]

I always have my headlight on, and mine isn't hardwired, but i dont use full beam, unless on the open road with no oncoming vehicles......

[k14]

I always leave mine on. I don't like lights that are hardwired. They can give you a flat battery when you are trying to get your bike going in the morning. I normally turn mine off when I go to start mine and then turn them on as soon as it fires up. I never use mine on full beam during the day.

[NordieBoy]

Always on.
Not hardwired - yet.
Never on full during the day.

[Posh Tourer :P]

what about the option of when its not night time but there is low vis eg raining, fog, dull day etc

[Skyryder]

what about the option of when its not night time but there is low vis eg raining, fog, dull day etc

I realy did not think that was necessary. Guess I was wrong

Skyryder

[Grumpy]

Both bikes are hardwired so no problem but as I use the 500 to commute on I've wired the indicaters to stay on as well. It doesn't exactly have the best of headlights so I always felt a little vulnerable.

[Drunken Monkey]

Hard wired on the gixxer, and they made the 'standard' low beam run only from one bulb, so everyone keeps stopping you to tell you your headlight is out. actually, I leave it on high beam all the time anyway. I'd rather dazzle and annoy an another driver than not be seen at all.

[Jackrat]

I think it's more likely that the charging system in modern bikes is designed for the constant load of a headlight. If it's hardwired and you put a switch in to turn it off you may end up frying your regulator/rectifier because it has to dissipate a lot more heat.

Yes I did wonder about that before I put in the switch but I did some research and found out the only difference between my bike and the previous
model that is not hard wired is the switch it's self,Nothing else.
It was Yamahas first atempt at hard wiringing a bike and it lead to a lot of problems with the system not keeping up.It was never a very good system to begin with an they just added to the problem by hard wiring it.
There is an out fit in OZ that is working on modding the RD400 system to replace the XS system with.If they ever get it togeather I will buy one for my bike and then use the lights at all times.I don't rely on the enemy seeing anything at all but every little bit helps I guess.
As hard as it is to belive my bike still uses the same system that the XS1 came out with in 1970 and even that was designed in 68.I have the diagrams for every model and apart from a few minor bits they are all the same.
Modern?? I wish :rolleyes: :laugh:

[Holy Roller]

Allways use the headlight usually on full as I've had many a close call by not being seen so hi beam it is and no excuse for not seeing me, also usually wear Hi Viz jacket with reflective stripes ( a requirement for work, its easier to wear the vest over the leathers so I can walk on site without having to put it on before I enter.) the benefit is more cars pull over to let you pass with it on than with out it, on roads outside the Kawerau Whakatane areas. May just be the bright light coming up behind them ;)

[LB]

The Duc is hard wired, the Beemer isn't. When I used to ride the Beemer I always rode with the lights on. the Beemer is almost history now and the new Duc will be hard wired as well.

I always use low beam, never high.

Not sure if headlights make us more visible to cage drivers or not, but I figure that it can't do any harm.

[madandy]

Lights on low beam on everything I ride or drive during daylight hours.

I always see an on-coming headlight before I identify the bike itself, so if you reckon it doesnt help visibility to othere guess again.
How many times have you all been about to overtake, maybe on a cloudy day or slighty misty/drizzly and realise that a car/bike (usually grey or silver or black in colour) is coming towards you, with no lights on.As it is in Sweeden(?) I mthink running lights should be compulsory on all road going vehicles.

[Lou Girardin]

I always used high beam on the RF. I had too many close calls when using dip. Didn't get flashed either. I don't know about the Bandit headlight though, a couple of people have flashed me, so it must be brighter. So, I apologise if I've annoyed someone, but I prefer to stay alive.

[Ms Piggy]

what about the option of when its not night time but there is low vis eg raining, fog, dull day etc

Are you meaning using high beam? My understanding from driving is that high beam in fog is even worse.

[Motu]

I've cooked 3 stators and a reg on the XLV750 - modern bikes need to have the lights on,so I do.I've fitted an LED battery monitor to keep an eye on the charge rate.The XT400 is hard wired so no choice.The XS1 as Jack points out is not made to run with the light on so I don't - these things won't even push start with a flat battery.

I don't believe in the being visible thing - I always ride as if they can't see me,saves a lot of selfincrimination later - duh....didn't you see me? I had my lights on! Although I might fit a wierd bulb in the XT400 just to stand out from all you other riders on the road.

[toads]

my lights aren't hardwired but I do use them, I figure it makes me easier to see, I have a single headlight with a pathetic beam I only have it on low beam but high isn't much better, the other day I saw a couple of cbr's coming towards me with their lights on and I could see them from 1km away, lovely twin lights and very visible. I think I might get a halogen bulb for mine if I can find one that will fit it, cos it does make a difference saftey wise.

[pete376403]

Are you meaning using high beam? My understanding from driving is that high beam in fog is even worse.
thats right. High beam just reflects back from the water droplets suspended in the air (which is what fog is). There is ususally a clear layer down by the road and low beam is better at shining underrneath the fog, in the clear.
Real fog lights are mounted down low, for this reason. And I dont believe yeloow lenses or bulbs do anything for "cutting through the fog"

[Hitcher]

Hardwired. The front indicators acted as running lights before the accident. The parts that Kawasaki ships to NZ are different to the ones that get fitted in the factory, so when the new front right indicator unit was fitted, the running lights had to get disconnected.

[Coldkiwi]

Hard wired on the gixxer, and they made the 'standard' low beam run only from one bulb, so everyone keeps stopping you to tell you your headlight is out. actually, I leave it on high beam all the time anyway. I'd rather dazzle and annoy an another driver than not be seen at all.

thats the only thing I don't like about the pre 2003 gsxrs. mines hardwired of course too but I regularly use indicator and full beam when lane splitting... seems to work well and I get more people moving over for me.

[Cajun]

harded wires, but both bulbs are on even on low beam.

I sometimes have it on high beam during the day only really if i am going for it and wanna make people get out of the way/and or see me better, but not like it be hard on the new gsxr bright yellow with bright yellow leathers.

BTW coldkiwi i was planning on wireing my lights up so they are both on low, when i was looking for one of those corona's. its a simple enough job to do

[Skyryder]

thats right. High beam just reflects back from the water droplets suspended in the air (which is what fog is). There is ususally a clear layer down by the road and low beam is better at shining underrneath the fog, in the clear.
Real fog lights are mounted down low, for this reason. And I dont believe yeloow lenses or bulbs do anything for "cutting through the fog"

Your are right. Go to http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF5/593.html

Skyryder

[DrHook]

Headlights hardwired so always on, so are my front indicators.

[scumdog]

As I mentioned a few months ago, I have two of those annoying little lights like Subarus etc, one on each side of my headlight and they are all on during the day, at night I switch off the small lights as they cause too much general glare but during the day they increase my frontal visibility 100%+, the bulb things are cheap but the holders cost! I think I paid $80 at a car accessory shop, they've saved me from cagers pulling out on front of me a few times.

My theory is that headlights are too focused into a marrow beam for daylight use, these other lights have a 37 degree spread, (you can get different versions) and cars on side roads etc see them easier plus you not depending on one bulb which may have blown without you being aware it has :niceone:

[Wenier]

i use my lights all the time except on the very odd occasion where ill turn them off say 1 or 2km before where im goin but generally always on and havent had a problem be spotted by cagers yet

[vifferman]

I suppose I have to join in on this...

Well, on the Firestorm the headlight's hardwired (minimalist switchgear and all that), but if it wasn't I'd ride with it on anyway. On my VFR, I used to sometimes leave them off for the first km or so, to give my battery a bit of a boost. I sometimes put the headlights on full, like on streets with lots of intersections (Rose Rd in Ponsonby, f'rinstance), or flick them on full if some dipstick pulls out in front of me - more subtle than honking the horn. (Mind you, I had two horns on the VFR AND a headlight flasher AND brighter bulbs than stock, so if someone really pissed me off, they got horns and flasher).

Sometimes the VTR turns the headlight on full by itself, courtesy of lack of clearance between switch and fairing on the left, due to the GenMars.

Funny thing is, I've never had anyone flash me for having too bright a headlight (it's a 90/130W), but a guy at work yesterday when I was warming up my bike in the garage said "Dude! Your headlight's too bright!" Of course, I said, "What about this then?" and flicked it on high. :gob:

[SpankMe]

It's law in OZ that bikes must have their lights on at all times so they get their bikes imported already hard wired and since we are part of that market, so do we.

[SPman]

It's law in OZ that bikes must have their lights on at all times so they get their bikes imported already hard wired and since we are part of that market, so do we. Also, isn't it illegal to use high beam in a built up area?????
It used to be.

[madandy]

It still is SPman. :Police:

[sAsLEX]

The radar is hooked into a loom that requires the lights to be on so they are always on, even without the radar though.

[NC]

Highbeam during the day always. :devil2:

[Kickaha]

I don't believe in the being visible thing - I always ride as if they can't see me,saves a lot of selfincrimination later - duh....didn't you see me? I had my lights on! Although I might fit a wierd bulb in the XT400 just to stand out from all you other riders on the road.


Me neither,I don't use my lights unless it's poor visibility.

here's a study on the subject
http://www.pubmedcentral.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=387473

and a bit about Gorillas
http://www.ommriders.org/read_and_ride/tips_and/Unseen_Gorillas_and_Motorcycle_Safety.htm

[Jackrat]

Me neither,I don't use my lights unless it's poor visibility.

here's a study on the subject
http://www.pubmedcentral.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=387473

and a bit about Gorillas
http://www.ommriders.org/read_and_ride/tips_and/Unseen_Gorillas_and_Motorcycle_Safety.htm

Both these studys are interesting with the first dealing with things in a logical and obvious manner.I understand and agree but don't think it really makes much difference in the long run because of the second example.
The second one where they use the example of the gorilla is the way I approach my safty while on a bike.I don't have many close calls with cars because I don't exspect them to see me in the first place.Those times when I do have a close call I always put it down to the second example given in the studys and in my own failure to take it into account.A lot of the time when I ride I'm not really concentrating on the road as much as other things in the vicinity,like blind car drivers as per the gorilla study..I fully agree with making your self more visable by useing your light ect,but feel that is only part of the issue and not really the most important part.We often hear that people do feel more safe with the lights on during day time,to my way of thinking that is the worse mistake they could make.It can lead to the very common statement "but he/she was looking right at me".
I'm not saying bikers shouldn't be pissed when it happens.but I do belive they shouldn't be suprised.One thing that I truly belive makes me more visable is my wearing an open face helmet.When I see an on coming biker wearing a full face I don't really recognise them as being very human but when I look at a rider with an open face I am instantly looking at a person because I can see their face.The very first thing humans look for when encountering another person is exspression,"OK apart from boobs",but anyway this is why shy people or people lacking in confidence that do not look others in the eye enough are often over looked or straight out ignored in other aspects of life.We can do a lot to make our selfs more visable but eye contact is at lest to me the most important of all.
Wearing a visor,even a clear one or shades does stop other drivers from making real eye contact and there we have a big catch 22 because full face helmets and visors do have real world safty benifits that can't really be argued against.Even with the percived threat theory I don't belive any real thought process takes place unlit after the threat actualy has been percived,for that to happen they have to have seen it/us to begin with (eye contact,head light ect) even then it's probably only instinct rather than thought.
Thought takes effort and is slow,instinct takes practice,by that time it's often to late for us.
When they do stupid things intensionly it's not personal, they would try the same thing with a train and that's a different problem all togeather. :crazy:

[Motu]

Yep,the gorilla test is how I approach my riding - be the gorilla.Interesting about the open face helmet Jack,I'd agree with you on that on,I always used an open face around town and a full face on trips,I only have one helmet these day though.

You have to work on their subconsious - they need to stop or take avoiding action before it even sinks in that they can see you....this is where the Harley riders have it over the rest of us,seeing a ''gang member'' triggers an involintary response and I've actualy seen people stop on a roundabout to give way to a Harley coming on a side road,it'd never happen if you were on a GN250 with a fluro vest.Back in the days when gangs rode British bikes at one time I was riding a Norton and a BMW - coming up behind cars on the Norton they would pull over to let me by,at a side road they may move then stop when they saw what was coming,if I was on the BMW they would just pull out - I was a hell of a lot more 'noticed' on the Norton than the BMW,same rider and clothing.Also back when cops rode bikes,cars almost swerved off the road to avoid a bike set up to look like a cop bike,I've experianced that myself when I used to ride my mates Guzzi Falcone with the big cop fairing,that was fun cause you could just ignore the cars...riding in a little bubble of other peoples perception.

[toads]

Yep,the gorilla test is how I approach my riding - be the gorilla.Interesting about the open face helmet Jack,I'd agree with you on that on,I always used an open face around town and a full face on trips,I only have one helmet these day though.

You have to work on their subconsious - they need to stop or take avoiding action before it even sinks in that they can see you....this is where the Harley riders have it over the rest of us,seeing a ''gang member'' triggers an involintary response and I've actualy seen people stop on a roundabout to give way to a Harley coming on a side road,it'd never happen if you were on a GN250 with a fluro vest.Back in the days when gangs rode British bikes at one time I was riding a Norton and a BMW - coming up behind cars on the Norton they would pull over to let me by,at a side road they may move then stop when they saw what was coming,if I was on the BMW they would just pull out - I was a hell of a lot more 'noticed' on the Norton than the BMW,same rider and clothing.Also back when cops rode bikes,cars almost swerved off the road to avoid a bike set up to look like a cop bike,I've experianced that myself when I used to ride my mates Guzzi Falcone with the big cop fairing,that was fun cause you could just ignore the cars...riding in a little bubble of other peoples perception.

this is an interesting concept Motu, my bike apparently sounds like a triumph and it's really loud, I notice when people hear it coming, ( they can hear it from inside their vehicles), they tend to stop and stare, I thik it's cos the triumph sound still makes people nervous, due to gang connotations, where we live there used to be a very active bikie gang and they all rode british bikes, they haven't been active for a few years, but people still remember the havoc they caused!

[moko]

My bike isn`t hard-wired but since last year all imports to Britain have been.I always use dipped beam, on the Fazer this is one of the two lights. Any car-driver getting in my way gets both beams, if that pisses them off then good because they only get it if they`ve pissed me off to start with.
I`ve been riding for a lot of years and it seems to me that car drivers in the U.K. are actually more bike-aware than in years gone by. I do my thing down the A38 at well over the speed-limit and cars tend to just pull over out of my way,even more so when it`s raining.
One thing I always do is acknowledge anyone who shows me any kind of courtesy,even if I`ve maybe pressurised them a bit by hitting the main beam and sitting on thier arse til the shift over, theory being that if I cant be bothered to raise a hand in thanks then less incentive for them to bother next time.

[laRIKin]

I also don't use my lights unless there is poor visibility.
So I can flash them if I think that a driver hasn't seen me.

For all of you that like to ride in the day time with high beam on.

Think about this.

With high beam on it is harder for others to gauge your distance.
I'm hot on this, because a mate of mine got killed this way.
The driver of the truck said that he looked and looked and because he could
not tell if the bike was getting closer.
I do not know if my mate was on high or low beam at the time.
But he (driver) thought that the bike was far enough away and pulled out.

By the way he also rode bikes and was trying to be careful.

I may not revisiting this page as it has bought back bad memories.

[laRIKin]

Sorry if I came on to heavy.

But it is a sore spot.

Lights in the day time has it's place.
But not all the time, because of deep perception.
So the last thing you want to do is blind the people that you want to see you.

As you may know, at night on a back road, how hard it can be to gauge the
on coming cars etc.
How many time have you pull in because you thought that there was not
enough road for you to over take that last car, or suddenly realised that when you are overtaking that last car, the on coming cars was a lot closer than you first thought.
Well this can happen during the day time.
That is why I do not very often ride in the day time with lights on.

I would put in a switch if I buy a bike with hard wired in lights.
Thats how strongly I feel about it.

But I will admit that some times it is better to be seen, than not seen at all.

I did not mean to kill this thread, so again sorry and poll on.

[Jackrat]

No worrys there Le mans,I agree with everything you've just said.
There are no absolutes when it comes to road safty so it's good to consider all angles.
Just in case you ever do put a switch on a hard wired bike just cheak your rectifier will handle it first.I know some won't.
Cheers.

[Bob]

Lights on low beam on everything I ride or drive during daylight hours.

I always see an on-coming headlight before I identify the bike itself, so if you reckon it doesnt help visibility to othere guess again.
How many times have you all been about to overtake, maybe on a cloudy day or slighty misty/drizzly and realise that a car/bike (usually grey or silver or black in colour) is coming towards you, with no lights on.As it is in Sweeden(?) I mthink running lights should be compulsory on all road going vehicles.

I also have my lights on low-beam during the day - high beam I don't need much, living in London where there is constant light pollution! Except when I'm either trying to point out to someone they've left their indicator on... or more often to remind them that they HAVE indicators when they've changed lane without using them!

Not sure I want all vehicles to be hard-wired. If all vehicles have their lights on, then we lose our conspicuity. All it needs is for a truck to be lined up with our light - and we can effectively disappear (one truck headlight and our headlight sitting side by side, it could all too easily look like our light is the other truck light).

[Bob]

Also back when cops rode bikes,cars almost swerved off the road to avoid a bike set up to look like a cop bike,I've experianced that myself when I used to ride my mates Guzzi Falcone with the big cop fairing,that was fun cause you could just ignore the cars...riding in a little bubble of other peoples perception.

Still works - best person to filter/lane split behind is obviously a police bike, but failing that, find the person with a BMW with huge white fairing, yellow flouro jacket on and a white crash helmet. It is like watching the vehicular version of the parting of the Red Sea! You just tuck in behind and make the most of riding in the wake...

[Blakamin]

My paint is brighter than my headlights during the day! :eek5:

[Sensei]

Hard wired into bike so go all the time which I think is a good thing >
SENSEI :yeah:

[crashe]

My lights are hardwired on as well.

If they weren't I would probably forget to turn them on..lol

And isnt it better for us all to be seen.

:wari: :banana: :spudwave: