Hey all I searched google and not a single thread gave a clear and concise answer. It was just everyone's opinion which was split 50/50.... But I would like to know everyone's take on riding with the highbeams. I took the MSF course in March, and I remember the instructors saying (yes, literally saying) to always ride with the highbeams on at night because you will be seen easier. So far, I have done just that, and yes, I can tell everyone notices me a lot better and I have been flashed only once since March. I feel it is better for my safety to be seen/noticed rather than to worry if I annoy other drivers. Sure if I annoy them, that means they know I'm there. Opinions from other riders?
Dont ride but i do notice when bikes have their highbeams on at night. Doesn't bother me and I would want to be better seen too.
I have been riding with my High Beams on constantly, Day and Night for the past few weeks. I was out with Wagunz_pwn, and one of his buddies that I was getting ready to buy a bike off of mentioned that I should keep my High Beams on constantly, so I have been ever since. I haven't been flashed by anyone, so I don't think I am blinding anyone. I asked Nicad, 07Ltd#76, and wrxin8or for their opinions on riding with High Beams last week and they all said they do at night, but not during the day. I don't remember anyone saying anything about it during the MSF, but that was over a year ago, and I have enough trouble remembering things that happened yesterday, let alone 12 months or more ago.
You can't see a biker any easier with highs on than with lows if your headlights are properly adjusted. If you are blinding me don't be surprised if you are met with a handful of ball bearings when we reach the crossing point. Don't complain when you are run off the road because you are blinding oncoming traffic. Most people can't see bikes because majority of them have been lowered and the headlights aren't correcting aiming.
brights on cars or bikes are a bad idea. I'm blinded all the time by brights......bikes or cars. PLEASE stop blinding everyone else. Yeah, we can see you better (not that we couldnt see you before)...but you're compromising my safety and everyone else coming towards you by blinding them
When I first started riding, I used to have my high beams on all the the time. I passed a few police cars on the interstate the way home in my county (gwinnett) and they hadn't done anything. I stopped using my high beam when I passed a big rig with it on (also interstate) and he turned on his BIG ASS spot light right into my mirrors blinding me. So now I don't.
Yeah. To at least have it on during the day. You should always have at least your low beams on during the day, but during the night, it would be better to have both of the lights on.
It doenst have anything to do with squinting. I'm literally blinded by the bright lights. I ride as well, and I don't use my high beams for the safety of the other drivers on the road. When all I can see is oncoming light...and not whats ahead of me, there is a problem. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Its better for the biker to have high beams on....however, what about the others on the road that are literally blinded? Its not so bad on bigger roads...however when you get onto some of the roads that are one lane each direction, its pretty bad
haha i edited my post bc i didnt want to seem like a douche. but yea, of course i wont have them on when riding on two lane roads with no lights, then i flip them off when other cars are coming. but if riding on the highway, and all cars are goin the same direction, then yes, i will ride with it on
Good! thats the way it should be. Unfortunatly, I see WAY too many riders blinding people on smaller roads because they think its "safer". Its a false sense of security. If a driver can't see anything besides a blinding light, whats going to keep them from drifting into your lane and hitting you? Or running off the right side of the road into a tree?
I think some do...I've seen some that fade in and out during the day. It might be an aftermarket thing
Don't be surprise if you come across one guy one day that would have worked long days and be tired as hell and you blind him with your high beams and the guy will run into you because he can't see the road, signs....anymore and it will end in car crash with a possibility of dead people. And I have to say the same thing about people who don't turn their lights when it's dark. Just imagine you're in an area where you can pass cars: the guy without the light will pass the car in front of him but he won't be seen by the guy who's on the other lane; guess how it will end up..... As for the bike running high beam; I won't complain as nobody (not everybody...) in Atlanta pay attention to bike/bikers but when you have a bike, as I had, you have to pay attention to others. Now, if you feel this is your safety to run high beam, then I'm gonna say this is selfish. What I'm gonna say, everybody has to take their responsibilities when they're on the streets, THIS IS NOT A PLAYGROUND. You can flame me as much as you want, I don't care. This is my safety and yours! just remember.....
But you're surrounded by a huge metal box with an airbag...I am not. Well nonetheless, both motorcyclist and motorists each have their concerns. I appreciate everyones feedback
When I say "you have to pay attention to others", I was in the skin of a biker. For clarification....!
I will continue riding with my High Beams until I have a situation like mattprzy. The moment someone flashes me to indicate that my light is blinding them, I will turn it off and won't use it again at night. But until someone signals me that I am blinding them, I am going to continue to assume that my light is not affecting anyones vision.
Screw all you who ride with highs on at all times. I've ridden bikes since I could stand up and rode bike legally on the roads before I even had my full drivers license. I've NEVER NEVER NEVER rode highs on unless I'm the only one on the road....just like a car. Matter of fact most the time the lows gave better visibility. I used to spend all my summers riding bike to and from a job where I worked till 1-2AM so I've plenty experience night riding. People complain about the cars being safer etc......that car can actually be more dangerous in some situations....Mr. Telephone pole doesn't play.
Ignorance is bliss. Many people won't flash or anything out of respect or just being scared. Please don't ride with your highs on one night....one time may be all it takes to end your life in an accident or on purpose (in case of the truck driver shining spot light you could get so blinded and react resulting in a bad crash).
I'm blinded nearly ever time a bike rides with its brights on. I don't blind them back for their safety...
You should, as this is your and their safety. I do the same to people who don't have their lights on at night.
On my Nighthawk S, I use the high beam because the headlight sucks- single rectangle car headlight with high and low in same case. On my S1000RR, I use the low beam because the high beam can vaporize people in front of me.
some states have a law requiring all motorcycles to have high beams on 24/7 pretty sure TN is one (remember seeing the sign on the dragon). sure its safer, i have HORRIBLE night vision (something about slow reacting cones/rods, basically my eyes dont adjust fast enough and im easily blinded), i ride with just my low beam on, but i have a 55w 4500k HID low beam and my high beam might as well not even be on when i turn it on. i dont have a problem with other bikes running their high beams 24/7, its the idiots in cars that blind, since bikes are lower than cars their high beams (and definitely not low beams) shouldn't be in any driver's eyes, though the guys who slapped HIDs into their high beams would still have that issue. so i'm good either way. bottom line, there are way too many idiots on the road for me to not take every precaution necessary when riding (i start my turn signals WAY early, sometimes use hands too, etc).
if you rode on a regular basis, you'd think otherwise. if you dont look out for your own safety first, who the fuck is going to? you sure as hell aren't you asshat. you're the driver who's mirrors get punched off.
I always look out for riders. I always move a lane over if i see one believe it or not. But a lot of riders are asshats who like to speed, do tricks on the bikes, etc... stupid stuff, and when someone does run into them cus of their stupidity, they always think they were in the right. And to high beams, IDC if you're a rider or a driver, if your shit is blinding me its blinding me.
I've been riding for 6 years now and I don't use my highbeams on at night. I hate being blinded by other guys on bikes behind me with their highbeams on when I look in my mirror. Plus, wouldn't you rather a person that you're meeting on the road not be blinded by your lights and actually be able to see you so that they don't pull in front of you or they can see where exactly you are on the road? I think it's overall a bad idea to use your high beams at night. People can see your light regardless, the high beams won't make you more visible. They'll just make you a nuisance to other drivers and possibly make it more dangerous for you since you're blinding people and they can't see exactly what's going on due to squinting.
if someone has brights that hurts my visibility, I return the favor. If they are well adjusted why not, but if you're preventing me from being able to see any deer/shit in the road, don't be surprised if I turn them on to blind the shit out of you.
they are the minority of riders, i ASSURE you. MOST riders are very concerned with there own personal safety and are therefore very vigilant of other riders. like i said before, i am always scanning and double scanning running through escape situations if an idiot were to come over on top of me, etc. i think it should be a requirement that all drivers either learn how to ride, or ride with a biker for a certain period of time before they are allowed to drive. it would make for much safer roadways
I agree with Jake. But I disagree that it's smart to ride with brights on....you are endangering oncoming traffic thus endangering yourself more.