When to use high beams?

[Rambler1982]

I did a search for this topic, so don't hate if it's already been posted 

I was wondering if there's a right (and wrong) time to use my high beams. Only at night? Only during the day? All the time?

I really have no idea. My initial thought would be to only use it when it's dark out and I need to see better (like in a car). But unlike driving in a cage, I think "being seen" plays much importance when riding a motorcycle. So I thought maybe having my high beams on more often would help make me more visible?

Thanks. 

[Turf]

During the day all the time, at night they work just like a car.

Having them on all the time during the day makes a big difference in being seen without annoying everyone. Night riding just use them when you need them, having them on all the time at night could cause some problems for oncoming drivers.

[Sleeper_I]

My high beam stays on all the time. It's better to annoy other drivers a bit rather than not being noticed by one. Not every driver is careless but it takes only one to kill me and my beloved Duc. I'm not sure if it's illegal or not but I never got pulled over or had a complained by other drivers. 
 

[Desmostro]

My 2¢   

I leave mine on all the time in the city. I'm all for inflicting sensory pain on cagers to stay alive. At the same time I try to be very noticeable, I NEVER count on being seen.
I've switched to a Stebel horn, HID lights, and Termis and wear red a lot.

At night in certain circumstances where blinding oncoming drivers is going to be bad, I turn off the high beams.

[ScottRNelson]

I have a different opinion on this.

Is serves no useful purpose to shine our high beam into the mirrors of cars in front of you.  It only annoys them and doesn't improve your safety in any way.  I feel that you're being a jerk if you do this.

It's easy enough to choose when to use the high beam and when to use the low beam.  If there is nobody in front of me, it's often better to use the high beam to make myself more visible from a distance.  But there is an advantage to being able to flash the high beam at someone who is about to invade my space, and I can't do that if it's already on high beam.  My left index finger is already trained to hit the "flash to pass" switch near the clutch lever to warn people about to invade my space.

When I'm on a twisty road with nobody immediately in front of me, I keep the high beam on in hopes that people coming the other way will see me sooner.  If I get stuck behind someone who does not pull over at the first opportunity to let me by, they might get the annoying high beam, but that's only because I've decided that they deserve it.  I'll approach slower vehicles with the low beam so as not to annoy them and give them a chance to let me pass.  Most drivers in Northern California are actually pretty good at helping traffic to flow smoothly, unlike some other states I've ridden/driven in.

Legally, in California I can run high beam all the time during daylight.  At night I'm required to switch to low beam within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle or 300 feet of someone going the same way as me in front of me.

Don't be a jerk, switch to low beam when you know it will annoy others.

[sfarchie]

High beams during the day and low beams at night unless I absolutely can't see and it won't result in an accident from blinding oncoming traffic.

[Spidey]

Like many others, I run high beams during the day and low beams at night (unless there is no one else around, in which case WTF am I doing in the twisties at night?). 

When I had stock controls, I'd sometimes run low beams during the day so that I could flash the high beams with the finger trigger as I approached intersections.  I don't have that trigger on my current set-up.  Instead, I often stand up on the pegs or swerve a bit as I approach intersections so that it catches the eyes of drivers who might want to turn left in front of me.

[Goat_Herder]

All very good info.  I guess this is a good rule of thumb to follow:

Day time = high beam
Night Time = low beam / high beam if necessary.   

[zLoki]

I've switched to a Stebel horn, HID lights, and Termis and wear red a lot.

Any tips or photos on that horn install? Been looking at that to upgrade the stock one.

[He Man]

get funky with it. Theres 2 common spots to install the horn, underneath the from where the top cylinder is, and on the left side of the bike where the evap box used to be.

How are those brands of xenon? may i ask? do you have the phillips ones or the knock of brand? the last ebay kit i bought were make the beast with two backsing TERRIBLE. died on me in less than 8 months and the seller wont return my emails about the "1 year warranty" im thinking about buying local so i can atleast knock on their door.

[bigiain]

I have a different opinion on this.

I'm with Scott here.

Can I ask all you "high beam during daylight" riders to do some experiments for me? While you're out riding, look for other bikes with hibeams on, and see how easily you can make a quick but accurate estimate of their speed.

It might just be my eyes and brain, but find its way harder to work out how fast a bike is approaching when there's some glare from the headlights in my eyes. It's not a problem on bright sunny days, but overcast days or at dawn/dusk it's _really_ noticeable.

I keep my headlight dipped (or off) unless I'm using the hibeams to see long distances on dark roads with no approaching traffic. While I acknowledge hi beams will get you seen from further away, I believe I'm "safer" having the cars at a few hundred yards or less be able to accurately gauge my speed, rather than have them notice me at 1500 yards range instead of 500 - the cars a mile away aren't a danger to me, but the cars a couple of hundred yards away _are_.

Like I said, it might just be the way _my_ eyes/brain work, but I can't base my assumptions on how other peoples heads do this stuff, so I'll maximise my safety based on how I see the world.

(Oh, and Scott's right, running hi beams at night because you figure your safety is more important that obeying the rules and not glaring your lights in _my_ eyes - that makes you a jerk in my book...)

big

[2 Wheel Wanderer]

I've switched to a Stebel horn, HID lights, and Termis and wear red a lot.

I used to have them on all the time during daylight hours too until I got  a Headlight Modulator. I use it in traffic and in the twisties (when I am stuck behind a car I turn it off, or they just freak out so quick they just pull right over). It works with high and low beams and you can turn it on/off by flipping the headlight switch twice no matter if you are using it with the high or low beams. I have a Stebel Horn as well as Termis and the Back Off Brake Light Modulator Modulator.

All together I think people definitely see and hear me more than before.

[Sleeper_I]

(Oh, and Scott's right, running hi beams at night because you figure your safety is more important that obeying the rules and not glaring your lights in _my_ eyes - that makes you a jerk in my book...)

big

My point exactly, my safety is more important than obeying the rule. I rather be known as a jerk in your book than to be in peices after grand ma or grand pa pulled out into the intersection in front of me.

Besides, I dont stay long behind any cagers   [moto]

[Desmostro]

Any tips or photos on that horn install? Been looking at that to upgrade the stock one.

What bike are you installing it on? Mine is on my 848. It's really easy. Unplug stock horn. Plug in new horn, done.
The mounting was a little more challenging but not that bad. I made a little steal bracket and used the mount from the charcoal box. It sits under the right fan inside the fairing.
I'll take some photos if you want to see the SBK mount.

[He Man]

What bike are you installing it on? Mine is on my 848. It's really easy. Unplug stock horn. Plug in new horn, done.
The mounting was a little more challenging but not that bad. I made a little steal bracket and used the mount from the charcoal box. It sits under the right fan inside the fairing.
I'll take some photos if you want to see the SBK mount.

you should really run a relay with it. its much more powerful with it.