Main beam during daylight hours.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Satnav
  • Start date Start date

Do you have your main beam on during daylight hours?

  • YES

    Votes: 99 35.6%

  • NO

    Votes: 179 64.4%
  • Total voters
    278
Re: Re: Main beam during daylight hours.

2 wheel humvee said:
If you mean dipped headlamp on during daylight hours,then -yes.


Now if I had said "dipped" then I would have meant "dipped" but that would have resulted in a rather pointless poll would'nt it?

No I am specifically referring to the use of the MAIN BEAM for safety purposes while riding during the day, there is a growing debate that having the blind em brightness on all the time can only serve to make you more noticed and thus safer as a consequence.

Looking at the results after two days it seems there is certainly a case for such tactics, is it legal I wonder.

For my part I have two ff50s wired into my main beam and I just do not have the balls to put them on all the time.
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Re: Re: Re: Main beam during daylight hours.

Satnav said:
2 wheel humvee said:
If you mean dipped headlamp on during daylight hours,then -yes.


Now if I had said "dipped" then I would have meant "dipped" but that would have resulted in a rather pointless poll would'nt it?

{There are some people (not you obviously) who refer to headlights as "main beam" which is why I sought to clarify.}

No I am specifically referring to the use of the MAIN BEAM for safety purposes while riding during the day, there is a growing debate that having the blind em brightness on all the time can only serve to make you more noticed and thus safer as a consequence.

{Main beam for safety purposes???? For you and sod everyone else?? Debate? what debate-where? this is the first I've heard of it..
Must Admit it's something I've never considered-but there again I don't commute into a big city daily,it must have some merit as others have said they use main beam too.
For my part I wouldn't consider using main beam for two reasons 1; There are too many vehicles around with badly adjusted/blinding lights anyway-plus the hot hatch tossers/fashion victims with their under bumper drive/fog lights,having been followed by and approached from the opposite direction by both types and cursed at em I dont feel the need to join em!
2;I find it easier to judge a following or oncoming vehicle's distance,speed and direction when it's on dipped beam,when viewed from a rear view mirror (in a cage or on a bike) main beam just appears as a blinding blur. }

Looking at the results after two days it seems there is certainly a case for such tactics, is it legal I wonder.

{It's not legal to run main beam when following other traffic or approaching oncoming traffic.}

For my part I have two ff50s wired into my main beam and I just do not have the balls to put them on all the time.
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{I've got ff50's and uprated headlamp bulbs too,turn yours on at night at night with main beam too and stand in front of them,lean over and take a long hard stare into em,you might think GS headlamps are crap,but you wouldn't want them in your face for long :rolleyes:
Don't blame anyone for doing what they can to be seen and survive it's a junglre out there after all, not convinced main beam is the answer though.
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Dipped beam during the day as most car drives can't judge your distance if you ride on high/main beam during the day and more likely to knock you off. At night I will use my main beam where I can't see properly but always switch it off not blinding oncoming traffic.

:gringo
 
maverick said:
Dipped beam during the day as most car drives can't judge your distance if you ride on high/main beam during the day and more likely to knock you off. At night I will use my main beam where I can't see properly but always switch it off not blinding oncoming traffic.

:gringo
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Ditto
 
I always use at least dipped beam when out and about. If I'm filtering amongst 4-wheeled tossers, then I switch everything on!

Greg
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: Main beam during daylight hours.

{Main beam for safety purposes???? For you and sod everyone else?? Debate? what debate-where? this is the first I've heard of it..



Hey mate, dont get so shirty, ask anyone what a main beam is eh? Main is not dipped, dipped is not main.

Then look at the poll results thus far, 44% do use their main beam during the day.

Debate, do you not read any bike mags, have you not got any mates?

As I say, I do not use my main beam unless at night with no traffic oncoming but I think we should all strive to make ourselves more visible within reason.
 
I bought a headlight switch when the bike was purchased new and have never used the headlight in the daytime, dipped or high beam.

If you wish to use your high beam in daylight to bedazzle car drivers, fine, but when they cannot work out your relative speed because their eyes don't give their brain the required information, I think you'll find that there is a very strong chance that you may have a head on or something like that in the future.

It's just the physics of 3D. When a moving high intensity orb, or shining light, is coming directly toward you, your eyes are unable to give your brain the information to discern the relative speed of it's travel.

If the light is a dipped beam which allows the eye to also see the body of the rider then your eyes can show your brain enough information for it to process the relative approaching speed.

Go ahead and give yourself a test with some mates, you may very quickly re-think your superior attitude and think more about self preservation.

Mick.
 
I use main full beam during the daytime and it is suprising the effect it has on car drivers waiting to pull out of side roads.

In my experience I have never had a negative effect from the "mis-judge my speed syndrome" in fact I have lost track of the amount of times that it has had a positive effect by drivers stopping and waiting where they could have easily moved out of the junction well ahead of me arriving.

The higher beam pattern has a much longer 'throw' than the low beam so allerting drivers much earlier of your presence.

I have experimented with the effect it has. A friend of mine rode his bike along a stretch of road with a 90 degree bend and then a mile long straight section as I waited at the end. With dip beam the first I could really see of the bike was the last quarter of a mile or so. He then repeated with main beam on and I could see him the moment he turned out of the bend a mile away. We reversed the situation and my friend's observations were identical to mine.

I do always dip the light when travelling for any length of time behind a car (just after they have moved there mirror so I know they have seen me :D )

However it is vital to never become complacent and assume that you have been seen in any situation as it is far better to ride defensively expecting the worst to happen.

You do get some response sometimes from irritated drivers and they flash their lights, but I usually give a polite wave as they go past.

My philosophy is that I'd rather have someone say "you blinded me with your lights" than "sorry mate I didnt see you" .
 
As my GS is used every day for commuting between Herts and London, I would NEVER leave my lights off, especially when filtering between the stationery traffic on the A10. I will often use my fog lamps if visibility is poor.

Sod the fuel consumption - my life and my bike are worth getting noticed. I don't want some plonker pulling out on me.
 
i can't believe it. you guys actually go around dazzling car drivers with yer main beams & stick on spots???

no wonder car drivers hate us :rolleyes:

has anyone tried chucking rocks at them?
 
is it legal?

of course it :GS:GS:GS:GSing isn't :rolleyes:

from the highway code:


"You MUST NOT use any lights in a way which would dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users
use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced. You MUST switch them off when visibility improves to avoid dazzling other road users.
Law RVLR reg 27"
 
cookie said:
i can't believe it. you guys actually go around dazzling car drivers with yer main beams & stick on spots???

no wonder car drivers hate us :rolleyes:

has anyone tried chucking rocks at them?
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Calm down Cookie, how's anyone going to dazzle anything other than a moth with GS lights?:) :) :)

Tim
 
hmmm...

I see enough dazzling from the headlights of these so-called premium german cars, with their bi-xenon this and that, to give me enough grief. AND these aren't even fog lights. There are also plenty of drivers who happen to leave their fog lights on because its cool. I use mine as a safety feature.

I at least only use my auxiliary lights if I filter. I do not have them angled so that they take out oncoming driver's retinas, so I have angled them downwards.

I have a policeman mate who rides a 'Dero. He has never once critiscised me for using them. In fact, he reckons that without them on, the GS light is crud [yes, we ALL know this].

I have used them in the prescence of Police, both 4 and 2 - wheeled. Never a problem.

Yes the aux lights are bright. Good. I want to be seen. And stay alive. I will never stop using them, if it means I get noticed.
 
I will never stop using them, if it means I get noticed.

i'm sure you'll get noticed.

can't help thinking "look at that thoughtless asshole on high beam" would be the popular reaction though :D
 
no arsehole here matey, only the one who keeps plugging the letter of the law down everyone's throats.
 
rugbug said:
no arsehole here matey, only the one who keeps plugging the letter of the law down everyone's throats.
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sorry, i do apologise for "plugging the letter of the law down everyone's throats". i mentioned it er, once 'cos i thought someone in this thread had earlier wondered about the legality of riding on full beam into oncoming traffic. i've just checked back, and seem to be mistaken.

also when i wrote "look at that thoughtless asshole on high beam", i edited out the word "arrogant".

seems i was wrong there too.
 
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