Spotlights

Sidney

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I have a pair of led spotlights on my 2007 GS just for improved visibility. I’m sure they are adjusted correctly.
When using them at night some drivers flash but not all.

I appreciate they are very bright but that doesn’t mean they dazzle and the pitching on a motorcycle can contributing factor.

Just wondering if other people experience this when riding with spotlights at night?



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I have HID in my low beam and both spotlights, I never get flashed by anyone, maybe yours are set a little high, in the dark check the beam height of them against a garage door or wall to compare with your low beam, I have mine set slightly lower then the low beam.
 
When you dip, spotlights must extinguish. This is a legal requirement.

If you have foglights fitted, they may only be used in conditions of fog or falling snow, when visibility is under 100 metres. To use them at any other time is blinding oncoming drivers, extremly discourteous, and illegal.

Those who claim they can set the foglights so as to not blind oncoming drivers have a fanciful imagination. The only way to stop them blinding oncoming drivers is to point them vertically down. They have a focal length of circa 1-2 metres, and the wide spread makes then impossible to set in a manner which avoids blinding oncoming road users.
 
When you dip, spotlights must extinguish. This is a legal requirement.

If you have foglights fitted, they may only be used in conditions of fog or falling snow, when visibility is under 100 metres. To use them at any other time is blinding oncoming drivers, extremly discourteous, and illegal.

Those who claim they can set the foglights so as to not blind oncoming drivers have a fanciful imagination. The only way to stop them blinding oncoming drivers is to point them vertically down. They have a focal length of circa 1-2 metres, and the wide spread makes then impossible to set in a manner which avoids blinding oncoming road users.
When I said spotlights I meant the standard BMW fog lights as fitted to the adventure,
As I said above I set the beam level a little below the low beam level against my garage door, they give a flat beam pattern on mine so don't appear to send too much light above this level,
As for the turning off of the fog lights being illegal, I run with them on all of the time on my gsa, around my way I would say over 50% of cars I see on the road seem to be running with their front fog lights on all the time, they do seem to be being used as daytime running lights more and more on most cars.
Rear fog lights, now that's a different matter, some drivers seem to think its ok to turn them on when there is the slightest bit of mist in the air, they are blinding and dangerous and shouldn't be used if you can still see 500 yards who the road in front of you.
 
I have a pair of led spotlights on my 2007 GS just for improved visibility. I’m sure they are adjusted correctly.
When using them at night some drivers flash but not all.

I appreciate they are very bright but that doesn’t mean they dazzle and the pitching on a motorcycle can contributing factor.

Just wondering if other people experience this when riding with spotlights at night?



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A picture of your lights might help to see what you have fitted , if they are aftermarket fitments they may not give the same beam pattern as my standard gsa fitments
 
I often pass bikers on the way to work. Some of them have aux lights on and so close to the headlight that it has little effect in telling me what , how far away they are or what is behind the lights.... Merely that they are a big f off bright lighted thing! I wish they would actually work out that there needs to be a defining depth or shape to give motorists a clue where they actually are on the road. Similarly when polis park askew (i know why they do) but the f ng flashing lights are so bright, you can't see past them to safely see what is behind their skewed vehicle while they help a pensioner tighten hits seatbelt (or whatever)
 
Thanks for the reply gazza12adv. The lights are not fog lights so will have a different pattern and won’t be as defined as yhe OEM fogs. So I’ve made an adjustment like you suggested and will see how it goes next time I’m out in the dark.







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.......Rear fog lights....... are blinding and dangerous and shouldn't be used if you can still see 500 yards who the road in front of you.

For clarification, the law states that rear high-intensity low-visibility warning lights should only be used when visibility is reduced to 100 metres or less.
 
For clarification, the law states that rear high-intensity low-visibility warning lights should only be used when visibility is reduced to 100 metres or less.

I knew that, I was just stating that people turn them on in the s!lightest bit of mist when you can still see 500 yards in front of you,
 
For clarification, the law states that rear high-intensity low-visibility warning lights should only be used when visibility is reduced to 100 metres or less.
It does not. It states foglights, and does not differentiate between front & rear.
 
For clarification, the law states that rear high-intensity low-visibility warning lights should only be used when visibility is reduced to 100 metres or less.

If you can see well enough to drive at 30mph you don't need rear fog lights. They are dangerous on motorways in all but the worst fog.
 
It does. For clarification, the law states that rear high-intensity low-visibility warning lights should only be used when visibility is reduced to 100 metres or less.

Rule 226. You MUST use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced, generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet). You may also use front or rear fog lights but you MUST switch them off when visibility improves (see Rule 236
 
It does. For clarification, the law states that rear high-intensity low-visibility warning lights should only be used when visibility is reduced to 100 metres or less.

Rule 226. You MUST use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced, generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet). You may also use front or rear fog lights but you MUST switch them off when visibility improves (see Rule 236

One of you is saying the law says, one of you is quoting the highway code, is the highway code law or just rules for better driving standard.
 
Highway Code is not law, it’s guidance, which is largely based on law.
A regulation always trumps a code.
 
I think most of us here would prefer to use all the forward projecting light available and arrive alive than adhere to the law on fog/aux lighting. FFS
 
Now see what you’ve caused Sidney. The UKGSer legislative experts are crossing swords over your simple query - this could’ve been avoided by simply lowering the beam of your unnecessary spot/fog/fairy lights. Have you given any thought about wearing a “polite” vest in the quest for imagined riding safety.
 
Crikey just wanted to know if in general spot or fogs caused people flash even when correctly adjusted. I have adjusted mine and to avoid any dazzling they are now rearward facing.


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Crikey just wanted to know if in general spot or fogs caused people flash even when correctly adjusted. I have adjusted mine and to avoid any dazzling they are now rearward facing.


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I never have any issues with them, mine are angled down slightly to fill in that area in front of the crappy dipped beam on the headlight.
 


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