Riding at night

[750Y]

Who doesn't ride in the dark either at night or in the morning?
what's Your excuse?

[Posh Tourer :P]

I ride all times of the day and night. There is no excuse.

[Big Dog]

I ride all times of the day and night. There is no excuse.
when I was first learning it was daylight only because I felt the fewer complications the better..... And the head light was weaker than a reflector.


A little more experience (Approx 180,000kms), and a headlight that works well (better on low beam than the pillions Holden on high), no excuse given none neaded. Sure I ride differently but I still ride.

[Motoracer]

I like the idea of night blasting but I need powerfull spoties otherwise its kind of dagngerous, I have had a few close ones in the dark.

[Firefight]

[QUOTE=Motoracer]I like the idea of night blasting but I need powerfull spoties .


Or a good buddy to follow who knows the road !!

F/F :wacko:

[fpsware]

With the hours I'm working the last couple of months I'm riding in the dark most of the time. I don't mind it, as long as its not raining AND dark. And at the moment it good for showing off the neons :Punk:

[Big Dog]

With the hours I'm working the last couple of months I'm riding in the dark most of the time. I don't mind it, as long as its not raining AND dark. And at the moment it good for showing off the neons :Punk:
Most days it is dark when I get to work and dark when I leave for home. :disapint:

[Redstar]

:sly: being an ex POM if you dont ride in the dark you dont ride much!
black ice, in the Dark, with freezing fog! :disapint: have you ever had the snot freeze accross your face then?
Seriously I dont really think about it

[Hitcher]

Riding at night is AWESOME!! The bike seems to run better in the cooler air, your view is focused on the road ahead that's beautifully illuminated by a xenon bulb...

[Nivlac]

Riding at night isn't too nad so long as your lights are good enough, the thing I find most difficult is riding in the half hour or so before it is dark. During this time, to me at least, everything ends up looking the same shade of grey... the sky, the road, the gravel between the road and the edge of the cliff, the empty void which exists after the edge of the cliff... you get the idea, damn scary and good lights don't seem to make the slightest difference.
Does anyone else find this? And before someone makes any smart ass comments, yes I have had my eyesight checked and there are no major problems or reasons for my apparent complete colour blindness during these times.

[FROSTY]

Riding at night isn't too nad so long as your lights are good enough, the thing I find most difficult is riding in the half hour or so before it is dark. During this time, to me at least, everything ends up looking the same shade of grey... the sky, the road, the gravel between the road and the edge of the cliff, the empty void which exists after the edge of the cliff... you get the idea, damn scary and good lights don't seem to make the slightest difference.
Does anyone else find this? And before someone makes any smart ass comments, yes I have had my eyesight checked and there are no major problems or reasons for my apparent complete colour blindness during these times.
I used to have that same problem then I started using a high viz visor on the ol shoei helmet. Untill you've used one you have no Idea how good they can be.
Personally I like summer night riding.I tend to keep the speed down a bit but yep its a coll experience

[scumdog]

I used to have that same problem then I started using a high viz visor on the ol shoei helmet. Untill you've used one you have no Idea how good they can be.
Personally I like summer night riding.I tend to keep the speed down a bit but yep its a coll experience

Summer night riding is great - unless it's one of those nights that's favoured by condor sized moths like we get down here in the summer :shit:

[What?]

100/90W headlight bulb and night riding is no worries. Except for the time I ran over a possum :doh: - but I lived and poss didn't, so :rockon:

[MD]

THE SUN NEVER SETS IN WELLINGTON !
OK, I guess you wont believe that one. Summer night riding is great.
Did a wheelie on a pitch black back country road once and that was an awesome feeling. Just the light beam aiming at the moon and the errie glow of those reflector posts flicking past at the side of the road to let me know I was still on course. Hard to ride a twisty hill at night though. Anyone else notice how your light beam disappears when you lean into a bend at that crucial point when you need to see the most!

[Bandito]

Love night riding, but gotta have a good light try arctic blue bulb in standard wattage increases light power by a claimed 50% and after trying one for myself I would have to agree.

[Jackrat]

Love riding at night.
All the sences are focused on a small area with few distractions.
It's like concentrating the expereince.

[Antallica]

I loved the night riding I did back to Whangas on Wed @ 12am. Apart from my left bulb not working and my want for higher wattage bulbs, it was great :)

[750Y]

I got some bulbs Xenon Ultras which helps in the dark.

[fastford111]

i ride every day to work and it is dark when i go and dark when i come home but when riding down to phlip island we try not to ride at night as we have wambats and skippy they make a mess of bikes and riders

[Andrew]

When I had my little 150 I wouldn't ride outside the confies of the city. I'm sure a torch from the $2 shop would have greater light output than the head lamp on the 150.

Then when I broke the visor on my helmet I decided to replace it with a tinted visor. I didn't find out how stupid I was until I rode home from a night lecture!

Then I break the visor for a 2nd time, (all accidently of course - Once again CK will testify how "accident prone" finds me....um yea ) so I'll go replace that with a clear visor again.

Other than that I enjoy riding in the dark. :)

[Motu]

I've put a couple of driving lamps on the XLV750 - just for looks you understand.

[wkid_one]

I used to LOVE the Takas at night - bloody great for telling if a car is coming the other way so you can Evil Kinevil the corner.....

[Velox]

Hooning around the streets at night is great fun - no traffic, the roads are lit up,you can usually see cars coming from a mile off, and the bike loves it! Oh those summer ni...iiiiiiiiights! Not so good with a dark visor, on a rural road, when it's raining at night though. Done that a few times.
Yeah - you do have to watch those possums eh? And hens and ducks done our way (tally=1each).

[Devil]

Dont have any problem riding at night, but stay on the main routes at the moment, headlight is gay. Need to get a decent bulb.

[Blackbird]

How many riders with modern bikes have sharp cut-off problems? When I started doing decent rides through the unlit countryside on the 'bird, I found that the lights were more than adequate as long as there weren't any really tight bends. In the real twisties when the bike is leaned over, the sharp cut-off becomes a real problem and I get very little forward visibility. Main beam is a bit better, but still nothing to shout about. I now run a 100W main (illegal I'm told!) and an Artic Blue Narva dip. The extra grunt is impressive on straightish roads bur hasn't done a lot in the twisties? My riding partner has similar problems with his 'busa. Does anyone else with a rectangular reflector have problems like this?

Geoff :angry:

[Motu]

That's why you need a motorcycle specific headlamp - so you don't get the cut off effect.I don't know a lot about modern bikes - do they have sharp cut off lamps as standard? Seems awfully dangerous to me.For me the cutoff ends up on my right hand - duh.

Both my Honda and XT Yamaha don't have the cutoff,both have halogen bulbs.

[Ms Piggy]

I ride home every night, although it's in the city & really well lit. The other night though I went up over Mt Vic to the lookout and then back down the other side, it was very dark - no street lighting on the down side and that was a new experience for me. My bike doesn't have fantastic lighting for pitch black night riding I discovered.

[wkid_one]

headlight is gay.
Fuck man - don't tell Zed your headlight is gay - it will be damned to eternal hell!

[Two Smoker]

Fuck man - don't tell Zed your headlight is gay - it will be damned to eternal hell!
LMAO....... I like riding at night, but because i keep forgeting to put my clear visor on, i can't ride like i would like too...... i like it on tight cambered roads where the headlight looks like it is on a 90 degree angle LOL.....

[Blackbird]

That's why you need a motorcycle specific headlamp - so you don't get the cut off effect.I don't know a lot about modern bikes - do they have sharp cut off lamps as standard? Seems awfully dangerous to me.For me the cutoff ends up on my right hand - duh.

Both my Honda and XT Yamaha don't have the cutoff,both have halogen bulbs.


Motu - not the bulb, the shape of the reflector! Non-circular ones give a fairly narrow beam, so that when you're well leaned over, it tends to be more up and down than sideways and it's a bit of a job to see the edge of the road.

Geoff

[mangell6]

The FZ1 lights are excellent, whether I am upright (a good citizen) or leaned over. Night riding is great as you can see so much more of what is on the road. Dislike Tuakau at night due to wandering fresians, went around it and it just stood there and watched me.

[claire]

Night riding is great in summer, and as long as you have good lights. My 600 lights were crap but my R1 has great lights. Chris 04 R1 lights are good in a straight line but when you tip into a corner the light directly where you're wanting to go disappears, Yamaha are apparently trying to sort this and we have been trialling different light settings but I'll wait till it warms up a bit before I do another night ride

[Blackbird]

The limitations of the 'bird light were most apparent on the 1000 miler when we left Turangi and went over to Taumaranui. It was in one of those tight corners that I saw a possum out of the corner of my eye which wasn't far off my line. Shudder to think what would have happened if it had gone under my front wheel whilst banked over! I presume that section was as clear as daylight to you! Incidentally, next years' Southern Cross seems to be gaining favour with the Tokoroa lads, plus Richard on the R1100RS from Rotorua whom Matt met on the last SC.

Geoff

[mangell6]

Matts MV Agusta F4 has excellent headlights, for show, well lit Italian motorways and STYLE.

I thought I was a better knightrider than he until he explained about the lack of illumination on NZ roads. :whistle:

Mike

[maybe]

Like any self respecting rider, ride all lights all weathers. :innocent:

[RiderInBlack]

Then when I broke the visor on my helmet I decided to replace it with a tinted visor. I didn't find out how stupid I was until I rode home from a night lecture!Na, stupid is riding 40K home in the dark after a movie on you 250 with two yellow 35/35Watt bulbs and a tinted visor:cool: (because you forgot to bring you clear one into town withyou):stupid: :doh:

Everything looked like when Frodo puts on the ring in LOR's:eek5:

The CBR has the best lights I have very had on any vechicle, which is good as I ride day or night.

[wkid_one]

Day, night, wet or dry it doesn't bother me as I ride with my eyes shut anyway.

[scumdog]

How many riders with modern bikes have sharp cut-off problems? When I started doing decent rides through the unlit countryside on the 'bird, I found that the lights were more than adequate as long as there weren't any really tight bends. In the real twisties when the bike is leaned over, the sharp cut-off becomes a real problem and I get very little forward visibility. Main beam is a bit better, but still nothing to shout about. I now run a 100W main (illegal I'm told!) and an Artic Blue Narva dip. The extra grunt is impressive on straightish roads bur hasn't done a lot in the twisties? My riding partner has similar problems with his 'busa. Does anyone else with a rectangular reflector have problems like this?

Geoff :angry:
I had that problem on my old H-D but to my benefit - it still had the US headlight which dipped to the right, this meant (a) oncoming traffic realy had to notice me and dip, (b) it lit up the right side of the road better than the NZ lights..

[Motu]

Motu - not the bulb, the shape of the reflector! Non-circular ones give a fairly narrow beam, so that when you're well leaned over, it tends to be more up and down than sideways and it's a bit of a job to see the edge of the road.

Geoff

Uh,yes - so....why do modern bikes have a cut off? Mine don't,well,the XS1 does,but that's because I fitted a car headlamp in it.Have you fitted car units,or did the manufacturer fit one? Are you talking about a cutoff as per a car headlamp or just the characteristics of the genuine unit - if so,don't call it a cut off - cause there really is such a thing.

[Coldkiwi]

I ride in all weather/wind/road muck. Haven't had to do any open road riding since i've had the GSXR but the headlights seem to be fairly good and certainly crap all over the old zxr's two little rounds.

I had a xenon bulb in the zx6 and when I replaced it with a standard halogen, it definitely wasn't as good. Brighter bulbs rock :)

[vifferman]

I rode at night once. It were dark and scary. :blank:

The FahrtingSturmer has a 130/90W bulb innit. Not quite as good as when I had the same setup in the VF500, with a relay wired direct to the battery, but not bad. The VFR with two 100W halogen bulbs was nearly as good. (And much better than when it had dual 35W bulbs!)

BTW - those blue-tinted bulbs aren't as good as a standard bulb - they just *look* brighter, but actually give you less usable light. Don't take my word for it - go search a (non squid) site and see what you turn up. There were a couple of professional lighting guys on the VFR list at one stage, and they'd tested various bulbs with a rig, and said the 'arctic blue' ones were some of the worst. Apparently standard wattage Sylvania halogens are pretty good, as are Phillips (Vision Plus??).

[Zed]

Fuck man - don't tell Zed your headlight is gay - it will be damned to eternal hell!
Lol, if your headlight is gay- is that a positive or negative statement? Negative I think you meant Devil. I didn't say it, and Cincinnati's laughing about it, so does that mean you're against gays wkid_one??

Now that's an oxymoron! (emphasis on the moron)


Btw, I ride at night 5 days a week now that daylight savings has finished!!


Zed

[Devil]

Thats ok. Ill be removing my gay headlight and disposing of it :whistle:
Ban all gay headlights!

[vifferman]

Btw, I ride at night 5 days a week now that daylight savings has finished.

And how much daylight did you save, Zed?

[Motoracer]

And how much daylight did you save, Zed?

The answer to that is obviously none, cause he's spent them all!

Is that you on the scoot btw Mr Stormer on your avatar thingie?

[vifferman]

Is that you on the scoot btw Mr Stormer on your avatar thingie?

It might be... depends who wants to know.... :cool2:

[Motoracer]

It might be... depends who wants to know.... :cool2:

Cool pic :niceone:

[vifferman]

One of the crappier two-wheeled contrivances I've ever sampled. Nice smokey though...

[vifferman]

Oops... where's all the smoke gone? Must've been getting hot - me danged avatar's melted....

[Motoracer]

Kinda looks like them silly scooters with a roof now lol

[Big Dog]

:sly: being an ex POM if you dont ride in the dark you dont ride much!
black ice, in the Dark, with freezing fog! :disapint: have you ever had the snot freeze accross your face then?
Seriously I dont really think about it
Nothing like a touch of frostbite on the face to wake you up eh!

A couple of weeks ago I had to come in to work at 5.30. No prob Bob. According to the radio when I got to work -4 degrees. No prob Bob. Fog so thick the visor was fogging up on the outside. F!@# me but the wind chill really gets to you at 100kmph, with your eyelashes frozen to your eyelids. Got to work and my face looked like I had been sunbathing with a helmet on.

The following day simmilar scenario but at 7.15 so there was some sunlight I thought I would be cunning and wear my sunny's.. until the cold caused them to snap across the bridge of the nose.

[Menial]

i dont ride when its wet and cold, cos its wet and cold :blink: riding at night is great, no cars, electric air. Only problem, cant spot cops.

[Blackbird]

A lifetime ago when I was a student in the UK and bikes didn't have fairings, I used to ride a Triumph in all weathers cos that's all I had to get me about. I regularly suffered the frozen eyebrows and frozen snot routine, and can still remember the agonies of the feeling slowly returning to my fingers!

[mangell6]

Ah yes hypothermia riding, none of this fancy gear that is available nowadays.

I remember feeling the burn, either from the heat returning to your body or from holding onto the exhaust trying to defrost fingers, toes, cheeks . . . .

[Zed]

And how much daylight did you save, Zed?
Is that your attempt at witty humour or do you need an explanation? :thud:

[vifferman]

Is that your attempt at witty humour or do you need an explanation? :thud:
Is that your attempt at a witty retort? :whistle:

[merv]

Its a shame you can't save the daylight to use it in the winter - Zed can your boss help us out here or should I just talk to the Maoris as they are the ones that fixed the sun up in the first place.