Used to have an 08 Kaw Vulcan 500 few years ago. Got a 05 Sportster this year and rode it home from work tonight. On my vulcan I never used to dim the brights in the country. In town yes since there are street lights. No one ever flashed me. Tonight on my way home about 11pm I had 2 different people flash their brights at me.

Does anyone else always keep their high beams on at night? To me it seems dangerous to ride with dims, who knows what critters (DEER) you will miss lurking in the field. I have never been bothered by a motorcycle headlight at night in my car, I can't imagine being that rude as to flash a bike. Am I missing something?

 

yes, you are missing something. it's called common sense. if you are approaching oncoming traffic, you are supposed to dim your lights. also, if you are overtaking someone from the rear, when you get within a certain distance (here in la it's 200 feet) you are supposed to switch your lights to dim.

not only is it courteous, and the law, but it could save your life. you blind someone in a 5000 lb missile heading for you and you just might find your grill in his grill.....

and you think someone flashing you to let you know you're blinding him is rude?

this post was a joke, right?

 

Really, you dim your lights in town but not the country? WHY!!! Maybe you should get out Indiana's DMV manual. skratch, summed it up for you. I got to ask you, WTH is the deal with the street lights??

 

Agreed with skratch!
Dim them.
Bikes don't have a "right" to blind other vehicles.
You say you haven't been bothered by other bikes while you're in a car.... probably because they already dimmed their lights!

 

I can't think of a group of highway users that benefit more from common driver courtesy than riders. IMHO the golden rule applies. Necessary or not, dimming shows respect.

 

Of course. My headlight is adjusted correctly, so dim is enough when on coming traffic is within dimming distance.
A cop isn't going to believe your bro science about high/low.

 

Dude... you're f'!ng kidding me, right ? What is more rude... flashing a bike because you're blinding them with your high beams or purposely leaving your high beams on with oncoming traffic ?

I don't have anything to add to this.

 

Sometimes, it pays to read the drivers license manual...

Here ya go:
http://www.dmv.org/manuals.php

I looked it up for ya. That is called 'common courtesy' when you do something nice for some one without being prompted, (as in forcing them to flash their lights at you). You're welcome.

 

You should have your ****ing license pulled. I hate people that do that ****. Of you can't be out at night without feeling the need to blind people, stay off the ****ing road.

 

Blind the oncoming driver, and **** them off, when you are riding a vulnerable bike? Yeah that's a good idea.
Try putting a decent high-output headlight bulb in your bike so you can see with the low beam on. Same wattage but 50% more light type work well, yet dont blind the oncoming driver (on low beam of course)