LIGHTS ON: is it illegal in NZ?

[Radar]

Haha I laugh when i hear all the HTFU replies. I'd rather be lit up like a christmas tree on ym bike and have car drivers going what the fuck is that btter stay away from it than being all dressed in black with lights off. I ride with high beams on all the time plus a high vis vest and as much non black gear as possible, witha nice bright non black red and white bike. If i could have my way i'd somehow invent a giant holographic arrow to appear above my bike , just so extra blind cages would see me.

Last week I test drove a couple of bikes and then drove home in my car (this is before I bought my bike). Its a rural drive and a main highway, in the afternoon on a sunny day. I came upon a slow car, checked ahead and saw that it was clear and started to pass.... but then I saw lights way in the distance... still OK I thought and continued to pass (all this happening in 1 second). But craaaaaap that was not TWO headlights from a car but ONE light on a motorcycle!! I slowed down immediately and fell in behind the slow car. A few seconds later the bike passed and he gave me a wave to say thanks - or was it the finger??

The point is that if that bikie did not have his light on, I would not have seen him until later, probably not causing an accident but it would have been close enough to cause the adrenaline to rush. BTW, close shaves like this happen ALL THE TIME in India and other parts of Asia - unbelievable really - you think a crash will happen but cars and bikes miss each other by a few cm's and no one even gets upset or ruffled - crazy!!

I drive with my high beams on. If oncoming traffic flashes me to dim them, I will, but I don't think that will happen.

[Mikkel]

yes it does - otherwise we could all have lawn mower engines out in the backyard driving big fuck-off alternators that power the whole house, including the spa pool heater and a kiln for pottery.
You can't get more watts out of the alternator than you put in so you add another 200 or so watts of lights (thinking car here, 2 headlights, 2 sidelights, tail lights, etc) thats 200+ (approx 1/4 hp) more watts that the engine has to provide - and that means more fuel consumed

Apparently you misunderstood my meaning. Of course you can not take out more power than you put in.

My point was that the mechanical power required by the engine to run the alternator does not vary with the amount of power being drawn by the electrical system.

If the alternator produces less electricity than the car uses the battery will drain. If the alternator produces more electricity than the car uses the battery is being charged. Obviously you'll design a car so that there's a sufficient amount of surplus electrical power being generated.

[Big Dog]

Depending on the bike, high beam can still dazzle during the day, especially with firm suspension. It could cop you a fine from the police as well as the odd finger from annoyed motorists. Dipped is perfectly adequate. Ride to the conditions and always assume other road users have not seen you.

2nd that.

A good way to make dozy drivers in your lane get back in their own is to go high beam on the 'busa.
On one of my taupo trips in broad daylight a car came round the corner on wrong side, No panic a few hundred meters of clear road.
100m pass bozo is still in the wrong lane.
Put on highbeams, toot the Stebel.
Fucknuckle looks up from his cell phone long enough to turn white, over react wipe out trying to get back in his own lane and end up facing the wrong way in the ditch.

Pretty sure if I had only flashed he would not have spun out....

[BiK3RChiK]

2nd that.

A good way to make dozy drivers in your lane get back in their own is to go high beam on the 'busa.
On one of my taupo trips in broad daylight a car came round the corner on wrong side, No panic a few hundred meters of clear road.
100m pass bozo is still in the wrong lane.
Put on highbeams, toot the Stebel.
Fucknuckle looks up from his cell phone long enough to turn white, over react wipe out trying to get back in his own lane and end up facing the wrong way in the ditch.

Pretty sure if I had only flashed he would not have spun out....

Yeah, well he bloody deserved it!!! Idiot coulda killed ya!! They should ban cellphones while being behind the wheel..

[Big Dog]

The rider in high-vis gear and with their headlight shining brightly doesn't look like much of a threat. Car Driver: If I run him over he is just going to get a little upset and I'll say I never saw him and all will be well.

The rider who looks most like a gang member dressed in black leather, no lights, and a bandana across his face looks much more intimidating and poses a BIG threat. Car Driver: If I run him over he will drag his angry broken body off the ground and haul me out of the car to do unspeakable things to me and my family.

I fully reckon there are two ways to be seen.
Be scary - Explains the way I dress on the Busa.
Be funny - Explains the way I dress on he scooter, no way can I pull off scary on a cooter

[YellowDog]

The idea came from the Scandinavians where in winter you can get 4 hour days and 20 hour nights. It's worse the further North you go. Volvo and Saab started hard wiring their car lights to always be on and then it occurred to someone that it may be a good idesa for safety, particularly with bikers. And seems to have stuck.

I never ride without lights on.

But as I don't have a bike at the moment. I never ride period!

[Mikkel]

The idea came from the Scandinavians where in winter you can get 4 hour days and 20 hour nights. It's worse the further North you go. Volvo and Saab started hard wiring their car lights to always be on and then it occurred to someone that it may be a good idesa for safety, particularly with bikers. And seems to have stuck.

Yes yes, good to hear someone knows what it's like in Scandinavia

Just remember that it's the other way around as well - in summer we get 20 hours of light and 4 hours of "darkness". If you go far enough north it can be light or dark all the time depending upon what time of year it is.

I'm pretty sure scandinavian drivers would be as competent as NZ drivers to make the call whether turning on the lights or not is necessary... As such how many hours of daylight you get during winter is irrelevant.