High beam riding for safety

[Greven]

I've had quite a few occasions, where cars do not seem to see me, and turn out in front of my bike or oncoming cars passing others forcing me to allmost go in the ditch.
In order to be more visible I have started riding with the high beam on during daytime, and judging by the ammount of cars that flash back with the headlights I'd say they sure notice me!
Not sure if people just want to remind me that the high beam is on, or if they are getting annoyed by it. But I dont really care, during day time there is no way they can get blinded by it.

Thought this could be intersting to get more input on from the community here. Anyone else riding with high beams on?

[bikerbillone]

I am totally torn about high beams in daylight hours, but recently I have begun to use them and received no flashes from oncoming traffic. I may continue to use them unless the oncoming begins to give me the flash. Following this this thread, I think the responses are gonna be interesting. The last thing I want to do is give some idiot reason for road rage. We live in a society where people get p**ed about minor issues.

[JohnRuckus]

periodically, when i first started, but my 20 RT has LEDs. pretty bright. so, not sure if needed. what are you riding? what kind of lights?

[Luvs2Ride]

Always ride with headlight on high beam during daylight hours. Was with a group of 4 bikes, 2 HD trikes and 2 Spyders... could barely see the other spyder in mirror on long, straight section of road. His headlight was on low. Don't want to irritate other drivers... but want to give myself every chance of being seen.

[troop]

Heck yeah .. If they don't see me, they aren't looking at the road

[Snoking1127]

I have been flashed once during the day with "shutters up" with the 360 LEDs in the last 4-5 months. I run "shutters up" all the time. I do not bother to turn on my dim OEM fog lights. Riding with a friend who also has a 2018 RT-L I have noticed that when a fair distance behind him I do not see his turn signals when his brake lights come on. NO ONE is going to miss my rear LED turn signals, brake lights on or off. Plus my bright 4 LED third brake light flashes for 7 seconds and then goes steady on. Leading a group it is harder to keep track of a person with weak head lights back in the pack.

BTW, the clunk you here after turning the Spyder off is the shutters dropping back to the "low beam" position. One set of bulbs, shutters up "high beam", shutters down "low beam".

Also my main riding buddy with the weak turn signals and I have bike to bike coms which is nice for announcing issues on the highway. He is gone back to Colorado for the summer now.

[Pooch]

This is my 10th bike since 1978...yes I tend to keep them a while... ALWAYS drive with high beams during daylight hours. Had headlight modulators on 3 of the bikes. Never had any road rage problems.

Quite frankly I have never had a close call initiated by another vehicle... possibly because I am on high alert at all times and anticipating problems?... until I bought this 2021 Spyder RTL in February... actually the very first day I got it. We were on some VERY rural roads, I was a passenger letting my friend test drive it. We were coming up to a curve, at about 30mph, narrow country lane, no shoulder. A furniture delivery truck came barrelling around the curve coming into our lane and kept coming head-on at us. Nowhere to go but the barditch, so we did. Luckily the barditch was level and dry...they are often just a steep gully here in the hill country. The truck kept going of course. I really thought we were toast that day. We felt sure he was lost and either looking at GPS and/or texting. The name of the company was on the truck in HUGE letters and I came really close to going over there the next day to report/complain to their management but decided to chalk it up to experience.

[RayBJ]

When riding alone or leading a group in daylight the highs are on. If in the pack or night with on-coming traffic, they're off.
I also am a huge believer in added LED DRLs to create 'the triangle' for even better visibility. If it was legal, I'd mount a strobe light too!

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I've had quite a few occasions, where cars do not seem to see me, and turn out in front of my bike or oncoming cars passing others forcing me to allmost go in the ditch.
In order to be more visible I have started riding with the high beam on during daytime, and judging by the ammount of cars that flash back with the headlights I'd say they sure notice me!
Not sure if people just want to remind me that the high beam is on, or if they are getting annoyed by it. But I dont really care, during day time there is no way they can get blinded by it.

Thought this could be intersting to get more input on from the community here. Anyone else riding with high beams on?

Check your headlight adjustment. Even on high beams on bright days your lights shouldn't show bright enough to prompt flashing.

[Martin Slovakia]

Hmmm... and I will add one more topic to this conversation. Can you imagine that in our IDIOTIC EU regulated continent, we do not have even DAYTIME lights where you guys have them.
because... i dont know wrong height or whatever...
We have daylights - low beams on the side of the bike where ya guys in US have fog lights.

so here is my solution for my personal safety - maybe a manual for EU guys.
1 - bright LED light bulbs instead of stock where you guys have high and low beams!!!
1+ added fog lights
1++ added signature light kit on the frunk
2 - new set up, so I. have high and low beams as US models.
3 - I have set them up bit higher, so everybody see me, and from factory it was way to low - i dont like to have high beams on.. its not really fair
4 - added aftermarket exhaust.. many ppl do know that i run RLS Dcat and RLS punisher these days... I am sure even if they do not see me, they here me coming
5 - I have wolo horn.. I had to use it the other day.. boy that is a cool feature... its like a horn from train!!!!

[milryder]

Check your headlight adjustment. Even on high beams on bright days your lights shouldn't show bright enough to prompt flashing.

I looked at my high beams from 200' while my RT was parked on a long driveway. It appeared that one beam was not aimed the same as the others, not dimmer just aimed slightly different. The brighter one would likely be annoying to oncoming drivers. But in the manual the lights are adjusted both at same time either vertically or horizontally. You cannot adjust one separately apparently. I've been flashed once on high beams and then started riding with low beams. I want the high beams but not to be irritating to oncoming drivers and for both light to be equal whether low or high.

[K80Shooter]

I'm a little torn on this as I absolutely hate the bikes with flashing lights (modulators) when I meet them, very distracting for me. I have also heard a lot of comments of "I don't care as long as I'm seen", to me that means they could care less about anyone's else safety and only their own. We have to share the roads.

I have no problems with high beams on during the day but they shouldn't blind anyone, if they do then they need adjusting.

[ARtraveler]

Yes, an interesting subject. We came from Alaska in 2019. Most riders two and three drove with their high beams on during the daytime. That does NOT seem to be the protocol here in AR.

We are back to driving with low beams on during the day. In a month, we are going to change out our standard headlights and foglights to LED's. They are VERY bright. Linda already has the fogs, and there is no doubt about them when she has put them on. I am thinking the new LED's will be sufficient. We also have signature lights, LED bumpskids, in addition to the two headlights, and fender lights. Both Spyders are well lit from the front.

Back in 2008 (GS/SM5), I had the HID lights installed. They were too bright. I was always getting flashed and someone tried to run me off the road once.

[JayBros]

milryder, you do not say the year of your RT but my operator's guide gives instructions on adjusting headlights individually, left and right, including a picture of the right side light adjusting knob. FWIW, if you must replace a headlight bulb, or switch to LEDs, you must remove the adjusting cable to get the headlight assembly out and there are two possible holes the cable can be inserted into. Be certain you reinsert it into the correct one (mine are marked with a crayon) because inserting it in the wrong one can affect the headlight adjustment.

[AZCanAm]

First step is get some LED's. With the dim setting they are still way brighter than the OEM halogens ($107 well spent).

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I looked at my high beams from 200' while my RT was parked on a long driveway. It appeared that one beam was not aimed the same as the others, not dimmer just aimed slightly different. The brighter one would likely be annoying to oncoming drivers. But in the manual the lights are adjusted both at same time either vertically or horizontally. You cannot adjust one separately apparently. I've been flashed once on high beams and then started riding with low beams. I want the high beams but not to be irritating to oncoming drivers and for both light to be equal whether low or high.

You can adjust the left and right lights separately, but each light has one bulb and the high and low is created by a shutter. High and low in either light does get adjusted together since it's only one bulb. The challenge is to find the right aim that gives decent high beam coverage but doesn't cut low beam coverage too much.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I am totally torn about high beams in daylight hours, but recently I have begun to use them and received no flashes from oncoming traffic. I may continue to use them unless the oncoming begins to give me the flash. Following this this thread, I think the responses are gonna be interesting. The last thing I want to do is give some idiot reason for road rage. We live in a society where people get p**ed about minor issues.

Here's why " the Brights " won't cause an issue in the Daytime .... At night your Iris is completely enlarged so it it will absorb as much ambient light as possible .... during daylight your iris closes as much as it can ..... So using your Brights has almost no effect on someone else's vision, unlike at night ...... Mike

[bikerbillone]

Thanks Blue, gives me more reason for day time brights, and yes, as most riders, I want to be as visible as possible.

[cruisinTX]

Blueknight nailed it; I have a very strong background in health sciences and his explanation about the eye is spot on. Anyone flashing you for having high beams on in the daytime is just being way too touchy or trying to warn you there may be a LEO up ahead. I know technically that is illegal in some states, but people still do it around here.

In addition; RayBJ mentioned creating "the triangle" of lights. That practice is a very good idea when it relates to safety. Due to a phenomenon known as apparent separation the farther from your primary lights you can mount some LEDs or halogens the more likely they will be noticed; first because it is less likely the primary lights will over power the driving lights, second the apparent separation makes it more likely other drivers' subconscious will be able to detect both your speed and distance to some degree. Long time experienced drivers' subconscious is more attuned to this simply because of many years of experience. That phenomenon is generally more acute at night than in the daytime but still a safety factor all the time.

[honsfun]

what about state laws re dimming of lights for approaching vehicles???

[cruisinTX]

That really only applies at night for the reasons Blue knight mentioned. During the daytime the ambient light already has the pupils of your eye as small as they will ever get and should have no noticeable changes from headlights except on very cloudy days. Even then daytime light is much more in control of your light perception than an oncoming vehicle.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

what about state laws re dimming of lights for approaching vehicles???

I suggest you read everything that is written concerning that law ...... I think it will apply to the Hours listed for night time operation ..... Vermont's laws pertain to night time operation...... Mike

[Bfromla]

High beam on till dusk/dark & any traffic. Been like that before instruction in safety class:
“have your headlight on, and use your high beam or an aftermarket headlight modulator during the day (where allowed)”


https://www.msf-usa.org/downloads/MS...-Invisible.pdf
*note all headlight modulators seem to ONLY modulate the high beam. Haven’t checked them all*

[cruisinTX]

That law on modulators is pretty specific and is federal law that supercedes (sp?) all state laws. If I recall correctly it is covered in 49 CFR Part 571.108 S7.9.4) allows motorcycle headlight modulation systems all 50 states provided they comply with the standards set forth. . .

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

*note all headlight modulators seem to ONLY modulate the high beam. Haven’t checked them all*

IIRC, the reg allows either the high or low beam to be modulated, so it makes sense use it on the high beam only. Although when I wired in my modulator I didn't want to go through the extra hassle of wiring it to modulate the high beam only since we have a shutter system. I use a switch on the dash to turn it on and off as needed. And of course, it automatically turns off at night.