GS/GSA Headlight protector - colour?

[Goose]

GS/GSA Headlight & integrated Oil cooler protector

As per the pic - we use these in SA - the lenses are interchangable so one can have both sides clear, main beam clear and high beam orange, both orange etc.

I mostly rode with mains being clear and orange for high beam and visibility - not a lot of night riding.

What are the laws in the UK with regard to the lens covers & colours - is this /will this be allowed?

Is there a market for these in the UK...?

 

[Surrey Yeoman]

Hi Goose,

Here in the UK we refer to the lights as "Dipped Beam" (your "Main") and "Main Beam" (your "High").

UK law states that a headlamp must be white or yellow (The Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989).

I can see no reason at all (and I'm speaking as a UK policeman for the past 30 years, with 13 years on the Traffic Department) why you couldn't have yellow for dipped beam and keep the main beam part of the lens cover clear.

But please note, yellow is just that, YELLOW, not orange!

Years ago I had a R1100RS and I had a yellow lens cover over the headlamp (integrated dipped and main) and I found it seemed to get me noticed more by drivers and the yellow light on main beam didn't seem to cause me any problems with forward vision at night.

 

[Goose]

Thank you kindly for that info sir!

Quite funny though that in SA I carry a copy of the road-ordanance act in my wallet regarding the coloured lights as some coppers are ok with the lights - others don't accept it. so needless to say the buggers hate me when I ask them if the validity questioned is "Their opinion" or "law"...........

Obviously when getting over there I want to do some advanced courses, having done those offered by BMW in SA ........... and the legal requirements must be sorted at the onset!

Then I must also start with my SA license, which is a full bike licence that I have had since 1986 ............

 

[Surrey Yeoman]

Happy to be of assistance Goose.

As for your SA bike licence, a quick look at the UK Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) website seems to indicate that you can exchange your SA licence for a UK one and all the categories / entitlements will be honoured.

"South African driving licence

Your South African driving licence that is a part of a book of life, will need to be accompanied by a letter of authority from the South African licensing authority. The licence part will be stamped to confirm the exchange and the book will be returned to you. If you are exchanging your South African photocard driving licence, this will be returned to the South African licensing authority."

Cheers.

 

[Goose]

Happy to be of assistance Goose.

As for your SA bike licence, a quick look at the UK Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) website seems to indicate that you can exchange your SA licence for a UK one and all the categories / entitlements will be honoured.

"South African driving licence

Your South African driving licence that is a part of a book of life, will need to be accompanied by a letter of authority from the South African licensing authority. The licence part will be stamped to confirm the exchange and the book will be returned to you. If you are exchanging your South African photocard driving licence, this will be returned to the South African licensing authority."

Cheers.

Thanks for that info as well. I had a looksee at the issues with the Photocard license as well.. however I'm really concerned that I'd lose my EC1 License...?
FYI - I have a license for Code: A (bike) & EC1 (truck & trailer) see scanned copy and a mate of mine seemed to indicate I'd lose the heavy duty rating. This was the only good thing the SA military ever gave me, which was converted to a Civilian license and with all the new rules and regulations - would cost me a bomb to ever re-attain it! Any views on this...

 

[Surrey Yeoman]

Not sure on that one Goose,

I'd have thought that it would be a straight swap if the licence is supposed to be exchangeable.

That said, it looks like your SA licence category C covers trucks and buses, whereas in the UK/EU we have a seperate category D for buses/coaches.

It may be that they'll recognise your truck and drawbar trailer entitlement, but not allow you a full bus/coach licence.

As a cop on the street, if you produced your SA licence to me, I'd interpret it as allowing you to drive truck with drawbar trailer and buses/coaches too up to the GVM shown, but what DVLA will make of it I really don't know!

Guess you'll have to get in touch with them to find out.

Good luck buddy!

 

[boatman]

Hi Goose i could use one of those for sure need to have both lenses clear
indication of likely cost ?

 

[Goose]

Hi Goose i could use one of those for sure need to have both lenses clear
indication of likely cost ?

They're about 65 quid and comes with 2 Orange and 2 Clear lenses bud....