Bright Headlights Daytime Yes or No

[ricford]

I recently installed a set of Lamonster LED headlights. They are kickass bright at night. What a great improvement!! I definitely dim them when facing oncoming traffic. But daytime? Is there any advantage to leaving them on High as a safety measure. I've not actually faced them myself when I'm in another vehicle so can't judge if it is helping or am I just pissing off oncoming traffic and being behind other cars? Would the daytime bright usage be different on a two lane road vice typical interstate highways.

I would like someone to explain how the dimmers work. I know there is a shutter ( edited this word after the initial post. thanks)
sort of thing but don't know how it works. I assume a relay flips a flap. The light beam is straight across the top as opposed to being fully round. Any pictures of the device? I saw a 1 quart bottle of 'flapper fluid' here once a while back and thought it was a fairly humorous joke.

I searched the previous posts and the last I found was from 2104. And no comment on my question. So...

By the way, the Vacourt Homecoming is creeping up on us. Anyone who lives in Canada care to pipe in on laws regarding headlight usage on Canadian highways? I know it's daytime headlights on all the time but anything on dim vs. bright?

Thanks!

[pitzerwm]

IN WA the law says drive with your brights on during the daytime.

[4 MARIE]

Common sense and courtesy rule at night. Self preservation rules your lights in daylight.
The more and brighter, the better. You will get noticed at a farther distance which can only be helpful.
Like the term "flapper" sounds like a toilet part.
When searching the subject, you might want to try the word "shutter". Stay safe.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

From many discussions on this....... Using the High beams in the daytime doesn't effect the vision of any on-coming driver no matter how powerful your lights are ...... Mike

[Buckeye Chuck 54]

I also have Lamonster's LED headlights, and running lights. I leave the lights on low beam in the daytime and have the running lights on as well. That's one impressive set of lights, as close to Xenon lights you can get.
Chuck

[PapaHotel]

When on high beam, the light is focused at a higher angle and projects further down the road than the low beam setting. Therefore oncoming traffic will see you sooner. Because it is daytime, there is not the glare in the eye problem that occurs at night.

[DC1]

High beams in daytime period, no matter how bright...Being noticed/seen is good.....They know you are there, even if it aggravates them in the process....

[PW2013STL]

Add another vote for Hi beams on during the day!

[Bob Denman]

Low Beams, Foglights, and...

10,000 Miles 005.jpg

[Pirate looks at --]

High beams during the Day. We find this especially useful when you are leading a string of 20 to 25 spyders. It really helps the lead to see the entire chain and it definitely doe not impact the vision of others. We are in large groups all the time and it really helps.

[PMK]

High beams during the Day. We find this especially useful when you are leading a string of 20 to 25 spyders. It really helps the lead to see the entire chain and it definitely doe not impact the vision of others. We are in large groups all the time and it really helps.

Interesting. I led a smaller group recently. To my surprise the bikes more easily seen had oem halogen headlights, the led headlights are very white and offered less contrast during daytime conditions.

One person with leds did go to high beams after I mentioned this, and while still not as visible as oem halogens, it was better.

[billybovine]

From many discussions on this .... it appears that the Shutter is only " locked " in place when it is on High beam Mode ...... on Low it is free to move and does every time you hit any road irregularity..... this is why many here complain that they are getting flashed from on-coming traffic about your headlights..... Using the High beams in the daytime doesn't effect the vision of any on-coming driver no matter how powerful your lights are ...... Mike

A commonly repeated myth. The shutter does not bounce around when hitting a bump. It's held in position with a spring in low beam. The appearance of the headlights flashing is caused the headlight angle change as the Spyder goes through the bumps. All vehicle headlamps do that. It just appears more dramatic in a projector style headlamp like used on a Spyder RT.

[tip]

I do not like bright lights shining in my eyes - day or night!
People that can't see another vehicle with properly adjusted lights (to me ) have problems beyond vision!
Not trying to start a p-----g contest - just that not everyone enjoys being distracted by someone that thinks his being noticed
does not effect others.
Ride safe and have a nice day.
Tip

[Lew L]

Fogs and high beams during the day. Lo beams and fogs at night. Circuit yellow paint helps for the side view. LED headlights are next farkel.
Kaos

[Bob Denman]

A commonly repeated myth. The shutter does not bounce around when hitting a bump. It's held in position with a spring in low beam. The appearance of the headlights flashing is caused the headlight angle change as the Spyder goes through the bumps. All vehicle headlamps do that. It just appears more dramatic in a projector style headlamp like used on a Spyder RT.

This is due to the tight focus of the beam; isn't it?
It'll even make the color of the lights change... white: to red and blue!

[Y Rider]

I always run high beams / fog during the day and low beams / fog at night. I used to run low beams during the day but stopped after several cage drivers asked why I was flashing my lights at them in their rear view mirror.

[WilderThomas]

Common sense and courtesy rule at night. Self preservation rules your lights in daylight.
The more and brighter, the better. You will get noticed at a farther distance which can only be helpful.
Like the term "flapper" sounds like a toilet part.
When searching the subject, you might want to try the word "shutter". Stay safe.

A longtime friend of the family, used to miss that question on the written exam every time he was compelled to take it. The question was, what do you do when driving at night, when a car approaches from the opposite direction using brights? His answer was to, turn on your own brights, then avert your eyes as you approached, until you had passed the car.
But it seems though, no matter how well illuminated your Spyder is, there will always be someone after an accident who will claim, well officer, I just didn't see him.

[MRH]

But it seems though, no matter how well illuminated your Spyder is, there will always be someone after an accident who will claim, well officer, I just didn't see him.

True, but there will be fewer opportunities for the question to be asked at all.

[PMK]

This is due to the tight focus of the beam; isn't it?
It'll even make the color of the lights change... white: to red and blue!

I suspect the projector lens has a prism effect, like the Pink Floyd album cover, and if you are on the edge of the light beam it displays some changes from white to colors.

If anyone does get stopped by Florida Highway Patrol for having flashing blue lights on your Spyder RT series when you truly do not, after getting pulled over and stopped, open the frunk lid to serve as a sort of movie screen, and let the lights illuminate the frunks inside lid. There you can see the color shift from white to blue. Next time that will save me some explaining...

We run BRP HID lights in our 2014 RTS. Low beams during the day and night, except on open roads when brights are an asset. Our fog lights are high power Cyclops brand, very white and very bright. I use those as needed, never in the daytime unless weather dictates using them, and at night, they help illuminate the area immediately to the front and sides without reaching deep into the darkness.

[Bob Denman]

Pop the Funklid, and let them see it...

[PMK]

Pop the Funklid, and let them see it...

Also, an easy way to see inside when the little light is covered up...

[ARtraveler]

The discussion comes up from time to time. Most important is that lights are aimed correctly.

We use high beams all the time. There is very little night driving here. We have daylight at 3:00 AM in June/July. There are several "safety corridors" where headlights are required at all times. We just leave ours on--as do most other cars.

We also have our driving lights on all the time. I have the lighted bumpskid on mine also.

I get "flashed" by others only a couple times a month. For them, I just dim the lights until the flasher goes by.

The few times I drive in the dark--the usual headlight protocols apply.

[Bfromla]

When i took my Motocycle Safety class 2014 the teacher taught us to use highbeams any & evertime we could. All day long & most the night when traffic allows i found a link may hlp:
https://www.msf-usa.org/downloads/MS...-Invisible.pdf

I do want some modulating headlights too, just for more safety

[SL Ken]

Bright lights are bright in someone's eyes no matter the time of day. Thats why it's effective to run with them. I do run bright lights but my eyes are so sensitive that I have to avert them because they really bother me when they are oncoming. I know. Sounds kinda dumb.

[asp125]

Hi beams always during the day except in tunnels. When my better half is following more than several car lengths behind, I can always see her in my mirrors easier if she's using high beams than low beams. Nowadays with lots of cars running day time lights, it's easier if she stands out from the other beams in my mirrors. If I notice that difference, imagine what other drives in the oncoming lane can see directly.