RS lugging, lights, forks, wheelies

[jim@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Barry Croft <Barry_Croft@xxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

> On the issue of the 2000 European models only having one light on at a
> time ... I guess they may actually have a point. My first instinct was
> to rush out and buy the relays to get both lights working, so I can
> slice through the night like a laser. But it has occurrred to me before
> that a twin headlight bike up close can resemble a more distant car
> coming at you, dangerously confusing the usual poor brain-dead car
> driver at first (only?) glance, so perhaps the Eurocrats have it right
> for once.

    Unfortunately the legislation appears to have been written by BDCs,
as usual, and I suspect the wording is along the lines of "where two
headlights are fitted, only one may be illuminated at time".  I've
started noticing that Honda Blackbirds in this country only seem to use
one bulb for dip, and with their stacked headlights they couldn't
possibly be taken for cars.

    And BMW appear to have got around it by fitting two bulbs in a
single unit, or does the K1200RS just have a really weird headlight
unit?

> Running with both lights on dip on my old VFR certainly didn't do a
> thing to prevent someone pulling out right in front of me (ouch)!

    Ouch indeed, you have my sympathy.

> Also there's something to be said for the purposeful Ducati-like look of
> only one light on.

    To me it looks unbalanced and ugly.

> On the other hand the RS does also have the central parking/running
> light, hopefully destroying any possible illusion of your being a
> distant car.

    I really doubt that the running light is visible at night, in the
glare from the two headlights.

> It would also be nice to have both lights on so you can still get home
> when a bulb blows.

<rant>
    I don't know about the RS, but it took me two hours to change a bulb
on my ST!  I could see and even get a finger on the back of the holder
with all the bodywork on, but I couldn't figure out a way to change it.
Of course I'll be a bit quicker next time, but it seems ridiculous that
it should take so long to change a bulb on a touring bike, possibly at
the side of a road in the middle of nowhere, when on all of the
sportbikes I've looked at you could just reach in and do it in seconds
:-(
</rant>

> Has anyone in the UK been stopped for running two lights? Or for only
> running one?! I bet the police don't know what's right or wrong. Does
> anyone have any more understanding of or comments on this safety
> issue?

    I've not heard of any references to research in this area; it seems
to have been based on "this seems like a good idea" instead of
scientific research.

    Interestingly, I've heard that in Italy, where they had similar
legislation for years before it became European, it was eventually
repealed.

                Jim
- -- 
      jim@         ,'_            Fortunately, I never leave home without
  gillespie.org   / -.--.    ___  a few hundred dollars (you never know
                 _\_  ~-.`--'_.-' when a poker game might break out)
                / /\\    \--'_ \\ 
 '99 Sprint ST  \__/ `---'  \__/                         -- Patti Beadles

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