BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

Night time - I'll use main beam at night as much as possible in both urban and rural areas so that I can get the best available view as far ahead as possible, but only when I won't be dazzling/affecting other road users (including pedestrians), so when following or with oncoming vehicles it's dipped beam only. If the traffic conditions allow why wouldn't you want to see further up the road when it's dark? It improves your personal safety by your seeing potential hazards far sooner, I want as much illumination ahead as I can get at night 'cos I don't like surprises!

Day time - Personally I see no logical reason for using main beam in the day, particularly in traffic, as it will surely just produce a blinding white glare (particularly LED's) that will cause difficulties for other road users (including pedestrians) to estimate your speed, distance, or position. If it's attention you need for safety then the 3 points of light or yellow fogs will make you stand out better, anything that is different from the norm or something that will make a driver look again. You don't need something that will blind them, they're blind enough already! This article by Andrew Dalton, a bike riding Solicitor may be of interest -

https://www.whitedalton.co.uk/motorbike ... torcycles/

As an afterthought, it's always bemused me when I'm behind a car at night, just me and him, in an unlit derestricted road and with no traffic ahead or oncoming and he's doing 40 mph on dipped beam, presumably because he can only see about 25' in front of him. I can't overtake him 'cos I can't see where the road goes, but if he switches to main beam he can see further and will therefore be safer, and from a personal point of view he's immediately improved my view and I can get past him... as I said, just a thought.

More or less what Steve said. Use your common sense when using a high beam. The dipped beam with 2 low powered daylight in yellow stands out. It's called the light triangle. It has been proved that this light setup is more noticeable to oncoming traffic and in a vehicle's rear mirrors.
As for LED headlamp bulbs. Our bikes lamp reflectors are not designed for LED bulbs. They may look nice and bright but you have more of a chance of blinding oncoming traffic. The homemade conversion with these bulbs is an MOT fail and you can also be stopped and fined by the Police.
I have full LED lighting on my car and i don't like them. Compared to a standard halogen bulb, LED lighting is not as good. You get more road definition with a standard bulb, you can pick out curbs, potholes, road surfaces, etc better.

Doctor T wrote: ↑Wed Nov 16, 2022 3:00 pm More or less what Steve said. Use your common sense when using a high beam. The dipped beam with 2 low powered daylight in yellow stands out. It's called the light triangle. It has been proved that this light setup is more noticeable to oncoming traffic and in a vehicle's rear mirrors.
As for LED headlamp bulbs. Our bikes lamp reflectors are not designed for LED bulbs. They may look nice and bright but you have more of a chance of blinding oncoming traffic. The homemade conversion with these bulbs is an MOT fail and you can also be stopped and fined by the Police.
I have full LED lighting on my car and i don't like them. Compared to a standard halogen bulb, LED lighting is not as good. You get more road definition with a standard bulb, you can pick out curbs, potholes, road surfaces, etc better.

I too have full LED and find them to be far superior to Xenon or halogens. They bend and illuminate corners instead of just a straight beam. All in all the difference is like Day and Night.

I know this is an old thread but I recently took pics on a deserted main road of the low/high beam with my Cyclops LED converted lights plus a set of Clearwater Darla’s (with yellow lens fitted) that are set at 40% power on dipped and 100% on main beam.
I’ll also add that I didn’t get flashed by any other traffic that night.

I just ride in the day time with Halo's and lower spots on on the RT, and just dipped beam (LED's) on my other bikes.

EasyRider wrote: ↑Mon Apr 22, 2024 4:41 pm I just ride in the day time with Halo's and lower spots on on the RT, and just dipped beam (LED's) on my other bikes.

Me too, but I had the time and dry weather to go out on the bike one night, just to see how good the Cyclops were… highly impressed with them

Steve398 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 22, 2024 5:17 pm to go out on the bike one night,

Come 7pm i have my PJ's on, feet up watching TV

It was actually one of those rare warmish evenings with not much traffic, and really quite a pleasant ride out. That was based on the fact that I hit no dammed potholes, deer, or badgers, and it didn’t rain!

Very good bulbs though

My tuppence worth.....
'Yellows' at car driver sight line, flash in sync with indicators so no conflict, indicator on/ yellow off

I can understand the need for that, they are really close!

Steve398 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 06, 2022 8:04 pm I don’t think so…

Amber lights made no difference for me when I got knocked off 3 weeks ago

You can only try your best… It’s what the phrase WTF! was designed for

I've got yellow fog lamps fitted to the engine guards. I've only used them in really downpours and once on a foggy morning. I believe that I was more visible in the sheet rain whilst riding home on the M4 from Gwent.

BikerBill21 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 23, 2024 11:35 am My tuppence worth.....
'Yellows' at car driver sight line, flash in sync with indicators so no conflict, indicator on/ yellow off

IMG_3845.jpeg

That's a very similar set up to mine and although it's entirely unscientific, but when I changed from clear to Yellow filters on my Denali lights drivers did seem to take more notice of me.

Capt Sisko wrote: ↑Wed Apr 24, 2024 5:00 pm That's a very similar set up to mine and although it's entirely unscientific, but when I changed from clear to Yellow filters on my Denali lights drivers did seem to take more notice of me.

"Capt Sisko"'what Denali's do you have and where did you get the filters,quite fancy a bit of yellow meself