ABR sticker seen in facebook rant by Dez

[92kk k100lt 193214]

Interesting topic and made me think about something last week after I was looking more at LED lights and also about 1,000 miles of night time riding in last 3 weeks and a night time drive in my son's car yesterday evening, on bi-xenons.

The LED lights I investigated do now with technical improvements seem to improve things although the amount of light scatter is very much greater but still legal and is noticeable when these are behind you at night. The beam does not seem as focussed as the older halogen bulb technology. The bi-xenons seem to do a little bit the same when I compared with running my car which has a combination of H4 main dip and H1 main beams, all of which are run at higher wattage but downward focussed to pass MOT tests.

There isn't a straight answer because

1: you definitely do need extra lights so that in traffic at night the one motorcycle headlight does not merge into the sea of lights behind when traffic is pulling out in front of you.

2: motorcycle mirrors don't have a dip facility unless you rob photochromatic mirrors from a higher spec car and adapt your mirror pods to take them [almost impossible].

3: motorcycle headlights are usually mounted higher, increasing potential dazzle.

4: loads of leds are good for being seen but not much good for seeing with because of the lack of focus. This will change in time and is improving.

A constructive thread when one reads into it.

In jest a group of us were having a Saturday coffee and breakfast and sitting outside a place with the bikes parked at the side of the road. A few BMWs in the group. Lots of bikes passed us with a wave. But not one of the passing GS riders waved. One GS rider who was sitting with us with us felt it was safe to speak and quipped 'the reason they don't wave is the steely concentration.....new bike, very tall, mustn't take hands off handlebars, must keep this thing upright, must keep this thing upright, hope I can make this month's payment, hope I can make next month's payment, hope the next service doesn't cost over €1,000'. He had us in stitches.

[Crossrutted]

Doubt that you can see better with these additional hid spot lights. quote]

My road bike came with some LED lights fitted - look awful so I nearly took them off.

Last few weeks they've come into their own, giving much greater light intensity than the dip beam and lighting up the road edges.

Much safer, as I can now see the local farmer's attempts to cultivate the tarmac.. :whistle:

[redbikejohn]

not read this whole thread BUT ref earlier about mot pass. i have powerfull LED spots on mine but only use then for high beam and as they are not uk road legal i pull the fuse when going to mot but this year i forgot ...... and still got an mot so just because the tester shrugs and passes them doesn't mean they are not pissing people off by being too bright.

[KTMBLAG]

Have as many lights as you want just don't have them set to stun...you dip your car headlight don't you, so just turn off your led when you risk dazzling, it's not that difficult to work out. I've got some of the brightest on my bike but I flick em off if there likely to bother anyone

[Road2Manchester]

i did nt knowe it was you Ha ha ,,,,, I saw the retraction to the reaction action..LL

[Road2Manchester]

Funny thought on the way home last night. The M60 around 5 pm was a bit foggy, I say a bit because the cars around me had rear and some front fog lights on DESPITE the actual vision in front was at least 500 yards, the speed limit is 50, and they are all doing 40 because they thing the cars in front are braking.

I wondered how many would forget to turn them off today and wonder why others are flashing them,

Well done Teflon Jnr for oening up to this one LOL :cheer: :cheer:

[-Ralph-]

just because the tester shrugs and passes them doesn't mean they are not pissing people off by being too bright.

Which is exactly why I wrote "its not likely to be", on the assumption that most MOT testers will do the job properly, but in recognition of the fact the odd one won't.

[steve172]

As mentioned, the number of people who forget to turn off fog lights or leave them on whilst sitting in steady, or slow moving, traffic is ridiculous.

Can't say I've really ever had a problem with bikes lights dazzling me in the mirrors or whatever, probably not as bad as your average Range Rover etc.

[Teflon Jnr]

I'm not afraid of admitting when I'm wrong Pete but in this instance I wasn't you've ridden with me with said lights and they are angled to the floor but hey ho you can't please everyone.

I was driving to work this morning from Ashton to chadderton and the amount of people with fog lights on was quite amusing front on back and it wasn't even foggy

[DaveCon]

I was driving to work this morning from Ashton to chadderton and the amount of people with fog lights on was quite amusing front on back and it wasn't even foggy

Stockport to Trafford centre was very grim though. Which goes back to the point, drivers put them on because it's a bit claggy then leave them on for several weeks because they're isolated in their little boxes and don't know what's going on.

Filtering M60 on Friday a driver wandered across the lane and pushed me into a curtain sided van despite me hanging off the horn. Her wing mirror was folded against the door, so I pulled it out when I went past. No amount of lights would have helped