Motorcycle Auxiliary, Adventure lights - Do we really need them?
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2018
- Top 5 Myths about Motorcycle Auxiliary Lights!
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We all know how important is the visibility and because of that many of you start to think about it or already bought auxiliary lights also so call spot or adventures lights. Most of you truly believe that they are absolutely necessary especially on adventure trip. As usual, I am here to questioning this theory and bust the top 5 myths about the auxiliary lights.
I am aware that this video will generate huge discussions about that topic. Many of you will dislike it, but I truly believe that if you listen with open mind, and ignore the fact that you already spend money for this fancy and adventure looking lights you will be able at least to see one alternative opinion.
Myth N: 1 - They are absolutely necessary.
The presumption is that they will be necessary if you plan long trip and have plans to ride in the dark. The idea is to have better visibility and prevent collisions with other moving objects, like cars, animals or maybe to avoid potholes on the road. Ok, it perfectly make sense, but could you please explain me why some of the most famous motorcycles for long trips, the best known cruisers don’t have it?
Honda Goldwing, BMW K 1600, Ducati Multistrada and even the BMW 1200 GS. These bikes are designed to spend thousands of miles on the roads. How they going to do it without these fancy additional lights?
Myth N: 2 - They will not harm your electric system.
The stator or the alternator of any bike is designed to produce enough electricity exactly for the model. If you plug some additional light you have to be very careful how much exactly they will consume, because at the end instead of having more light you might need new battery.
The second big risk to consider is the possible circuit or bad connections caused from poor or cheap installation method.
Myth N: 3 - They are safe to use all the time.
This statement is not right. In many countries to use additional fog lights is possible only when the weather is bad such a heavy rain or fog. Also the chances to blind the opposite traffic are very big, especially in the dark. The stock light are properly designed to prevent this of happening, that’s why we have head light and high beam, but with auxiliary lights you have one light spread to all sides.
Myth N: 4 - They will give you the filling light you need.
More light is equal to more safety. Maybe, but I cannot 100% agree with this. The most dangerous part of riding in the night is coming from the objects in front of you. Faster you ride faster they comes and less time for reaction you will have. The additional lights usually give more filling light, but on both sides on the bike, not in front of the bike and definitely not on 30m ahead.
Myth N: 5 - They will increase your visibility.
I party agree with this, but not the level to get one for myself. As I told you I spend thousands of km without it and I have no problems with the visibility. I think that it will help you much better if you learn how to ride properly to increase your visibility.
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Should we add reflectors to our Bike???
IMB
I got hit by a car without my additional lights, but the 4 years I have had mine fitted cars seem to see me better, I only fitted them to be seen by other road users....surely it's a personal thing if riders want to fit them it's their choice! We have a right to an opinion, just like you have...
I am a professional Vip-driver in Holland for 20 years, and also biker for 30 years.
60.000 miles a year.
Every biker who put on (small) auxilliary-lights (in a triangle) ,day or night or bad weather i can detect mutch easyer /quicker/sooner in my rear few mirror!!!
Just do it.
Yes, and if the same biker add twenty more lights will be even better...
Just a joke, thanks for watching and drive/ride safe!
So, what difference does it make for you as a truck driver to see biker in your rear view mirror? I mean, if vehicle is behind you, it is up to him to ride and stay safe. Your responsibility is mainly to provide signals to let him know of your intentions. Hopefully, you are paying more attention ahead of you and on your sides than to what is going on behind you (which is still important but, not really under your control.)
I agree 100% if they save your life once, they are worth it. I believe they are an incredible safety feature especially in heavy traffic travelling day or night.
@@jethrowingnut13 'Fer sure, and while any bike's existing lighting may be 'sufficient', have never seen a downside to shedding 'more' light on a dark road, or improving visibility to other drivers. Also I'm pretty sure that most modern bike alternators, which put out anywhere from 400 to 700 watts, can handle an additional 15-20 watt 'load'.
@Not Not Adventures Yellow good for raining condition, basically you may put additional light if you want but please be considerable to the others & use it wisely.
Here in Sweden it gets dark every 6 months around 3 pm. I extend my driving season for about 3 months. Thats a god thing if you ask me.
Hello. I just came back from 4000 kilometer trip to South Chile in my f800gs Where My low beam got busted and my Adventure Lights saved me a couple of times I had to drive late in the evening. I respect your opinion for me it's nice to have. Enjoy!
These extra lights are very useful -makes motorcycle wider and car drivers see you instantly in the mirrors... Once I switch it off I can see the difference in behaviour on road.... Cheers !
Good, if you like it, use it!
Anyway, I'm agree what you said in video... On regular even weekend trip you don't need such a thing... People travel on Vespas with backpack luggage without all gadgets- it's possible ! ;-)
Exactly what I am saying. They might help, but necessary...
I must disagree with you here. I mounted my aditional lights mainly because of safety in traffic. Vehicle with single head light is sometimes easy to oversee, while bright ball of lights moving down the road attracts more attention from oncoming drivers, thus preventing accidents.
One other thing... Stock motorcycles does not come with top/side cases, which does not mean those are not needed. Same is with aditional lights, some people may need them, other may feel safe enough without them.
Cheers from Serbia
I was expecting this type of messages, but I am ok with this. If you like it, just use it. I personally never find a reason to do it.
...and they are very usefull on Serbian roads ;)
Cheers and keep up with good work!
(Druze komentar ti je na mestu;)
Why are they more useful on Serbian roads than say in the US? Riding speeds are lower and due to mountain roads, you can't see it from any further distance than your stock light. At night, one has to be pretty much blind not to see stock light and during day you should be OK as long as you stay in your lane.
TBH the title says "Do we really NEED them" the answer is no they are not needed but they can still be preferable .
@@PP-wz7mp 75% being drunk 24/7 is supported by what statistics? Not to say that it is unusual for average Serbian driver to have shot before getting behind steer wheel but, most people that I knew would refuse drinking when they planned to drive. A thing that matters more is that motorcycles are (at least used to be) very rare on Serbian roads so, drivers are not trained to spot them. There is also lots of rude and inconsiderate drivers but, the lights would not be helpful there. Actually, it would be quite opposite as too much lighting would be considered as some kind of "provocation".
Love it! Bust those myths Pavlin! 👍 👍
Thanks!
For me it's about giving 4-wheel drivers, especially inattentive ones at junctions, a wide light pattern that catches their eye. Some may simply not see/react to a single headlight and most are geared up to reacting to 2 spaced apart headlights, like a car. Give them 2 foglights and the pattern gives them what they want to see - a horizontal pattern, something like a car and at about the same height - and they react to it. And generally, the more you look like a christmas tree, the more likely they are to see you. So it can't hurt. That's why lorries often have more lights than a small city.
I understand, if you like it use it.
I completely agree with you. A friend of mine really loves his lights though because he always rides a lot off the beaten track where there is no light after sunset, so heaving that extra bit of light is really helpful. I on the other hand don't need it at all
Yes, some people do need them.
Love this guy, always very practical 👍👍👍
Thanks man!
most of the time i agree with you but here i would add that the additional lights are very useful when you are off-roading and you get lost in the dark...it makes a big difference
it is obvious that you dont get lost to often at night but you have to be prepared for the worst part off the trip ;)
If you like it, just use it.
I appreciate your logic
Your videos are excellent and honest keep up the great work
Great video!!
I ride from mountain town,and commute to work 30-45 minutes at 3am.
With no light poles on the road.
I enjoy your sarcasm “when you say how is this possible
I love ya man...but here I disagree with one thing. In the states many cars pull out in front of you especially in intersections. I think partly because unlike Europe were motorcycles are more common US drivers see a small object as being farther away (smaller is car farther away). However, we have noticed that mounting additional lights away from the headlight make the bike more noticeable. Not much but anything helps. I agree I rarely ride at night unless I’m going to work and then I do like the extra light. For me I don’t think there necessary but nice to have. I have the stock BMW ones led. Oh for me I wiggle the bike a bit when cars may pull in front of me and this has the effect of waving the lights. I have seen this actually grab the attention of drivers daydreaming at the intersection. In the US drivers have no respect for motorcycles my friend any help is worth it.
As I said I never found a reason to buy it, but it doesn't mean that no one can't.
that's why i have a headlight modulator on my.
To get another driver's attention, I suggest using the horn. The bike I bought used came with those extra safety lights and they shine very brightly when you honk the horn. Too brightly, so can be used for only a split-second which is how long you should honk the horn.
LOL, i was blasting my horn at some jack @$$ that was changing a lane without bothering to look. can you guess how much good that did? ;-) he didnt even hear me in his nice new pickup
So the lights didn't help, either. Right?
You are completely right ! Thank you !
You are so welcome
I agree with you about the wisdom of being off the road before night when tripping around. I also ride the urban video game a lot and the extra lights do indeed make it easier for others to pick a bike out from the background light scatter and to estimate how fast the bike is going.
As always, I enjoy your advice! Definitely given me some good view points to consider!
I am glad that you find the channel useful, thanks!
Absolutely true what you are saying..The only time when I use them is when I set up my tent in the dark..if they were not on the bike when I bought it I would not additionaly install them..keep up the good work 👍🎥
Make sense!
good video, greetings from canada! I cannot find your tenere here in canada, only the 1200cc
They don't sell it there, maybe the new Tenere 700...who know...
Greetings from Malta. I've learnt a lot watching your videos, thank you for sharing your experiences with us. I am planning a trip around eastern Europe this summer, all this information will be very useful. Thank you very much, ride safe!
You are welcome anytime!
I personally use auxiliary lights because I ride mainly at night and through very dark rural roads. I watched all of your videos and I find them very good and very informative. keep up the good work. would love to see more videos from you.
You will, two videos per week.
I always enjoy and take good notice of your advice, in this case I can give you my reason for having additional lighting.
My daughter lives in an area of Gloucestershire, UK, called The Forest of Dean. A few years ago, just after she moved there, I was coming from her house in the dark and rain. Roads are good surface but only two way lanes and very twisting bends/corners.
When the traffic was coming towards me on the bends the reflection on the wet roads, plus most cars have their dipped headlights adjusted much too high, I found it impossible to see the edge of the road even on right hand bends.
Using spotlights in these conditions throws light low down and a bit further than the dipped headlight.
I was riding a Honda Shadow, VT750C2, at the time, now I have a Honda CTX1300 the headlight is much better but I still find it beneficial to have the spots in certain conditions, not on the motorways of course or even our 'A' roads in good weather. The new spots/fogs on the CTX are LED and combines spot and Fog with 2 sets of LED's on each lamp, fogs at the top, spots below.
Photograph is my 10 year old Grandson when we stopped off at a shop on the school run :-)
s5.postimg.org/drpzhobdz/08_January_2018_-_Lennon_stopping_off_at_Lidl_on_the_bike.jpg
Thanks for all of your great advice, I do appreciate it very much.
Cheers, Dave.
As I said Dave, I never found a good reason to buy it, but you did. Ride safe!
I love your vids
worth info. thank you
thanks buddy. i was just about to buy some lights until i saw this video. Very practical and makes perfect sense.
You are welcome anytime!
Thank you so much sir.. you clear the doubts very easily... waiting for October when I meet you..
Great video Pavlin!Always direct and honest in the way you explain your point of view!I agree with you at 100%!
Thanks!
Thank you for your nice videos.I have extra lights on my transalp witch I have always on( day or night)because I believe other drivers see me better.
Us whatever works for you. Thanks for taking the time!
Good advise for keeping it simple and safe.
I will, thanks!
Another interesting topic sir.
I always ride with the idea that I am invisible to other road users, if you ride with the attitude that you can be seen by others, driving lights, high vis vest etc, then you are asking for trouble, never assume that people see you.
I have seen people hit by trucks, trams and trains, you did not see them ? What hope on a motorcycle ?
As for riding at night ? It depends on where you are, here in Australia from dusk till dawn it is bad idea, so much wildlife near the roads, most animals are nocturnal and mostly appear after dusk when it cools down.
I heard an interesting comment from Grant Johnson of Horizon Unlimited about this subject and he said that the idea is to get off the road during the day, before dusk, so plan your ride accordingly, so therefore no need for extra lights, and if you do get caught out after dark, slow down.
Absolutely correct! If you do need to ride in the night slow down and you will be fine.
I can't speak for others but I have a stationary headlight. I purchased two auxiliary floodlights and they are mounted on my forks. The purpose is for light to illuminate in the direction ahead of me for when I turn. It is very nice when riding offroad through turns.
When you add lights to your vehicle, that illuminate surface near your bike, it seems, as if you have better lighting, but it actually has a serious drawback. There is a reason, why most vehicles stock light switch off low beam, while using high beam. When there is too much light coming from near you, your pupils will constrict, making it harder to see objects further ahead, in the dark. Same as with smoking behind the wheel, using cellphone behind the wheel, etc.
Very true, thanks for adding this!
Very good argumentation. This makes sense at all.
That's not true my Toyotas don't turn off low beam when turn high. I guess Toyota engineers didn't get your memo
Not quite. Some of cars and motorcycles do not switch off low beam while using high beam. Why some are doing this and some not? The reason is the lightbulb. H4 has two fibers in one bulb and can not use both of them at the same time because of overheating, so when you switch on high beam it automatically disconnects low beam. When you have H7 (or LED) based lights, low beam and high beam lights are usually thermally independent and can be used together and they are.
I stand corrected about the reasons high/ low beam may not be lit at the same time. However I recall a study, discussed briefly in driving school, about cigarettes causing pupils to constrict, and thus reducing the capabilities of drivers seeing in dark. I only draw the (in my mind) logical connection, to lights, from there. As I have no scientific proof to back it up, only what I experience behind the wheel, I accept that I may not be correct. But I am still convinced it does make a difference. Would be interesting to have a study made about this.
I always like your logic,I am also of the firm belief that one does not require additional lights and one should avoid riding in night,looking forward to ride with you some day.
Simple, no light-no ride!
Just love all your videos , its because You Are very practical. Cheers
Your friend from India
Perfect video as usual. Keep it up!
Thanks! I will, new video every week.
Thanks for all of the great videos. I love them and agree with almost everything that you say. I ride about 10/12 K miles a season in rural New England USA. Lots of inclement weather, heavily wooded and lots of large nocturnal animals like deer, moose, bear and even turkeys. All of which can put a motorcycle on the ground in a heartbeat. Yes...even turkeys. Here is we differ in opinion. I ride a lot around dusk and shortly after dark and have become a big fan of spots, angled slightly outward to shine into the wooded edges of the road about 50 yards in front of my position. Why? The grafic of the deer that you showed is the answer. Their eyes reflect light very brightly...even through dense foliage. Countless times I have been alerted to their presence well in advance by using such lights. Are there special considerations like not blinding oncoming drivers? Of course. Use common sense, good riding habits and some big ass lights and ride on... Thanks again for the great content. Ken.
Thanks for this commend Kenneth! As I said in the video for many people these light will be a must, but I personally never found a good reason to buy it and they are definitely not necessary! For example I also need to ride in the dark sometimes and when it's happens I just reduce the speed and do it more carefully, that's all.
At the end everything is coming to something very simple: You have to ride with the speed, which will aloud you to stop at any curtain time if you have to.
It doesn't matter how many, or how good the lights are, if the speed is more than you can control at the moment you are in trouble. I hope this will make clear what exactly I mean!
All the best!
Practical & useful advice in all things moto, even though i seldom ride long distance adventure. Mostly city commute on sportbike. Love this channel.
Thanks man!
I fully agree with you Paulin. Most accidents happen because of the fast and dangerous rides... speed, speed and again speed is the core reason for most of accidents
Correct, but so many riders forget that simple rule and focus on expensive "life saving" stuff. Anyway, I am not here to teach or to change the decision the rest of the riders will take. I just said what I think.
speed and a lack of planning and preparedness. I see riders having that moment regularly weaving through traffic and lanes whilst not considering the consequences of that moment we all dread.
Don't forget booze, my Friends have been hit and even killed though no fault of their own by drunk drivers. Very safe experienced riders. Daytime nighttime, makes no difference. Must always be prepared for the unexpected, illogical drivers. It's good to stay away from congested areas or choose times to minimize congested exposure. Also take sun into consideration. Bright sunlight at your back may make it impossible for other drivers to not see you. Makes no difference whose at fault should you get in an accident the results are the same. Ride to live ✌️
Great channel by the way!
Glad you enjoy it!
Love this video dude!! Mind is made up now thanks!:)
Thanks Andre!
Once again. Excellent practical advice. Excellent info.
Thanks!
I personally have additional lights to get other drivers' attention during daylight hours. I don't ride much at night, but when I do, I rarely use my aux lights. I also where a high viz vest and have tons of reflective tape on my bike. To your off-road race point; I have no experience with Dakar, but almost every rider in a Baja race has either additional lights or greatly improved units, some of which are quick release so they can be removed for weight savings during daylight stages. I respect your opinion, but that's all it really is.
So do I. Respect all of your opinions, but I have mine and I am not going to change it soon.
В целом согласен, но пример с ралли Дакар не правильный. Это ралли проходит в светлое время суток, так как транслируется телевидением. Напротив , в гонке "Баха 1000" в которой едут всю ночь, используют очень мощный дополнительный свет. На обычных скоростях дополнительный свет нужен в крайне редких случаях, например, если штатный слишком плох.
Это ралли проходит в светлое время суток, только для професиналистов, для средного класа водителя ето не так. Не рядко случается ночават из дунях.
Thanks for the answer, I was not so interested in details and therefore did not know. I watch your videos in Russia. Personally, everything is clear for me, but it would be great if you can speak Russian, record a few videos for those who do not understand English. Your videos are very informative and your experience to many of our compatriots would be useful.
Hi Alexey, I would love to do it, but as you know the Russian language is very difficult. Yes, I know how to make simple conversations and maybe a bit more, but to talk on such a topics I cannot.
Good arguments! I bought auxiliary lights on my BMW F700GS due to peer pressure. On long group rides, my riding partners complained they could not see me. Some of them have bikes that come with aux lighting, while others added them.
I hope they will work for the way you expect it.
I like the fact that you use logic to find solutions instead of fancy marketing . Well done !
The only way I know.
on long trips i dont really need good light because as you said no light no ride. the stock headlight is enough for the 30min in the dark you do when you want to do the last few kilometers to the town you want to stay at. BUT im still looking for auxiliary lights to fit on my DR650 because now in winter every time i ride its dark outside. before work and after work its dark. i cant live without riding so i think about installing some flood light to not only see a little spot on the road but everything thats in front or next to me. outside of the city its pitch black and sometimes i want to ride to a different town so that makes it much more easy and safe to ride at night
I agree, I have a friend who loves additional lights and electrical extra's like heated grips and stators are always on his mind ever since he blew a stator on his triumph
This is one of the cons and because of it I will never mount such a lights on my bike.
I ride a lot during the night and i have found the original lights to be a bit unsuficient, so i upgraded to led and it improved a lot. it improved specialy when i ride in curvy roads without illumination. before installing led the beam was narrow and when i tilted the bike for cornering i couldnt see the road, only the external part of the curb and needed to switch to high beam everytime. Now in low beam it has a bit more spill to the sides and in high beam i can see very clearly on the sides and the part of the road i m heading to.
Really enjoyed your video. A lot of great safety tips and just plain old common sense. Thank you for posting this video.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Pavlin,
I remember I wrote you about this and you had replied the same.
Post our discussion I agree with your thoughts and really appreciate it.
Thanks for video.
You are welcome anytime!
one of the best moto vlogger who talk pure technical stuffs. Awesome man.
Thanks!
Your experience & suggestions are
Genuin & Useful.
and you are a cute friendly looking person.💐
Thanks a lot 😊
Thanks friend for your Experienced & Intelligent suggestions.
Sometimes due to force majeure reasons we get delayed and compelled to ride after dark.
In that case, having some additional lights along with OE head light, reduces strain on the eyes, since the illuminated area is larger with auxiliary lights in comparison to the "only oe head light."
One more benefit I found having auxiliary lights is that in case of; Bulb or Main Head Light failure, rider is having some light to move on, may be speed is compromised.
Yes, only LED Lights can be used as auxiliary lights because of less consumption of battery but LED do not cover a long distance area as Original Head Light.
I am from India/Bharat.
Which is a country, full of Adventure all the time (24 hours) even on a Four/Six Lane Highways.😊
~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is always nice watching/listening to you 👌👍😊
Myself;
Anil Gautam SAAHAS,
Jaipur/Rajasthan/India.
REAL WORLD...excellent comments ...ride safe !!!
Thanks man! You too!
Totally agree with that, and thank you to debunk these common ideas. However, for some bikes there is an issue in the case of missjuging the ride schedule. In asia I was often caught by the dark (my bad), on enduro base dualsport rig (Honda CRF250L). Here I ride a Husky 701, and the OEM light are pretty symbolical. I don't say it is an exception to intall aux light, but for those kind of bike an homologated bulb upgrade could be usefull
Good common sense.
Thanks for you input.
You are welcome anytime!
Totally agree with you, I did wanna have them on my bike but didn't because I go for long ride once in a year and they are of no use in city commute. But there was one scenario it was helpful for some of us. Of course we violated one of the rule riding in the dark. So the trip was to nubra valley in ladakh, india and the route totally was deserted and no lights around. One of our bikes had these lights to show us the sides of the road. Apart from that no where did I see it's use.
I agree with 99% of what you say all the time. I travel the world the same like you. Sometimes in my trips i remain on the road becouse i do not find the motel, camping, etc maybe is raining, and all of my friends are comming behind me when i start using headlights. I had left xenon and right fog. The xenom really break the night. And yess, in front of me. I use only when i really need it.
Good point.
I think the best thing about your videos is that you force us to question what some believe to be gospel about riding. Like you say in some of your responses below, if it works for you then great. But don't just choose blindly. Consider whether you really need the item before purchasing. Thanks again.
Yes, John, I always question everything and test personally and then decide. Also I never talk for something I don't have personal experience.
You and I have the exact same approach. New favorite channel.
Thanks!
I’m now enjoying my 60th year of riding motorcycles and agree totally with your video, in principle! I can recollect clearly, a few of the bikes had 6v circuits and the lights were no better than a candle but we managed to ride in the hours of darkness all those years ago. Granted there were fewer cars but it only takes one to kill you.
I’m currently preparing a Tenere World Raid for a trip to N Africa in 2024 and a pair of spotlights will be arriving in a few days and will be installed. They will only be used in an emergency, if the headlights fail for instance or damaged.
The drivers who use the spot/fog light constantly have their individual reasons but are generally unnecessary. The fashion for multiple lights fails to take into account the needs of others, the reaction time of the elderly diminishes over time and their eyesight takes longer to adjust after being confronted with a multitude of beams and if there a group of motorcyclists it simply compounds the problem.
Many say it is to be seen more easily, which is an excuse for a lack of riding skills. Many years ago I used to travel for around 90 miles to meet friends at a particular motor cycle showroom and you would hear tales of woe from others about “stupid car drivers tried to kill me” etc, over their 10 mile journey. Strange, I would rarely if ever encounter anything of the sort and yes, I rode progressively in those days.
Modern tyres are a far cry from those of yesteryear, as has road surfaces (ignore the pot holes…or if your looking far enough ahead ride around them) why then do many drivers of motorcycles rely on such gizmos as abs, traction control, rain mode etc. Tyres actually grip nowadays, including the budget brands, even on wet surfaces, ride according to the conditions and the abs is redundant, that said, it is useful to have as a back up but many rely on (read depend) such features for their safety rather than skill.
Adventure lights are unnecessary, agreed for general day to day driving but if you are planning a trip and it includes riding after dark in secluded areas, they are a useful weapon in your arsenal.
Read up on the law of the country you are travelling too, you may very well be in breach of legislation especially if you ride with them on during daylight hours, unless the visibility is seriously restricted and that doesn’t include a light shower.
An excellent video. Let common sense prevail.
Thanks for taking the time!
Agree about the vest , I need to get one .
Greetings From India. I follow your principal of not riding in night .
Love it! Although I completely agree with you that many people overdo it and equip their bikes as if they were going to ride them around the world five times, having a bit more light might make riding safer, especially if it means other people will see you more easily.
Good point Pavlin..
"If not sure don't ride in the dark "
I also used to believe aux lights were unnecessary. But then I found myself riding in one of the long dark winding tunnels in the Balkans. That changed my mind.
I appreciate your comments. I ride an Africa Twin and I was thinking about adding some extra lights, not for driving at night, because I rarely do that, but to be seen during the day. My previous bike was a Road King, it had a ton of lights on the front. I could clearly see other HD's with the same lighting arrangement when I was on the highway. After getting rear ended at 30 km I added more lights to the back. I guess it gave me false confidence. I think that everything that you said is absolutely valid. Motorcycling is dangerous and I am the most important safety feature.
Thanks for taking the time Gerald!
Nice video! One thing I might add is that I read a scientific paper where authors made a test and proved that if you have three lights forming a triangle, the other drivers in opposite direction can better judge how far you are.
In some situation might help, in other they might think that it is a car.
@@motorcycleadventures never happened to me, but is a possibility
I have a cheap set of auxiliary lights on my bike, mainly because the head light is crap and I can be seen by other road users more easily. My riding buddy confirms that I am more visible when he looks in his mirrors. Also the current draw from LED spot lights is very minimal, so no real stress on the battery.
If it's work for you, just use it.
It works for me mate. :-)
Have you considered replacing your stock headlamp bulbs, with some LED's? I did on my V-Strom and it makes me much more visible, and uses less power.
Pavlin man, in this video you upset yourself. You are giving us your good advices all the time, just continue, but let me give you now 1 advice.
Why do you need to upset yourself because of somebody's else opinion? Let them put big truck lights on their bike if they want. Why should we care about it/him? We watch your video, not his. We don't know who said that and who is that person, and we don't really care. Remember, we don't open your video because of that person and his opinion, but because of yours. When we see your new video, we want to hear your advice about that topic from your own experience. That is most valuable part of your RUclips channel. That is why your channel is valuable and why have great perspective. So keep that in mind. We don't want to see you arguing with someone here, and spend 2/3 of the video for something we didn't come to see (like you did in last couple videos).
Is this fight or motorcycle adventure channel?
Couple days ago I watched video called something like: "adventure from London to Sydney on motorcycle", and I wanted to see the trip, the road, the landscapes, weather conditions, difficulties and opportunities during the trip, but these guys repeated thousand times word "world war" during driving through Russia, like the topic of the video is to revive world war theory/memory instead of motorcycle adventure, which is totally negative example. I like more to watch you driving across Russian/Mongolian/Morocco landscapes and deserts, commenting nothing or occasionally, and saying useful stuff when you cross the border and something is interesting or if there is a real problem (never lie to us, or intentionally fabricate/act the problem), with engine and environment sound and quiet music in background, than to listen you arguing or speaking about war.
Just cut all that annoying part and give us only your advice and practical example. If you don't agree with someone, just say: "I don't agree with that theory, I think so and so, I proved it in practice..." and finish it. When you truly give advices from your experience in reality, it is hard to make mistake. If you could drive thousands of kilometers without that lights without problems, telling us honestly, why couldn't others? Laws of physics and nature are the same for everyone.
I think if you want to make video longer it would be better to add some extra tips or suggestions, like: "Next time I could test this bike or gloves, or helmet, so tell me guys in comments if you want to see it".
I personally would like to see more tests of motorcycles and equipment.
Just give us advice, review and check quality man, share your adventure/good practice with us and stay cool ;D
Thanks my friend! I really get the point. In fact I never been upset to anyone. I knew that this topic will bring the storm of non happy riders, but I wanted to say the truth. As I said n the video I never found a good reason to buy it for myself. I promise more useful stuff in the future.
I ride more than 30k annually i installed big auxiliary light for better view but it has pros and cons the cons are much more than pros so i adopt only day ride and since than i never need it. I totally agree with your point pavlin
I can see where your coming from but I have a very valid reason for using then. If you main lights fail then you have a get you home back up. I had my headlights fail on my BMW F650 last year and would not have been able to ride but my aux lights were enough to get me to my next destination safely. I would not have been able to ride on side lights for sure.
Bang on, man.
Hi great video , coming from Australia we have a bit of simple rule , don’t ride at dawn or Dusk as that when all the animals come out.
Totally agree to not ride at night as our wildlife in Australia will kill you but those times when you get caught out it's nice to have some extra light.
Thanks for sharing!
Of course, the lights add some weight, and the good ones are not cheap, but I see a huge benefit riding with them in the dark on bad roads in poor weather conditions. So, why not have them? I avoid riding in the night as much as I can, but sometimes things do not go as planned...
I never said don't use it. If you like it and find benefits on it, why not?
Motorcycle Adventures True. Everyone makes their own decisions. The way you question things that many find obvious and make people think is what I really like about you videos.
I agree to certain extend. I also use additional lights, of course rearly, on bad roads when it happens during dark. It was last summer (only once), in Rodopa mountain, comming back from Greece. The main reason to install additional lights is however because of not-so-good stock lights of my Honda CB600F Hornet - the beam is too narrow and not convinient in the turns. Fully agree with Pavlin in regard to the adventure and especially the new modern motorcycles!
Ivo Konov Same here. Stock lights on my Transalp 700 are mediocre, to say the least, so the temptation to boost them up is just too strong :)
Use them, if you need them! Just an advice, if I am allowed - use low consumption LED auxiliary lights, they are necessary just to improve the near field illumination!
Ride safe!
While listening to you, it is hard to argue some of your ideas, except....since putting my Denali spot/flood lights on my motorcycle during day light rides, (I rarely ride during the night), I have found cage drivers tend to see me better. Only anecdotal but prior to adding the ad lights, cars tended to pull out in front of me much more frequently. Still a fan and a subscriber....
It is just my opinion John. As I said in the video, I never found a good reason to buy it. Good luck on your trips!
Greetings from Malaysia..I had to use 2 pair of additional light since it suits my riding and i like riding during the night time in the jungle road area. Because its a lovely feeling when u can spot wild animals (elephant/tiger/wild boar/tapir ) roaming, crossing and sometime they just resting along the jungle road.
Thanks for sharing
Great video. Greetings from Greece!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very good video. Thank you. Buenos aires. Argentina.
Thanks for watching!
Well, it was clear and absolutely understandable. :)
Good, this was the main idea. Thanks!
wiedermal ein sehr guter beitrag, der den nagel auf den kopf getroffen hat, weiter so!
Danke!
Well... I personally have auxiliary lights just to be seen by others as it sometimes looks like I'm invisible. Three light are easier to spot than one especially on busy UK roads. Everyone to their own I guess.
True, everyone to their own...
Tienes mucha razón !! Salidos desde Mexico !!
Gracias!
Getting a little more off-topic but maybe a potential future video: gadgets. For instance I have what I call an "old guy switch" that cancels the turn signal after about 30 seconds. I have no clue how many times it's helped me out of course. I realize that newer bikes have self-cancelling turn signals but mine's an oldie but goodie. There's a connection that will keep the flasher from timing out while the brakes are on but it makes the taillight flash which also drives me nuts even when it's my bike. So I don't use that feature. Really enjoy your work Pavlin, please keep it up.
Thanks man!
Very good point about what you have appropriately called "adventure lights". Most of what people install isn't really suitable for proper use. By that I mean they aren't spot lights and are more flood lights or fog lights.
I live in Australia and often have to ride at night, my lights however are far superior to what you often see on bikes.. And over 40,000 km of night riding and more than one near incident with a kangaroo 😳
I just did a bit of a practical review (in the dark and all) of them on my latest video, would love to know what you think... The lights in the video have 4,500 Lumens each and throw in a spot light pattern because as you pointed out what you see less than 20 metres from you is unlikely to be avoided.
Thanks for taking the time!
How do you feel about louder exhaust. I have found that slightly louder exhaust makes cars look for you as well as when I have had very quiet bikes, I had more issues with deer on the road. What are your thoughts?
I personally don't like it and I cannot really believe that it can help you with safety. Some people love it, but I think that it's useless and definitely not good on a long trips, but it's just my opinion, it doesn't mean that I am right.
What helped for me, was changing the lights from stock halogen, to led (cyclops). Commuter all year round, so visibility is important.
We always do what we believe is better and everybody is right.
A pair of good quality led aux lights was the most meaningful expenditure I made for my bike...
Good.
In recent years, I've found the OEM reflector (especially on high beam) provides more than adequate light to see while riding in the dark....BUT I can appreciate people doing it for safety or for a WIDER path of illumination. A good/modern automobile has TWO lights that make a wide light cone...makes it easy to see potential threats off the side of the road. Motorcycle light cones are inherently more narrow. I think most manufacturers don't add them because of (1) added cost and (2) limited market share that would want it. I'm still on the fence about adding it to my current bike.
I ride a Goldwing my headlamps are easily equivalent to car headlamps however they still somehow miss me I don't know how but they do and highly recommend you had these little things they could save your life
Same here, I really love a long night ride but don't like the visual of aux light mounted all over the bike. All I did was retrofitting my ultra low density late 90's dual bulb headlight with a good single bixenon projector and that was enough for me to survive most of the darkest road (and light offroad) in my country.
Thanks for sharing!
I completely agree on the point around safety, that we need to improve riding skills instead of loading up all tech and electronics on bike. If I do not have good riding skills, none of the gadgets and tech or lights can help me.
Exactly!
Totally agree I've managed 30 plus years riding without them, and the more extra wiring you have on your bike the more future problems are possible
Correct!
Love the sarcasm Pavlin! 'All the gear- no idea' springs to mind. Keep up the good work.
Everybody talking about safety. More light better safety. That's correct, but if this is the main concern, never ride in the dark.
Motorcycle Adventures totally agree!
What make and model is the white helmet? I’ve been searching for an ADV style with sun visor. Thanks.
I think that it was shoei, but I am not sure.
There is a huge difference with and without them. I have a decently bright LED as my main headlight but adding aux lights has increased my ability to see at night. In rural China there's rarely any street lights, especially through the mountians, so aux lights are extremely useful.
Ok
My bad I may have started a new trend? way back in 1998 I rode a Kawasaki GPZ750R it had Headlights that were by today's standards poor, so something needed to be done to be able to use the bike safely whilst being able to use the performance that was in the bike. Whilst commuting down quiet country lanes. "quiet back then" I fitted 2 bullet fog lights under the headlight cowling! This improved thing greatly so much so that I removed them when I sold the GPZ and fitted them on every bike that has had halogen headlights since.
Back then an adventure bike was a modified bike, and I went everywhere on it, with all my mods the bike looked standard in everyday setup and completely different with all the bags and racking I created for it. Sadly life throws you a few twists and turns and no pictures of it survive.
I'm glad there are better lighting solutions today for those who have to and choose to ride in the dark.
one of my current bikes is an ER5 I've moded it and the fog lights are fitted to it imgur.com/bei6Geo and how it looks now with the new fairing
imgur.com/yAxsowp alas this picture does not the lights fitted DOH! need to update my pictures
If you find it useful, then use it. I never found a good reason to buy it.
I agree. Subscribed.
Thanks, man!
Yes , "new" bike headlight technology is fantastic. LED's and HID's are super bright. But my bikes 30 years old , H4 bulb. Auxiliary lights were less expensive than a HID retro kit.
Great videos ! Thanks !
Especially on your bike will be very easy to have flat battery instead of more lights.
LED's have very little electrical draw. Three years , no problems..
I haven't thought about them in terms of being seen. It seems to me as a good idea, however on bikes with asymmetrical main lights one of them may be hidden by the main light; one light is unmistakenly a motorcycle, however two lights may be seen as a car in the distance.
As for seeing, they are of limited use, as you said, however I think they may be good when riding gravel roads etc., when you ride slowly and may be forced to change directions quite a lot. The wide light helps you with choosing the right path on the road. For typical tarmac traveling speeds, they do not illuminate far enough, in my opinion.
Good points, I believe in the same things
The "safety" of these is a two edged sword.
Like you said in the video I also find blinding oncoming traffic is a lot more dangerous than many people seem to recognize.
I always see riders, especially 1200GS riders, having their fog lights on. The darker it gets the more difficult it becomes to pull your eyes off of these things. But even at dusk or dawn this effect can be threatening. The exact same thing happens with the high-beams.
People need to think about this more often!
Agree
thats why i only use highbeams during the day or at night when i'm in a corner and can't see