It's all about being seen.
And a primary way of being seen while riding a motorcycle comes from the lights and more specifically the headlight.
The bigger, the brighter, the better.
"I didn't see him." "She just came out of nowhere." "I only saw the rider at the last moment." All comments probably said on the regular from drivers who hit a motorcyclist. Studies indeed show drivers often miss seeing a motorcycle, and prove gear color matters. If brightly colored gear makes a difference imagine the results from a powerful beam of light that acts as the sun on the road in front of you and fully warns a proximate driver of your presence. You can only shake your head when you see a rider on a motorcycle with a dimly lit headlight that more resembles a faded, yellow glow that barely lights the path out front.
In fact, a 2015 report by the National Institutes of Health shows more than 50 percent of motorcycle crashes took place during day time and most of the vehicle drivers who were involved in vehicle-motorcycle crashes claimed that they could not prevent the collision because they did not see the motorcycles and their riders or to have seen them too late.
Some motorcycles, most commonly the Kawasaki Ninjas and Honda CBRs have dual headlights, a low beam for day and a high beam for night, and when one is on the other is off making it look like one of the lamps is out to unknowing drivers. That's just the design of the motorcycle.
At any rate, a motorcycle's headlight runs day or night for optimum safety as it provides the most dominant way for others to see you. Just as more and more cars come with optional daytime running lights and some even with as a permanent fixture most modern motorcycles have a running headlamp that you cannot switch off while others have a low/high switch. Regardless, some riders upgrade the headlamp or headlight on their motorcycle before putting many miles on their ride.
Motorcycle Headlight Upgrade
You have two options when it comes to upgrading the headlight on your motorcycle. You can switch out the existing OEM headlight assembly for an aftermarket version and/or replace the bulb.
Replacing the headlight assembly obvious has bigger challenges as you must know your way around the electrical system and wiring or pay to get a professional install. Though aftermarket headlight assemblies typically offer a more intense bulb, riders choose this option mostly because of damage to the original part or a preference for a slick aftermarket headlamp that suits a specific style or for a custom look commonly scene on Cruisers.
A new lightbulb that fits in your motorcycle's existing assembly offers the easiest and most economical way to getting a brighter headlight. Today's headlight lightbulbs produce serious attention-getting power that fully announces your arrival. Depending on the make and model of your motorcycle, headlight bulbs tend to disconnect and connect much like the ones on your car.
LED and the H4 bulb make up the more popular type of headlight lightbulbs that give durability, longevity and of course luminosity.
Additionally, a new aftermarket product catching the eye of riders and drivers is Kuryakyn's LED Halo Trim Rink that installs around the headlamp assembly and offers not only style but even more lighting substance. Your bike now stands out thanks to the trendy look but also the added illumination.
Always ride with a clean headlight and it makes for good practice to get in the habit of wiping down the headlamp casing prior to every ride. Even a small layering of dust can dim the bulb's brightness.
