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If you often ride with a group of Harley riders, on all different models, you will soon see the difference looking in your rear view mirror. Many of the low beams....well, you could just as well have a flashlight mounted to your handlebars for all the light they give out.
Also, I totally agree with the previous post about rather having a high beam burn out first from usage, leaving your low beam to get you home at night without blinding oncoming riders...plus preventing a stop from a LEO for not dimming your lights!
I'd rather have an oncoming rider during the day annoyed at a high beam than not seeing me at all, but unlike many riders, I do dim mine when meeting or following traffic during the day. "Failure to be seen" was one of the top reasons for motorcycle accidents documented in the Hurt Report, which was the foundation study for motorcycle safety.
Daytime high beam doesnt have the effect on oncoming traffic in the day light that it does in the dark.I started running with my high beams years ago on my crotch rockets,immediately noticed people didnt turn in front of me from a side road like they used to with the lows.
I'll use the high beam initially to let folks know I'm there, then go to lows. Do agree 110% that I'd rather burn out the highs than the lows. But I feel it gets obnoxious to the cage or anyone to look in the mirror and just see that bright lite. Guess it might depend on how heavily traveled the roads you use are. Here in the boonies, folks seem to go a bit slower and are more cautious.
Run my high beams all the time during the day ONLY. Everyone I ride with says I am very visible and doesn't bother them at all. As for the caters out there I hope it does bother them. That's the point isn't it? To get noticed and be visible.
I might be wrong here but I feel using high beams gives a target fixation? I run mine on low.
I thought I was the only one with this feeing. I have noticed that I seem to not react to or recognize a bike with high beam on. It does seem to cause my vision to fixate on the light as I am prone to do if a box on wheels is approching me and this distracts my attention for an instant.
If there is indeed anything to this theory, it is probably worse for a non rider.
High beams are bright even in the daytime. And they will still run you over!
Last edited by mooseye; Jan 24, 2011 at 09:03 PM.
Reason: feltlikeit
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