I run a 90/100 watt bulb in my bike. The 90 watt lowbeam is bright but aimed lower so aggravates drivers less. I ride at night alot, and there ain't many lights around here, in town, there's nothing at all in the country. I like my 100 watt highbeam, lights up critters farther ahead and shows road hazzards better.
You guys all running 55/60 watts still?
I have a 55/60 headlight but also 2 50 watt driving lights. The driving lights really light up immediately to the fron and the sides while the high beam takes care of the long distance in the center.
If I flash a guy over here and appear to be slowing it will be taken that I've waived my right of way.
I used my side lights for about two days but you just cant see them in the daylight so now I run around with my main light on, but in the dipped passing position.
Those Police strobes, at least the ones used by the motorway Police here completely screw me up, I find myslef unable to see beyond them and worse have very strong target fixation on them.
Normally, I ride with low beam
the high beam come on after some idiot cuts in front of me without adequate space- without the use of blinkers...
Then, the high beams go on
At one time the police BMW's in the UK had a couple of white lights at the front equivelent to a high intensity rear light, together with the main light in the pilot posotion gave a triangle shape. There was no glare and the shape of the rider could be seen in daylight and most important the riders position could be placed accurately on the road.
I find that those riders riding on full beam not only alienate other driver/riders because of the dazzle but is more difficult to see the outline of the rider and others around plus it more difficult to judge the speed and position of the bike.
I used a 100/55w headlight on my GS500 but myy SV650 has different bulbs and I understand the reflector is plastic and may be damaged due the higher heat. Excuse the pun but can anybody throw any light on this.
I'm 100% bright, all the time, 'specially at night on the expressway. The low beam just doesn't seem to allow enough reaction time for road hazards. If I'm behind a cage, I try to get to the right a bit, as a bit of a courtesy, unless I'm cut off, or no turn signal! Then I just don't give a damn.
"Cowards die many times in the course of their lives, the courageous taste it but only once!"
When im drivng me van i tend to notice high beam bikes better in the day time and even better when they weave a little, if they just go straight sometimes i have to double check to make sure its not a car with one light out. As for flasing your highs at someone, here in LA, it means go f yourself. If i get cut off ill flash em or if someone has them on accidentally ill drop behind em and flash em to let em know, but i rarely flash my highs at night to indicate im gonna let someone pass/come over, mostly cause i hate when someone does that to me. If im gonna do a manuver im gonna do it if i can, i dont need your approval and ive already check to make sure i can safely, so if they flash their highs it makes me wonder if i screwed something up or if they are just jerks, but ya.
JWF
edit- when i ride my buddys bike to practice and be ahead of the game for the MSF i have highs on all the time, unless the car ahead of you is a civic or camry or what not they will hardly notice. My van is high enough where small cars and bikes i can tell if its brights or not but not that big a deal being so high. So when on a bike i run high all the time for better visablity
Insert something clever and showing an understanding of motorcycle culture here
ATGATT
Sev wrote:What's a bike?
JWF505 wrote:its like a goat, but with two wheels.
A friend of mine used to flash his lights as he went through intersections.
He was complaining to me about all the jerks who would cut him off.
I said, if you are in a car and someone flashes his lights at an intersection, what do you do? He says, ooohhhhhh, He doesn't do it any more.
I bought extra cruising light just so I would be seen better on the road, Anything that makes you feel safer and be seen better is a good thing.
Lets face it, the "Gee officer. I didn't see him" is used much too often.
I knew a guy that had over 60 lights on his bike. If they didn't see him they were blind.
