Motorcycle Lighting Question for LEO

[gemini]

Thread resurection, love it! I use the down lights if riding at night. I have not been stopped or checked
by any Leo in the last 3 years of use. (I installed them 3 years ago). They project a soft blue light down.
Not forward. Not rearward. It looks like I'm riding on a "blue cloud". These were installed as a safety
feature for me when riding. Background on the decision to install them:
about 4 years ago my wife and I were traveling to OKC for a funeral. It was night, raining and foggy. On the other
side (south bound) of the highway came a soft green glow.......I then realized it was a biker. The "glow" in
the rain/fog/mist made that guy's visibility factor increase by 500%. That's what impressed me enough to
do the install on my own bike. Not for the cool factor, for the safety factor. I try not to ride at night. But,
sometimes it's unavoidable. Ride safe.

[RPBrown]

I have since started running at night with my blue underlights on. I feel it does help other people see me and it is a safety factor as far as I am concerned. You cannot see front or rear except to the side of the bike and down.

[Charlies.Contingency]

I have since started running at night with my blue underlights on. I feel it does help other people see me and it is a safety factor as far as I am concerned. You cannot see front or rear except to the side of the bike and down.

I am late to jump in on the thread, but as a rider myself, the more lighting you have, the better. Some cops may not appreciate your blue or purple undergo, and to be honest, I don't know a single rider that has them for safety purposes, they're to show off. I don't ride at night for safety purposes, but like I do on my truck, I light it up like a Christmas tree with side markers and additional brake/turn signals. Might it seem like overkill when I tap my brakes and you can count over half a dozen brakes lights, sure, but you're appreciate it in low visibility situations!

Something that's not so common, but that I highly suggest, are amber running lights along the side of your bike if feasible. If you have a luggage rack like most KLR's or such, it's not a bad idea to mount additional brake/turn signals off of it, or you hard mounted saddlebags if possible. I think a pulsing center light, with two steady lights on either side is far more visible than other applications. It's all about being safe out there, but if you can, why not go buy a cheap old Chevrolet tank for night driving if possible. I'll be riding once I get the Kawasaki rebuilt, I still regret selling my honda dual purpose... Anybody got a KLR they'll let me make payments on with full coverage?

[gemini]

I have since started running at night with my blue underlights on. I feel it does help other people see me and it is a safety factor as far as I am concerned. You cannot see front or rear except to the side of the bike and down.

I am late to jump in on the thread, but as a rider myself, the more lighting you have, the better. Some cops may not appreciate your blue or purple undergo, and to be honest, I don't know a single rider that has them for safety purposes, they're to show off. I don't ride at night for safety purposes, but like I do on my truck, I light it up like a Christmas tree with side markers and additional brake/turn signals. Might it seem like overkill when I tap my brakes and you can count over half a dozen brakes lights, sure, but you're appreciate it in low visibility situations!

Something that's not so common, but that I highly suggest, are amber running lights along the side of your bike if feasible. If you have a luggage rack like most KLR's or such, it's not a bad idea to mount additional brake/turn signals off of it, or you hard mounted saddlebags if possible. I think a pulsing center light, with two steady lights on either side is far more visible than other applications. It's all about being safe out there, but if you can, why not go buy a cheap old Chevrolet tank for night driving if possible. I'll be riding once I get the Kawasaki rebuilt, I still regret selling my honda dual purpose... Anybody got a KLR they'll let me make payments on with full coverage?

Too bad we've never met. If we had, you'd be able to say," I know one rider that uses down lights for safety purposes, and not to show off".

[Charlies.Contingency]

I have since started running at night with my blue underlights on. I feel it does help other people see me and it is a safety factor as far as I am concerned. You cannot see front or rear except to the side of the bike and down.

I am late to jump in on the thread, but as a rider myself, the more lighting you have, the better. Some cops may not appreciate your blue or purple undergo, and to be honest, I don't know a single rider that has them for safety purposes, they're to show off. I don't ride at night for safety purposes, but like I do on my truck, I light it up like a Christmas tree with side markers and additional brake/turn signals. Might it seem like overkill when I tap my brakes and you can count over half a dozen brakes lights, sure, but you're appreciate it in low visibility situations!

Something that's not so common, but that I highly suggest, are amber running lights along the side of your bike if feasible. If you have a luggage rack like most KLR's or such, it's not a bad idea to mount additional brake/turn signals off of it, or you hard mounted saddlebags if possible. I think a pulsing center light, with two steady lights on either side is far more visible than other applications. It's all about being safe out there, but if you can, why not go buy a cheap old Chevrolet tank for night driving if possible. I'll be riding once I get the Kawasaki rebuilt, I still regret selling my honda dual purpose... Anybody got a KLR they'll let me make payments on with full coverage?

Too bad we've never met. If we had, you'd be able to say," I know one rider that uses down lights for safety purposes, and not to show off".

I'll my friends are either idiots, have factory bikes, or are dead. You would be in a category all of your own!

What kind of bike do you ride anyway?

[gemini]

Current bike is a '09 Road King Classic. Recently put Michelin Commander II's on it,
so the WW are gone.

[Charlies.Contingency]

Current bike is a '09 Road King Classic. Recently put Michelin Commander II's on it,
so the WW are gone.

Very nice! I appreciate you for not molesting such a beautiful ride for the "grungy" looking stuff the young folks are putting on their pedal bikes. I'm not a fan of wrapped tail pipes or... what do they call those... "street fighters?" All I see is somebody covering up booboo's, or somebody who wrecked their bike, and took the fairings off to hide it.

How are those Commander II's, I've never ridden on any of those, I've heard very good things about them, except for tread life. But that's a Michelin, super smooth and comfortable, but such a soft compound, it wears quickly. At least in my experience.

[gemini]

You'll have to ask me in another 5-7,000 miles. A few thousand on them now.
But, so far they seem to not be showing any unusual wear. Like the ride and
I don't plan on ever returning to HD/Dunlops.

[RPBrown]

You'll have to ask me in another 5-7,000 miles. A few thousand on them now.
But, so far they seem to not be showing any unusual wear. Like the ride and
I don't plan on ever returning to HD/Dunlops.

I have about 12k on my Commander II's and not showing a lot of wear, at least compared to the HD/Dunlops. With the HD's, I would have to replace them by about 10k.

[RPBrown]

I have since started running at night with my blue underlights on. I feel it does help other people see me and it is a safety factor as far as I am concerned. You cannot see front or rear except to the side of the bike and down.

I am late to jump in on the thread, but as a rider myself, the more lighting you have, the better. Some cops may not appreciate your blue or purple undergo, and to be honest, I don't know a single rider that has them for safety purposes, they're to show off. I don't ride at night for safety purposes, but like I do on my truck, I light it up like a Christmas tree with side markers and additional brake/turn signals. Might it seem like overkill when I tap my brakes and you can count over half a dozen brakes lights, sure, but you're appreciate it in low visibility situations!

Something that's not so common, but that I highly suggest, are amber running lights along the side of your bike if feasible. If you have a luggage rack like most KLR's or such, it's not a bad idea to mount additional brake/turn signals off of it, or you hard mounted saddlebags if possible. I think a pulsing center light, with two steady lights on either side is far more visible than other applications. It's all about being safe out there, but if you can, why not go buy a cheap old Chevrolet tank for night driving if possible. I'll be riding once I get the Kawasaki rebuilt, I still regret selling my honda dual purpose... Anybody got a KLR they'll let me make payments on with full coverage?

Too bad we've never met. If we had, you'd be able to say," I know one rider that uses down lights for safety purposes, and not to show off".

I'm too old to show off and respect my bike too much to do so. I do however like to ride and take the occasional long trip that runs into night riding so the more I can do to be seen, the better off I am.

[randolph]

VIOLATION: use equipment not approved (head lamp,signal lamp,reflector,safety glass coating material,etc.,specify).

Nothing is specified on this ticket
If anyone has any advice...I'm all ears..

[randolph]

Violation: uSe equipment not approved ( head lamp,signal lamp, reflectors, safety glass, coating materials,etc., specify)

No specification was written
Any advice

[gemini]

VIOLATION: use equipment not approved (head lamp,signal lamp,reflector,safety glass coating material,etc.,specify).

Nothing is specified on this ticket
If anyone has any advice...I'm all ears..

Since your post is so brief, with no real details, ....... try reading the first sections of Tx Transportation Code...
Section 547.305. http://law.onecle.com/texas/transportat ... 05.00.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If your lights aren't pointed straight ahead or visible more than 75' etc...... no flashing red, blue etc......
pointed down at the ground and NOT flashing ....you should be good to go....with exceptions.

Where was the ticket written. Keep us posted on outcome. Good luck.

P.S. welcome to the forum

[trdvet]

State law allows LE in Texas to enforce the federal lighting code. This is what they use for non-approved equipment.

547.3215 FEDERAL STANDARD

Unless specifically prohibited by this chapter, lighting, reflective devices, and associated equipment on a vehicle or motor vehicle must comply with:

(1) the current federal standards in 49 C.F.R. Section 571.108; or

(2) the federal standards in that section in effect,
if any, at the time the vehicle or motor vehicle was manufactured.

[Charlies.Contingency]

State law allows LE in Texas to enforce the federal lighting code. This is what they use for non-approved equipment.

547.3215 FEDERAL STANDARD

Unless specifically prohibited by this chapter, lighting, reflective devices, and associated equipment on a vehicle or motor vehicle must comply with:

(1) the current federal standards in 49 C.F.R. Section 571.108; or

(2) the federal standards in that section in effect,
if any, at the time the vehicle or motor vehicle was manufactured.

So what federal law is it violating? I don't know about you, but I've never heard of an officer arresting somebody at a traffic stop for federal lighting violations.