riding with high beams on

If you're behind me, please dim the friggin things! :angry: If you're coming at me with high beams, or, WAY TO OFTEN, misadjusted headlights, I'll show you what PIAA Super Plasma bulbs look like on high beam.

As eyes get older, bright lights get more distracting and irritating. Notice how more often you flash at cagers at night because you think their highs are on, and they are not? :blink:

From what I've seen, a rather high percentage of FJRs have misadjusted lights, probably from the factory. Mine were way too high. If you get them right the lows will do a much better job at night and the highs will really light up the road rather than the trees, right GEEZ?

Misadjusted? Still sounds right.

Anyone who rides with highs on all the time and anyone who can't spell correctly is an asshole.

odot said:

Anyone who rides with highs on all the time and anyone who can't spell correctly is an asshole.

Click to expand...

...but if you do both you're OK.

I most always run high beams during the day, but not if I'm following someone in traffic. I have had plenty of cagers come at me in the day with high beams on, and while it may be an annoyance, they certainly aren't blinding like they would be at night. But they got my attention, and that's the point of it to me. High beams in the daytime are certainly less annoying to me than a headlight modulator, but the modulator is even better at making one visible. Seems the risk of annoying someone is less than not being seen.

FWIW

S76 said:

I most always run high beams during the day, but not if I'm following someone in traffic. I have had plenty of cagers come at me in the day with high beams on, and while it may be an annoyance, they certainly aren't blinding like they would be at night. [SIZE=12pt] But they got my attention, and that's the point of it to me. High beams in the daytime are certainly less annoying to me than a headlight modulator, but the modulator is even better at making one visible. Seems the risk of annoying someone is less than not being seen.[/SIZE]FWIW

Click to expand...

[SIZE=12pt]DITTO[/SIZE]

My wife and I always have our high beams on when riding during the daytime. I want to be seen. When I am leading and she gets behind it is much easier to locate her bike with the high beams on because the bike stands out amongs other traffic. The Colorado Motorcycle Operators Handbook contains the following statement.

"The best way to help others on the road

see your motorcycle is to keep the headlight on at all

times. Use of the high beam in daylight increases the likelihood

that you will be seen by oncoming drivers."

John

There is another school of thought that I think should be brought up. One of the most common and dangeous hazzards that we have to deal with is the infamous left turning car. Someone once suggested that if you have your high beam on, they'll see you for sure, but won't be able to properly judge your distance or speed. This could lead them to the decision that its OK to pull into your lane.

Personally I watch these paricular cage drivers like a hawk, 'cause you can never be too sure about them.

Another $0.02. I guess that makes about a nickle's worth.

Poll!

Where the heck is the poll?

Do you ride daytime high?

I do sometimes. Not in a group. Well sometimes in a group, but I always explain to the person in front that I'm flashing my eyes of god at the cage pulling out from a side street. If a car barrels out from a side street my high beams and eyes of god come on. If a car throws a butt out the window at me the eyes of god come on (night or day). When I use them as flash to pass on the expressway sometimes the cage panics and thinks a cop is behind them :lol:

I live in Massachusetts and we are all bad drivers here.

Mr Bill said:

Do you ride daytime high?

Click to expand...

Um, bust and nutters might ride after smoking that green stuff......

Scab said:

Hey, I'm just askin' questions. While I don't run with my high beams on, I do have a pair of "be seen" lights mounted to my forks. I would really be interested in knowing the results of an actual scientific study on the matter.

Click to expand...

Why not try it yourself? Run a2 or 3 days or 1 week and note any "issues" that arise, then ruin the same amount of days on the same route, etc., and note any differences. At the end of the week, compare the notes you kept and extrapolate from there.

odot said:

Mr Bill said:

Do you ride daytime high?

Click to expand...

Um, bust and nutters might ride after smoking that green stuff......

Click to expand...

Uhm....isn't that a definition of an "Afternoon Delight"? :huh:

High Beams?

wfooshee said:

High beams in bright sunshine, but cloudy, I run low beam.

Click to expand...

gunny, and would add if I am any relatively darker than full sunlight i turn them down. I also have to say that I perfer riders on my 6 to also use highbeams. in the rearview all you need to see is the position of the bike/s behind you, the brighter the light, the greater the contrast and the easier to see without "looking" (directly).

jwilly said:

High Beams?

Click to expand...

WOW thought we should see that again

Now those are high beams.......

My biggest take away from this post is that I need to go adjust my headlights. I go with the high beams during the day depending on light and traffic. I am installing headlight modulators as we speak which sounds a bit controversial but I plan to use them in higher risk riding situations.

[SIZE=12pt]Three-peat![/SIZE]

From the title of this thread:

riding with high beams on, what do others think of it?

Click to expand...

Let'em think what they want while you do what you want.(Just don't be blinding your fellow riders....or posting pics that might make them go blind.)

High beams are ON. Headlight is MODULATING.

They aren't that bright that you are 'blinded' during the day - HID headlights are 'blinding'. Halogen bulbs are simply 'bright'.

It was worth starting that thread just to see that picture while having my morning coffee!

Thanks everyone for all of your posts - I had no idea how much of a response there would be.

A few things struck me out of these 4 pages.

I am one of those with more sensitive eyes (due to some surgery a long time ago), that could be a factor.

The bike was an FJR, so the highs could have been even higher than other bikes (due to factory adjustment)

I better check my lights for adjustment

Interesting someone commented about judging the distance to the bike - I remember wondering how far back he was because it was very hard to tell - all I saw was the bright light in the mirror - maybe something for others to consider after reading this post - if cars have a harder time judging the distance, could be less safe?

I agree with those who use them all the time except when other vehicles are approaching or you are riding behind other vehicles (hopefully more than 30" ) - using them thoughtfully seems to be the best bet, and provides the left turning and other cars entering the roadway with more "light information", which hopefully allows them to see you better and NOT pull out in front of you - unless of course they can't judge the distance and still do. Interesting question there.

Thanks again for all the comments - (and for that picture)

Ride safely, high or lows

Allen

SkooterG said:

Every motorcycle prior to my FJR, I would ride with the high beam on during the day for safety/visibility.
The FJR's lights are so good, I quickly found out that I could no longer do that as I was pissing off anyone I followed. So now I rarely have my high beams on during the day. Only when there is no traffic that I am following, and usually only on two lane highways.

And for another completely different type of annoyance. Make sure your lights are aimed/adjusted properly. FJR's tend to be aimed a bit too high from the factory. I have had other FJRs follow me at night with their low beams driving me absolutely nuts because they were aimed to high.

Click to expand...

Didnt we cover this a week ago when a bubba decided my lights were too bright and wanted to run me down?

Low beams and driving lights during the day...

jwilly said:

Click to expand...

:dribble: :dribble: :dribble:

SkooterG said:

And for another completely different type of annoyance. Make sure your lights are aimed/adjusted properly. FJR's tend to be aimed a bit too high from the factory. I have had other FJRs follow me at night with their low beams driving me absolutely nuts because they were aimed to high.

Click to expand...

Very true. My mirrors also needed adjustment. The factory settings were way off for my tastes. I adjust my headlights for low beam usage at night and they are purposely just a little high, however, the top of my low beam will not be directly in the the rear window of the vehicle I'm following from about 2 seconds behind. At night, I get flashed occasionally by oncoming vehicles because they think I'm running high beams. I usually flash back at them to let them know I'm running low beams. Mine are not so bright, though, as the hundreds of vehicles that drive around with their fog lights on.

red2kcbr said:

Low beam. I use the flash-to-pass button to alert/warn/attract driver attention. Oh wait, US-spec bikes don't have FTP. I do flash hi-beam to signal drivers. Got into that habit in Germany.

Click to expand...

I never flash my light at an oncoming or potential left-turner. I would prefer to switch to high beam and leave it there or do nothing rather than give them a signal that could possibly be misinterpreted. Around here, a flash or modulation can be taken as my giving up the right-of-way.

Mr Bill said:

If a car throws a butt out the window at me the eyes of god come on (night or day).
I live in Massachusetts and we are all bad drivers here.

Click to expand...

You know, a cigarette butt out the window rarely does any harm, however, even being a smoker, I'm annoyed by that too. I crush the fire from my cig before letting it go just below the sidecase.