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Thread: Night riding

  1. #1
    Active Member Many brands's Avatar
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    Default Night riding

    At 65 mph. I am totally out-running my headlights. (At 50 its ok.)
    Yes, I have adjusted them all the way up. No I do not want to replace with HID or LED. Since that would not help the height anyway.
    There must be some help out here in the forum. Thanks. (Just wanting to get higher) Head-lights that is..

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    Very Active Member IdahoMtnSpyder's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Many brands View Post
    At 65 mph. I am totally out-running my headlights. (At 50 its ok.)
    Yes, I have adjusted them all the way up. No I do not want to replace with HID or LED. Since that would not help the height anyway.
    There must be some help out here in the forum. Thanks. (Just wanting to get higher) Head-lights that is..
    Maybe you have them too high up. When I've adjusted mine I've seen that is possible. If they're too high the light is above the road, not on it. Also, if you run high pressure in the air shock that will force the headlight beam downward.

    Other than that, LEDs are your best bet as far as penetrating the dark into the distance. The OEMs will only shine good so far regardless of the elevation of the beam. The OEM headlights aren't that great, IMO, nothing like the headlights on my Titan pickup!

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    The only way that I could find short of fitting hi-mount driving lights (which I understand you aren't allowed to do?!?) to light up our loooong stretches of open roads... roads which btw are often thickly inhabited with large hopping suicidal obstructions called Kangaroos & Wallabies and frequently almost as thickly populated with the smaller altho waaay thicker & far more solid & destructive to vehicles type mini-Sherman Tanks that are normally called Wombats..... so that I could see them approaching rapidly on the verges in time to slow or avoid, was to convert the OE Globes to much brighter LED's.

    Basically, if you can't fit higher lights, then you have pretty much NO other choice to improve the lit distance you can see at night but to increase the light output from your OE lights. Adding more lighting down low will increase the lighting within the already lit range, but if you want to see further, you hafta go higher or brighter.... nothing much else works - unless maybe you want to invest in some IR Imaging gear & glasses etc!
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    Very Active Member BLUEKNIGHT911's Avatar
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    Default HIGHER HEADLIGHTS

    Quote Originally Posted by Many brands View Post
    At 65 mph. I am totally out-running my headlights. (At 50 its ok.)
    Yes, I have adjusted them all the way up. No I do not want to replace with HID or LED. Since that would not help the height anyway.
    There must be some help out here in the forum. Thanks. (Just wanting to get higher) Head-lights that is..
    Others have already answered and with what they said .... so my question is why don't you want to switch to LED's ??? ( HID's are way overpriced for what they will give in light ) .... I paid less than $ 20.00 for a pair of great LED's ( E-bay ) ....... just trying to assist ..... Mike

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    I have the LEd headlights. Also have the lower driving lights from Clearwater. Not sure how much more distance you want but lower lights will help a lot to see the pavement better.

    The combination of the two really helps light up the road way.

    Plus they are more of a Daylight type of light versus the stock lamps.

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    Why not just slow down by 5 mph?
    You've already identified the problem, and this is also a viable solution.
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    Very Active Member BoilerAnimal's Avatar
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    I got a set of LED lights from eBay that work very well. The best part was that they were only $32. At night I only ride about 50 MPH. Safety first!
    On the road again...........and forever young!

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    If I do 50 MPH in my area I would get killed. Posted speed limit is 55 but everyone is doing 75+

    Getting a Better light or adding lower lights will help the OP.

  9. #9
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    Are you wanting to see up the road farther. Our are you more worried about deer and stuff that might be ahead of the light range that exist on the bike so that you have time to slow down or avoid whats out there at night.

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    Very Active Member ARtraveler's Avatar
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    The suggestions for LED's or slowing down just a little are good advice. And ditto on the HID's. Very expensive.

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    Quote Originally Posted by trikermutha View Post
    If I do 50 MPH in my area I would get killed. Posted speed limit is 55 but everyone is doing 75+

    Getting a Better light or adding lower lights will help the OP.

    Or are the drivers in your neighborhood really that stupid?
    You'll be fine...
    You stand a much greater chance of getting pounded at a red-light, or stop sign...
    2010 RT A&C, RT-L, RT-L , Orbital Blue, Cognac, Jet Black

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Denman View Post

    Or are the drivers in your neighborhood really that stupid?
    You'll be fine...
    You stand a much greater chance of getting pounded at a red-light, or stop sign...
    Yep they are.(Stupid) Even the truckers are going way over the limit.

    Not sure if your area is any better

    Wish I had videos of what I drive thru on a daily basis

    Be Careful out there

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    You've always got to be careful!
    But when you let other folks determine how you're going to ride: you've already lost the battle.
    Nighttime riding? Wear highly reflective riding gear, and then let the morons try to explain to the Law Enforcement Personnel exactly why they hit you.
    They'll be going to jail for sure!
    2010 RT A&C, RT-L, RT-L , Orbital Blue, Cognac, Jet Black

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    Unfortunately my area is the way drivers are and if you don't speed up they will make your driving experience a nightmare.

    One night I wasn't going fast enough and a trucker was in a hurry . I guess flashing your lights is suppose to make everyone move out of your way.

    Well anyway he decided to go around and then get in front of me a hit the brakes. Is this being stupid or ignorant? or?

    Anyway be careful out there no matter what you are driving

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    There's a lot of morons out there...
    I honestly don't know how they ever got their licenses!
    Around here: we just give them lots of room, and let them go find a ditch!
    2010 RT A&C, RT-L, RT-L , Orbital Blue, Cognac, Jet Black

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    You have three choices.

    1. Don't get caught up in what is happening around you. Slow down. (don't speed, ride your own ride and don't let others dictate how you ride)

    2. Add LED's

    3. Don't ride your Spider at night.

    There now that was not to hard was it?


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    Lots of candlepower / Lumens is what you need. Look on Twisted Throttle for their auxiliary driving lights. Denali makes some of the brightest lights for adventure riders - who spend a lot of time in the wilderness and need lots of light. http://www.twistedthrottle.com/shop-...driving-lights
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