Riding with full beam on all the time.

[SPOFF]

I turn on high beams in the day time only in serious traffic situations where the other drivers are trying to kill me. I figure if I "dazzle" them at least they looked up fron their damned phone long enough to actually see me. At night I have high beams on whenever possible, my 55 year old eyes aren't as good as they once were. In fact, the PCX is the first bike I've had in 10 years that has headlights good enough for me to actually ride at night. I've owned several--a Harley Sportster and Kawasaki KLR come to mind--where the headlight was so poor that I would run high beams all the time at night and oncoming cars would not notice!

[edscoot]

My experiment (riding 200mls with high beam and 200 without) isn't really working at the moment due to the crap weather around where I live. Dipped beam gives plenty of visibility when the sky is overcast, like it is at the moment. I'll have to wait until/if summer arrives in the NW of England before continuing with the test.

I'm a bit shocked by those who say they ride with full beam on all the time at night. That really would cause dazzle. I use the lights as I would a car's at night. My idea is to ride with full beam during sunny weather, with a common sense approach to other road users when in traffic, e.g. dipping when behind a car.

Dipped beam just seems to lose its advantages in bright sunshine. With my experience of riding with full beam during sunny weather so far, I haven't seen any indications (flashing their lights, horn, two fingers, etc.) from other road users having any problems with the scoots full beam. You've really got to try hard to get dazzled by the PCX on full beam in broad daylight.

I've got a hi-viz tabard thing with that reflective tape all over it. I bought it last year for the commute to and from work when the nights started drawing in for winter. Didn't make any difference to the number of near misses as far as I could tell. I got a couple of very small led bike lights - 1 white, 1 red, - that flash, and put them in the breast pocket of the hi-viz tabard. The lights flash at differing intervals and are quite effective. Seen through the hi-viz they create a peculiar effect and they certainly seemed to get cagers attention. At night you certainly stand out from all the other lights. Again, it's probably illegal but it gets you seen. There is a small possibility that the flashing light might be mis-interpreted as a turn indicator, but I never had any problems with it.

[ese12105]

I definitely agree with you edscoot. If the high beam was really dazzling people during the day you would get all sorts of gestures in return. People would flash their lights at you, honk, and give you the finger. That's never happened once during the day. So that means they're not dazzled. Not that anyone in the US would know what that is because we wouldn't call it that lol. Anyways... If you left you high beams on at night, other cars will give you all sorts of obscene gestures. So there we go. Problem solved. No dazzling during the day. If you feel like you should leave them off, so be it. Thanks edscoot for your support.

[edscoot]

Well I've done the test.

Must have done around 350mls plus in bright sunshine with full beam on at all times except when it was obvious that I had been noticed (behind a car in slow traffic/cueing etc.). At no time did I ever get flashed, tooted or otherwise made to think the light was uncomfortable for on coming traffic or those who I was behind. In addition, during this test I had no smidsy type incidents whereas with the light on low beam I experienced them quite often.

The result seems pretty conclusive to me and I'm going to use full beam in bright sunlight from now on. High beam seems to be a benefit to me and other road users in preventing accidents. I understand that some will find this unacceptable or inappropriate use of high beam, but you really have to try hard to get dazzled by the pcx light. You can give it a go and see what happens.

I've noticed a few other motorcyclists with full beam on, and I haven't been dazzled.

[ese12105]

+1

Why must I use ten characters???

[gn2]

I have ridden 8,600 miles on my PCX almost exclusively on dipped beam (even at night) and I haven't had a single smidsy event.
So I am of the firm opinion that your data is bollix.
And you are a plonker for deliberately riding incorrectly and giving a bad impression of two-wheeler riders.

[Scottish]

I have ridden 8,600 miles on my PCX almost exclusively on dipped beam (even at night) and I haven't had a single smidsy event.
So I am of the firm opinion that your data is bollix.
And you are a plonker for deliberately riding incorrectly and giving a bad impression of two-wheeler riders.

Says the guy whos ridden at 155mph !!

[Taz]

We discussed this topic last Sunday when I was on an advanced motorbike course. All riders had at least 15 years and the instructor 40 years and we all agreed it was silly to ride around with high beam. Good full day course by the way and spent an hour just doing emergency stops. Apart from my PCX all other bikes were 800 to 1300cc! Yet as we were told to adhere to the speedlimit I was 3rd bike home out of 6 on the free style 50 mile ride back to base. Even overtook a car going uphill at over 65mph. The instructor thought i would be tail end charlie at the start of the course but at the end was calling me the cruise missile

[Cascanciu]

You do that here, you get a 300€ fine and 4 points off of your license. Don't see the point, either. The "normal" light is enough, IMHO.

[EddieC]

It's so funny that the high beam is such a big issue in some places. In the two states that I have held a motorcycle licence in, the STATE recommends that you always use the high beam in daylight! They also recommend that you toot your horn when passing cars

[JGC]

Well I've done the test.

Must have done around 350mls plus in bright sunshine with full beam on at all times except when it was obvious that I had been noticed (behind a car in slow traffic/cueing etc.). At no time did I ever get flashed, tooted or otherwise made to think the light was uncomfortable for on coming traffic or those who I was behind. In addition, during this test I had no smidsy type incidents whereas with the light on low beam I experienced them quite often.

The result seems pretty conclusive to me and I'm going to use full beam in bright sunlight from now on. High beam seems to be a benefit to me and other road users in preventing accidents. I understand that some will find this unacceptable or inappropriate use of high beam, but you really have to try hard to get dazzled by the pcx light. You can give it a go and see what happens.

I've noticed a few other motorcyclists with full beam on, and I haven't been dazzled.

Don't agree with it and never will, not sure if a Trafpol would take too bright a view either if they saw you.

[gn2]

Says the guy whos ridden at 155mph !!

Legally, on the Autobahn (and I got overtaken a few times)

[ese12105]

Sounds like a blast!!! :-)

[gn2]

Actually it gets quite boring pretty quickly.
Riding fast on major roads is really easy, but I don't do it anymore, I've grown up I suppose.
Tight corners are much more of a challenge.

[TC3]

Yep anyone can ride fast in a straight line but taking very sharp mountain bends is a skill that must be mastered.

[ese12105]

Either way would be fun in my book :-) actually anything over 62.5 would be awesome :-)