Blue Lights

[40Xshooter]

I just installed blue"BIKEVIS" V2 bullets on the rear of my RT-S. Has anyone else installed a blue light/lights on the back of their Spyder and if you have, have the local LEO'S given you any grief??

Comments.....?

Thanks!

[Motorcycledave]

In California that will get your vehicle impounded and you get a ticket and walk home...


I just installed blue"BIKEVIS" V2 bullets on the rear of my RT-S. Has anyone else installed a blue light/lights on the back of their Spyder and if you have, have the local LEO'S given you any grief??

Comments.....?

Thanks!

[40Xshooter]

In California that will get your vehicle impounded and you get a ticket and walk home...

Thank God I don't live in California....

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Thank God I don't live in California....
It could also happen in Illinois :yikes:.................Mike :thumbup:...........I'm an X-leo and I'm pretty sure " Blue " lights on any vehicle are " Reserved " for Fed. , State, & local govt. " Official use " vehicles ....except for the rear ( per D.O.T. regs ) Red can be displayed there ........... :nopic:

[robtdonna]

Don't do that in Georgia or Florida !

[Chupaca]

But let us know what you find out...:dontknow:

[jcthorne]

Blue lights on the bike will get you in trouble in many parts of the country. Red to the rear, amber or white to the front. No flashing.

[Grandpot]

In SC the only colors allowed on the rear are Red and Amber. In front, only White and Amber. Why ask for trouble?

[Tyris]

Iowa, blue is a no-no as well walked in the sheriff office and asked, amber can be forward, red backward, the effect of other colors such as the "hover" lights are ok pointing down as long as the source is hidden.

[40Xshooter]

It could also happen in Illinois :yikes:.................Mike :thumbup:...........I'm an X-leo and I'm pretty sure " Blue " lights on any vehicle are " Reserved " for Fed. , State, & local govt. " Official use " vehicles ....except for the rear ( per D.O.T. regs ) Red can be displayed there ........... :nopic:

I think it's legal now in IL to have blue to the REAR ONLY as long as they don't FLASH.

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(Finally figured out how to attach a pic)

[Easy Rider]

I think it's legal now in IL to have blue to the REAR ONLY as long as they don't FLASH.


I think NOT.

Highly unlikely......even as screwed up as Illinois is.

The lighting standards are a part of the Federal Uniform Vehicle Code.

[40Xshooter]

Thank you all for your opinions and feedback.
The blue lights will STAY ON until I'm told to take them off. I'm 69 years old and I don't carry colors anymore. If I get stopped, I'll plead ignorance and maybe the officer will just write me a warning......

We'll see. They look good to me so they're staying.....

:thumbup:

I'm such a rebel!

[KX5062]

In California that will get your vehicle impounded and you get a ticket and walk home...


Sorry, but that's a myth. It is only a fix-it ticket in Commifornia.

California state law (CVC) only allows for a very narrow set of circumstances in which to impound a vehicle. Towing and storing is easier, but still difficult to achieve. :thumbup:

[Easy Rider]

Sorry, but that's a myth. It is only a fix-it ticket in Commifornia.


BUT.....do they have the authority to prevent you from driving an "illgeal" vehicle ??

Anyone who insists on doing this should have a fuse or switch to disable it........just incase.

[canamjhb]

A friend had small blue lights on the back of his GW trike and got pulled over here in Arizona. He was a stubborn, crusty old S.O.B. (now deceased) and wanted to argue with the L.E.O. What was probably going to be a warning turned into a ticket

[bcer960]

Ok, so I'm Canadian, but the same rules apply up here.

BUT, I not only have Glo-riders that are blue on the front hubs, I also have a blue Larson scanner (knight rider light) on the front of my RT. I come down to the states often, a few times a year, and only once have I had even a questioning look. It was from a boarder officer who said something like " I haven't seen those before" when I asked if he was talking about the spyder, he said no... the glo riders. But that was the end of it.

My glo-riders were a special deal at the time. There is no remote, no color change, always on when the bike moves. The larson scanner is on a switch, but I do ride with it on a lot. HOWEVER, it is a scanner that I made, and the lights are not bright. They are visible in daylight, but barely. The switch also turns on blue running lights under the bike (not visible in daylight), and a lite-up from Sue Hopper (also blue) where the BRP emblem was in the frunk. Yes, I know I take my chances with it, but in 3 seasons, have had no issues in either country.

Ray

[Cruzr Joe]

In California that will get your vehicle impounded and you get a ticket and walk home...


In Arkansas you will get your bike impounded and you could get a free ride to jail on a Felony charge.

NO BLUE LIGHTS.

Cruzr Joe

[wingit3611]

In Florida I was told to have them off before I pull out of the gas station onto the public street. just blue led strip a top of the engine.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Thank you all for your opinions and feedback.
The blue lights will STAY ON until I'm told to take them off. I'm 69 years old and I don't carry colors anymore. If I get stopped, I'll plead ignorance and maybe the officer will just write me a warning......

We'll see. They look good to me so they're staying.....

:thumbup:

I'm such a rebel!
You Sir are a BRAVE soul ......... annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd I hope you ONLY get a warning ...... However if the LEO decides to play hardball ( and the young cops today often do ) ..... Depending on the State and or Provence you could get arrested and seriously fined ..... Annnnnnnnnd if you think telling them " well someone on this website said it was OK or they didn't get arrested " ....... annnnnnnnnd the fact that almost everybody ( and their mothers ) have CELL phones today annnnnnnnd love to make complaints ...hysterically calls the police to report this , annnnnnnnnd the cops who are having coffee & donuts must go out and investigate this ....If they find you - I can assure you ( from experience as an LEO ) .....things will not go well for you ....... jmho ..... Mike :thumbup:

[trikermutha]

No blue lights in Illinois. You will get pulled over at some point..

I am using the LED flag and been lucky up to this point.

But why would they pull me over for displaying the American Flag anyway :shocked:

[PMK]

FWIW, here in Florida, a couple years ago, pulling onto the Florida Turnpike, riding two up, the wife and I, and pulling the RT622 trailer, headed out to go Christmas shopping we got pulled over for supposedly having blue flashing lights.

Turns out, the Highway Patrolman knew little about HID headlights. What he saw, in daylight was the edge band of light from the HID that is slightly blue. We were stopped a while as he insisted I turned on the flashing blue lights. I explained that these are from the manufacturer and not aftermarket. Also, I explained what he saw and he did not beleive me. Finally, he walked well infront of the Spyder, and looked. Next, he came back, said I needed to follow him so he could look for himself in the mirrors. Ultimately, nothing happened, but the FHP officer wanted to be right and write me up.

After that, I accidentally learned a better way to explain the HID blue edge. Open the frunk and let the light shine on the inside of the lid.

[johnnyrocket]

I have the led USA flag on the back of my Spyder, also. I was waiting for a friend to catch up with me and a deputy stopped to see if I needed any help. Told him I was waiting and he got ready to leave he said I like your led flag. Hopefully all police are as patriotic.:D Also, speaking of blue lites being illegal, I followed some Harley riders back to my motel one day. All 5 of them had blue lites on the back of their bikes. I talked to a couple of them in the lobby and told them how well they could be seen but did they ever have trouble with police, they replied we are all retired police and have been stopped before but not ticketed when we show them our id's. I said that's not fair and they just laughed. Being smart, I just laughed too.:D


No blue lights in Illinois. You will get pulled over at some point..

I am using the LED flag and been lucky up to this point.

But why would they pull me over for displaying the American Flag anyway :shocked:

[KX5062]

BUT.....do they have the authority to prevent you from driving an "illgeal" vehicle ??

Anyone who insists on doing this should have a fuse or switch to disable it........just incase.

If I understand your question correctly. No, they really don't have any authority to "stop" you from driving a legally deficient vehicle. They can only ticket you as a way of enforcing legal compliance. In Commiefornia, the ticket is a fix-it. Meaning, you get ticketed, you fix the violation, then you have a legally authorized authority sign off the back of the ticket to prove compliance. After that you give the ticket to the courts, pay an administrative fee, and then you go about your merry way without a trace on your driving record. Just like it never happened, except your wallet is lighter.

The switch is a good idea. This is what I did. I have the LED American flag on the back of mine. I installed a hidden switch in the trunk so I can turn it off at will. I found the LED lights to be somewhat obnoxious at night, so I alway turn it off at night. I also turned it off when I traveled into Canada. I figured it would be illegal in some fashion and I didn't want to offend, so I kept it off the entire time.

FWIW, I've traveled all over the western US, as seen on my map on the sig line, and so far I've never been hassled anywhere.



As a funny and maybe interesting side note.

In the old days in the land of fruits and nutz. Blue lights to the rear were legal and treated differently. It was authorized for state legislators to display on their way to a session of the state legislature. The reason for that is those official could NOT be stopped for ANY violation of law when displaying that blue light.
Think that might have been abused?? Duh!
Former speaker Willie Brown (current US Senator Kamala Harris' former married boyfriend) was the worst offender. It got routinely covered up, among other transgressions. He's the reason we have term limits and this law was changed. (As a public servant, he used to wear $1000s hand tailored Italian suits and drive a red Lambo......:mad:)

[Easy Rider]

then you go about your merry way without a trace on your driving record. Just like it never happened, except your wallet is lighter.


So......what happens in the ensuing hours, days or weeks before you get it "fixed" and you are stopped again ?
Carrying around the first citation with you doesn't magically mean that it isn't illegal anymore......does it ??

What if, for instance, both of your headlights were out ??
Or both tail lights or brake lights ??

[Cruzr Joe]

In all reality, a deficient vehicle can be impounded if the deficiency is a serious enough safety hazard, and yes the police do have the authority to impound a seriously deficient vehicle.

If you care to test this theory, try driving through town with a windshield busted bad enough that you can't see out of it or try driving with only three tires and a rim and see what happens.

Cruzr Joe

[Chasinsparks]

Those would be
Legal in Maryland.

(iii) Blue dot illumination:
1. May be located only on the rear of a motorcycle as part of or adjacent to the rear brake light; and
2. May not exceed three-quarters of an inch in diameter.

[Chasinsparks]

Look this up 625 ILCS 5/12-209.5, if I'm reading this correct as long as they are not red and white. Looks like this was an amendment to illinois law



I just installed blue"BIKEVIS" V2 bullets on the rear of my RT-S. Has anyone else installed a blue light/lights on the back of their Spyder and if you have, have the local LEO'S given you any grief??

Comments.....?

Thanks!

[Tanshanomi]

I work for one of the three largest manufacturers of vehicle lighting in the USA, and I can assure you that making generalizations about this is almost impossible because this is an exceptionally vague area of law. Federal regulation CFR 49 571.108 requires that original equipment and replacement lighting for all vehicles must be amber or white to the side and front, and red to the rear. The exceptions are rear turn signals (optionally permitted to be amber in harmony with overseas lighting regs), back-up lights (must be white) and license lights (must be white, and furthermore can provide only indirect illumination to the rear). HOWEVER (and this is a HUGE caveat), those regs apply specifically to manufacturers—not to owner-modified vehicles. Most states do have statutes that require all licensed vehicles to comply with Federal regulations for required lighting. For example, swapping a blue bulb into your license light would be a violation. Also, there is very often an additional requirement (in harmony with Federal regs) that auxiliary lighting cannot interfere with the function of required lighting, a stipulation "blue dot" inserts often run afoul of.

But note that term "required lighting equipment." State and local regulations rarely include blanket statements regarding the color of additional, non-required or auxiliary lighting. Blue dot tail lights might be allowable only if there are other, federally compliant stop/tail/turn lights on the vehicle (for example, a central blue-dot tail light on a motorcycle that has additional saddlebag S/T/T lights).

As far as auxillary light colors in general, it's all over the board. In some states, blue is prohibited to the rear, but green or purple is permitted. In some states, blue is only legal if steady, but not permitted to flash. In many states, all flashing lights on private vehicles must be amber, except for municipal first responders and specific highway service vehicles (tow trucks, private ambulances). Some states differentiate between indirect lighting and focused beams (think under-chassis glow lights vs outward-facing fresnel lenses). Furthermore, some states have limits on the number of individual lights that can point forward or rearward.

Add in the fact that there's a BUNCH of ignorance and mis-education among LEOs and local prosecutors, and what it comes down is what you're going to get pulled over for in your town or in the state where your vehicle is licensed.

For what it's worth, in my home state of Missouri, "blue dot" tail light inserts are legal only on vehicles bearing a specially registered "Street Rod" or "Custom Vehicle" license plate.

[Bob Denman]

I guess you should try to remember that somebody who has something to sell you; won't be there when you discover (the hard way!), that it's not legal to install it! :banghead:

[40Xshooter]

Well, we certainly have quite a few experts here regarding what can and can't be displayed to the rear of a motorcycle. Again, thank you all for your input. What I'm kinda getting out of this is what it comes down to is how the officer feels at the time.

Tanshanomi, thank you for your input.

When (or if I ever) get pulled over for the lights, I'll let you know. I may hook them up to the brake lights so they come on only when brakes are applied.

We'll see.....

[Tanshanomi]

I went back and looked at your original post. I didn't realize you were talking about LED bullet lights, I thought you were talking about blue dot lens inserts. It doesn't really change the application of anything I said outside of my comment about Missouri law specifically, but I actually thought you meant these:

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[SPECTACUALR SPIDERMAN]

In California that will get your vehicle impounded and you get a ticket and walk home...

YES but fortunately you can get free needles, throw them in the street & then take a dump next to the needles and
never worry about a ticket. :yes:

[40Xshooter]

I guess you should try to remember that somebody who has something to sell you; won't be there when you discover (the hard way!), that it's not legal to install it! :banghead:

In this particular situation Bob, the seller wouldn't have any idea what's legal or not legal in Illinois. He's in the UK! You can't buy these particular lights here.

I kinda take offense to your statement Bob. I may be getting up in years but I'm not 12 nor am I an idiot. I'm familiar with the term "buyer beware". The onus for this one is on ME.

And BTW, NO ONE has actually determined if it IS illegal to run blue to the rear...The statute is pretty vague here in IL to say the least, but what I WILL do Bob is let you know when I get a ticket for them...

Have a great day. :thumbup:

I'm out!

[Peteoz]

I went back and looked at your original post. I didn't realize you were talking about LED bullet lights, I thought you were talking about blue dot lens inserts. It doesn't really change the application of anything I said outside of my comment about Missouri law specifically, but I actually thought you meant these:

165144

I’ve never seen that style of light out here in Aus, Tanshanomi. What benefit does the blue dot provide?

Pete

[Bob Denman]

In this particular situation Bob, the seller wouldn't have any idea what's legal or not legal in Illinois. He's in the UK! You can't buy these particular lights here.

I kinda take offense to your statement Bob. I may be getting up in years but I'm not 12 nor am I an idiot. I'm familiar with the term "buyer beware". The onus for this one is on ME.

And BTW, NO ONE has actually determined if it IS illegal to run blue to the rear...The statute is pretty vague here in IL to say the least, but what I WILL do Bob is let you know when I get a ticket for them...

Have a great day. :thumbup:

I'm out!

Please don't "wear your heart so close to your hide..." :D
The point that I was making was that they don't care about the legality: they just care about making a sale...

[Tanshanomi]

I’ve never seen that style of light out here in Aus, Tanshanomi. What benefit does the blue dot provide?

Pete

Negligible functional benefit. The combination of the blue dot and the red lens combine to give the taillights a distinctive purple appearance. Supposedly made them easier to see back when tail lights were dim, 6-volt bulbs. They really took off as a popular modification in the original hot-rod era of the post-war 40s and 1950s.

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[Bigmo]

I have blue light on the side and front under windscreen. None are flashing and all are on single switch, So I can turn off if told to..

[Gator37]

I guess you should try to remember that somebody who has something to sell you; won't be there when you discover (the hard way!), that it's not legal to install it! :banghead:

My experience in LE here in Washington is that you would be at a bare minimum Ticketed. Blue lights are reserved for Law Enforcement only. Why would anyone want to take that chance.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I just installed blue"BIKEVIS" V2 bullets on the rear of my RT-S. Has anyone else installed a blue light/lights on the back of their Spyder and if you have, have the local LEO'S given you any grief??

Comments.....?

Thanks!
I've read all the posts/ comments on this topic and your responses ............ So Why did you even ASK this question , imho your mind was made up before put fingers to the keyboard..........your welcome ..... Mike :thumbup:

[SpyderConvert]

After a group ride with the American Legion post that I belong to, a retired State Police motor officer was giving a presentation about a motor cycle safety course that his company provides. He was asked specifically about colored LED lighting on motorcycles and his response was that blue and/or red lighting (any kind) on the front of any privately owned vehicle was illegal, flashing or steady! He did add, however, that ticketing for this violation was at the discretion of the law enforcement officer. Sometimes, he said, that it was the attitude of the vehicle owner that would determine his decision.

He also said that tinted windshields were illegal in Maryland, no one present knew this!

[Mikel53]

In California that will get your vehicle impounded and you get a ticket and walk home...

It is impounded because they found a plastic straw in the glove box!

[KX5062]

So......what happens in the ensuing hours, days or weeks before you get it "fixed" and you are stopped again ?
Carrying around the first citation with you doesn't magically mean that it isn't illegal anymore......does it ??

What if, for instance, both of your headlights were out ??
Or both tail lights or brake lights ??


You guessed it. You get cited again, and again, and.......

What normally happens is when the officer issues the citation, he/she also issues a verbal warning that you can get cited again until the problem is fixed and it's the driver's responsibility to ensure compliance before going onto the road again. If you get stopped again immediately after the first citation is given, say on your way home, then a new citation can not legally be issued at that time.

What most violators do is to carry the old citation around and if they get stopped again, show it to the officer and beg for mercy with a story about how they don't have the time/money/fill in the blank to get the violation fixed YET. It's entirely the officer's discretion as to where or not a new citation is issued at that time.

Bear in mind the whole system of citations as it exists today is what I call a "violator tax", with raising revenue as the primary goal and enforcing the law being secondary in importance. But, that'll get this thread way into the weeds, so I'll stop there.:cus:

[Cruzr Joe]

It is impounded because they found a plastic straw in the glove box!


:yikes::yikes:, OH NO, NOT THE PLASTIC STRAW VIOLATION. BLOOD WILL RUN THICK WITH THIS VIOLATION (Think Federal Prison Time).


Cruzr Joe

[Bob Denman]

When plastic straws are outlawed: only outlaws will have them!

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[IdahoMtnSpyder]

When plastic straws are outlawed: only outlaws will have them!

165181
Fortunately for the kid, it's not a straw. It's a feeding tube! :roflblack:

[mark4Jesus]

Illegal in Tennessee. Stuff like this can get one in trouble when they cross state lines.

[40Xshooter]

I've read all the posts/ comments on this topic and your responses ............ So Why did you even ASK this question , imho your mind was made up before put fingers to the keyboard..........your welcome ..... Mike :thumbup:

I never said thank you.......Mike...........

[sealfloorboards]

I have a friend who got a ticket In Newberg, Oregon, for displaying an LED American Flag on the beck of his Spyder. He is a proud Viet Nam Vet and was outraged. He still displays it in spite of the ticket. He lives in Portland, but no longer rides thru Newberg. Good for him. When you can't display the flag.....

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I never said thank you.......Mike...........
No you didn't, I just try to be polite ........... Mike :thumbup:

[5Wheels]

Ohio. ... Using red or blue colors is legal in Ohio. No flashing, rotating or oscillating lights are permitted. Flashing lights are allowed only as a means for indicating a right or left turn or the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring unusual care in approaching, or overtaking or passing.

[Docster]

Thank you all for your opinions and feedback.
The blue lights will STAY ON until I'm told to take them off. I'm 69 years old and I don't carry colors anymore. If I get stopped, I'll plead ignorance and maybe the officer will just write me a warning......

We'll see. They look good to me so they're staying.....

:thumbup:

I'm such a rebel!

Do what I do; don't plead ignorance, plead "I'm just an old man". :roflblack:

[BernardD]

Do what I do; don't plead ignorance, plead "I'm just an old man". :roflblack:

Oh! Good idea ... I will do as per your advise.

[Docster]

I've read all the posts/ comments on this topic and your responses ............ So Why did you even ASK this question , imho your mind was made up before put fingers to the keyboard..........your welcome ..... Mike :thumbup:

See Mike, it's straightforward , honest comments like this that get you into trouble....:joke::bowdown: