Daytime riding lights or headlights on in daylight?

Just wondering what most folk are using during their daytime riding.
I’ve seen a lot of Triumphs with just their DRL’s being used. I’m not sure that they are super bright…!
What’s your thoughts ?

I’ve almost always run with a headlight on. Anything to draw attention my way might mean the difference between a nice ride out and a SMIDSY incident. I actually prefer stron LED runnng lights - I think they are a better, brighter point source. Absolutely no science behind it, just my perception.

DRL. It seems brighter to me than the dipped headlight.

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Yup, DRL’s for me.

Agreed, DRL for me every time.

Dipped headlights combined with foglights on the Tiger. Still SMIDSY though…:see_no_evil:

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The Street Triple has the option of DRLs but I almost always prefer to use the headlight. The DRLs are bright but show as a smaller area than the headlight itself. (Check out the reflection in the back of the car or van in front of you in a queue)

I agree Steve. I also saw a Speed Triple RS coming towards me one day with bright sunlight behind him and thought the DRLs which he had on were pretty ineffective. That made me check what I was doing and I changed to dipped headlights …!

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Mine are both low beam as default. Makes people feel good when they tell you you have a light out :rofl:. In bright sunlight (if anyone can remember what that looks like!!!) I find the older, yellowy lights on bikes more visible than the bright LEDs on my Street Triple; they don’t “blend” as much.

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Indicators

Not legal but gets me noticed (so far not by plod).
SWMBO’s “halos” have amber leds included but the down side is when on whites they’re less bright, so she runs with head lights.

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On a related subject I’d like to hear from our Euro brothers…
When riding in France I’ve seen bikers using their hazard lights while filtering (which seems a good idea to me), is this a common / accepted / legal practice in Europe?
Never seen any UK bikers doing this, the fact they’re “hazard” lights would police take that as admitting unnecessary risk I wonder. :thinking:

I wonder just how effective filtering with hazards would be. You want people in front to be checking their wing mirrors, which they’ll only glance at, at best. Not long enough to clock the flashing. It may be most beneficial when it’s dark, as a bike headlight could be lost among all the others. An orange light may be more noticeable.

The best defence is still to ride with extreme caution as there’s always some numpty who will change lanes without looking.

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Yes, it was a bad day for bikers when they started adding DRL’s to cars. Previously daytime headlights were exclusive to bikes so helped us to stand out, now we just blend in.
It annoyed me that for many years the bean counters at Triumph decided we don’t even need hazards! I’ve modified my Speedy to include standard hazards now… and if I switch on the link to the twin drl’s I’m definitely noticed (possibly not in a good way). :slightly_smiling_face:

My extra led-lights:



Wattage 60W

Voltage 12V

Color Temperature: 3500K~6500K

Lens Material: Glass

Housing Material: Die-cast Aluminu

Waterproof: IP67

Beam: Hi Low Beam

  • low beam (yellow light)
  • high beam (white light)
  • both can be on also at the same time
  • 3 different blinking strobo-light options

These are heavy like small pieces of metal.

I doubt innocent cute smile would help much (with policeman) if I would use those blinking strobo-settings…

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They’re not legal filtering here - the name says it all - “hazard lights”. People do use them regardless when filtering and you’re not likely to be fined for doing so.

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Those are not legal here either, but I have not heard that polices would have exactly stopped and tested motorcycles’s led-lights here (and even giving you penalties). But of course, if I would ride against a police-car with those led-lights blinking … another story.

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Similar here; using hazards whilst filtering could land you with a fine. I have seen people using them in the UK though whilst filtering. I can’t see the point for a number of reasons myself, not least that in the unlikely event people are actually looking at you then using them might confuse them.

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Apparently one of the reasons it’s not legal…

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Using hazard lights on the move is illegal in the uk unless you’re using them to warn others behind you of an upcoming hazard on a dual carriageway or motorway :face_with_peeking_eye:

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Doesn’t mention hazard lights in my copy of the Highway Code, probably 'cos these were new technology…
image

:laughing:

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