High beam or Low beam

[Wiseric]

After 9 long years on 4 wheels I am now happy to say I'm back on 2 wheels (04 FZ6 Fazer) and really enjoying it - except for today when the car in front of me waved me to pull up next to him and asked if I knew I had my high beam on, I replied yes and then he proceeded to lecture me that he was an advanced driver instructor and that by having my high beam on during the day I was .....

A) Making difficult for people to judge the bikes distance
B) Burning the retina in their eyes via the rear view mirror

So this got me thinking - when was the last time I got blinded by a motorbikes high beam either via my cars mirrors or from in front re an coming bike, and the answer is I never have. The same is true (for me anyway) of judging the distance of an oncoming bike with the high beam on. In fact I find that I notice a bike with its high beam on a lot quicker as it catches my eye.

It would be nice to hear other peoples thoughts on whether to have the high beam on or off during daylight

 

[DMP84]

You can be a NASA genius for all I care and still shouldn't be allowed to get behind a steering wheel. I always use them during the day for the sole purpose of being spotted. He did spot you so I guess your high beam did its job...

 

[buccs40oz]

my high beams are always on during the day as well. just a little more so i can be seen better. not that some people are looking anyway

 

[99vengeur]

My high beam stays on day and night, except when over-taking vehicles at night.

 

[Ashbone]

Ride with mine on during the day, when I get flashed I just wave:Flip: and think Yeh you saw me didn't you mate.....:thumbup:

 

[CZAR357]

I ride with them on during the day as well. Like what was said already, he did notice you. Mission accomplished! And I have never gotten blinded by a high beam on a motorcycle when in my car so I don't know what he is talking about.

 

[jrf]

Mine is also on all the time. If I'm on the bike it is on.

The only time I flip it off is if I'm on a back road at night and a car is approaching me i'll flip it off until they are passed and then right back on. If i'm in town I never flip it off at night .

I know it might sound stupid but in town there are lights on all over the place so the intensity off the light (I don't think ) is all that bad, but out in the country with just car lights breaking the darkness for some reason I think they are brighter.

 

[Unseen]

I'd say he's right. You blind other people and it's hard to judge how far you are. I've noticed this when I was driving my car...

I always use low beam only on deserted dark roads I use the high beam.

 

[Andz]

I ride high beam all the time during the day, and at night unless there is something in front of me or approaching.

 

[Tremulant]

Thanks for this thread! I used to feel bad about riding during the day with my high-beams. I too feel that it makes me more visible...I'm glad a lot of you feel the same!

 

[spud3000]

Same, always high beam during the day, low at night if other cars are around. There is one thing I have noticed that could be what that guy was talking about. The light appears to "flicker" sometimes with the vibration of just riding and this could be annoying to other drivers. But visibility is the key so its all good:thumbup:

 

[Wavex]

Unless it's raining, or foggy, or dark outside, I ride with my high beams on as well.

 

[sjryser]

I drive with my low beams on...and flash the highs off and on when coming to an intersection or see a car waiting to turn in ANY direction...and I plan on getting a headlight modulator to save me the trouble.

 

[MarinaFazer]

My headlight is on brights during the day...and it's hyper yellow to make sure they *hopefully* see it. Seems to work.

I also use my E flashers when splitting lanes in stopped freeway traffic like they do in Europe!

 

[geetarhero]

Our bikes stock highbeam DOES NOT blind.
Even at night.
These lifted F350's low beams blind into the car in front of them much worse than any motorcycle headlight could.

Still, I use only the low beam during night, but during the day they both stay on; you cant blind people during the day

 

[flhtifz]

High beam, who cares if you tick off a cager.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Believe it or not, I ride with my low beams on here in Las Vegas, where the traffic is crazy. I feel that it's unnecessary for me to ride with my high beams on for two reasons:

1. I have done the dual-head light Mod.
2. I have installed aftermarket PIAA bulbs, which have greater intensity
than the stock bulbs.

But there are times I will turn on my brights on the freeway if I want to emphasize the guy ahead of me to speed up or yield to faster vehicles when I'm in the fast lane.

On another note, it seems that my lights tend to irritate drivers during the day, and especially at night when I follow behind a vehicle directly behind the driver's side mirror. My lights must shine directly into that side mirror and reflect directly into their eyes, and they can't do anything about it but to adjust their posiiton in there lane. But it's just the way I ride, I tend to ride mostly on the left portion of the lane rather than middle or the right.

This should have been a poll! But a good thread.

 

[bmccrary]

Last Friday when I attened Bike Safe NC, the instructor said that the low beams should be run during the day. Here is his reasoning, not that I fully support it, but I understand where he is coming from.


With the highbeams on, the intensity fromt the headlights can sometimes drown out the orange running lights that are on the front of the bike. The reason they are there is to give a "Triangle Effect" that helps other motorists determine how far away you are.

The most common reaction when seeing a motorcycle is that even when we are up close we come across as a car a 1/4 mile away. The markers have some distance between them, which is supposed to help.

I personally have the pod lights installed on my bike now, and with the highbeam I can see where that marker light might not be easily seen in the day light.

On this same topic a suggestion was made that when approaching an intersection or some sort of cross roads, move the bike around in your lane. It doesnt have to be a huge movement, but just enough to be seen. The theory here being that that movement attacts the eye and it also gives the other drivers some reference as to how far away you really are.

-bryan

 

[necrotimus]

I don't ride with my highbeams on unless the weather/visibility calls for it. IMO in most cases if someone doesn't notice your normal lights then they aren't going to notice your highbeams unless it is causing them a problem. At least in my area, if it is causing a driver a problem they are most likely to slam on their brakes or swerve at you.