Highbeams? | Page 5 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Highbeams?

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JFD said:
They might think you're telling them to go- that's the problem with communication like that - you never know how they interpret your flashing.
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ye I thought about that but it still makes me feel more comfortable to let them know that I am approaching. I usually slow down when I get to intersections with a left or right turning car as I was hit in the past from a guy turning right from a red, but that was during the day and I was going a bit fast.
 
Bikerider said:
I usually run my low beams but will flash the high beams a few times when approaching cars or intersections at night just to let them know that I am there.
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That's the universal trucker signal for "go ahead." You might want to rethink that.
 
JoeyB said:
I used to run high beams during the daytime. Then I saw this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r3f3ICFPb8
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And what is your point .I`m not worried about a driver seeing me in the rear .The drivers responsibility is what`s in front not in the back. It`s you responsibility to avoid what`s in front . High beam during the day all the way .

BTW to the person flashing their high beams and slowing down at intersections .You are asking for trouble .Always proceed at a steady rate when approaching am intersection .
 
Rob MacLennan said:
Aaaaaaaaand....... that would be my video ;)
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Damn, that looked like the sun setting. If I didn't see the bike disappear into a ball of light, I would never even know it was there.
Bit of an eye opener.
 
What point is being made with that vid? The one f___ing thing that stood out like a sore thumb in that miasma of lights was the motorcycle's high beam. The other bike got lost in the sea of "regular" lights but I never lost the guy with his HB on.

Seems like a pretty compelling case to turn the thing on to ensure you stand out.
 
I agree, the high beam was highly noticeable. It just wasn't recognizable as a bike. We knew it was a bike, because we saw the bike.
To anyone who isn't aware of the bike, it looks like they're being followed by the sun.
You can ride with your high beams on, I'm not saying it's wrong. I'm just not going to bother, with 36 years of riding and one semi serious crash, my high beams aren't what's going to save my life. Ymmv
 
Easiest thing is probably to slow down, let them pass, and record their plate.
If you're a real xxx, you can show them what it's like after they pass you, but chances are, they'll not understand, and just think that you're being a xxx, and not them.
Just phone it in to the Police and let them explain their position on high beams to the authorities.
 
Calling the police on someone for having their high beam on? So lame...
 
Blackfin said:
What point is being made with that vid? The one f___ing thing that stood out like a sore thumb in that miasma of lights was the motorcycle's high beam. The other bike got lost in the sea of "regular" lights but I never lost the guy with his HB on.

Seems like a pretty compelling case to turn the thing on to ensure you stand out.
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It appears I could see both bikes . The guy with the high beam could still be seen even after the bike passed .
 
pfbmgd said:
And what is your point .I`m not worried about a driver seeing me in the rear .The drivers responsibility is what`s in front not in the back. It`s you responsibility to avoid what`s in front . High beam during the day all the way .

BTW to the person flashing their high beams and slowing down at intersections .You are asking for trouble .Always proceed at a steady rate when approaching am intersection .
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And if that bike was coming from in front not only would you not be able to tell his distance and rate of approach, but his high beam would also make it more difficult for you to see everything else on the road.

pfbmgd said:
It appears I could see both bikes . The guy with the high beam could still be seen even after the bike passed .
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So did the car pass in front of or behind the bike, when it changed lanes? Are you sure? Could you actually see the bike or just an indistinguishable ball of light, at an indeterminate distance and going an indeterminate speed?
 
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Riding with your high beams on while on a well lit road or during the day is just stupid. The main function for the high beam is to illuminate the dark road in front of your vehicle so that you may see possible obstructions further down your path of travel. Not to be seen by on coming traffic. The light throw from a high beam is at eye level for the driver of the vehicle, for oncoming drivers it is the same, thus blinding them. Similar to when you are riding/driving into a sun rise/set at eye level. It's very difficult for you to see what is around and directly in front of you. This is dangerous. As Rob's video has shown there is no way to distinguish any viable information on what would be approaching such as speed, size, and what ever else is behind that cone of bright light. Save your high beams for the dark country roads, and get your crappy hid system installed correctly and by a professional. This go's for both cars and bikes.
 
Peck said:
Riding with your high beams on while on a well lit road or during the day is just stupid. The main function for the high beam is to illuminate the dark road in front of your vehicle so that you may see possible obstructions further down your path of travel. Not to be seen by on coming traffic. The light throw from a high beam is at eye level for the driver of the vehicle, for oncoming drivers it is the same, thus blinding them. Similar to when you are riding/driving into a sun rise/set at eye level. It's very difficult for you to see what is around and directly in front of you. This is dangerous. As Rob's video has shown there is no way to distinguish any viable information on what would be approaching such as speed, size, and what ever else is behind that cone of bright light. Save your high beams for the dark country roads, and get your crappy hid system installed correctly and by a professional. This go's for both cars and bikes.
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You are giving today`s driver a lot of credit . Most drivers have minimal driving skills . My 30 years of riding with high beams during the day tells me it works .

You prove my point by saying they know I`m coming .
 
Your high beam light output has also evolved over the past 30 years too. They are now brihter and have a higher level of intensity. More blinding, kinda like looking directly into the sun. Yes they know something is coming but no different then with low beam on too. I am not giving today's drivers too much credit, in fact today's drivers are more than likely to be dumb enough to look directly into the bright light and not realize that them are slowly turning towards it, as they are now temporarily blinded and can no longer tell if they are still in their own lane. This makes a dangerous situation for all. Today's low beam still has an effective range of 100+ feet of visability. Add more auxiliary lighting if your worried about not being seen by a single light source. If high beams were intended to be used in that manner then today's motorcycles would be factory built with a permanent high beam function.
 
pfbmgd said:
You are giving today`s driver a lot of credit . Most drivers have minimal driving skills . My 30 years of riding with high beams during the day tells me it works .

You prove my point by saying they know I`m coming .
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I've said this before and I'll say it again: I used to know a guy who hadn't crashed in many decades of riding, who said that he used the same methods as a commercial pilot to stay safe. Was even going to write a book about it. Then he crashed.

Years back I told a friend that he really needed to modify his driving behaviour, because he was a danger on the roads. He commented that he'd never had an accident. My reply was, "Have you ever looked behind you?"

They know that you're coming. What they don't know is where you are, how fast you're going, or when you're going to get there. Saying that drivers have minimal skill and then pointing to three decades of riding with your high beams doesn't point to anything but luck. I've worn jeans almost exclusively and never been run over by a car, while walking. Must be because of the jeans.
 
Rob MacLennan said:
I've said this before and I'll say it again: I used to know a guy who hadn't crashed in many decades of riding, who said that he used the same methods as a commercial pilot to stay safe. Was even going to write a book about it. Then he crashed.

Years back I told a friend that he really needed to modify his driving behaviour, because he was a danger on the roads. He commented that he'd never had an accident. My reply was, "Have you ever looked behind you?"

They know that you're coming. What they don't know is where you are, how fast you're going, or when you're going to get there. Saying that drivers have minimal skill and then pointing to three decades of riding with your high beams doesn't point to anything but luck. I've worn jeans almost exclusively and never been run over by a car, while walking. Must be because of the jeans.
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Funny, the line of "have you ever looked behind you?"...said that same answer to my mom years ago....there's a trail of carnage left behind her, but she never got into an accident. (car, but still).
My question again, though, and not to argue, but why is it then recommended in the MTO handbook?
 
Joe Bass said:
Funny, the line of "have you ever looked behind you?"...said that same answer to my mom years ago....there's a trail of carnage left behind her, but she never got into an accident. (car, but still).
My question again, though, and not to argue, but why is it then recommended in the MTO handbook?
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Probably because the MTO handbook hasn't been completely updated in the past 25 years. As I have said the average light bulb has evolved from back then. In the past I could see why it would be needed to use the high beam as back then they didn't even have as much output as today's low beam.
 
Joe Bass said:
Funny, the line of "have you ever looked behind you?"...said that same answer to my mom years ago....there's a trail of carnage left behind her, but she never got into an accident. (car, but still).
My question again, though, and not to argue, but why is it then recommended in the MTO handbook?
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Do you remember what section it was in? I don't see anything in the chapter on "visibility" that refers to it. At any rate there are some places I disagree with the handbook, particularly on lane position.
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