Safe Speed Forums

Using headlights can make it harder to judge the speed of the approach of the vehicle, if the bike hits a bump (or brakes hard) can cause the 'unintentional' flash that can be misinterpreted, when badly adjusted can dazzle, they can mask more vulnerable and less/unlit road users and their use could cause the rider to consider that they have been seen ('I had my lights on') and take more risks (risk homoeostasis)

Plenty of work available here on the problems of using DRL.

I know.

Very clever, but not very helpful.

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It's tricky doing nothing - you never know when you're finished

Personally, I think DRL's are just another tool at my disposal to help me be more visible to other road users, overall. Just because I have my lights on (on my Blackbird) and wear a full set of leathers, gloves and a crash helmet, I personally don't take any more risks.

Whilst I can see some merit in what you say, personally I think the benefits outweigh the negatives...

When I'm riding my Pan, quite often I switch my lights off, but turn them on if I'm going to be filtering or in some other situation where I consider it will benefit me.

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus

Ok. But at least you have the ability to do so (unlike the OP!)

Hey! I've just bought an old ST1100. What a brilliant bike - I wish I'd had one before but the 'image' wasn't quite right.

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It's tricky doing nothing - you never know when you're finished

Not on my Blackbird I don't!

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus

Oh Grumpy, I am disappointed!

I ride a matt black GPZ500 and I wear all black leathers and a black (open face) lid. Up until recently I never used my headlight in good visibility during the day, but I have recently started using it whilst filtering (thanks to R1nut for that one...!)

Having just done a 450 mile round trip at the weekend I can add the following to the party.

Whilst filtering the headlights seem to make a massive difference - parting of the Red Sea much! The rest of the time, with the lights off, I don't seem to have a SMIDSY problem. Maybe this is more down to my anticipation of the likelyhood that someone hasn't seen me, either that or its spidey sense... The GPZ doesn't have a particularly noisy pipe either.

I don't agree with DRL - give the rider a choice and the training to make the appropriate call. Training on defensive riding seems to be the only way to make any difference at all.

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

Yeah - my Pan is my 'everyday' commuting bike and winter hack so I keep the miles off my beloved Blackbird, but it is a fantastic bike. Being Honda, it's sooo reliable!

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus

I don't know how I got away with it - but I now own 3 bikes!

One question on the PAN....Mine came with an extended screen but I find the top edge is irritatingly right in my normal line-of-sight. Any thoughts on screens? I'm very tempted to buy a standard screen.

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It's tricky doing nothing - you never know when you're finished

LOL! My Pan's previous owner actually trimmed an inch off my screen and I wished it was the full height! I'm 6' 5" so could do with it. Having said that, I've still got the brand new original standard screen that came with the bike!

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus

I was tempted to chop a couple of inches off mine - but how do you do that? Perspex tends to melt as soon as you start sawing.

I'm 5' 10" so I guess our needs are different. (Don't want to sell the original screen do you?)

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It's tricky doing nothing - you never know when you're finished

I guessed you’d be disappointed with me – sorry.

But now I’ve started I might as well carry on……….



To assign the label ‘dangerous’ to the use of daytime lights is potentially dangerous in its own right, and to say that using lights can lead to a false sense of security must equally apply to not using them.

I’m trying to follow the logic here. If it’s ‘dangerous’ to have them on in daylight, presumably it’s very safe to have them on at night. Therefore it follows there’s a transition state somewhere about twilight time, when their use becomes indifferent to you. So how dark does it have to be before you’re in the safety zone?

And wouldn’t all the arguments about unintentional flashing, dazzling and masking apply equally at night?

There are good arguments both ways and the real danger is to put too much store by any of them. There is so much more to our safety than whether we use DRL or not. The strongest argument I can find for their use is that it is becoming the convention for bikes to ride with lights on. This means that ‘lights means bikes’ to an increasing number of motorists.

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It's tricky doing nothing - you never know when you're finished

Or swap my standard screen for your tall screen?

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus

That's a great idea ...except I don't think you'd be too keen on the deal. My tall screen is in perfect condition apart from an inch long crack emanating from the top edge. The previous owner said it was a stone impact, but I reckon he head-butted it.

That's another reason I'd like to chop a couple of inches off.

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It's tricky doing nothing - you never know when you're finished

Ah. Thanks for your honesty! Well, make me an offer on my standard screen... Where are you located?

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus

I think it's time we went PM

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It's tricky doing nothing - you never know when you're finished

Oh Sixy I'm glad my arguements with Icandoit resulted in someone actually trying my filtering methods and proving that I wasn't deluding myself.

Do you try the "weave" when filtering too?

I am also of the belief that I should be the one that decides when I turn my lights on, not some manufacturer by "gentleman's agreement; we all remember what happened with the "gentleman's agreement" of limiting bikes' power. I would have used Grumpy's arguments, especially with the night time points, but I didn't think of them myself

BTW, went to the BSB round at Cadwell, great racing.

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Prepare to be Judged

Aww, just as it was getting interesting..

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Crikey, since when did you find motorbike screens interesting? You must be ill!

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It's tricky doing nothing - you never know when you're finished