Too Much Light?

[hondarider]

Someone on another forum suggested that these Hella 500s might be overkill...but with an 1800' effective range, you just can't outrun them...can you ever have too much light?

[deilenberger]

You can if it's too much light to use.. I'd suspect these would be of marginal use in NJ where traffic density would preclude the use of them most of the time (due to blinding oncoming traffic..)

[henzilla]

They work fine in the wide open spaces we have...and to "illuminate" certain oncoming drivers! Put some FF200's on mine along with the stock Adventure beams...and some MotoLights. Used them more on my commutes in the early AM with no one elso on the road. They don't all run at once usually...usually:lol

[YELLOW_S]

They work fine in the wide open spaces we have...and to "illuminate" certain oncoming drivers! Put some FF200's on mine along with the stock Adventure beams...and some MotoLights. Used them more on my commutes in the early AM with no one elso on the road. They don't all run at once usually...usually:lol

I'm going to say thats too much... But thats just me... But hey, if you are trying to blind oncoming traffic on a two lane county black top, go ahead. But not the smartest thing in the world.

[riderR1150GSAdv]

IMHO you can't have enough light. Not only to see better but hopefully be seen better as well. I put HID's on my GS and in the PIAA 910's I have. Still moron drivers:banghead try to cut me off, 'pretending' not to see me despite the Hi Viz yellow shirt I wear over my riding gear also.....I my outfit my bike with a bazooka :nra

[henzilla]

As I said, not usually on ,and not all at once. I do run them on a lot of county roads , lot's of them I ride daily .
The Hellas switch with the hi-beam ckt and I do not do that to oncoming...unless it is a quick blast to get them to dim down after the stock ones do nothing. If I am urban riding, the Hellas stay off the hi-beam ckt because I sometimes run the hi-beam during the day.
The Moto Lights are 35 watt yellow bulbs and no threat of blinding anyone,they are for conspicuity, the BMW lights are as far reaching as the stock lights, run them in low light conditions.
But with all that said...I am not commuting now , but will still get caught in the dark by chance or choice and I sure like seeing a little better. This bike will be the traveler, my others only have MotoLights and are supposed to be home before dark:ha :ha :ha

[jingdog]

If its night and you are on a back road shouldnt you be watching for deer and going SLOW?
If its NJ at night where I live there is so much background radiation that its common to see people who "forget" to turn their lights on at night. (I drive home from work at midnight) I tried not turning mine on and found I really didnt need headlights to see enough to drive.

[PGlaves]

If its night and you are on a back road shouldnt you be watching for deer and going SLOW?
If its NJ at night where I live there is so much background radiation that its common to see people who "forget" to turn their lights on at night. (I drive home from work at midnight) I tried not turning mine on and found I really didnt need headlights to see enough to drive.

That's funny! Where I live I have to take a flashlight to find where the bike is parked.

[hondarider]

Oh yeah...where I live...there's nothing other than twisty two lane country roads...no street lights...and lots of animals...my morning commute is 30 minutes at 4:00 or 5:00 AM and I see about 5 cars duing the entire trip. If I went slow because of the threat of wildlife, I'd never get anywhere...we have deer, bear, moose, cows, raccoons, fox, coyote, etc coming out of our ears. Rest assured that I couldn't possibly leave these things on with oncoming traffic...they're blinding. But at 4:00AM or 10:00 at night, they're worth their weight in gold...aside from the fact that every bug for 5 miles throws itself against me and the bike:thumb

[jingdog]

Nice to live in an area with wildlife. Id rather be late to where Im going than hit one of them though.
I drove my 79 C10 Chevy truck to upstate NY where Im from a very rural area to get some cow manure for my tomatoes. It was so dark at night up there I could see more than 100 yards dows the road clear as day with just the stock headlights.

[henzilla]

Oh yeah...where I live...there's nothing other than twisty two lane country roads...no street lights...and lots of animals...my morning commute is 30 minutes at 4:00 or 5:00 AM and I see about 5 cars duing the entire trip. If I went slow because of the threat of wildlife, I'd never get anywhere...we have deer, bear, moose, cows, raccoons, fox, coyote, etc coming out of our ears. Rest assured that I couldn't possibly leave these things on with oncoming traffic...they're blinding. But at 4:00AM or 10:00 at night, they're worth their weight in gold...aside from the fact that every bug for 5 miles throws itself against me and the bike:thumb

Pretty much my story also... 40 minute no one else on the road ride. I was going SLOW out one morning(10MPH) climbing hill from house when I was broadsided by a young buck...knew a herd had been hanging in general vicinity at 5:30AM...still got me but we both rode and scampered off without incident. I go as fast as my limitations allow me, just another risk I assume resposibility for.

Hondarider has me on the moose and bears though...have everything else