Thanks everybody for helping me out on this one.

 

Honda did a lot of R&D work on the headlight issue. Although it's an annoyance to people who are "old skool", it's actually a quite effective method of controlling the light dispersion pattern. It's out of the box thinking. I wanted to change mine too, when I didn't know any better.

 

can you inform all of us who dont know any better???? I'm thinking of just changing the beam adjustment. I want to know the pro's and cons first.

 

Why would you want to change it?? The way it is set up now gives the widest dispersement of light.

 

FWIW, I really don't give a rat's *** about the one headlight/two headlight thing. I'd much rather be on the track where headlights aren't even on my bike

I don't know if Honda took this into consideration or not....

Imagine at night that both lights are on. The only part of you that is seen at night is your two headlights. From a car's perspective of approaching you head on, you would be mistaken for a car that is further away than your actual distance. If the same car wants to make a left turn, the results could be deadly because they can't accurately judge how far away you are.

In the day time, this isn't as big a deal (e.g. riding with high beams) because [presumably] your whole bike can be seen. So its easier to judge how far you are.

 

Plus the headlights are close enough together that a car can't tell the difference between one light or two.

 

Good point, but here is another question? If this is true, why hasn't the other motorcycle manufactures jump on board with the one light and one for bright? If it was a safety issue wouldnt you think that all bikes with two headlights be like that?

 

In a way Suzuki has seen it. They are using a stacked configuration for the GSXR. Still doesn't produce as much light. Each manufacturer has to distinguish itself and can't make the consumer feel that they're copying each other, although it happens a lot. Case in point look at the Kaw and Suz dirtbikes, they just recently parted ways on design. For years they had the same bikes (can't remember which one though).

 

The pro to adjusting your high-beam down is more light in front of you while riding around town, and not blinding anyone in front of you. (and yes, our high-beams are freaking bright from a distance).

The con is that you loose the function of the high-beam itself, now you have, in essence, two lowbeams. I keep a very small philips screwdriver under my rear seat. If I know I'll be traveling for a long distance and NEED a highbeam, I'll just adjust it right there on the fly....takes about 10 seconds total, but I have yet to find a problem in adjusting my high beam down. In fact, I see more and don't get flashed as often. (which I could care less, but you do have to be somewhat courteous to other motorists).

The MAIN reason I had to readjust my high beam is because I installed HID's which are about 250-300% brighter than normal bulbs. So I would REALLY blind people if I kept the high beam on all the time at the factory adjustment. I lowered the beam, and everything is perfect.

 

Is there anyway to change the light diffuser/reflector? I really want both of them on at the same time and to have the ability to still have my high beams.

JC