Riding with headlights on

[andym]

I know most/all new bikes have the headlights on permanently, but I'm curious how many people that have to switch them on during the day do so?

Does it really make you "more visible" these days?

I recently stopped at a snack van, but when I got off the bike a van driver called me over and told me that my lights weren't working, I said they are working fine and that I just don't see the point in having them on constantly.... he was shocked that I would even think about riding around without headlights during the day (dry, sunny, great visibility etc).

Does it really make you safer riding round with your headlights on constantly.... or is it just the bulb manufacturers hoping for a few extra sales?

[Hawkeye1250FA]

Auto lights on on 1250
Manual on bandit. Only use lights when it's dark. 👍
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1993 RF400R - 2002 Bandit 1200 - 2012 1250 FA

[moonzoomer]

Always ride with lights on, saves the battery, alternator and reg/rec from cooking/overcharging, a bulb is cheap to replace, the previous not so cheap.

[Teflon-Mike]

DTRL's have been the topic of in depth study for probably thirty years or more... I call it the Volvo effect... as their decision to make headlamps hard wired probably got the ball rolling.....

Thirty-Forty years or research..... and the Verdict is STILL 'out'!!!!

What does that tell you?

[P.]

[MCN]

Light on all the time the engine is running.

No kittens harmed.

It can only help visibility.
I won't go into it as Tef killed the thread.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[moonzoomer]

[Nobby the Bastard]

Where there is a light switch, lights on as soon as the engine has started.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[Nobby the Bastard]

[moonzoomer]

[Nobby the Bastard]

[SDFarsight]

Side lights on all the time, switching to full headlights (not necessarily high beam, of course) if dark or foggy.
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Riding: 2009 Kawasaki ER6f
Previous: Sym Wolf SB125Ni, 2008 Kawasaki ER6f

[redeem ouzzer]

Only use lights when it’s dark. Boils battery.
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Be a REAL MAN!

[moonzoomer]

[Nobby the Bastard]

[BTTD]

Side lights on all the time, full lights in the dark. The side lights are higher output leds but that's all.

[moonzoomer]

[quote="Nobby the Bastard]

You don't remember typing this then?

[Polarbear]

[pinkyfloyd]

It used to be the case that having the lights on during the day may have helped bikes be seen out there. Bikes are almost invisible at the best of times to car drivers, having that bright thing shining on the front gave us a helping hand in theory. These days many new cars have daytime running lights so it has evened the playing field.

The reality is, does it matter? We are still going to be out there dying in droves because of blind car drivers.
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illuminateTHEmind wrote: I am just more evolved than most of you guys... this allows me to pick of things quickly which would have normally taken the common man years to master
Hockeystorm65:.well there are childish arguments...there are very childish arguments.....there are really stupid childish arguments and now there are......Pinkfloyd arguments!
Teflon-Mike:I think I agree with just about all Pinky has said.

[UncleFester]

Maybe my observation is better but i've yet to be surprised ( annoyed /. / dumbfounded maybe but not surprised) by anything dumb another driver has done.

As far as lights / hi viz etc go - anything that raises the chance of one of these idiots seeing you is a good thing - the active ingredient in the mix is you. Never rely on any of the passive items for your safety.

Z1000 has full LED lights - would not want anything else having had them.
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Module 1 and 2 passed - October 2014. Happy owner of a 2017 Z1000SX, ex owner of a YBR125 / CB500 / VFR800.

[rcbikeracer]

lights on my Skorpion Traveller, lighting a candle would be brighter.

[Rogerborg]

"Position" lights on the Enfield, because why not? It lets people know that you're riding an Enfield, so that they can make allowances for your braking distances.

https://i.imgur.com/gesyTrT.png
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[moonzoomer]

[stinkwheel]

Lights are a mixed blessing. They can make it much harder to judge distance. SOmetimes all you see is an approaching point of light becoming slowly bigger and unless it moves oddly, isn't immediately recognizable as a motorcycle (hence why many riders will do a slight weave as they approach a joining junction).

If there are a lot of lights in the background, a motorcycle can get "lost" in the clutter.

If the background is particularly bright, a light can actually camoflage you.

Since all new vehicles now have permanantly on daytime running lights, the advantages of using them are greatly diminished. Same goes for yellow hi-viz, every fucker is wearing it now so it gets filtered out, or worse, labelled as "slow miving". One of the reasons for me wearing orange hi viz.

I make a decision on if I'm having mine on or off based on the light conditions , traffic volume and background.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Old Git Racing]

No, I rely on my Polite vest.

OGR
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2022 Tiger Sport 660 2019 Street Twin 2003 K3 gixxer 1000 1998 Srad 600 track hack