Author Topic: Bikes with Spotlights (Read 3988 times)

whitedelight · « **Reply #20 on:** November 14, 2016, 11:50:33 am »

Yep bikes with spots is not facourite thing . My pet peeve is the Lycra crowd who use a flashing LED light on the front,now that fucks up my vision early morning and at night. Flashing lights are ilegal are they not??

Gryshond · « **Reply #21 on:** November 14, 2016, 12:25:52 pm »

Quote from: whitedelight on November 14, 2016, 11:50:33 am

Yep bikes with spots is not facourite thing . My pet peeve is the Lycra crowd who use a flashing LED light on the front,now that fucks up my vision early morning and at night. Flashing lights are ilegal are they not??

Not if you are a VIP

Bill the Bong · « **Reply #22 on:** November 15, 2016, 08:58:42 am »

My experience with F8GS lights are different than other users'. On 3 consecutive R12GS Adv I had spots (not fogs) fitted to be able to ride at night. With the F8GS the bright is good enough to ride at 120 kph before you overrun it. If I need to dim, I simply back off to 80 kph at night.

Buddy · « **Reply #23 on:** November 15, 2016, 10:59:16 am »

Bill, you are far too logical for the Christmas Tree brigade.

johanp · « **Reply #24 on:** November 15, 2016, 11:13:32 am »

While the can of worms are still wide open - HID/Xenon lights in reflector(stock) housings. Not only is it blinding oncoming traffic, you're only fooling yourself if you believe it's providing "better" light. It may seem brighter but the light is scattered with no cutoff.

Some light reading:
http://clubroadster.net/vb_forum/20-exterior/69869-hid-lights-reflector-housings-reminder-some-you-out-there.html

monkeyboy · « **Reply #25 on:** November 15, 2016, 11:31:29 am »

Saw a GSX-R this morning with the same problem as a Dakar I saw recently, so it's not just an Adventure bike thing. Guys mount LED spots on the bike without the requisite electrical gadgetry, so the amount of current overwhelms the light. Result? Strobe lights. HOW DO YOU NOT NOTICE THAT?

johanp · « **Reply #26 on:** November 15, 2016, 11:35:26 am »

Quote from: monkeyboy on November 15, 2016, 11:31:29 am

Saw a GSX-R this morning with the same problem as a Dakar I saw recently, so it's not just an Adventure bike thing. Guys mount LED spots on the bike without the requisite electrical gadgetry, so the amount of current overwhelms the light. Result? Strobe lights. HOW DO YOU NOT NOTICE THAT?

No relay?

Speaking of which - some LED fog/spots seems to be dimmable, can you buy a special switch or something to "enable" this?

Bill the Bong · « **Reply #27 on:** November 15, 2016, 11:48:57 am »

Quote from: Buddy on November 15, 2016, 10:59:16 am

Bill, you are far too logical for the Christmas Tree brigade.

monkeyboy · « **Reply #28 on:** November 15, 2016, 02:00:44 pm »

Quote from: johanp on November 15, 2016, 11:35:26 am

Quote from: monkeyboy on November 15, 2016, 11:31:29 am
Saw a GSX-R this morning with the same problem as a Dakar I saw recently, so it's not just an Adventure bike thing. Guys mount LED spots on the bike without the requisite electrical gadgetry, so the amount of current overwhelms the light. Result? Strobe lights. HOW DO YOU NOT NOTICE THAT?
No relay?

Speaking of which - some LED fog/spots seems to be dimmable, can you buy a special switch or something to "enable" this?

No Relay. Thank you, that was the word I was looking for.

johanp · « **Reply #29 on:** November 15, 2016, 02:07:27 pm »

Sorry, wasn't laughing at you - was laughing at people who don't know what they're doing which would also explain why they're not noticing the flickering.

Roxtar · « **Reply #30 on:** November 15, 2016, 02:59:32 pm »

Quote from: Hamilton on November 13, 2016, 01:33:38 pm

I've now just wasted 2 minutes of my life reading this.

X marks the spot............

Gryshond · « **Reply #31 on:** November 16, 2016, 02:47:44 pm »

quote author=2StrokeDan link=topic=201931.msg3716696#msg3716696 date=1479057306]
Your bright lights will simply make a focal point for a motorist. Remember target fixation?

Seriously though, it is VERY bad manners, or at least totally inconsiderate to ride/drive with your high beam or spot lights on, even during the day.

Seems to me that ratio-wise accidents figures has risen instead of decline anyway.

Come on BMW boys, some of your "triangle configuration" spotlight system looks like a Mod scoot. Disgusting.
[/quote]

I always wonder how you come up with this stuff.

Target fixation? Bad manners? Are you being serious?

If my lights irritate you my mission is accomplished. It means you did see me.

Kortbroek · « **Reply #32 on:** November 16, 2016, 03:04:52 pm »

Fokkit julle kan darem soos 'n klomp kinners te kere gaan.

Hoekom moet ons op bikes ewe skielik spesiale vergunning kry as dit kom by ligte?

As ek in my kar ry, bedags is dit dim's only, snags is dit hoofligte en dim vir aankomende verkeer en in dorpe etc.

Op die bike werk dit presies dieselfde. Baie motorfiets hoofligte is net so skerp soos kar ligte en dus net so gevaarlik.
Running lights saam met dim's bedags op 'n bike is baie sigbaar, hoekom ouens hulle spotlights in almal se gesigte will hê heeltyd gaan my te bowe.

Dit gaan oor common decency op die pad. Dan wonder mense hoekom cagers so gatvol raak vir bikes

zebra - Flying Brick · « **Reply #33 on:** November 16, 2016, 03:06:15 pm »

Quote from: Gryshond on November 16, 2016, 02:47:44 pm

quote author=2StrokeDan link=topic=201931.msg3716696#msg3716696 date=1479057306]
Your bright lights will simply make a focal point for a motorist. Remember target fixation?

Seriously though, it is VERY bad manners, or at least totally inconsiderate to ride/drive with your high beam or spot lights on, even during the day.

Seems to me that ratio-wise accidents figures has risen instead of decline anyway.

Come on BMW boys, some of your "triangle configuration" spotlight system looks like a Mod scoot. Disgusting.

If my lights irritate you my mission is accomplished. It means you did see me.
[/quote]
To be SEEN, and to IRRITATE someone is two different things...

We request our customers buy the lowest Lumen they can reasonably get away with, and we explain to them, ALL of them, that it is often necessary to dip the LED spot down by 5 degrees (approximately) not to dazzle cars you are riding up behind.

Put simply the older 3600 Lumen lights (discontinued) and the newer 3000 Lumen LED spots (recently discontinued, too...) could HURT peoples eyes, and the LAST thing you need is a BLINDED motorist drifting in his lane.

Same like the 'loud pipes' argument; yes, they will know you are there WHEN YOU PASS THEM, but overly-loud pipes piss off a lot of motorists, and try and get a farmer to help you recover your bike when his ostrich/sheep/whatever have just run into barbed wire...
rant off.
Chris

Eend · « **Reply #34 on:** November 19, 2016, 12:32:35 pm »

I am one of those Christmas tree riders - I have the Clearwater LED spots on the top of the crash bars and a smaller set at the bottom. It has a dimmer control on it as well and is extremely useful.

During the day, the spots are set around 50% so that other people can see me and then down to around 10% at night so that I can see what is happening on the road. It is also connected to the full beam and hooter so that if need be, a quick hoot will illuminate a potential problem quite nicely.

I stay on a farm in the NC and trust me, those extra lights make the world of difference at night.

When it was installed, my brother ensured that the height and angle were 100% so that it would not blind anyone when riding.

I am all for visibility for bikers and those LED spots has saved my Boet plenty times when caters just don't "see" you. He has a wicked set up on his K1600GTL

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Bill the Bong · « **Reply #35 on:** November 20, 2016, 12:43:43 pm »

If a motorist drives into a bloody bus such as a R12GSA, its attempted murder, not an accident, 27 000 lumens or not.

Three Dawg · « **Reply #36 on:** November 20, 2016, 06:09:08 pm »

I'm colourblind, and that does make my night vision a bit worse than it should be. Up here in Scotland we have similar problems with wildlife on the road at night - you would no more want to hit a stag (saw two dead yesterday by the road) than a fully grown Gemsbok.

My bike is a bit Christmas Tree, but the HID converted Hella Micro DE fog lights have the same cutoff as the dipped beam. The oval FF50s (also HID) are aimed as far forward as possible. There is a school of thought that says a triangle of lights is more noticable (I ride with the Micros on all the time), and at night they do throw their light wider than the stock light. The FFs are epic and give me much more warning of what's lurking by the side of the road than stock. I've never been flashed with the Micros on because they have such a sharp cutoff, but in case a pillion or luggage caused problems I fitted lock out switches on the bars.

My bike and lights- a bit desperate? Maybe.

Bligw · « **Reply #37 on:** November 21, 2016, 09:43:20 pm »

Ja please, for petes sake, switch off your spot lights so I stand out more with mine on.

Dirty Fun · « **Reply #38 on:** November 21, 2016, 10:11:09 pm »

Why is it always the big bikes with chrismas lights, especially the BMW's

If you need so many light's to see where you are going, maybe you you should stay of the road at night. For the sake of other road users

And during the day, be considerate of other road user.

Archer007 · « **Reply #39 on:** November 22, 2016, 10:44:26 am »

Quote from: ExploreSA on November 13, 2016, 09:28:01 pm

BMW bikes do not have spots but fogs. Being the reason they don't dim.
Set them lower to be efficient and they will not irritate oncoming traffic.
Remember it is illegal to use white and amber simultaneously. But do just what you please.

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

It is not illegal... Lights of the same class need to be the same colour. I don't recall it being specified anywhere in the act but fog and headlights are not in the same class (judging by the beam characteristics specified)

Go check the NRTA, Chapter 6, Part II, 181 Colour of Lights