Motorcycle Headlights

I went out on a bit of late-night bimble along the A25 last night, and
an annoying twattock in the car in front of me insisted on flashing his
rear fog lights at me continuously for the whole 3 or 4 minutes I was
behind him. He was clearly trying to tell me my headlight was pissing
him off (I was riding a safe distance behind him too, before anyone
suggests otherwise). Thing is, my headlight was dipped (naturally) and I
was fucked if I was going to ride along an unlit A-road at night on my
sidelight, so I just ignored him until I was able to overtake.

The thing is, stuff like this has happened occasionally before -
oncoming traffic flashing their lights at me and so on. I previously put
this down to the facts that a)motorcycle headlights track with the
handlebars and therefore, unlike cars, don't always point nicely in the
direction of travel, b)motorcycle headlights tend to be mounted higher
than most car headlights and c)most car drivers are ignorant cunts.

But now I'm beginning to wonder if my headlight needs adjusting. So my
question is this: is it fairly common for ignorant motorists to behave
like this where bike headlights are concerned, or should I get my
headlight adjusted? The bike is 6 months old and was bought and serviced
by people I trust and fully believe to know what they're doing, but I
guess it is possible that they misadjusted it, or just forgot to check
it, when it came out of the crate.

 

How often does it occur and where? On both the GSX-R and the Strom I get/got
people flashing me - but in specific circumstances - usually when cresting a
hill. The same situation where I find their lights to be very bright - but
it seems they don't put the thought together to work out it's the road
surface, not the bike.

If it's everywhere, it's likely your lights are a bit high - either adjust
it yourself (check the manual for how, and the internet for the distance to
use etc) or ask your dealer to do it - I doubt they'd charge you to at least
check it - any place that does an MOT will have the 'official' measuring
thing.

I *did* raise the lights on the Strom slightly because I found them low -
which may explain a bit of the flashing I get, but I think a lot of it is
also the nature of the bike - long travel suspension means the front moves
about a lot.

Personally, as you discovered, I'd rather annoy 2% of the motoring public
and be able to see than worry about everyone. However, if it got to be a
regularly repeated thing, then I'd adjust the light.

With Vision Plus bulbs and the design of the Strom lights (which are,
frankly, amazing[1]) if I were riding around on main beam they'd be too
blind to see, let alone flash


[1] better than the car

 

no your light needs adjusting , best done with you sitting on the bike ,
riders weight makes a hell of a difference on light alignment on bikes

 

Okay, after reading this and the other replies I'm inclined to agree
with you. The other 'flashing' incidents have happened at fairly
innocuous times (not just on the brow of hills, or entering
left-handers, etc). I'll have a go at adjusting it myself, just for the
fun of it and because I'm too lazy to take it back do the dealer.

Thanks to everyone who replied.

 

When I picked up my bike from the dealers, I found that the lights were
basicly pointing at the sky.

Ten minutes of fiddling later, and theyre fine. Chances are they forgot to
check them when they de-crated the bike.

SWK will be along shortly to tell you what hight theyre sposed to be at...
something like a spot 3 feet off the ground when front of bike is 3 meters
from a wall or somesuch.....

 

It only tends to be at night that there's a real problem (people's eyes
are better adjusted to the brightness during the day, I guess). I love
riding at night when the air is cooler and the roads are emptier,
although you do need to have your wits 100% about you as, even with my
possibly-shonky headlight, I seem to have a cloak of invisibility that
automatically kicks in on roundabouts and junctions. And call me vain
and stupid, but I refuse to wear one of those luminous tabard things.
Maybe I just haven't had a big enough scare yet.

Ordinarily, that's exactly what I'd do, so their annoyance would be kept
to a minimum anyway. But last night, the car in front was doing between
60-70mph on a single-carriageway hilly A-road, and my bike needs three
weeks notice and a form signed in triplicate to go much faster than that
under those circumstances.

I'm gonna have a bash at it myself. I don't think I'm likely to make it
any worse (famous last words...).

 

^^^^^^^^^^
BTW, rude of me not to ask originally, but what happened?

 

Could have been a dodgy earth.

Are you sure it isn't just poorly adjusted car headlamps, tired shocks
and a bumpy road?

Check the aim of your headlamps.

--
Martin:
"For a minute there, you bored me to death."
VTR1000 Firestorm
TDR250 http://ukrm.net/BIKES/Yamaha/tdr250.html
martin dot smith nine zero three at ntlworld dot com

 

Nah, they were fine until I got to within about 150 yards of him at
which point he sat there rhythmically flashing them off and on during
all the straightish bits of road. He was flashing them, trust me.

Yup, quite sure.

 

Okay then it must be your crappy headlamps and poor riding technique ;->

Get it sorted.

--
Martin:
"For a minute there, you bored me to death."
VTR1000 Firestorm
TDR250 http://ukrm.net/BIKES/Yamaha/tdr250.html
martin dot smith nine zero three at ntlworld dot com

 

I used to get that at the same point on the same bit of road, it turned out
( when I saw another bike ) that the bump in the road made it look like I
was flashing ( lol )........

 

message

In situations like this I tend to flash back, until they realise that you're
*not* actually on main beam.

Then I'd check the adjustment when I got home.

 

On my bike from new the headlights were miles out, nothing on the road
but a danger to aircraft.

 

Yeah, I adjusted it earlier today. It was almost, but not quite, as high
as it possibly could get - I had to move it down a good 1/2 inch I
reckon. I'm a bit miffed that the dealer (who also does MOTs) didn't
check it, but it's not the end of the world and having adjusted it
myself gives me the (entirely false) impression that I've got half a
clue mechanically.

I'm quite looking forward to my next late-night A-road jaunt now - being
able to see the road is bound to add an extra element of enjoyment.