Only time I ride with low beams is at night. I've seen rookies riding in daylight with low beams that you can't even tellare on.

 

Does all this mean I have to go and buy a head light for my bike?[sm=shades.gif]

 

Always use high beam, during the daytime.
Tom

 

Yeah, Ditto +1 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[IMG]local://upfiles/50580/27B20D7E2DD24203A5E3C9C2525A9A2C.jpg[/IMG]

 

- ruuubbbeerrrr necccckiingggg

- okay , moving on ....

 

Another high beaming rookie here.I like high beams of all kinds.

 

My passing lamps turn off w/my hi beams on reducing my lights to 1. I leave mine on low.

 

I've been driving for about 20 years.
So, let me say something from the driver point of view: running with high beams on as a safety measure is pure delusion. Even worst: it's DANGEROUS.

It just follows the principle that, if a dose of something is good, then a LOT of it is better. Well, try that with painkillers and make your heirs let me know about the results!
High beams DISTRACT and BLIND!
Yes, I may be aware that there's a dork out there somewhere with his high beam on, but I can't be aware of much else, and it may make me crash into some poor other bastard I didn't see (YOU, for example), or I can just slam on may brakes to avoid hitting something while seeing nothing, and the only result will be he rams into my car, hurts himself and actually has to pay for the damage as well.
During day, high beams are distracting and can anyway be blinding, if the sky is overcast or you are running in the shadow.

Moreover, just to bust the delusion of high beam = more visibility, HIGH BEAM ON A BIKE IS VERY EASILY MISTAKEN FOR A CAR WITH A BADLY SET LEFT LIGHT, AND MOST DRIVERS WON'T ACTUALLY PAY MUCH MORE ATTENTION THAN WHAT'S NEEDED TO FLICK THEIR REAR VIEW MIRROR.

The low beam is more than enough to be seen both in day and night, and they are MUCH better than the high beam, as you don't get a blinding halo in your rear view, but can pinpoint the location of the bike, and it's less mistaken for something else.

There is, actually, something everyone can do to make his bike more visible and, above all, easier to identify as a bike: buy the additional lights.
There are studies made by serious safety organizations (such as railway safety organizations) that have determined that the highest degree of safety is obtained by using three lights, if possible set in a triangle (but in line is good anyway) that show more clearly the vehicle, identify it in an unmistakable way as a bike, and actually allow even peripheral vision to discern at which relative speed the two vehicles are running.

Moreover, wearing appropriate, highly visible clothing with bright colors and reflexite stripes will make you more visible even from a side point of view, which is probably the most dangerous one.

FLASHING the high beams to get attention, that's another issue entirely.

 

BTW: if the low beam is not visible enough, time to verify the angle, or change the glass or change the bulb, or the reflector.
A low beam which is ok is well visible in full daylight.
Moreover, a bike's light is ALREADY at a higher level than most car's (but some SUVs, maybe) and is by itself much more striking for the driver's eye.
And, yes, I've been blinded occasionally in full daylight by people with their high beams on, so if you think high beams in daylight don't blind, think again.

 

When my low beam burns out I run my high beam until it burns out then reach for my spare. I run my fog lights on the engine guard all the time to show up more and find out that because most cagers can not tell the distance they often wait until I pass. I usually ride up front in a group because my bike lights up so good.