[K Kid]

Was in Dublin this week.
Can't believe number of bikes with no lights.

Sorry I didn't see the black bike with the guy in black gear..................

[Ziggy]

With you on that Kid. Ridin' in the city everyday and the amount of people that think they are only for decoration is amazing.

[Tazzzie]

Some of us have broken lights we cannot yet fix.
Unless your talking about night time / dark ? I wont ride in the dark without lights (oo, err, missus)

Anyways, I suppose it personal choice and personal belief. I reckon mostly your better with them on, but there are some situations where I turn them off / on / flash (when their working) for example, in a tunnel / coming out of a tunnel / overtaking in an opposing lane or about to overtake. Strokes for folks.

I used to leave the main beam on, but zOU encouraged me not to. Sometimes I still do.

[Turkish]

no excuse when is getting dark but i do have them on 95% of the time but wouldnt be mad about daytime some people can't see incoming double decker bus dont mind moving bikes

This post has been edited by Turkish: 28 July 2011 - 11:56 PM

[blu3]

For the past few months I have been leaving the main beam on during the day and it makes a huge diference, specially at juntions and roundabouts! My lowbeam is constantly on and can't be turned off.

[PaulB]

blu3, on 29 July 2011 - 01:03 AM, said:

For the past few months I have been leaving the main beam on during the day and it makes a huge diference, specially at juntions and roundabouts! My lowbeam is constantly on and can't be turned off.

PLEASE dont do this, nothing annoys me more on the road that people with their full beams on. It is seriously dazzling, meeting some head on is a bad but when someone is behind you with full beams it is worse.
It is also much harder to judge the persons speed\distance when full beams are on so just stick with the dipped beams, thats what I do and it does the job nicely.

[davehere]

PaulB, on 29 July 2011 - 07:06 AM, said:

PLEASE dont do this, nothing annoys me more on the road that people with their full beams on. It is seriously dazzling, meeting some head on is a bad but when someone is behind you with full beams it is worse.
It is also much harder to judge the persons speed\distance when full beams are on so just stick with the dipped beams, thats what I do and it does the job nicely.

+1
Very anoying for oncomming traffic
Very distracting when someone behind you is dazzling you in your mirrors

[blu3]

PaulB, on 29 July 2011 - 07:06 AM, said:

PLEASE dont do this, nothing annoys me more on the road that people with their full beams on. It is seriously dazzling, meeting some head on is a bad but when someone is behind you with full beams it is worse.
It is also much harder to judge the persons speed\distance when full beams are on so just stick with the dipped beams, thats what I do and it does the job nicely.

The beams on the fazer are not strong enough to dazzle anyone during the daylight, I have spoken to people that I have driven behind et.and they confirmed this to me. As I said,I might as welll not have the dipped beams on as no one noticed me with them so I will continue to use he full beams as long as it is not a hazzard to anyone in the current environment that I'm in.

[ridertraining]

"There are two kinds of light - the glow that illumines, and the glare that obscures." ~James Thurber


I rarely use daytime lights, unless I'm in a group who are using them, and then only to avoid appearing to be a gap in the line of bikes.

There was some research done into the effects of the use of lights. Not that many seem to be interested in the science, the assumption is that if you put lights on, everyone will see you. Well, there are 2 problems with that approach -

1. Not everyone will see you. But sub-consciously you may expect them to, and not be as defensive as you would if you didn't expect them to,

and
2. They may see you and misjudge your speed. The research (by Shaw in 1979) compared the accuracy with which subjects (i.e. Drivers) estimated the speed of a motorcycle with headlamp on, and off.

Subjects over-estimated the speed for lower speed of approach
Subjects under-estimated the speed for higher speed of approach

The reversal from over- to under- took place between 50-55mph with the headlamp off, and between 35-40mph with the headlamp on.

So with lights on, they may think you are going slower than you are, and that they have time to pull out before you get there. That effect occurs around the typical urban speed of a motorcyclist.

Main beam is not a substitute for safe riding.

[PaulB]

blu3, on 29 July 2011 - 08:45 AM, said:

The beams on the fazer are not strong enough to dazzle anyone during the daylight, I have spoken to people that I have driven behind et.and they confirmed this to me. As I said,I might as welll not have the dipped beams on as no one noticed me with them so I will continue to use he full beams as long as it is not a hazzard to anyone in the current environment that I'm in.

I would have thought the lights on a fazer would be ok, maybe there is something wrong with them, coz full beams on any bike is too strong.

[blu3]

PaulB, on 29 July 2011 - 10:10 AM, said:

I would have thought the lights on a fazer would be ok, maybe there is something wrong with them, coz full beams on any bike is too strong.

Na, it appears to be quite common with Fazers manufatured around 05, allot of rider's change to HID ( thats what they are called I think). At night they are ok, not the gratest but during the day they definately dont dazzle, naturally I turned off depending on the time of the day and the current lighting coniditions.

[K Kid]

I had a bad experience where the approaching bike headlamp (at night) lined up exactly with car behind the bike. I simply did not see the bike in the dark undertree road. Luckily I moved fast and avoided the impact.

[wesifumi]

Right with lights on all the time..can't and wouldn't want to turn them off.

[PaulB]

wesifume, on 29 July 2011 - 01:21 PM, said:

Right with lights on all the time..can't and wouldn't want to turn them off.

Not only do you ride with them all the time, but you even turn other peoples lights on!

[wesifumi]

PaulB, on 29 July 2011 - 01:35 PM, said:

Not only do you ride with them all the time, but you even turn other peoples lights on!

Fookin right i do..i don't want me mates dead because some plank pulls out on them , and i want to see where they bleedin are when they are behind me.

This post has been edited by wesifume: 29 July 2011 - 02:13 PM

[cromwell]

From Dawn to Dusk its high beam all the way. Dusk to Dawn it is normal low beam. As soon as my flashing unit gets here then the day time light will not only be on 100% of the time it will have a strobe effect.

This post has been edited by cromwell: 29 July 2011 - 03:59 PM

[PaulB]

Biting my tongue.

[ridertraining]

wesifume, on 29 July 2011 - 02:12 PM, said:

Fookin right i do..i don't want me mates dead because some plank pulls out on them , and i want to see where they bleedin are when they are behind me.

You read the bit ^^^ about planks pulling out on them BECAUSE they have the light on, didn't you ?

[CBR 46]

ridertraining, on 29 July 2011 - 09:14 AM, said:

2. They may see you and misjudge your speed. The research (by Shaw in 1979) compared the accuracy with which subjects (i.e. Drivers) estimated the speed of a motorcycle with headlamp on, and off.

Subjects over-estimated the speed for lower speed of approach
Subjects under-estimated the speed for higher speed of approach

The reversal from over- to under- took place between 50-55mph with the headlamp off, and between 35-40mph with the headlamp on.

So with lights on, they may think you are going slower than you are, and that they have time to pull out before you get there. That effect occurs around the typical urban speed of a motorcyclist.

Main beam is not a substitute for safe riding.

Thanks for that...I've been riding with lights off for the last couple of weeks and haven't noticed many SMIDSY's...however, I'll have to cross the Liffey from next week so may see a change then.

[Ogmios]

PaulB, on 29 July 2011 - 04:02 PM, said:

Biting my tongue.

you and me both mate.