Riding with / without Full Beam On

[reAnimate]

I'm a new rider and wondering what the general view on riding with full beam on all the time is?

With numptys "not seeing bikes" as one of the major causes of bike accidents, I'm tempted to ride with my full beam on all the time to give myself as good chance as possible.

But it's not very kind...

What do you think?

Thanks,

Simon.

[timf]

i ride with my light on but not on main beam due to the fact it would dazzle people and probably cause me grief with irrate drivers

Tim

[Mad Dave]

When I had my standard 55/60w bulb in, I rode with full beam on and deliberately rode behind a few friends in cars and on bikes and asked them if they were dazzled - they said no.

Now that I have an 80/100w bulb in, I ride with dipped beam.

[Stig]

Ride with a dipped beam.

Full beamers are planks.

[reAnimate]

Um ... that was a nice car Stig!
Thanks.

[FourWheelDrift]

I think it's harder to judge distance and speed of an oncoming bike or car with full beam on, as all you see is the dazzle of the lights, it also annoys the people you dazzle.

Full beam off please, dipped lights fine.

[stooz]

I admit to full beam in certain filtering situations - when Im aware drivers are over concentrating on whats in front, and I need the extra source of notification to make the look rearward..

filtering on motorway jams (max 30mph) lots of lane swapping without checking...

same on duals

town roads (max 30mph) approaching junctions, traffic light queues.

FUll beam (even arguably lights at all) risk the bikes greater suspension to 'travel' causing the appearance of "flashing" waiting drivers to

"pull out, i will slow to allow you..."

when in truth thats not the intention at all..

[zzr1200]

IIRC the main beam should be used as a warning to other drivers, and is an offence to ride with it on I beleive? It dazzles other drivers so best to keep it on dipped, but check your dipped beam angle, the angled section of the beam on my bike just catches car wing mirrors if I accelerate and acts as a good warning to others.

Paul

[annsxman]

Dipped beams are fine. In fact on my ZZR 1200 I use sidelights most of the time. Remember that movement is also important in getting a car driver's attention. For example, you're riding along a straight road and you see a car waiting to pull out. Moving from side to side across your carriageway rather just keeping a steady course down your side of the road should help him to notice you.

[volvod5_dude]

Now that I have an 80/100w bulb in, I ride with dipped beam.[/quote]

Doesn't a bulb that powerful fry the wiring and burn out the switch contacts?

[rumpelstiltskin]

I know where the original poster is coming from as there is the point of view that(and it's happened to me)people can't see you and just come out of side roads and you think,god am i not visible enough here with low beam?So ofcourse the flipside of this is you become 'too' obvious when you think of rectifying this and you then become a distraction!?You just can't win:-(

[Davel]

Dipped mostly.

Full beam if filtering between lanes on a dual carriageway, when you can't easily get through slow moving or still traffic.

Don't want to dazzle oncoming traffic.

Just my persoanl stance.

[alpine-star]

I only ride with dipped beam on (2001 600 Bandit S) but my mate rides with full beam all the time, he rides a 600 Fazer (98 S reg) and it doesn't dazzle as his full beam is sh*t ?

If we have to ride when it's dark he stay's behind me as he can't see jack sh*t.

My 2p's worth

[gh0st]

alpine-star said:

I only ride with dipped beam on (2001 600 Bandit S) but my mate rides with full beam all the time, he rides a 600 Fazer (98 S reg) and it doesn't dazzle as his full beam is sh*t ? If we have to ride when it's dark he stay's behind me as he can't see jack sh*t. My 2p's worth

main beam is indeed shocking. i have a 2001 fazer and the overall headlights really do let down an excellent bike!

[DennisTheMenace]

Im with Stig , dipped beam only i have been dazzled by power rangers filtering at stupid speeds and you are unable to judge any kind of distance that they are from you car/bike . one nearly ended up in my boot when he came filtering down through the traffic at about 50 and i was sat waiting to turn right .

[mel]

stooz said:

I admit to full beam in certain filtering situations - when Im aware drivers are over concentrating on whats in front, and I need the extra source of notification to make the look rearward.. filtering on motorway jams (max 30mph) lots of lane swapping without checking... same on duals town roads (max 30mph) approaching junctions, traffic light queues. FUll beam (even arguably lights at all) risk the bikes greater suspension to 'travel' causing the appearance of "flashing" waiting drivers to "pull out, i will slow to allow you..." when in truth thats not the intention at all..

IMO this is the closest to the correct answer. True full beam should not be used all the time or for general riding, however the examples given above are good and valid and infact should be taught to any Learner by a good Instructor (the exact examples are were taught to me when I did my Instructors course) The text book answer is that it's better to flick the full beam on constant for a short period of time when appropriate rather than flash as that can be all to easily misconstrued by car drivers. Full beam on during daylight hours when legallly filtering or when the rider feels particulary at risk is correct, however due consideration must be given to other road users so as not to dazzle.

I suggest the actual offence is not riding with full beam on making you a and worthy of a £30fpn, but in fact having lights on that cause you to dazzle or distract other road users. Otherwise if the law was interpretted as according to PC Mungo we would all be liable to a nicking as soon as we flicked the switch on a quiet country lane at night, full beam or not you can be nicked for having a few bags of cement in the boot(or a fat bloke on the back) and not tweeking the little switch (in a car) if your dipped light dazzle others.

To summerise IMO (and in the opinion of the DSA) it is OK to use full beam for short constant periods of time to help identify and eliminate a clear potential hazard, this can be done by either using the full beam to get another drivers attention or to illuminate a stationary hazard. Maybe they might teach you this type of stuff one day Mungo when you either to some advanced driving or even a bike test.

[rsvmilly]

gh0st said:

alpine-star said: I only ride with dipped beam on (2001 600 Bandit S) but my mate rides with full beam all the time, he rides a 600 Fazer (98 S reg) and it doesn't dazzle as his full beam is sh*t ? If we have to ride when it's dark he stay's behind me as he can't see jack sh*t. My 2p's worth main beam is indeed shocking. i have a 2001 fazer and the overall headlights really do let down an excellent bike!

Have you done the 'wire up the second headlamp' mod?

[reanimate]

Thanks for the great feedback guys, much appreciated.
I think I have found a happy medium ...
S.

[Stig]

The lights on my R1 seem to dazzle drivers even on dipped beam?

Pisses me off no end when I overtake and get flashed and given the old coffee shaker sign even though I've got them dipped!

Checked beam alignment at recent MOT and all OK?

Must just be bright I guess.

[Davel]

Same with the Multistrada.

Everytime you accelerate, the car in front thinks you're flashing them.