Hear HearI tend not to use my lights in town but do on open roads:cool:I find when im in my cage that bright lights on in daylight do make it hard to judge a bikes speed/distance and also accelerating bikes look like they are flashing their lights and could be misconstrued as a signal to pull out.Ride defensively i say and LOOK AT THE WHEELS:cool:
Wheels is the one Chunky!
Its also spacing and prediction.
I don’t know if this is how everyone see’s the road, but I look for the spaces I know Londoners want to get into, and avoid them. Its amazing how many people see a space and leap into it with the undying belief that they are the only vehicle that could possibly want that space. This is London. EVERYONE wants that space, its the only one going. Do you really think you on your L plate bike can actually take on a middle class house-wife that doesn’t look in her Mercedes/BMW/Volkwagen/whatever shaped cage… or Competitive bloke in his BMW/Porsche/4x4 shaped cage… ?
I AM old fine, but even as a kid, I understood mortality. I hate hospitals too.
Fast and defensive is kinda … well, aggressive really, but not quite. By being fast, you can move through that space and be out the other side of it before Mr Car Driver has even thought about it. The blind idiots are quite predictable really, and slow by comparison with a skillfully controlled sports bike. Just remember they’re blind, and they’re idiots. Forget the Highway Code and the law, just look at the possibilities of whether Mr Car Driver can cross your path, because it’s only a numbers game and sooner or later he will. Ride safe!!
iI ride with my dims on so I can be seen. Where I come from though, (south africa) you have to ride your bike with its ‘day’ light on (dims) so I am just used to it I guess.
Daytime headlight, highviz jacket, bright pink spangly catsuit and flashing neon light on your head which reads ‘Warning, motorcycle approaching’.None of them are any use because the barstewards DON’T F***ING LOOK!!! 
It’s up to you. I wear my highviz at this time of year because I believe the reflective stripes are useful on these dark misty mornings. Been glad of it in the when trying to direct traffic round some poor cyclist who was down and waiting for an ambulance as well.
I would just be careful about giving the impression that you are letting them out, especially as you ride with lights on with a chance of a bump causing a flash.
Not saying your way is not the best way tho’ just I like to make clear to them that I am not letting them out and I am coming through … (usually at speed!:Whistling: )
My headlight is always on, there’s no off switch but the flip side of that is that I don’t turn it on to get the mental force field effect, I’m always expecting the worst.
I mostly drive a car on business and to be honest, a bike with a headlight on is much easier to see when its filtering or coming towards me, filtering without a headlight means it’s next to invisible.
Main beam or a too high dipped beam does I agree make it very difficult to judge distance and speed, impossible when it’s dark, all you see is a bright light which you can’t look at so it stops you looking anywhere near it.
The best headlight for a bike to use, from a car drivers point of view, is one that’s quite bright, properly adjusted and with an orange glow to the headlight. I’ve seen a couple of these and they stand out like a sore thumb, really visible, I think Philips make the bulbs, exceptional and excellent for seeing a bike filtering. The light is still white but the headlamp has an orange tint.
bike lights on
car lights on.
always!.
Bike rider switches on
Car driver switches off
My R1200GS has lights on all the time. If it helps you be seen then whatn the heck!
I find it quite strange in London that most of cagers do not use any lights whatever the weather. When it rains heavily and they can’t see the next car tail they rather use horn than dims.
And if they turn indicators it’s usually after they’ve already changed direction and realised that it’s put someone in trouble.
Why is that?
I think all bikes manufactured after 2003. I’m sure the home office has some info if you really want to know.
It seems my blue LED side lights are having a good effect with cars seeing me and immediately moving over :laugh:
It can be a bit dangerous though as I have witnessed a few speeding cars brake heavily too :laugh:
Don’t know how legal these are, but I’ve heard good things about these too
